Posts
98
Joined
9/4/2017
Location
AZ
US
Edited Date/Time
10/5/2022 6:02am
Bought a Gas Gas ex350f and sent the suspension to Factory Connection right away. I do have experience with the AER fork on my last 2 bikes to compare to. One of those had FC’s setup on it with their performance kit/revalve.
I told them I ride 30B moto and 30A off-road and rode moto about 70% of the time. They also did the bladder kit, spring for my weight, and revalve for the shock. I bolted it right up and didn’t touch any clickers today.
First off, it corners so much better. Gone is chasing that feeling of the front end wanting to push. It settles perfectly now and tracks through ruts with ease. It’s going to take some time to adjust to. It allows you to charge into corners so much faster because it’ll just settle right in with no fuss. On the air stuff, I found I had to brake hard to load the front end and stay on the front brake to keep it in a rut, even still, it always felt like it was going to push out from under me. The spring kit eliminates all of that.
It handles chop better than air. Tracks straight, remains high enough in the stroke, and is really plush. I really felt no harshness at all today.
I also had a chance to ride it off-road. The trails were rooty, slick, rutted. I am amazed by how plush it was in this stuff as well. So much better than the air. It swallowed up all the trail junk and allowed me to push without it deflecting or feeling harsh at all.
Really amazing how versatile this stuff was and how well it handled both disciplines. I’d feel absolutely comfortable racing a GNCC and then the next weekend racing moto on this stuff.
Again, it’ll take some time to get used to it…in a good way. It just does everything better than air, learning to trust it and undo all those things I had to do when riding air. Hats off to WP for the kit and FC for the setup. Knocked it out of the park in a big way.
I told them I ride 30B moto and 30A off-road and rode moto about 70% of the time. They also did the bladder kit, spring for my weight, and revalve for the shock. I bolted it right up and didn’t touch any clickers today.
First off, it corners so much better. Gone is chasing that feeling of the front end wanting to push. It settles perfectly now and tracks through ruts with ease. It’s going to take some time to adjust to. It allows you to charge into corners so much faster because it’ll just settle right in with no fuss. On the air stuff, I found I had to brake hard to load the front end and stay on the front brake to keep it in a rut, even still, it always felt like it was going to push out from under me. The spring kit eliminates all of that.
It handles chop better than air. Tracks straight, remains high enough in the stroke, and is really plush. I really felt no harshness at all today.
I also had a chance to ride it off-road. The trails were rooty, slick, rutted. I am amazed by how plush it was in this stuff as well. So much better than the air. It swallowed up all the trail junk and allowed me to push without it deflecting or feeling harsh at all.
Really amazing how versatile this stuff was and how well it handled both disciplines. I’d feel absolutely comfortable racing a GNCC and then the next weekend racing moto on this stuff.
Again, it’ll take some time to get used to it…in a good way. It just does everything better than air, learning to trust it and undo all those things I had to do when riding air. Hats off to WP for the kit and FC for the setup. Knocked it out of the park in a big way.
Unfortunately I bought a ktm, so it's good to know the inserts are a solution. Now to work out if I'm better off selling my bike and getting a Yamaha or spending the coin on inserts.
The Shop
That being said I have CV’s but I like the AER’s.
Plenty of keyboard warriors “know” they are hopeless.
Personal preference and priorities.
2018 Husky 450FX: AEO revalve
The shocks were done on both as well. I also rode them both stock before revalve. They were both too soft for moto.
I did not ride the new GasGas stock before sending out the suspension. It felt quite soft. Assuming it would have been pretty damn good through the woods, but way way too soft for moto.
I get the revalves done so the bikes can handle both disciplines (off-road and moto). Typically the stock XC, FX, EX suspension settings are way too soft for my liking for moto.
This spring conversion is just that much better. It brings back the familiarity of the spring fork feeling.
Good foryou the rest of fhe bike is stock
For the OP, agree 100%. Night and day difference from stock. I was having some trouble with locking up on chop, but realized I was oversprung. Switching to the next lower rate and going in on compression a few clicks to bring overall stiffness back did the trick. They are now phenomenal. Better even than my Ohlins TTX inserts I had in my 18 KX.
Just curious, did FC just install the cartridges with WPs base setting, or did they tweak them prior?
Pit Row
I haven't ridden properly or consistently for 15 years, I rode a mates 21 ktm 450 and loved it. I was an a grade junior here in Australia, I'm at the point where now I've got 40hrs on the bike I'm starting to get faster and the forks are an absolute nightmare now.
My gripe is now I have to look at changing the whole fork at quite a cost, whereas if I had of chose another brand I could respring the forks for a fraction of the cost and be sweet.
And after the fact I've spoken to a few suspension guys, the general consensus is ktm knows they are shit (hence all the aftermarket options) but had them mass produced at a really low price to save on cost.
So I can either pay to get the forks fixed, or sell my bike and buy a Yamaha, then get it resprung for roughly the same amount.
So yes there’s an initial cost, but over time it works out in your favor.
You can also sell the complete forks usually for within 70-80% of what you paid for them. Which works out to the cost of a revalve generally.
All the while you got to use some really great suspension.
Post a reply to: WP 6500 Spring Conversion first ride.