JS7 Back on Spring Forks

blackdiamond
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blackdiamond
Edited Date/Time 4/5/2016 1:50pm
With Reed, Tomac, Roczen, Baggett, Hansen and now JS7 switching back to spring forks is it safe to say the "air forks are the wave of the future" fairy tale is over? It seems the factory teams are finally facing reality and letting the riders choose what they want to run instead of the factories choosing what they want to market and sell.

According to the pre-production photos there is a good chance the 2017 CRF450 is going to feature spring forks as well?



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mb
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mb 4/2/2016 11:55pm
4/2/2016 11:55pm
Looks like A kit suspension on that bike..
MX690
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MX690 4/3/2016 4:33am
4/3/2016 4:33am
It was mentioned on the PulpMx show a month ago that there was a rumour Honda were ditching the air and going back to springs. Maybe it's no rumour.
tempura
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tempura 4/3/2016 4:43am
4/3/2016 4:43am
blackdiamond wrote:
With Reed, Tomac, Roczen, Baggett, Hansen and now JS7 switching back to spring forks is it safe to say the "air forks are the wave of...
With Reed, Tomac, Roczen, Baggett, Hansen and now JS7 switching back to spring forks is it safe to say the "air forks are the wave of the future" fairy tale is over? It seems the factory teams are finally facing reality and letting the riders choose what they want to run instead of the factories choosing what they want to market and sell.

According to the pre-production photos there is a good chance the 2017 CRF450 is going to feature spring forks as well?



That's the bike Narita was racing today.
Can't blame them for wanting to run spring forks

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IWreckALot
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IWreckALot 4/3/2016 4:43am
4/3/2016 4:43am
I thought Stewart was running 2x4's as his front forks.
downard254
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downard254 4/3/2016 5:02am
4/3/2016 5:02am
IWreckALot wrote:
I thought Stewart was running 2x4's as his front forks.
Woohoo That's good. I wonder how many won't get it.
Beeby
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Beeby 4/3/2016 5:49am
4/3/2016 5:49am
That Honda is just Moto porn
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Bultaco 4/3/2016 6:17am
4/3/2016 6:17am
Nice that they got rid of the clutch cable. Why does it still have a kickstart lever?
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Dtat720 4/3/2016 6:25am
4/3/2016 6:25am
Bultaco wrote:
Nice that they got rid of the clutch cable. Why does it still have a kickstart lever?
Unlike KTM, Honda has the foresight to have a backup starter incase the Estart has a failure. I have several enduro friends who have sold their KTM's and gone back to jap just to be able to start their bikes when something happens.
With this Honda and seeing the Estart on all of the MXGP Yamahas along with kickstart, i dont see them going back either. I do however see a lot of other KTM riders switching back to japs if this makes production
ML512
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ML512 4/3/2016 8:38am
4/3/2016 8:38am
blackdiamond wrote:
With Reed, Tomac, Roczen, Baggett, Hansen and now JS7 switching back to spring forks is it safe to say the "air forks are the wave of...
With Reed, Tomac, Roczen, Baggett, Hansen and now JS7 switching back to spring forks is it safe to say the "air forks are the wave of the future" fairy tale is over? It seems the factory teams are finally facing reality and letting the riders choose what they want to run instead of the factories choosing what they want to market and sell.

According to the pre-production photos there is a good chance the 2017 CRF450 is going to feature spring forks as well?



Narita has been running spring forks on his race bike in Japan for a few seasons now, so not exactly a tell-tale.

Also, Roczen is on PSF1 air, not AOSS spring.
dbrunski125 4/3/2016 8:48am
4/3/2016 8:48am
I think it's going to cause a switch back. Looks bad on production bike imo when pro rider like bagget or js7 switch back to spring forks when oem rmz model runs the triple chamber showa air fork. Just my two cents.

Roczen is on kyb air and rmz 250 iI'm is running kyb air forks tho....
Bruce372
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Bruce372 4/3/2016 8:53am
4/3/2016 8:53am
It's funny how changing forks, doesn't change results.
Bultaco
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Bultaco 4/3/2016 10:37am
4/3/2016 10:37am
Bultaco wrote:
Nice that they got rid of the clutch cable. Why does it still have a kickstart lever?
Dtat720 wrote:
Unlike KTM, Honda has the foresight to have a backup starter incase the Estart has a failure. I have several enduro friends who have sold their...
Unlike KTM, Honda has the foresight to have a backup starter incase the Estart has a failure. I have several enduro friends who have sold their KTM's and gone back to jap just to be able to start their bikes when something happens.
With this Honda and seeing the Estart on all of the MXGP Yamahas along with kickstart, i dont see them going back either. I do however see a lot of other KTM riders switching back to japs if this makes production
I've wondered about the e-start KTM's, but have never owned one. I guess as long as you stop at the top of the hill??? Smile
blackdiamond
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blackdiamond 4/3/2016 11:13am
4/3/2016 11:13am
ML512 wrote:
Narita has been running spring forks on his race bike in Japan for a few seasons now, so not exactly a tell-tale. Also, Roczen is on...
Narita has been running spring forks on his race bike in Japan for a few seasons now, so not exactly a tell-tale.

Also, Roczen is on PSF1 air, not AOSS spring.
I didn't know that, I was assuming that because he was on springs before he switched to KYB that he also was running KYB spring forks. Is it just me or do more of the factory guys struggle with the Showa air fork than the KYB?
ML512
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ML512 4/3/2016 11:22am
4/3/2016 11:22am
blackdiamond wrote:
I didn't know that, I was assuming that because he was on springs before he switched to KYB that he also was running KYB spring forks...
I didn't know that, I was assuming that because he was on springs before he switched to KYB that he also was running KYB spring forks. Is it just me or do more of the factory guys struggle with the Showa air fork than the KYB?
The TAC fork seems to be a bit more of a challenge to adapt to different surfaces and track conditions when compared to the PSF1 fork on a week-to-week basis.

Ken Roczen switched from the Showa spring forks he ran in outdoors, to SFF TAC for straight rhythm, then KYB PSF1 for Monster Cup and has been on them ever since.
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endurox 4/3/2016 1:51pm
4/3/2016 1:51pm
Bultaco wrote:
Nice that they got rid of the clutch cable. Why does it still have a kickstart lever?
Dtat720 wrote:
Unlike KTM, Honda has the foresight to have a backup starter incase the Estart has a failure. I have several enduro friends who have sold their...
Unlike KTM, Honda has the foresight to have a backup starter incase the Estart has a failure. I have several enduro friends who have sold their KTM's and gone back to jap just to be able to start their bikes when something happens.
With this Honda and seeing the Estart on all of the MXGP Yamahas along with kickstart, i dont see them going back either. I do however see a lot of other KTM riders switching back to japs if this makes production
Never had issues with e-start, but one could always bump start. Model T's had hand cranks to start them.
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Lightning78 4/3/2016 4:15pm
4/3/2016 4:15pm
blackdiamond wrote:
With Reed, Tomac, Roczen, Baggett, Hansen and now JS7 switching back to spring forks is it safe to say the "air forks are the wave of...
With Reed, Tomac, Roczen, Baggett, Hansen and now JS7 switching back to spring forks is it safe to say the "air forks are the wave of the future" fairy tale is over? It seems the factory teams are finally facing reality and letting the riders choose what they want to run instead of the factories choosing what they want to market and sell.

According to the pre-production photos there is a good chance the 2017 CRF450 is going to feature spring forks as well?



First of all.......GOT-DAM THAT IS ONE BEAUTIFUL BIKE!!

Second, for what its worth ive never tried the air forks but recently came up with a brilliant, yet simple concept to drastically simplify the issues of air forks, not necessarily the damping characteristics of them but the whole "checking for the proper amount of air pressure" every time before riding and being able to pinpoint adjusting the amount of air in each (where applicable) chamber. Not sure if its worth pursuing anymore but it wouldve been awesome for riders that owned bikes with air forks and relatively inexpensive.

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Lightning78
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Lightning78 4/3/2016 4:23pm
4/3/2016 4:23pm
Man, I cant wait to see what AJ does with this model CRF when he creates his AF CR500's and CR250's IMO they will be some of the best looking ones yet.......can anyone photoshop this pic and put a 2 stroke engine setup in there to give a preview?
OW38B
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OW38B 4/3/2016 4:28pm
4/3/2016 4:28pm
Yes I know JS7, KR94, et al are not on production forks...... but some of the principle technology is similar.... here is some info from a 2016 shootout.

Overall Shootout position:

6th Husky 450 - Soft suspension. (4CS spring)

5th Suzuki 450 - Showa TAC fork can be difficult to set up.

4th Honda 450 - Harsh forks for some riders.

3rd KTM 450 - 4CS forks still aren't accepted by all the test riders. (spring)

2nd Kaw 450 - Fork were challenging to set up for some riders.

1st Yamaha 450 - Best overall suspension package for different skills of rider and weights. (KYB SSS spring) debuted in 2006

Coincidence? ...................I think not.


Info courtesy of Micheal Lindsay and VitalMX Cool
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colintrax 4/3/2016 4:33pm
4/3/2016 4:33pm
Lightning78 wrote:
Man, I cant wait to see what AJ does with this model CRF when he creates his AF CR500's and CR250's IMO they will be some...
Man, I cant wait to see what AJ does with this model CRF when he creates his AF CR500's and CR250's IMO they will be some of the best looking ones yet.......can anyone photoshop this pic and put a 2 stroke engine setup in there to give a preview?
Just imagine a big shinny pipe where the engine is. And some day light between the top of the pipe and the bottom of the gas tank.
MXD
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MXD 4/3/2016 4:44pm
4/3/2016 4:44pm
I have a 16 KX with the TAC fork. I liked them a lot stock and I love them even more with some messaging from factory connection. My shock is completely stock valving with fresh oil and the right spring for my weight. I'm just an average vet MXer who races the same handful of tracks all summer. I have slightly different to settings for each track since they vary from sandy to hard packed with monster booters. I used to be OCD about checking it before every moto. I soon realized that 5 lap motos don't change a thing so now I set it in the morning and forget about it.

So I confess, I'm perfectly happy with my air forks. What's my penance?
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Hcallz5 4/3/2016 5:42pm
4/3/2016 5:42pm
I remember when Villopoto switched to air forks, he layed it down numerous times during SX then ended up switching back. Must be a feel thing.
dbrunski125 4/3/2016 5:48pm
4/3/2016 5:48pm
Hcallz5 wrote:
I remember when Villopoto switched to air forks, he layed it down numerous times during SX then ended up switching back. Must be a feel thing.
I'm almost positive rv never switched back to spring forks from the showa tac fork. He did have set up issues and switched between fat bars and twin walls initially. But I'm 99.99% sure he stayed on the tac fork
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Crush 4/3/2016 6:01pm
4/3/2016 6:01pm
Hcallz5 wrote:
I remember when Villopoto switched to air forks, he layed it down numerous times during SX then ended up switching back. Must be a feel thing.
Pretty sure he finished his career on TAC. RV wasn't really a front end guy.
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brimx153 4/3/2016 6:14pm
4/3/2016 6:14pm
OW38B wrote:
Yes I know JS7, KR94, et al are not on production forks...... but some of the principle technology is similar.... here is some info from a...
Yes I know JS7, KR94, et al are not on production forks...... but some of the principle technology is similar.... here is some info from a 2016 shootout.

Overall Shootout position:

6th Husky 450 - Soft suspension. (4CS spring)

5th Suzuki 450 - Showa TAC fork can be difficult to set up.

4th Honda 450 - Harsh forks for some riders.

3rd KTM 450 - 4CS forks still aren't accepted by all the test riders. (spring)

2nd Kaw 450 - Fork were challenging to set up for some riders.

1st Yamaha 450 - Best overall suspension package for different skills of rider and weights. (KYB SSS spring) debuted in 2006

Coincidence? ...................I think not.


Info courtesy of Micheal Lindsay and VitalMX Cool
what a terrible post . js7 was on a hybrid spring and air fork start of the year , no way near the same as production . kenny is on kyb air . different brand than production . both trey and cole are on kyb air ,again different brand to production . tomac is on kyb spring was on kyb air again different brand from production . plus factory suspension is alot lot different to production even comparing them is stupid .
OW38B
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OW38B 4/3/2016 6:31pm
4/3/2016 6:31pm
OW38B wrote:
Yes I know JS7, KR94, et al are not on production forks...... but some of the principle technology is similar.... here is some info from a...
Yes I know JS7, KR94, et al are not on production forks...... but some of the principle technology is similar.... here is some info from a 2016 shootout.

Overall Shootout position:

6th Husky 450 - Soft suspension. (4CS spring)

5th Suzuki 450 - Showa TAC fork can be difficult to set up.

4th Honda 450 - Harsh forks for some riders.

3rd KTM 450 - 4CS forks still aren't accepted by all the test riders. (spring)

2nd Kaw 450 - Fork were challenging to set up for some riders.

1st Yamaha 450 - Best overall suspension package for different skills of rider and weights. (KYB SSS spring) debuted in 2006

Coincidence? ...................I think not.


Info courtesy of Micheal Lindsay and VitalMX Cool
brimx153 wrote:
what a terrible post . js7 was on a hybrid spring and air fork start of the year , no way near the same as production...
what a terrible post . js7 was on a hybrid spring and air fork start of the year , no way near the same as production . kenny is on kyb air . different brand than production . both trey and cole are on kyb air ,again different brand to production . tomac is on kyb spring was on kyb air again different brand from production . plus factory suspension is alot lot different to production even comparing them is stupid .
Late night at the pub?

You did read the first line where I said they are not on production forks and include James Stewart, Ken Roczen and ALL of the other factory type riders. They are having trouble with the factory air forks and they are having trouble dialing in the production air forks, the correlation seems only to be a coincidence?

et al = From Latin, abbreviation of et ‎(“and”) and alii ‎(“others”) (English: et alii) and its forms and derivatives.
ML512
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ML512 4/3/2016 7:40pm
4/3/2016 7:40pm
OW38B wrote:
Yes I know JS7, KR94, et al are not on production forks...... but some of the principle technology is similar.... here is some info from a...
Yes I know JS7, KR94, et al are not on production forks...... but some of the principle technology is similar.... here is some info from a 2016 shootout.

Overall Shootout position:

6th Husky 450 - Soft suspension. (4CS spring)

5th Suzuki 450 - Showa TAC fork can be difficult to set up.

4th Honda 450 - Harsh forks for some riders.

3rd KTM 450 - 4CS forks still aren't accepted by all the test riders. (spring)

2nd Kaw 450 - Fork were challenging to set up for some riders.

1st Yamaha 450 - Best overall suspension package for different skills of rider and weights. (KYB SSS spring) debuted in 2006

Coincidence? ...................I think not.


Info courtesy of Micheal Lindsay and VitalMX Cool
brimx153 wrote:
what a terrible post . js7 was on a hybrid spring and air fork start of the year , no way near the same as production...
what a terrible post . js7 was on a hybrid spring and air fork start of the year , no way near the same as production . kenny is on kyb air . different brand than production . both trey and cole are on kyb air ,again different brand to production . tomac is on kyb spring was on kyb air again different brand from production . plus factory suspension is alot lot different to production even comparing them is stupid .
What a terrible drunk post... You'd be surprised how close the Factory PSF1 fork is to the production version. Just a couple tiny things...
ML512
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ML512 4/3/2016 8:59pm
4/3/2016 8:59pm
Hcallz5 wrote:
I remember when Villopoto switched to air forks, he layed it down numerous times during SX then ended up switching back. Must be a feel thing.
Crush wrote:
Pretty sure he finished his career on TAC. RV wasn't really a front end guy.
Yeah, Villo never switched back. Started on Showa SFF Air, then went to the TAC version and still rides those today.
OW38B
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OW38B 4/4/2016 9:51am
4/4/2016 9:51am
Hcallz5 wrote:
I remember when Villopoto switched to air forks, he layed it down numerous times during SX then ended up switching back. Must be a feel thing.
Crush wrote:
Pretty sure he finished his career on TAC. RV wasn't really a front end guy.
ML512 wrote:
Yeah, Villo never switched back. Started on Showa SFF Air, then went to the TAC version and still rides those today.
If he was using TAC forks during last year's MXGP's, he should has maybe tried a spring fork.............his MXGP suspension was well short of "dialed". Unsure

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