Posts
558
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
San Diego, CA, USA
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2012 7:16pm
I've been looking at getting a KTM 250sx but I'm always hearing how the PDS suspension never really works well. Everytime I start looking into it I get these responces.
1. It sucks, without a linkage it will never be right, hence why it almost always places last in shoot outs.
2. It's not better/worse but just different.
3. It's good for desert/woods but for MX is harsh.
4. It's fine, you just have to tune the suspension for your weight and be keep an eye on it.
I always send out my suspension to be revalved when I get a bike so should I even worry about how the stock suspension is?
1. It sucks, without a linkage it will never be right, hence why it almost always places last in shoot outs.
2. It's not better/worse but just different.
3. It's good for desert/woods but for MX is harsh.
4. It's fine, you just have to tune the suspension for your weight and be keep an eye on it.
I always send out my suspension to be revalved when I get a bike so should I even worry about how the stock suspension is?
I am serious, this guy does unbelievable work.
He is in Northern Cal (Roseville) I just put his bouncers on a CRF450, and can't believe how much faster I went.
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Newer KTM stock suspension is a lot better than say a stock CRF450 suspension.
Honestly, after I had my KTM 250SX revalved, I felt it was a lot worse. The thing was, I didn't really mind the suspension stock. It wasn't barely rideable which has been my experience w/ CRFs. I have since gotten the revalved KTM suspension to work pretty well.
If I could do it again I would have went all out w/ an Ohlins rear shock and the TTX internals on the front. That seems to more than cure any of the natural shortcomings of the stock linkageless suspension.
He does Chuck Sun's, KTM that won a 50 Pro at the Vet Nationals.
He also did Toon Karsmakers, CRF450, that also won at the Vet Nationals, then MXA's John Perry, on a Yamaha, that won a class as well.
I was hooked up, and very happy. I have to put a word in for my sponsor, so it was just a suggestion...
Dick, does all the work himself, and not some people farming kid, with a wrench, and hammer.
But, I don't want to come out and flat out say that it sucks, I'd want to spend a few hours on a track messing with the clickers before I say that.
ask your suspension guy what differences a revalved ktm 2stroke reacts over a jap 2stroke.
ask him of all 5 bikes to choose from(2 stroke 250cc machines),what one would he choose to ride and why.
4 strokes suspension cannot be compared with a 2.
what riding style do you have....smooth rider ,clutch freak,etc.
what class do you race or would race in....
are you fat or light?
terrain ......
the ktm may be good to those who are in a much narrower group listed above.the jap bikes seem to make the majority mxers happy in the suspension department.
normally,softer reacting suspension is suited to beginners...harsher for expert/pro,then comes the fine part of making those bikes suit the rider.
I rode a brand new '08 KTM 450 the other day and it felt like riding in a radio flyer. The thing was so harsh and stiff it was unnerving. After getting off the bike I asked how many laps were on it. Seven, was the answer. The KTMs come set up really stiff and take a very long time to break in. I'm hearing like 3 hours on the track.
I've found on KTMs that are broken in they are also very responsive to tuning. Small adjustments make big differences. The KTMs of today are put together much better before. The refinements and attention to detail are second to none. Not even Honda puts as much effort into making things work right and work for a long time.
To make a long post longer, I recently went into the tranny on a friend's bike because they ran it without tranny oil. I could find absolutely no damage. I changed all the tranny shaft bearings just for safety sake. I was shocked to find that every gear that spins on the shaft has a needle bearing under it. Jap bikes spin on bronze bushings. Also, the clutch basket had a chrome type plating on it to keep it from grooving. They have gone to great lengths to make these bikes reliable and I believe they are going the right direction.
KTMs are great bikes - reliable, well built, creatively designed, equipped with good parts right from the dealers' floor, and really fast - but frankly I just don't think the suspension is up to par for most riders. Just my opinion.
If you want the best handling bike available then there should be no question that the Hondas are the best you can get. As far as the KTMs? My KTM experience doesn’t go beyond 2004 but I can tell that they are fine if you set them up properly. My son rode a SX 250 in the 04 AMA Supercross Series and absolutely loved it. Although we didn’t run the stock components on our racebikes, our practice bikes with valved stocked components handled well also. The following year he rode a YZ 250 and preferred the KTM over the YZ.
Which dealer is going to be the best to work with in the future?
Good people at a good dealership should be a large part of your decision.
Pit Row
Don't know how good they got it now......even stock.
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