WP 4CS fork, how are/were they?

GoonRider93
Edited Date/Time 8/11/2019 11:40am
Currently looking for a used FC350, I was planning on going 2017+ but I saw a very low hour/lighly used 2016 that's not too far from me but it's my understanding that this bike had a different fork?

I'm currently using the Showa SFF on my KXF so anything better than that is an upgrade in my book.
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Spooner
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Spooner 8/10/2019 1:06pm
8/10/2019 1:06pm
They were super harsh and it’s expensive to fix them. All the guys I ride with that had them ended up doing conversions back to the closed chamber forks of previous years. Also the 16 is a totally different bike than a 17.
GoonRider93 8/10/2019 1:10pm
8/10/2019 1:10pm
Spooner wrote:
They were super harsh and it’s expensive to fix them. All the guys I ride with that had them ended up doing conversions back to the...
They were super harsh and it’s expensive to fix them. All the guys I ride with that had them ended up doing conversions back to the closed chamber forks of previous years. Also the 16 is a totally different bike than a 17.
I've read about the fork woes on here a few times.

Are you sure about them being totally different? They seem to be identical other than the switch to the AER fork for 2017... MXA has it at 90% identical.
opyguy
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opyguy 8/10/2019 1:12pm
8/10/2019 1:12pm
16/17 almost identical except for air forks
Spooner
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Spooner 8/10/2019 1:13pm
8/10/2019 1:13pm
Sorry I was thinking of the two strokes.

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cody41
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cody41 8/10/2019 1:37pm
8/10/2019 1:37pm
Absolutely terrible.. Id Advise staying away from a 16 ktm/husky four stroke as well.
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PTECH
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PTECH 8/10/2019 1:39pm
8/10/2019 1:39pm Edited Date/Time 8/10/2019 1:41pm
Someone correct me if I wrong but I thought the euro bikes got AER one year before the US did so the 16 may still have AER? Also FWIW it have a 14 sx with revalved 4CS and I think they're pretty good for the desert riding I do.
GoonRider93 8/10/2019 1:45pm
8/10/2019 1:45pm
cody41 wrote:
Absolutely terrible.. Id Advise staying away from a 16 ktm/husky four stroke as well.
Because... ? Bit pointles typing that without giving a particular reason...
GoonRider93 8/10/2019 1:46pm
8/10/2019 1:46pm
PTECH wrote:
Someone correct me if I wrong but I thought the euro bikes got AER one year before the US did so the 16 may still have...
Someone correct me if I wrong but I thought the euro bikes got AER one year before the US did so the 16 may still have AER? Also FWIW it have a 14 sx with revalved 4CS and I think they're pretty good for the desert riding I do.
As far as I know both got AER the same year.
PTECH
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PTECH 8/10/2019 1:52pm
8/10/2019 1:52pm
PTECH wrote:
Someone correct me if I wrong but I thought the euro bikes got AER one year before the US did so the 16 may still have...
Someone correct me if I wrong but I thought the euro bikes got AER one year before the US did so the 16 may still have AER? Also FWIW it have a 14 sx with revalved 4CS and I think they're pretty good for the desert riding I do.
GoonRider93 wrote:
As far as I know both got AER the same year.
I could have swore the KTMs at the least got AER in 16 over there. Maybe not though. What kind of riding are you doing? I think forks are kind of a personal preference. There are a lot of people out there riding 4CS forks and some people make it sound like they're completely unreadable. Like some guys worship KYB SSS forks but I had an 07 YZ250 for a few years and I never thought the forks were anything special on that bike.
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GoonRider93 8/10/2019 1:54pm
8/10/2019 1:54pm
PTECH wrote:
Someone correct me if I wrong but I thought the euro bikes got AER one year before the US did so the 16 may still have...
Someone correct me if I wrong but I thought the euro bikes got AER one year before the US did so the 16 may still have AER? Also FWIW it have a 14 sx with revalved 4CS and I think they're pretty good for the desert riding I do.
GoonRider93 wrote:
As far as I know both got AER the same year.
PTECH wrote:
I could have swore the KTMs at the least got AER in 16 over there. Maybe not though. What kind of riding are you doing? I...
I could have swore the KTMs at the least got AER in 16 over there. Maybe not though. What kind of riding are you doing? I think forks are kind of a personal preference. There are a lot of people out there riding 4CS forks and some people make it sound like they're completely unreadable. Like some guys worship KYB SSS forks but I had an 07 YZ250 for a few years and I never thought the forks were anything special on that bike.
I do a lot of Motocross, but I only race a handful of times a year
KenBone
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KenBone 8/10/2019 1:56pm
8/10/2019 1:56pm Edited Date/Time 8/10/2019 1:58pm
I'm running 4CS forks on my alta and it is the 2nd worst fork I have ever ridden.(rmz ssf air is #1) They have been valved twice to try and make it work... still suck ass. Getting ready to pull the trigger on a KYB conversion or Conevalves
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Talan_Hansen
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Talan_Hansen 8/10/2019 2:11pm
8/10/2019 2:11pm
I have a 16 ktm 350 I’ve been racing the nationals with in Canada. I have race tech gold valves done by BWR engines and I think they’re not bad. I’m coming from SFF spring forks. Each to their own though.
bigmaico
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bigmaico 8/10/2019 2:15pm
8/10/2019 2:15pm
I have a set on my 14.5 450 FE.

Stock they were pretty bad, I had Kreft re-valve them for MX & they work really good.

But I see your in Great Britain, So I don't know ho is able to fix them on your side of the big pond!

You could check whit the guys at KTMtalk & see if they know of anyone close to you!
Meister
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Meister 8/10/2019 2:22pm
8/10/2019 2:22pm
Only reason I sold my 16 ktm 450. Even after several attempts to make them good, they still suckedddd.
Shawn142
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Shawn142 8/10/2019 3:24pm
8/10/2019 3:24pm
cody41 wrote:
Absolutely terrible.. Id Advise staying away from a 16 ktm/husky four stroke as well.
I'd sure like to hear the reasoning behind this..

I've got a '16 KTM 350 that I bought new. Never had a single issue with it and the forks are not that freaking bad. The people who say you can't live with them read too much Motocross Action. Maybe on a super rough track you'd consider them choppy and harsh, but on any average moto track in the US they are more than serviceable.
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Thelen20
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Thelen20 8/10/2019 4:44pm
8/10/2019 4:44pm
I had my 15' 250sx 4cs forks reworked twice and they were still the worst forks I have ever rode. I bottomed so hard through some uphill braking bumps that I thought something broke inside. After that i bought 48mm wp cone valve forks. I should have done the SSS swap.

Good luck!!!
ob
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ob 8/10/2019 5:28pm
8/10/2019 5:28pm Edited Date/Time 8/10/2019 5:31pm
I’ve definitely ridden worse forks. There are lots of full cartridge swaps available. You can also find used air forks, but it probably just makes more sense to spend that extra money on a newer bike. Of course the AER forks need a little work to make really good also, so plan on revalve anyway. I would buy refurbished cone valves that you can use year after year. Put the stock forks back on when you sell it, no need to revalve shit after the first time unless you get really fat or skinny.
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dirtmike86
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dirtmike86 8/10/2019 7:14pm
8/10/2019 7:14pm
Just make sure you avoid jumps where you cant downside the landings, breaking bumps, accelerating bumps, lots of chop, whoops, roller sections. So basically just use them for flat track and you're gunna be fine.
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GoonRider93 8/11/2019 2:51am
8/11/2019 2:51am
dirtmike86 wrote:
Just make sure you avoid jumps where you cant downside the landings, breaking bumps, accelerating bumps, lots of chop, whoops, roller sections. So basically just use...
Just make sure you avoid jumps where you cant downside the landings, breaking bumps, accelerating bumps, lots of chop, whoops, roller sections. So basically just use them for flat track and you're gunna be fine.
That bad? I was thinking of putting some Racetech Gold Valves in if I bought it... Would that help at all?
crowe176
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crowe176 8/11/2019 3:13am
8/11/2019 3:13am
I just went through this with my 15 350sx. They’re horrible forks. If I didn’t hit every jump perfect, I thought I was going to break my wrists. They’re ok everywhere but bigger jumps. Just blow through.

It was either throw a grand into them on a 4yo bike to make them hopefully work ok, or sell it. I sold it and now have a 19 Yz450f and holy shit, it’s unreal to ride a bike again with good suspension. So much happier. I would at the very least look for one with AER’s.

You shouldn’t have to spend that much money to make you feel safe on a bike. I’d avoid 4cs forks if I were you.

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crowe176
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crowe176 8/11/2019 3:15am
8/11/2019 3:15am Edited Date/Time 8/11/2019 3:18am
dirtmike86 wrote:
Just make sure you avoid jumps where you cant downside the landings, breaking bumps, accelerating bumps, lots of chop, whoops, roller sections. So basically just use...
Just make sure you avoid jumps where you cant downside the landings, breaking bumps, accelerating bumps, lots of chop, whoops, roller sections. So basically just use them for flat track and you're gunna be fine.
GoonRider93 wrote:
That bad? I was thinking of putting some Racetech Gold Valves in if I bought it... Would that help at all?
LOL don’t waste your money. I had racetech quote me over a grand with the pulp discount. If you’re only option is a bike with 4CS, find one that has already been fixed
Bruneval
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Bruneval 8/11/2019 5:39am
8/11/2019 5:39am
I honestly prefer the forks on my 1989 CR250 to the 4cs that came on my 2015 TC250 a few years back, and that’s saying something. This is not based on me reading something on the internet; it’s based on me riding the bike a few times when they were newly released and at a time when there was little to no information about 4cs.

The air forks on the newer bikes are a night and day difference, or just find a pair of Ohlins which transformed the bike I had:

dirtmike86
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dirtmike86 8/11/2019 9:59am
8/11/2019 9:59am
dirtmike86 wrote:
Just make sure you avoid jumps where you cant downside the landings, breaking bumps, accelerating bumps, lots of chop, whoops, roller sections. So basically just use...
Just make sure you avoid jumps where you cant downside the landings, breaking bumps, accelerating bumps, lots of chop, whoops, roller sections. So basically just use them for flat track and you're gunna be fine.
GoonRider93 wrote:
That bad? I was thinking of putting some Racetech Gold Valves in if I bought it... Would that help at all?
I've rode worse but not on a bike made after 1995. I had mine revalved and resprung which stopped the bottoming. They were still pretty harsh. I ended up selling the bike before I figured out a solution. I heard the best option was a conversion. I have AER on my current bike and they are much better.
T-Fish
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T-Fish 8/11/2019 10:10am
8/11/2019 10:10am
I’d like to ride a set so I can see what they’re all about.
dirtmike86
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dirtmike86 8/11/2019 11:38am
8/11/2019 11:38am Edited Date/Time 8/11/2019 11:40am
dirtmike86
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dirtmike86 8/11/2019 11:40am
8/11/2019 11:40am
T-Fish wrote:
I’d like to ride a set so I can see what they’re all about.
No you dont. For instance at glen helen as the day went on the braking bumps coming down the hills would get pretty big. These forks would start packing up at every bump so bad that you would be smacking the lugs on the last few bumps. If I rode a track with high speed jumps with more inverted lips I could bottom them on the face which is scary as hell. I had them revalved and resprung which helped that but they still couldnt handle the fast choppy stuff. I had a 2003 rm250 at the same time and that bikes forks with only being set up for my weight was way better. With all that being said I didnt mind them when I went on trail rides.
Matt Fisher 8/11/2019 12:00pm
8/11/2019 12:00pm
Race Tech converts them to an open bath fork design and after that they still aren't great for faster riders, they can actually work pretty good for those that aren't blessed with great speed.
The 16+ 350's are really good bikes unless you only ride at super low rpms.
PTshox
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PTshox 8/11/2019 12:10pm
8/11/2019 12:10pm
They can be fixed for a reasonable price. David J at Smart Performance has a kit for them that changes the mid valve. Do that along with 700 CC of fork fluid and the right springs for your riding type (I went to 42KG for off road and you'll be fine. There is also a lot of tunability with them once you make his changes. I think the kit was around $150 bucks. + Springs etc.
PTshox
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PTshox 8/11/2019 12:12pm
8/11/2019 12:12pm
The other option is the MXTech lucky kit. About a grand but an easy drop in replacement that can be done in a hour or two.... simple.

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