Ride Engineering Split Triple Clamps (KTM/Husqvarna)

The stock KTM/Husqvarna clamps are too stiff for me! What about you? Well, if you’re here reading this, chances are they might be too rigid for you as well!  It’s odd because most other manufacturers OEM clamps are on the soft side, but the Austrians had something more rigid in mind when making these stock clamps. So in search of other options besides an X-Trig ROCS or a KTM Factory Edition clamp, I went out and tried Ride Engineering’s new split clamp. When Ride Engineering set out to build the KTM clamps, they’ve been designed with four goals in mind: 1) Optimize body position: (Bar position 3mm back from stock). Ride Engineering also offers optional offset for their bar mounts providing 4 bar positions as measured from the stem hole: 6mm forward, 9mm forward, 15mm forward & 18mm forward (using stock bar mounts your positions are either 7mm or 17mm forward); 2) Flex: this new split design made from 2024 aluminum is said to provide better comfort; 3) Improve the handling with a new gull wing design; 4) Place the upper pinch bolts in the front and allows for different aftermarket handguard mounts. Each set comes with a frame mounted hour meter relocation bracket so that you can retain your OEM hour meter. So how did they perform on the track? We break it down for you here. 

The stock KTM triple clamps are stiff natured and can make your orange bike feel rigid/harsh. My goal for this test was to find less front end vibration through the bars, more front end comfort, as well as try to get a more precise front end feel through corners, without getting added rigidity on hard pack/rough straights. Basically get a more compliant KTM 450 SX-F, but that is sometimes tough to do right? The good news is that this is exactly what I found with the Ride Engineering Split Clamps. The Ride Engineering clamp on the KTM 450 SX-F provided enough flex on small bumps, which gave me less of a stiff feel through the bars, yet was also stiff enough to give me a positive front wheel lean angle through flat corners. The Ride Engineering clamp is most noticeable when diving deep into a rut where there is a huge load put on the front end, forced by the rider. The chassis positivity through this area is much better than the stock clamps. The stock clamps have a tendency to give the rider a rigid feel when weighting the front end (although slightly more positive feeling), deflection on de-cel bumps and vibration that is not very friendly. The Ride Engineering clamp gives the front end more tire contact patch feel because it allows the front end to absorb more of what the track is offering the rider. Going firmer on the triple clamp can give a rider more positivity at times, when leaning into a corner, but in this case, I felt like I could get into a corner much easier with the Ride clamps. Straight line stability is improved because of the bump absorption character of the Ride clamp and vibration is also down which gives the bike a tighter, less clapped out feel. Also do yourself a favor and get rid of those stock Neken handlebars. Buy some Pro Taper EVO bars and thank me later!

Compared to a factory KTM clamp (that comes on the Factory Edition) the Ride Engineering clamp does have a little more flex to it than the KTM FE clamp. The two share the same split design, but offer different flex characters on the track. The KTM FE clamp does have a slightly firmer feel, which does help area 2 of corners when pushing your front tire/front end hard while banking off of ruts. The KTM FE clamp does give a little more positivity in that area, but in all other areas of the track the Ride Engineering split clamp just has more comfort.  I tried the Ride Engineering Split Clamps with the stock mounts and the rider triangle of the bar mount position on the clamp wasn’t an issue for my 6’0 frame. I also have tried the Ride Engineering bar mounts, so if you’re taller and looking for more room, you might want to look into a set of the two piece bar mounts from Ride as well.

A lot of back to back testing went down against the KTM Factory Edition clamps in order to figure out how much flex was too much or too little.

Ride Engineering offers two offsets (22mm and 20.5mm), comes in four colors (black, orange, silver, LE blue) and redesigned with a 90mm span to accept the stock bar mounts and mounting hardware. The $689.90 price tag is also not as steep as some of the other clamps in its class and to me Ride Engineering is one of the few aftermarket chassis part companies that actually test their own products. To have an owner that rides his own parts, then makes an educated decision on if it’s better than stock, is pretty damn cool. You can check the Ride Engineering Split Clamps out at ride-engineering.com. 

If you have any questions about these clamps, or any others for that matter, or maybe want a discount code, hit me up at kris@keeferinctesting.com. 

Husqvarna FC450 Triple Clamp Offset Test

The Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition comes standard with the Husqvarna Technical Accessories Adjustable Factory Triple Clamp. If you’re riding a standard FC450 these clamps adjustable clamps are available through your local Husqvarna dealer for $599.99. The adjustable clamp comes standard at a 22mm offset but can also be moved to a 20mm offset as well. The factory Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team is currently running these on their bikes and to me these factory clamps have a softer feel to them compared to the triple clamps that come on the standard 2020 FC450. There is less rigidity as well as more flex with the Husqvarna adjustable factory or X-Trig clamps compared to the standard/stock FC450 clamps. I have never really messed with the offset on the Husqvarna for motocross, so I thought I would experiment with each offset and even throw in an X-Trig 24mm offset for good measure. Below are some of the positives and negatives of each offset, as well which type of track each offset would benefit you the most.

Criteria: I chose Glen Helen as my testing grounds. They have the national track, which is fast and very rough as well as the REM track, which has more turns and is slower speed. I gave each offset setting a try on both tracks to see what I would lean towards in hopes to give you a direction for your personal needs.  

Offset: The triple clamp-offset is the distance of the horizontal center line of both fork tubes to the center of the steering axis, about which the fork legs are offset from the steering axis (referred to as dimensionX). The offset set can be seen at a glance by the marking on the triple clamp.

20mm Offset Husqvarna Clamp: 

+ Lean in is made easier on initial turn in

+ Front tire contact patch is improved on de-cel

+Lightweight feel improved (side to side movement)

- On throttle front end hunt/peck (deflection more apparent)

- Slight oversteer on long sweeping corners 

- Slight less comfort on initial bump impact 

Who is this setting best for? 

20mm offset is best for slower riders who have trouble with cornering or leaning into a rut. This setting makes it easier for the FC450 to fall into a rut and stay there. This setting was also much better for the tighter/slower track as there was less on throttle stability issues at the tighter track. 

Who is this setting not for? 

20mm offset is not for faster riders who want stability out of their machines on faster tracks. There is a lot of movement in the front end, on throttle, which leads to deflection in square edge. 

Best Overall Fork Setting With 20mm Offset:

Height: 1st line

Air Pressure: 11.0 bar

Comp: 11 out

Rebound: 16 out

22mm Offset Husqvarna Clamp:

+ Stability improved over 20mm offset (on/off throttle)

+ Bump absorption has more comfort than 20mm offset

+ Cornering stability is improved 

- Slightly heavier feel than 20mm (side to side/lean in)

- On throttle rear end squatting more (feels low)

Who is this setting best for?

For me this is the best all around setting for flowy/faster/intermediate terrain motocross tracks with bigger bumps. It’s a blend of good stability and predictability. I can hit bumps harder with the 22mm offset without the chassis reacting too fast. 

Who is this setting not for? 

This setting is not for fast west coast GP style courses or the older vet rider that needs assistance with cornering. Sliding the fork up to the second line helps this, but if you’re having trouble sticking in a rut, the 20mm offset can be more helpful than the 22mm setting. 

Best Overall Fork Setting With 22mm Offset:

Height: 1st line

Air Pressure: 11.1 bar

Comp: 14 out

Rebound: 15 out

24mm Offset X-Trig Clamp:

+ Very planted feeling chassis down choppy hills

+ Bump Absorption feel is better than 20/22mm offsets

+ Sweeping cornering stability/comfort/contact patch better than 20/22

+ Less vibration through bars with PDHS mounts

- Side to side movement feels lazy/heavy (initial lean)

- Vague front end feel while leaning in ruts (going up on fork height helps this)

- Bar pad doesn't fit because of PDHS mounts

Who is this setting best for?

The 24mm offset would be beneficial to any rider who wants more high speed front end stability. The 24mm offset helps with bump absorption on throttle and keep front tire straight. West coast GP or off-road riders would benefit from a 24mm offset.  

Who is this setting not for:

The 24mm wouldn't benefit most moto riders that are looking for a quick handling machine with a blend of straight line stability. The 24mm is more of a point and shoot type of offset. Come in straight and pivot/rear wheel steer out. 

Best Overall Fork Setting With 24mm Offset:

Height: 2nd line

Air Pressure: 11.0 bar

Comp: 10 out

Rebound: 14 out

SKF Linkage Seals Part Numbers (KTM 450 SX-F/Husqvarna FC450)

The new 2020.5 KTM Factory Edition and Husqvarna Rockstar Edition come with updated SKF seals in the linkage for less friction and actually do make a little difference on the track. With the updated linkage seals the rear of these new 2020.5 bikes feel freer and give less harshness to the back of the bike on square edge acceleration bumps. The action of the shock feels smoother over bumps and when I rode a standard 2020 KTM back to back with the 2020.5 KTM, I experienced more of a forgiving feel, on throttle, over bumps, almost immediately. I didn’t notice a huge difference between the old seals and the new SKF seals on de-cel as most of the benefit was on throttle sensation only.

If you’re not in the market for a new Husqvarna or KTM 450, but still want to upgrade your linkage on your older white or orange machine, we thought why not give you the part numbers to make it easier for you to order.

Part number: 79104082032

Description: Seal triangular

Quantity: 4

Part number: 79104082030

Description: Seal triangular

Quantity: 2

WP XACT Pro Components Real World Review

When deciding to spend a few thousand extra dollars on suspension for your ten thousand dollar KTM/Husqvarna, you want to know if it’s going to make a difference immediately. Is it going to make me a better rider? Will I be able to ride faster with it? Do the WP’s XACT Pro Components that much better than stock? These are a few of the questions I get when the consumer is trying to make a decision on getting a set of WP XACT Pro Components. I have pounded hundreds of laps and a ton of hours on the stock WP AER fork/shock as well as the XACT Pro Components (on the 2020 KTM 450 SX-F and Husqvarna FC450) to see if it’s worth the risk of your wife losing her mind when she sees the charge on the bank statement. 

What Are WP XACT Pro Components and what are the differences between older WP Cone Valve/Trax components? 

WP's Pro Components line is aftermarket suspension designed for riders who want the highest quality components and are willing to pay a reasonable amount of money for them. Pro Components are manufactured to tight tolerances using high quality materials, fine surface finishes, and low-friction coatings. This reduces friction compared to WP’s OEM suspension components, and is perhaps their most significant advantage. In fact, to achieve a similar feeling of stiffness to the OEM suspension, all Pro Components required much stiffer damping. The additional stiction in the OEM components is all due to friction. Friction is perhaps the one thing in suspension where no compromise is involved: less friction is always better. When setup appropriately for the rider, Pro Components can deliver high confidence at high speeds.

The Xact Pro fork is the next evolution in "Cone Valve" technology. It retains the same Cone Valve technology and is available in three basic variants: closed cartridge with coil springs, closed cartridge with air spring, and open cartridge with coil springs. The Cone Valve itself is nothing too extraordinary as it's simply a shimless mid-valve. The cup-in-cone valve actuates via a coil spring, providing the variable orifice function that shims normally handle. The Cone Valve spring rate is linear, unlike shims which are more progressive. Also unlike shims, it does not have a maximum safe deflection distance. It can be setup stiffer and with less float than a shimmed valve without getting too much of a rigid handling ride.

The Xact Pro shock features an updated version of the Trax mechanism used in previous Trax shocks. WP’s Trax system is created to reduce rebound damping when the rear wheel is off the ground, helping get the tire back to traction as quickly as possible. The Trax system is now externally adjustable with a screwdriver, which makes the Trax function much easier to use and understand. The shock uses the same high-end construction as the Xact Pro fork and as a result, it sees a similar reduction in friction compared to OEM shock. It uses a nitrogen bladder instead of a piston separator, which has lower friction, but can require more frequent services compared to WP’s traditional piston separator setup. As with past Trax shocks, it separates high-speed compression and low-speed compression into two separate adjusters instead of one dual compression control (DCC) adjuster. The Trax shock shaft includes a rebound separator valve, which isolates compression and rebound adjustments, and increases low speed compression damping at the mid-valve (which can aid in pressure balance)

 WP’s XACT Pro Components are usually found on all of my KTM’s and Husqvarna’s I race with. Why? I get more consistency and performance out of the XACT Pro Components than that of the stock AER fork/stock WP shock. I tested the stock suspension settings on the 2020 KTM 450 SX-F back to back with the WP Pro Components and came away with this opinion: 

On The Track:

The first thing I noticed when I go out onto any type of track with the XACT fork is that the KTM turns slightly slower than the AER fork on initial lean (into corners), which is exactly what out of the KTM. The KTM does have a slightly rigid feel to it and can be a handful when riding fast, choppy tracks. You can actually feel the extra weight right away (in the front end) compared to the stock AER fork, but it wasn't a bad feeling. I was just surprised I could feel it as much when entering corners. Usually I run the fork flush on previous Cone Valve forks, but with the slower turn in feel and a the longer length of the new style XACT fork I went with a 5mm height. Along with the extra weight feeling however I gained more front end traction through every corner (especially flat corners). The XACT fork leaves you with a more front tire contact patch sensation on lean angle and you can start your lean earlier in ruts without getting the high front end, vague feeling like you do with the AER fork. With the AER fork I get some pushing in the front end through the middle to end of corners, which made makes me roll off the throttle to try and compensate. With the XACT fork I can lean in the corner and the fork stays planted, which lets my front end settle and bite. The WP XACT fork also feels less active on braking bumps. I am able to jump in and out of bigger bumps that each track I tested at offered, without having the fork rebound too quick and be too active. If I wanted to pound through the bumps, the fork had better damping control feeling through the middle to end part of the stroke. 

The most notable change was to my wrists when over jumping/flat landing with the XACT fork. I could get more aggressive with obstacles and have the bike settle into corners better in areas of the track I wasn't able to with the stock suspension. The downside to the XACT fork is that it can make the KTM feel like it has less flex up near the head tube area. This feeling is not as rigid as a Honda CRF450R, but it does give you a firmer feel through your hands on small bumps, compared to the AER fork. The key to the WP XACT fork is getting it set up for you. WP does a great job of getting you the XACT fork with a “ballpark” setting, but going through an authorized dealer that can set it up for your personal needs is the best way to ensure your investment works the best. I tested the XACT fork with their customer setting and although it was better than stock, I could have used a little more hold up on hard braking or when their was deeper braking bumps.

The XACT shock holds up better than the stock shock for me on high speed compression and you are able to get more aggressive around the track. I can hit the faces of jumps harder and the KTM did not give me an empty/low feeling sensation that the stock shock sometimes gave me. In order to combat that feeling with the stock shock I would have to crank in the high speed compression so much that I would lose the comfort coming out of corners (and rear wheel traction). The XACT Pro shock provides you with more high-speed damping and you still get a decent amount of acceleration comfort on choppy corner exits. I also noticed a little more connectivity to the the rear wheel (when hard on the gas) on flat corners with the XACT Pro shock compared to the stock shock. The XACT Pro shock is firmer so there is less wallow in the rear end when accelerating, so the rear of the KTM 450 SX-F tracks straighter and doesn't upset the KTM’s chassis as much at speed. “Balanced” is a great word to describe both ends of the KTM, but I did notice the harder I pushed the more it rewarded me. If I tried to ride smoother/slower, the action of the shock wasn't quite as comfortable as the stock shock. This XACT Pro likes to be pushed and will reward the rider that is aggressive because of its much more consistent nature (compared to the stock shock). Again, going to a WP authorized dealer and having it set up for you is key. Thinking that you’re just going to go purchase A-Kit level suspension, slap it on, and then magically be in heaven on the track is completely foolish! Get it set up for your weight, riding ability, and the type of rider you are will ensure that your money is spent correctly. 

Conclusion:

Do you “need” these WP Pro Components on your machine? If you’re a casual rider, of course not. However if you’re a KTM/Husqvarna rider and race consistently, I think the WP Pro Components are worth the price. For around $3499.00 for the fork and $2199.00 for the shock it’s an investment that you should take seriously. If it was me, had one bike, was on either a KTM or Husqvarna, I would invest in a set of WP Pro Components because when I ride/race, I want the most consistent feel I can get. I also know that if you are the type of rider that gets a new KTM/Husqvarna every couple years, you’re able to roll these WP Pro Components over to your new bike. This is an investment that you can continue to roll over with each passing model year. I think it’s safe to say that KTM or Husqvarna will not change their motocross models until the year 2022, so your WP Pro Components will fit at least until then. Even if KTM/Husqvarna change their machines drastically, chances are these newer WP Pro Components will bolt on. 

FAQ: 

“Keefer, have you tried a set of standard re-valved WP AER forks and shock”? The answer is yes and although the comfort was improved (over the standard/stock set of suspension), the consistency just wasn't as good as the WP Pro Components. I would say that a set of stock re-valved stuff will definitely be good for your local racer that simply can’t afford new Pro Components. Companies like Race Tech, Kreft, and Enzo all have very good re-valved stock suspension settings. 

“Keefer, is there something I can do about the rigidity I am gaining with the WP XACT Pro Component fork”? Yes, going to a WP/KTM Factory Triple Clamp will help with some of the rigidity that the stock clamps come with. Also, you can go to a bottom triple clamp torque spec of 9N/m. Both will help with comfort on braking bumps, slap downs, as well as get you less rigidity feel through your handlebars. 

If you have any questions about this test, feel free to email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com 

Ride Engineering Axle/Axle Block Kit For KTM/Husqvarna

KTM/Husqvarna uses an axle that resembles a bolt with a nut on one end. Although it’s nice not to have to mess with the left side axle block when putting in the axle through the swingarm, it’s not so friendly on the rear end of the bike while you're riding. Why? Because when you’re heavy on the throttle coming out of corners the rear end of your machine will squat under load putting force on the axle/axle blocks that sometimes can make the shock feel rigid and harsh. If the axle blocks can’t semi float (when hitting bumps under throttle) there will be some added rigidity put on the swingarm. Although crazy to think about little things like this can make a noticeable difference with the handling of your machine. 

Ride Engineering makes a KTM/Husqvarna axle/axle block kit that eliminates the one-piece axle/axle block on the KTM/Husqvarna. Instead, it uses a Honda CRF450R rear axle combined with special CNC-machined axle blocks that slip into the KTM/Husqvarna swingarm. However, you will need the special axle blocks to properly space the borrowed Honda axle. The Ride Engineering axle blocks retail for $54.95, and they offer Honda rear axles for $44.95, but how do they work? 

I am not going to sit here and blow smoke up your asses and say everyone that has a KTM/Husqvarna are going to feel this modification. Could I feel the difference when going back to back with the stock axle/Ride Engineering axle block kit? Yes, I could, but to me I only could feel it when coming out of corners with square edge as well as fast choppy conditions. After installing the Ride Engineering kit the rear of the bike felt more compliant and had less spike/harsh feel. I could feel more rear wheel traction immediately out of corners as the rear of the KTM/Husqvarna stayed straighter under throttle. I also felt like I could stiffen up my shock’s low speed compression because I had a free-er feel to the rear of the bike under load. To me a modification like this is worth it because I can actually feel more comfort. I had some of my less sensitive test riders help me with this test and one of them couldn't feel a thing, so installing the Ride Engineering Axle Block Kit should be based on how sensitive of a rider you are. 

The Ride Engineering Axle/Axle Block Kit does not add weight to the machine and in fact weighs a couple grams less than the KTM/Husqvarna axle, just in case you’re on a diet and counting your grams. The Ride Engineering axle blocks themselves come in black or orange and have a unique design that allows easy chain alignment with tabs that have markings that can be easily seen and measured off the end of the swingarm. The blocks are also 2mm shorter than stock for more gearing options.  

If you’re a sensitive rider and can feel your way around a motorcycle fairly well this Ride Engineering axle/axle block kit is a great way to get more connection out of your orange or white ride. Head over to Ride-Engineering.com to check them out.