KDXRIDER.NET

Hello everyone,
I have conventional forks with gold valves and stiffer springs.

It is great in the woods. My stock YZ250 riding buddy thought my bike was incredible to ride in the woods compared to his YZ.

BUT, during occasional trips to the MX tracks, it could use more bottoming resistance.

So my question is, can anyone compare these inverted fork swaps to stock forks with gold valves and stiffer springs?

How are the inverted forks in the woods? What are the advantages to the inverted forks besides looking cool?

What are the dissadvantages to the inverted shocks besides greatly decreased oil seal life?

Just wonderign with all this talk if it is worth pulling the conventional forks that I allready spent lots of money on to put inverted ones on? Can I get great woods performance and good ride, and still get big air capability with the inverted forks or something?


Thanks,
Phil

So far I can tell ya the advantages are no underhang to get hung up, more rigid due to fork diameter, better fork technology and parts support, and of course the cool factor. I will be able to tell you more once I do get out and get to play with them. I really don't see any disadvantages to them other than the initial cost.

There is no advantage other than that cool factor.

Sorry Phil, couldn't resist. Anyway, all I really know is that the KX forks I have, 1996 KX125 reworked by Race Tech with goldvalves and .42 springs, do not have any bottoming resistance. At least as I understand it. I've "tested" them too. I crash hard and since I've had the KX forks, I have really hit some objects that I thought would bend the forks. You know the type of scenario, you see the foot or so deep gap in the trail too late from a straight away where you finally made it to 4th gear. The front wheel augers into the far bank and you turn into superman, flying. Not so with my new forks, I grip, I cry, I close my eyes, I even let loose my sphincter, (just a little) but then I peak and see that I made it! Heck I barely even felt it.

Main disadvantage I have found are:
Harsh on the little rocks like on a fireroad. For some reason, the itty bitty hits are more of a bother now than before. Let the little rain ruts and small rocks turn to deeper ruts and softball sized rocks and the bike is wisked over them.
Ride height adjustment between rear and front. The KX forks are longer and so far, I've not heard of anyone who measured the origional height and had the KX modded bike return to that point. But, you adjust.
Minor stuff like headlight fitting, brake cable routing, etc. but not really what I would call a disadvantage.
You mentioned decreased oil seal life. I wipe my fork legs down before every ride and inspect them close. I also have the RaceTech heavy duty seals. There's a little more stiction with them, but to date, they are holding up fine. That stiction may be whats affecting my fireroad performance.

In the end, if you are currently riding within the capabilities of the suspension you have now, then don't bother. The only other main advantage I have found, and it does make a big difference in areas I ride, is the fork underhang. The stock KDX has a nasty habit of hanging up in deeper ruts due to this design. The KX will not give you that problem.

THEY SAY

FROM WHAT I HAVE READ

etc.

It seems you can't have your cake and eat it, too.

Forks that work great on a MX track will beat you up on slow trails.

Super plush forks on the trail will bottom out harshly on the MX track jumps.

This last one, I DO have personal experience with. My 1994 KDX200's forks have RT springs and supposedly Gold Valves and valving (I haven't pulled the base valve assemblies to check). I think my forks work great in the woods. They suck ass on even the little jumps at the local MX park that has a SX track and a MX track.

By the way, my 1994 KDX200 has the stock USD forks. I do like the less overhang part compared to my 1987 KDX200 conventional forks. Internally, FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, they are about the same as H model forks, just USD. I will know more when I finally get my hands on wsjkawasaki's 1997 KDX220 forks.

re:

PhilJensen wrote: ...it could use more bottoming resistance.

I don't read anyone saying, 'More clicks'.

Did I miss something?

If you're riding in the woods and it's fine..and take a trip to the track and don't turn your clickers in at least several clicks...well, why not?

If you're already max-clicking your setup..then the 'You can't have your cake and eat it too' idea applies.

Any time you try finding a balance point between extremes..something isn't going to work as well as it could in the extremes.

Which is what Jason already said.....

As far as 'why inverted' in the woods? Underhang is my reason. Period. Otherwise my forks (lot'sa $$ spent on them) work great suspension-wise. I'm tired of getting stuck in ruts..sometimes sending me over the bars.

Ski: Where are your seal savers? The l-o-n-g ones!

re:

SkiPro wrote:I've not heard of anyone who measured the origional height and had the KX modded bike return to that point.

That's on my list of things to do...to be sure to measure the oem setup [/b]before[/b] I take it off. Then find out how close I can get. My polisport guards will be in the way...I know that already.

I can't remember what my compression clickers were on before I went to the MX park, but even with them turned all the way in, it was still KAH-TOONK on even a small jump (maybe 3 feet air, 15 feet distance, flat landing). Of course, it didn't help that my springs are not quite as stiff, as I am fat.

Besides reduced underhang, there is the potential for the USD forks to be more finely tuned than the stock KDX forks.

If one were to switch from 1995 and newer forks to 1993/94 KDX200 or 1991- 1994 KDX250 forks, I think the only noticeable difference would be the underhang and maybe more rigid. They are equally "old-school" design. The newer the KX forks you get, the newer the fork technology involved. That sounds like a nice advantage.

Seal savers? Post up a link for my perusal please.

sealsavers.com :-)

I'm not going to say what they look like, but do they come in a ribbed version......for her pleasure?

Ski: Have you been banned from Google....too?

ah HAH HAH HAHAHAHAH! LOL

canyncarvr wrote:Ski: Have you been banned from Google....too?

By God, I AM Lazy, aren't I?!!?

Anyway, I'm not putting on those seal savers, they look too much like foreskin!!!

I've got the lower guards and up on the top are the Race Tech stickers that are 12 mil thick. If they go, then some more of my clear stuff I use to protect the graphics on my skis will replace them.

canyncarvr wrote: That's on my list of things to do...to be sure to measure the oem setup before I take it off. Then find out how close I can get. My polisport guards will be in the way...I know that already.

When you get that measurement.... could you post it CC? That is something I forgot to do and now wish I had it.

Where would be best places to take the measurements from? IE. base of steering head to the axle ???

Maybe the end of the handlebar to the ground using a plumb bob, suspension completely unloaded but both tires on the ground.

Gonna make up for CR-hi's, Lows?? .... won't get a good reading that way Ski.... Gotta be to of neck to ground to get a standard reading.

What?! You don't have ape hangers on your KDX???

Hey Inda, go pinch a pretty nurse for me!

Thanks for the input guys. Yeah, the biggest advantage would be getting rid of the low hanging stock forks. They do hit stumps and ruts occasionally on me too.

But it sounds like I am going to have the same problems with USD - a woods setup is not optimum for MX and vice versa...

So if I want to spend $1000 on new forks, wheel, springs, gold valves, machining, etc. then I can lose the overhang, gain the bling, but still have the same problem of a wood suspension not being the best for MX.

Guess I will stick with stock, it's not worth all that money to me just to lose the overhang when I allready have my stock forks setup great for the woods with the gold valves and springs.

Thanks,
Phil

re:

Ski wrote:...they look too much like foreskin!!!

No one said you had to choose THAT color! Or....ugh...kawi green foreskin?

Two measurements are of interest to me. The fork length (measure from axle to lower clamp) and the front-end height (vertical measurement, bike upright on its own weight, from ground to some stationary point..lower clamp would do.)

Yeah..I'll get'em.