Air Forks Can They Work?

mmain62
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mmain62 8/10/2018 7:51am
8/10/2018 7:51am
I tunes says the app isn't available in the U.S. right now. Bummer
TJMX947
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TJMX947 8/10/2018 8:50am
8/10/2018 8:50am
TJMX947 wrote:
I have the KTech coil spring conversion on my '17 KTM and I love it. I would send it to a tuner to inspect, you shouldn't...
I have the KTech coil spring conversion on my '17 KTM and I love it. I would send it to a tuner to inspect, you shouldn't hear a rattle. Who performed the conversion?
mmain62 wrote:
Some dude name Mike Freeman put the conversion in for the buddy of mine that I bought it from. My buddy never opened the fork to...
Some dude name Mike Freeman put the conversion in for the buddy of mine that I bought it from. My buddy never opened the fork to look at it. I changed out the conversion for the air stuff last night and definitely found that the idiot installed a piece that was cut with a pipe cutter and got paid for it. I am working with Ktech to figure out how to get a new spacer for the set up so if I don't like the air I'll have the kit to reinstall. In the picture the red piece is not supposed to be two pieces.
Chad Newton at Total Control in Burlington NC works really closely with KTech and has done a ton of these conversions. If you decide to put the conversion back in I would send it to him, he's awesome to work with and you won't be disappointed! My KTM fork rides like butter now.
TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 8/10/2018 9:03am
8/10/2018 9:03am
Air Forks don't work?
Huh.
I've got a pair of ProCircuit bullt PSF-1s that work better than most kit forks I've tried.
On the '17 RMZ, I actually learned how to get the TAC's to,work, too.
Last year, at the 2018 450 Shootout, the Husky & KTM forks were rated prey high.
mmain62
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mmain62 8/10/2018 10:46am
8/10/2018 10:46am
TeamGreen wrote:
Air Forks don't work? Huh. I've got a pair of ProCircuit bullt PSF-1s that work better than most kit forks I've tried. On the '17 RMZ...
Air Forks don't work?
Huh.
I've got a pair of ProCircuit bullt PSF-1s that work better than most kit forks I've tried.
On the '17 RMZ, I actually learned how to get the TAC's to,work, too.
Last year, at the 2018 450 Shootout, the Husky & KTM forks were rated prey high.
That was my thought for sure TeamGreen.

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make1go
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make1go 8/10/2018 5:15pm
8/10/2018 5:15pm Edited Date/Time 8/10/2018 5:17pm
TeamGreen wrote:
Air Forks don't work? Huh. I've got a pair of ProCircuit bullt PSF-1s that work better than most kit forks I've tried. On the '17 RMZ...
Air Forks don't work?
Huh.
I've got a pair of ProCircuit bullt PSF-1s that work better than most kit forks I've tried.
On the '17 RMZ, I actually learned how to get the TAC's to,work, too.
Last year, at the 2018 450 Shootout, the Husky & KTM forks were rated prey high.
so full or as close to works are good? seems obvious

once i learned, hmmm, you are technically minded with good contacts with in the industry, not a common position for many..

yes apparently but will you say the do feel and work differently to springs?

nothing there that conclusively changes the main consesus that they are not as good for most people.

just the fact that the japanese have switched back says an awful lot, they dont like admitting they got it wrong...
5280mx
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5280mx 8/10/2018 10:12pm
8/10/2018 10:12pm
I just had my kyb airforks off my '13 crf450 revalved by RG3, as well as my rear shock...huge improvement over stock. I'm not fast enough to have an opinion on the air/spring debate, but I did just let a skilled friend throw down some laps on my bike before the revalve. When I asked him how he liked the stock airforks, he said he didn't even know my bike had those. So maybe half of it is 90% mental?
mmain62
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mmain62 8/14/2018 4:38am
8/14/2018 4:38am
Finally got on a prepped track this past weekend and honestly lowered the outer chamber from keefers settings by 3 psi and the bike turned great felt great. I can see myself maybe getting a re-valve just because I want to but I am loving this 17' KX450F.
TJMX947
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TJMX947 8/14/2018 5:17am
8/14/2018 5:17am
5280mx wrote:
I just had my kyb airforks off my '13 crf450 revalved by RG3, as well as my rear shock...huge improvement over stock. I'm not fast enough...
I just had my kyb airforks off my '13 crf450 revalved by RG3, as well as my rear shock...huge improvement over stock. I'm not fast enough to have an opinion on the air/spring debate, but I did just let a skilled friend throw down some laps on my bike before the revalve. When I asked him how he liked the stock airforks, he said he didn't even know my bike had those. So maybe half of it is 90% mental?
I've been told that stock air forks work extremely well for people within a certain weight range, and will work better with tuning. I believe you have to do things that will make the air fork stay within an optimum air range to support your weight and balance with the shock after you can set the sag.
cody41
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cody41 8/14/2018 5:35am
8/14/2018 5:35am
You don’t realize how bad air forks are until you ride good spring forks.
kkawboy14
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kkawboy14 8/14/2018 5:35am
8/14/2018 5:35am
5280mx wrote:
I just had my kyb airforks off my '13 crf450 revalved by RG3, as well as my rear shock...huge improvement over stock. I'm not fast enough...
I just had my kyb airforks off my '13 crf450 revalved by RG3, as well as my rear shock...huge improvement over stock. I'm not fast enough to have an opinion on the air/spring debate, but I did just let a skilled friend throw down some laps on my bike before the revalve. When I asked him how he liked the stock airforks, he said he didn't even know my bike had those. So maybe half of it is 90% mental?
TJMX947 wrote:
I've been told that stock air forks work extremely well for people within a certain weight range, and will work better with tuning. I believe you...
I've been told that stock air forks work extremely well for people within a certain weight range, and will work better with tuning. I believe you have to do things that will make the air fork stay within an optimum air range to support your weight and balance with the shock after you can set the sag.
Air forks are the easiest fork to use. All this dumb talk about the set up has to be just right has to be from riders who are messing with their settings all the time anyway. Set it, run it, you will love it!
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mx317
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mx317 8/14/2018 6:19am
8/14/2018 6:19am
cody41 wrote:
You don’t realize how bad air forks are until you ride good spring forks.
I didn't realize how well an air fork could work until I rode an AER 48 done by Factory Connection. This is coming from someone that has a set of Cone Valve spring forks sitting in his shop that was also done by FC. These forks have that "spring feel" off the top and you no longer have to break through the "crust" to get them moving. They have really awesome bottoming resistance also. The Cones may be sitting for awhile. My previous measuring stick was a set of KYB AOSS (same as SSS) that ENZO had revalved that was an awesome fork.
Titan1
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Titan1 8/14/2018 1:33pm
8/14/2018 1:33pm
90% of riders can't tell the difference between Air forks and spring forks. Let alone the difference in the change in pressures up or down by 2-5 psi.

As a Vet A rider...the air forks work fine-they are a significant step back from the Yamaha KYB SSS forks...but they work just fine.

As an off road racer, I had TBT down in AZ revalve mine, and they made them much better (still not as good as KYB SSS forks, but much better than stock for off road...if I raced moto I probably wouldn't have even revalved them...eh, I probably would have anyway, but just because I wanted too).

The people I see complaining about air forks the loudest, treat the air pressures like they are the clickers...there is big jumps on this track, so I increased the PSI...or its super choppy, so I decreased the PSI...they end up lost and can't tell which way is up on their settings and then claim that "air forks suck". They wouldn't change springs because the track was choppy, or had big jumps (they'd adjust the clickers, though, and rightly so)...so why do they constantly change PSI?

To be honest, I very seldom even check the air pressure in the forks...if I have a drastic change in altitude or air temp I will (for example: In january I'm riding at 4600 feet and 40 degree temps in Northern Utah...if I take a trip to Mesquite NV and its 2000 feet and 70 degrees, I'll check the pressures)...but for my usual ride spots, I'll go a month or more without even checking the pressures...and it doesn't change that much, and I honestly can't even tell the difference. So I don't even feel its necessary to check the pressure as often as some people do.

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