KDXRIDER.NET

I'm pretty sure yours has a midvalves... or did... but probably never had the bladders.

Jason:
I, personally wouldn't try to experiment with a 2 stage stack, even if a tuner was doing all the labor. My reason is that because all the two stage stacks I've ridden, they all had a very distinct feel for when you hit that point. Say, off a series of whoops, as the suspension starts to really get worked, I could feel the "wall" as I hit the second stage. Oooph!!! My arms start to collapse as they all-of-a-sudden, take a harsh, heavy feel in the rate the forks are comressing at. It forced me to back off the speed I was hitting the whoops at. At slower speeds, no problem. In fact, they were so plush, I felt almost disconnected from the trail input as I cut over the bumps. It made me a bit concerned I wouldn't be able to judge throttle control and might loop the bike without realizing it until too late.

Jafo:
I don't know why the stuff wouldn't work with the seal savers. Heck, the seals would wear it off way before any affect from the seal savers would, if that's where you are going with your question. I think the seal savers cause some amount of stiction. They are a force rubbing on the tube. How much? Not much compared to the other things like the seals themselves. Or the internal guides and such.

KD... Most tuners will not remover the bladders but rather disable them. So, that statement is suspect anyway. Maybe he assumed they were removed. They weren't there so.....

I don't know what residual evidence there would be that it had bladders but I would bet very little. I also hear the only side effect of removing the bladders is having to run 30mm more oil.

About all I know....SINCE I DON'T HAVE ANY!!!!

skipro3, on these other bikes you rode, did they have the midvalve removed like your bike? Thanks.

A word about Midvalves....

They are not desirable in wood setups.

Why is that you ask?

Because...Midvalves control 70% of the valving in these forks. This is why people disable them because they are absolute hell to tune for the track let alone for the woods.

Rebuttal?

70%? Where did you read that?

Since you ride in the woods, are yours gone?

Where I read it? Not important... can you refute it?

Told ya I have been doing my research and all data is from a reliable source.

They will be gone come this winter. As I have stated several times, I am running a stock system right now and will be torn down and rebuilt this winter.

Why bother to try to refute what Sumguy sumwhere said?

For the best research, let that foot heal up, then get out there and put a lot of miles on the bike with various midavlave adjustments and without the midvalve. There's no substitute for real world experience, which is what I was asking skipro3 for.

Thanks,
Jason

Let me state this...

I , like CC and many other have opted for the KX forks for a couple of reasons only, One being the underhung elimination and the other being to stiffen up feel, not action.

So, All the high falutin' midvalves , bladders , and fancy setups are really not my concern. I just want some plush, reactive, bottom resistant forks.

I think that eliminating the midvalve (used for slowing controlling initial hard hits in the mid stroke) and adding the plush Gold valves or a simple stack change is more than adequate for woods work if you are not pushing the limits of the suspension.

I am more concerned with control in the woods and midvalves will not add anything in that department for me anyway. The only thing they will do is make you wish they weren't there.

I don't know... just my take.

Indawoods wrote: I just want some plush, reactive, bottom resistant forks.

Don't we all.

All 'Yall ain't no fun!

I'm tryin' to get yall goin on the midvalve discussion but ya won't bite!

Poop.

Two windows open..two posts submitted one after the other...can't do that...lost all this one.

So..all of that priceless info is gone.............


I'll make up some more!

Sorry to hi-jack my own thread about CC's ride report.... What was I thinking?

I have been pouring over all this Fork stuff for days finding all kinds of info and I guess it just needs to come out!

Jason wrote:skipro3, on these other bikes you rode, did they have the midvalve removed like your bike? Thanks.

It is my understanding that they did, but I can't be sure. If I run across the guys again, I'll be sure to ask. They are friends of Doug's and I get invited to ride a couple times a year with them. Also, they are VERY intense riders. They see trails where none exist. They stop in places that most of us mortals would be trying to blast through, knowing we couldn't continue from that point from a dead stop. Not sure what all that info is good for, other than that these young men are hard core riders and their bikes are set up for that. No way would I ride with them without Doug; they would leave me so far behind, it would not be safe.

Thanks for the information. I am always wanting to learn something new.

Lessee...what was this thread about? Uh......mmmm...oh yeah....it was all about ME!


Put 100 miles on yesterday with the comp clickers full out. Quite an improvement!!

How do I know this to be an absolute fact? My soft-straps only came untied once during the ride..and that really only 1/2 undone. The previous ride, they came untied a bunch of times. Too hard!

Mr. Wilkey (MX-Tech) wrote:..as recognized the USD forks are going to force you to make some small trades in comfort for precision....

Absolutely correct.


No...I don't need to know how to tie them, use them or keep them tied. That's not the point.

These forks are nothing if not curious. The difference in fork deflection, stability, rebound effect (frontend tracking in corners) and yes, rigidity is a big fat deal. I didn't expect such an improvement.

A well worth it modification...and I haven't even started messing with'em yet!! It will only get better.

Glad to hear of your ride and the report! I keep my compression full out and my rebound at 12 clicks out. What's your rebound adjusted for?

I recall..I think...my caps had 19 clicks. Had a bit of iffy with that. With the caps off I messed with'em (sprayed teflon in and around, screwed in/out a bunch of times) to get to within one or two clicks of the same between them. They were sticky.

Anyway, I'm within 2/3 of max out..that would make it about 15 out.

Sounds like your going to have some fun getting them forks tuned up CC. Keep us all posted on your progress. I'm curious from a general suspension stand point. Where did you run your compression clickers at on your conventional/reworked forks? I know its apples to oranges but i'm still curious.

-Maurice

Don't recall the number available offhand..but I only had one or two to go to full out on them, too.


The KX forks need some adjustment on the HSC stuff, too. Need to check it a little closer, but I saw marks on the fork guard guides only about 6" down yesterday and I hit'em as hard as I ever will..going downhill (receeding 'ground line') jumping waterbars.

Need to get some shim washers..or base plates...

Rode with a bit of vacuum in the air shock department some of the time yesterday, too (bled forks with them somewhat compressed). I'll go down another 5mm in the oil level department, too (at 110mm now).

I'm liking my seal savers, too. Ride for hours through rocks, dirt, dust, and grime. At the end of the day the whole bottom tube is nicely covered up. They clean up good, too.