Forks from RockShox and Manitou seem to vary in performance alot..One person may have a great experience with a Black, and the next person may not..Same with Rockshox..That's what I've noticed anyway.

No bones about it, the Axel is lame-o for anybody on/past a certain level of riding.

The Manitou's I've tried(Axel, Six, Black, X-vert) seem to be on the plush, side..The Axel and the Six having little or no dampening adjustments..

Rockshox I've tried (TT, Jett, Duke) tend to be a little stiffer, spring rate wise. The TT, the Jett, are stiff, and have no dampening adjustments, so they are like pogo sticks. I hate them.
The Duke I tried was awesome, I would get one if I was looking for a new fork.

I've also tried a Fox..It was the best I've ever tried, but it was the most expensive too. If I could only have one fork for the rest of my life, I'd probably grab the Fox..It was sweeet.

No 'sperience with Zokes..But they seem to be the standard which most forks are judged by. I really like the sound of the ECC lockout feature.

Raiyn-it's great that you got that as a free upgrade. The Duke is definitely superior. All I was saying is try to compare forks of the same price, but for you that was a non-issue.

It is a great feature but unless you like stopping to flip it or the terrain is mild enough to risk turning the knob it is a pain. When I do take the time you use it...wow my climbing ability goes way up :)

I have a mars which i've had a couple years and just put it on a bike for my wife.It rides great and i never had a bit of trouble w/ it.My current ride has a black which i like a lot. I've had it a year and still like it w/ no problems.I've had good luck w/ manitou so far.I'd like to try a marzochi one day but not till i tire of the black.

I'm left with the impression that manitou is really doing everything they can to shake this bad image they've aquired. They've struck a chord with their reverse crown idea. While I doubt their OnePointFive standard will ever go anywhere, it at least shows they're doing their best to improve their product. Maybe in a year or two I'll be ready to give them another chance, and hopefully get to where I can honestly recomend their products again.