KTM SXF 250 Harsh Fork Settings Help

CarlinoJoeVideo
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CarlinoJoeVideo
Edited Date/Time 2/5/2014 10:54pm
Hey guys, I have a 2012 250SXF and just can't get the front suspension settings right. I live in Portland OR and had Pro Motion revalve it for me.

I took out 10cm of oil, but the initial stroke still feels so harsh. Small bumps feel like I'm on a ridge bmx bike. The big bumps and landing off jumps are fine. I feel like I have tried all different combinations of settings and wanted to throw out vibe because maybe you guys have some suggestions I can ask my suspension guy. Or maybe you have ideas for other ways I can make things better?

Thanks so much!
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MxKing809
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MxKing809 1/27/2014 5:11am
1/27/2014 5:11am
It's most likely your valving if you're fine off big hits and landings. The first part of your valve stack is too restrictive. What's your sag at? Maybe try running less sag or send the forks up slightly in the triple clamps. That will put more weight on the front end and may make the valving work better.

I had a lowering link on my KX and it changed my front forks more that I could believe. It made them feel harsh due to the reduced chassis weight on the front wheel.
slipdog
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slipdog 1/27/2014 6:55am
1/27/2014 6:55am
Check to make sure your fork tubes are lined up correctly on the axle and not pinched inwards causing a bind. Also the possibility of your bushings being bad if they weren't replaced at the time of the revalve.

The forks should have static sag just like the shock. Take the bike off the stand and lift the bars to extent the forks all the way and and let go. The forks should drop about 1" or so on their own, if they stick up in the fully extended position you have a mechanical bind that would cause that very harsh feeling on the small bumps
CarlinoJoeVideo
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CarlinoJoeVideo 1/27/2014 8:04am
1/27/2014 8:04am
Cool, I will double check the sag. Im pretty sure they are around an inch. Maybe I have too much sag. I have lined up the fork tubes many times because I thought that was the original problem. I also have the fork tubes one line up in the clamps.

Another harsh characteristic is that when I run the compression really soft, it feels better on small bumps but I can bottom out on big hits(like coming up short in a jump).

Thank you for the advice. If anyone has other valving advice that would be awesome!

Do you think I should send them to WP? Or stick with the local guy? He's very reputable in the Nw area.
MxKing809
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MxKing809 1/27/2014 8:38am
1/27/2014 8:38am
IMO with suspension companies, the bigger the better. The local guys are trial and error and they don't do enough to fine tune settings..... The big guys do.

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Digger29
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Digger29 1/27/2014 12:19pm
1/27/2014 12:19pm
In my opinion the WP stuff is what is keeping the entire KTM MX line up from being the best bikes on the track. The settings might fine for the offroad guys but they aren't even close for those of us who race MX. Factory Connection would be my first choice if you are considering a revalve and WP in NC would be a close 2nd because I've heard from a number of guys who had them do their 13 stuff that it was great afterwards. I feel are that nobody should know the internals better & how to make the WP stuff work correctly than WP USA. Just my 2 cents
njracer46
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njracer46 1/27/2014 3:44pm
1/27/2014 3:44pm
Hey digger have you heard any reviews with rg3? I know they work with the factory guys, plus having a nj location is awesome.
CarlinoJoeVideo
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CarlinoJoeVideo 1/27/2014 7:04pm
1/27/2014 7:04pm
Yeah I'm going to reach out to Factory, WP and RG3 for prices. I will let you guys know what comes back.

Anyone have good or bad experience with RG3?
Johnston1
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Johnston1 1/27/2014 7:34pm
1/27/2014 7:34pm
I would go to factory connection They have one in Portland now so you could take it in and save on shipping I just had 3 13 ktms done by them and they got rid of the harsh feeling and made it feel perfect all the way throu the stroke and almost impossible to bottom it even if you over jump or come up short on any jump I will never get a bike set up by anyone else after riding these
babba boey
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babba boey 1/27/2014 9:23pm
1/27/2014 9:23pm
If your forks feel stiff in the initial stroke it is most likely not enough oil. This causes the bike to ride too low in the stroke giving a rough ride. I would add 15cc of oil, if it feels better slowly add more.
CarlinoJoeVideo
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CarlinoJoeVideo 1/27/2014 10:54pm
1/27/2014 10:54pm
Johnston1 wrote:
I would go to factory connection They have one in Portland now so you could take it in and save on shipping I just had 3...
I would go to factory connection They have one in Portland now so you could take it in and save on shipping I just had 3 13 ktms done by them and they got rid of the harsh feeling and made it feel perfect all the way throu the stroke and almost impossible to bottom it even if you over jump or come up short on any jump I will never get a bike set up by anyone else after riding these
Dude! That is insane, they are 4 miles from my house! How long have they been there? I can't believe they haven't done better advertising the expansion.

Thanks for the info Johnston, I'm going to try and bring my bike in later this week.
Digger29
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Digger29 1/28/2014 6:35am
1/28/2014 6:35am
njracer46 wrote:
Hey digger have you heard any reviews with rg3? I know they work with the factory guys, plus having a nj location is awesome.
I used RG3 for like 10yrs and they had my RM250s KYB 01-03 & my Showa stuff 04 & up working amazing. I know they are doing factory KTMs stuff but the WP factory stuff is way different from the production WP stuff. It wouldn't stop from trying them but Factory Connection is right here close to me & they actually have some really good WP settings right now.
CarlinoJoeVideo
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CarlinoJoeVideo 2/5/2014 10:54pm
2/5/2014 10:54pm
Hey guys, just got my suspension back from Factory connection in Oregon. They were about 5 miles from my house. Super cool, friendly and fast. I will get you some feedback on the new settings when the weathe lets us ride. The guys said they feel confident that I will really enjoy their new settings. I can't wait!

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