Posts: 102
Joined: 11/30/2013
Location: Ocala, FL USA
Hello,
I remember reading an article in one of the magazines that there was a small company that was updating the 17 forks to the 18 specs. It was very affordable.... I think around $300 for the magazine test. Does anyone remember seeing this article? I am in need of a service on my suspension and want them to update as well. Not necessarily a revalve, just freshen up. I am in Ocala Florida if there is someone close to here?
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Location: Albuquerque, NM USA
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Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA USA
Posts: 102
Joined: 11/30/2013
Location: Ocala, FL USA
Ahhh.... That does sound familiar. I couldn't remember that at all. Thank you to both of you!
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Location: USA
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Joined: 2/1/2015
Location: Lakeland, FL USA
The pro circuit mod $280 with rebuild
They increased the dampening and less bleed off inside..,,what I read is the direction of the 2018s now
http://www.mxa-digital.com/motocrossaction/january_2017?folio=68&pg=NaN#pgNaN
Posts: 4593
Joined: 1/10/2010
Location: Sacramento, CA USA
Edited Date/Time:
had my 2017 fork collapse this weekend. Im going spring conversion asap.
Even with the update to the 18 fork, I'm out on air.
Happened on a jump and thankfully it was first lap of practice so I wasn't hitting the jumps but it was enough to scare me from sticking with air.
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Location: Albuquerque, NM USA
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Location: Sacramento, CA USA
Posts: 38
Joined: 8/31/2011
Location: Rescue, CA USA
When you had your fork revalved, did they do anything to the air side? I'm hearing the collapse primarily happens on modified forks, and that the stock air spring has remained reliable.
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Joined: 1/10/2010
Location: Sacramento, CA USA
No work done on the air side. Was going to update to the 18 setup but didn't have the part in time.
I heard it could have been from running too low of a PSI in the beginning causing some sort of damage to the quad ring. Not sure if thats the case or not.
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Joined: 3/31/2014
Location: Mackay QLD, AUS
I'm getting an 18 TC250 some time this month, how common is this air fork failure? friend of mine has a 14 KXF450R and he's never checked the air pressures except from when I put new seals in them (nearly two years ago) but its never collapsed? I've never heard of any air forks collapsing, wouldn't a seal have to have a major failure for it to do that?
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Location: QLD, AUS
Posts: 4593
Joined: 1/10/2010
Location: Sacramento, CA USA
Edited Date/Time:
So I shouldn't say collapse, It didn't go all the way down in the stroke being that there is a spring in one side to still hold the forks up.There are two chambers in the fork so the air gets around the seal and goes into another chamber, its not leaking out of the fork at all.
It went down about 5-6 inches in the travel, so roughly half way down. I know of two people besides myself who have had it happen. Don't think its common but it is happening.
The internal seal some how allows air by the seal and then it won't allow it to fully extend and get the air side back to where they bypass ports are so the fork essentially is stuck due to the pressure on each side of the seal and I couldn't get it to extend fully at all which made it difficult to get the wheel off.
Posts: 1342
Joined: 4/1/2008
Location: USA
I flat landed a jump a month ago the 17 aer blew right through the stroke and blew my tricep Out . I am done with air forks . This never happened on any yamaha stuff or any other spring forks for that matter.
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Joined: 2/17/2015
Location: TX, USA
My 17 forks were pretty good stock, had my set up revalved by Merge and it made them even better. No harshness at all, and Jim told me they mostly played with the shock.
I dont buy into the "air forks suck" atleast the AER. Jim mentioned he does a conversion for about 600 bucks.
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Joined: 4/22/2009
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA USA
Race Tech puts in their own valve or gizmo or whatever with their revalve to head off the failure. $400 or so if you don't need bushings or seals.
The older I get, the faster I was.
Posts: 7508
Joined: 10/31/2013
Location: PA, USA
Weird, My AER's have some of the best bottoming resistance of any fork I have ever tried. I am not overly happy with them in small chop though..
Tomac and/or Anderson for 2020.....
Posts: 9997
Joined: 1/4/2014
Location: FIN
I have to agree with BobPA, weird.
I found that the bottoming resistance is class leading for stock forks, i felt like that was one of the best things with those forks.
Current fleet of two wheeled vehicles:
- Yamaha YZ450F 2020
- Suzuki GSX-R 600 K7 track spec
- Canyon Sender CF 8.0 2018 Downhill
- White GX Pro 20 Gravel
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Joined: 4/1/2008
Location: USA
I thought so too until it happened . I just heard of another rider doing the same thing and breaking her back , she didn't crash either . I thought these forks were great until this happened. I've been ON yamaha stuff for years before the ktm .
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Joined: 4/1/2008
Location: USA
Talked to a suspension guy and he says the mid valve shims seem to wear out pretty quick and the aer s have no hydrolic bottoming system like the others so when the shims weaken too much your sol .
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Location: USA
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Joined: 4/1/2008
Location: USA
I didn't really ask about that as I'm laid up for 3 months because of this issue . If I buy another KTM I will have something in there for better bottoming resistance for sure .
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Joined: 10/16/2016
Location: WV, USA
Huck Valve from Mx-Tech and be done. Basically it dramatically slows the rate of hydraulic flow in the last part of the stroke. It's amazing. What's the other great aspect about it is you can set your suspension up to handle the rough chop but still have great bottoming resistance.
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