The Makings Of A Great WP Pro Component Settings On The KTM 450 SX-F (With REP Suspension)

Let me preface this article with how much I like to ride the KTM 450 SX-F. But… Yes, of course there is always a “but”, right? I like a lot of things about the KTM 450 SX-F, but the stock suspension isn’t one of them. The AER fork is a slight headache for me as it’s stiff as hell when new, then once broke in, moves more in the stroke, yet still gives a harsh mid stroke feel on braking bumps. Not as much as in year’s past, but it still isn’t a spring feel. Raising the air pressure only makes the harshness worse and decreasing air pressure allows the fork to ride too low in the stroke for my taste. I am a front end steering rider and that means that I really like a spring fork feel. Now, I have tried some other companies spring conversions and although better than the AER fork with front end traction/feel, I just wasn’t sold on the performance it gave me on rough tracks. After doing some of these tests, I then resorted to a WP Cone Valve fork. Now I am not going to sit here and tell you that slapping on a set of WP Pro Components is the answer to your front end problems, as I did have to go through several setting changes in order to get a feel that I personally liked. I thought why not walk you through some of the process to create settings as well as tell you about the latest one I have on our 2021 KTM 450 SX-F test machine. 

You know who helped me get to this blend of KTM comfort and performance promise land that I am in? Mark Johnson at REP Suspension. I am a serious pain in the ass when it comes to KTM suspension, probably because I love that damn Yamaha KYB/SSS fork so much (yes, I know there are KYB conversions and we are going to test one soon, don’t yell at me). Although Mark made my WP Pro Components better than my stock stuff the first time he did it, I felt like I wanted more comfort on rough tracks. I complained to Mark that my rear end always felt too low under acceleration and the front end still had a firm feel on slap down hits through my handlebars. I complained. He listened. That is what great suspension tuners do. They listen to the customer. There are several companies like this out there and REP is one of those companies. Mark emailed me one night about a setting he came up with, that he thought I might rather enjoy. I honestly thought what I had was decent, but as one old test rider once told me, “you’re only as good as what you try right” and I am in the business to try and relay that back to you all right? So I immediately got excited about another suspension test that could really be “THE ONE”! 

I met Mark at GH one Thursday and we literally stayed there all day. This is nothing new, but as a guy who has been doing this 20 or so years, I still love it! I wanted to make sure that I left GH near dark and when the sun decided to set behind the hills of Glen Helen, I wanted to make sure that I had comfort along with performance, before I gathered my things and left. This is the only way I can sit here and type to you all and say if it’s better or not. When you move from a stock WP AER fork to a WP Pro Component set up you will immediately feel a heavier turn in, yet will receive more front end traction. It’s a give and take and I will gladly take a heavier steer in (area 1 of the corner) for added traction. I don’t have near as much of a problem with the rear of the bike, but the stock shock, once hot, fades away into oblivion and gives no real damping character at the end of a longer/rough Moto. I wanted consistency, comfort and traction. Is that so much to ask from a bike? The Kawasaki gives it to me. The Yamaha gives it to me. I want the KTM to give to me as well with WP components on it! 

As usual I make sure that each test is a blind test. I make damn sure I know nothing about what Mark and the REP crew do to each setting and that I am going strictly off of feel when riding. I make sure I hit the same lines on the track through out the day for consistency and that ensures proper feedback to the REP crew (as well as you the reader). When all was said and done, what REP gave me was the best setting I have ever felt from any KTM set of suspension I have tried. Oh and I have tried a lot. Is it the best suspension that I have ever met period? No, but it was the best KTM stuff I have tried, hands down. I was starting to consider that the WP Pro Components were just built for performance and not comfort, but Mark and the guys proved to me otherwise.

 The WP fork with the REP setting not only had hold up, but had comfort as well. Most of the time when you go to an A-Kit style fork, you will lose comfort and gain performance, but both of those categories went up equally for me. RARE! This has only happened twice in my time of testing! Using a 4.8 N/mm spring rate along with the parts listed below gave me great lean angle traction (off or on throttle). The downside to my previous CV fork setting was that if I loaded the front tire on lean (under throttle) the fork deflected and felt harsh. The new updated setting felt more supple initially and progressively had more damping feel as the fork went down. There was no unexpected stiff shelfs in the travel as the fork moved and in return, that gives the rider better feel to the front wheel/tire. AKA more tire contact patch! Boom! Gone is the harsh slap down feel to my hands and that increased my ability to be more confident in how hard I can push into/through jumps because I know that if I wanted to overjump a section (on purpose or maybe by mistake) I could do it without an issue. 

The WP Pro Component shock has always been a struggle for me to set up. I always felt like my rear end was too low and when I managed to get the rear end up, it was god awful coming out of corners (harsh and wasn’t fun on my back). Although I gained consistent damping feel over a longer Moto with the Pro Component shock the comfort was difficult to find at times. To help this I ran REP’s knuckle without the longer rods, along with a sag setting of 98mm. I wanted to change the curve of the linkage ratio to help acceleration comfort, but try to keep that rear end up under throttle. This did get me slightly more comfort, but felt like it pushed on the front end too much once transitioning off the throttle. Mark suggested that I try a 1mm longer shock shaft and that really changed the character of this bike. Once I had the chance to ride with that, it altered my outlook on how the KTM’s ride attitude could handle rougher style tracks. The rear end stayed up higher in the stroke and for my 5’11 front end steering frame, this was a game changer. The KTM became more balanced on throttle and allowed me to accelerate harder/sooner out of choppy corners. I now could get my sag numbers back to normal range (103-105mm), which left me with a balanced feeling coming into corners (off throttle). Having this 1mm longer shock shaft also allowed me to run REP’s longer pull rods, which increased rear wheel traction and took some bite/harshness out of any initial braking bump hit. 

Now on to the question that I will get asked after this is published… Keefer, I just spent 11K on my KTM and now you are saying to purchase 5K on suspension  as well as put another 800.00 into those Pro Components? Holy shit! Yeah, I know, right? However, it’s crazy how many people actually do this. So to cater to those people as well as to others, I will also be doing a stock re-valve story just like this one coming in the next few weeks. So hold tight! Not everyone has the money for Pro Components and I am not blind to that fact. I really wanted to get this article up because I had my doubts about these WP Pro Components at times and get tons of emails about them. Mark and the REP crew worked their asses off to make me happy and it took me a while to get there, but hopefully with all of my testing that I have done, as well as REP’s work, you all will benefit from a one and done setting! 

Below are the parts that REP incorporated into my WP Pro Components and what each part’s purpose really is: 

  Fork:

1. Cone Spring Perch System $349.99

Gives more bottoming resistance/progression allowing for a softer more plush setting to be utilized for better top of the stroke feel without losing bottoming. (The concept comes from KYB which I have played with a lot).

2. Low Speed Valves $120.00

Allows us to valve the flow of the needle and is fully tunable to each rider. Riders typically comment less front dip/more controlled front under braking.

3. 13 Degree cones $160.00

WP only makes 3 degree options 15, 11 and 8. Mark makes 13 as well for MX/Off-Road and 8 for SX. This helps bridge the gap between the degrees to get a specific damping the rider is looking for.

4. Low Friction O-Ring Kit $11.99

Lower cartridge friction compared to the standard o-rings that come in the fork.

Shock:

1. Trax LSV $250

Similar to the fork LSV, it gives REP another shim stack to play with, that normally is not in the shock. The shim stack controls the needle flow and is fully tunable. (This is the part that I felt gave firmness without taking away comfort). It also majorly decreases hysteresis, or pressure differentials, in the shock, which results in a more consistent feel and performance in the shock. 

2. Shock Spring Thrust Bearing $62.99

Springs naturally want to turn as they are compressed which causes binding. The bearing is fitted on top of the spring to allow it to turn and can be put on without the damper being disassembled.

3. RCU Spacer $21.99

REP has spacers made that go on both sides of the shim stack that are surfaced ground to be more flat than production. The spacer makes for a more consistent and predictable build as far as dyno and rider feel is concerned.

4. 1mm Longer Shock Setup $112.99

Helps balance of the bike for most riders, but also gains comfort as it puts the linkage into a softer part of the stroke.

Chassis:

1. REP MW1 Knuckle $299.99

Price jumped from up from the last write up I did because they now build them with OEM Bearings and seals.

2. 149mm Pull Rod $219.00

It’s longer compared to the standard 148.2mm for the flatter leverage curve Mark was looking for, also built with OEM bearings and seals.

REP Knuckle For 2015.5-Up KTM Shock

As the hours keep ticking away on the 2020.5 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition test machine, I have been going through test parts like crazy. I have been testing the REP (Research Engineering Performance) re-valved WP XACT Pro Components and have good things to say about Mark’s work, but I wanted to get a little more comfort for the shock, so he offered up his knuckle and pull rods to me. I explained to him that I felt the KTM was low in the rear, so I would rather not use the pull rods, but I was willing to use the knuckle in corporation with the WP XACT Pro Component shock.

So what is the purpose of the REP knuckle? The reason for designing this linkage system was to help or eliminate a common issue Mark has witnessed with the KTM/Husqvarna. A rider comment that he has repeatedly heard is a lock out sensation in the shock resulting in harshness and unwanted weight transfer. Immediately REP started testing shock settings after shock setting, which helped, but did not fix the issue entirely. This is when REP’s investigation began into the leverage ratios to decipher if this was truly a shock character issue or if the chassis needed some changes. 

The linkage put into the Austrian production has a very "stiff" ratio when compared to other brands, which is why the bikes come with such a soft rear spring. REP feels this is the right direction for the beginning to mid stroke, but the progression at the end of the stroke was slightly too aggressive causing unwanted weight transfer and harshness from the rear of the bike

The REP linkage system makes a more linear progression for models 2015.5 to current. Many of the other companies producing linkages for these bikes result in a softer ratio all the way through the stroke, which is why they also require a stiffer rear spring. The REP system does not stray far from the production ratio for the majority of the shock stroke, but simply tapers off from mid to end. This change does not require a spring change because the ratio from full extension to rider sag point is very similar, but once active on the track the rider will see the digression in the ratio to be quite apparent.

The knuckle can be used with the standard pull rod (like what I did) or the longer REP version. If only the knuckle is used the rear seat height will be raised 1.9mm, but if the entire REP linkage package is used the rear will be lowered 2.1mm when compared to stock. Keep in mind if the entire package is used, it not only lowers the rear, but also exaggerates the flatter ratio that the knuckle is producing. REP recommends the knuckle to all his riders, but Mark decides if the customer needs the pull rod based on the rider's preference and comments.

A couple positives to the knuckle that I noticed right away was comfort on acceleration through deep/choppy ruts and the KTM felt less active on de-cel bumps coming down hills. Without the REP knuckle the KTM kicked me in the butt more than other Japanese bikes do when braking hard on de-cel bumps, but with the REP knuckle the rear of the KTM stayed planted better and gave me a calmer feeling when pushing deeper into rough corners. I managed to get a bone stock 2020 KTM 450 SX-F, (without XACT Pro Components) installed the REP knuckle on the WP shock and it gave me the same feelings in those two areas of the track. I appreciate that I didn’t have to drop a spring rate and basically could just bolt this on and feel an improvement. For $249.95 for the knuckle (with bearings installed), I really like the way the KTM can be pushed harder later in the day when the track gets hammered. I used to shy away from the KTM in the afternoon hours, because it would beat me up a little. Now by adding this REP knuckle to our KTM Factory Edition, it has made this a more comfortable machine to ride when everyone else is packing up to go home. 

Note… Not all aftermarket knuckle/linkage systems work on every brand of motorcycle. Some manufacturer R&D teams get their linkage ratios correct for the masses upon production, but it’s refreshing to see Mark at REP sell a suspension piece for the KTM that actually is noticeably better when riding it back to back with the stock piece. 

FAQ: 

Kris, how do I know if I need a knuckle and not just a re-valve on my shock?  

If you are experiencing a firm feeling coming out of corners and seem to lose traction, this knuckle can help. If you are coming into braking bumps and notice that the KTM has a nice plush feel on the first bump, but then gives you a rear end kick when unloading upon the second touch, this knuckle can help that. These are the two areas that most weekend warrior riders would feel the REP knuckle is better. 

Kris, how do I know if I want the REP pull rods to go along with the knuckle? 

If you want your KTM to feel a little lower in the rear and want more rear steering, then you should look into the REP pull rods as well. I am a big front end steering rider so having the rear end a little higher for me fits my riding style. 

Attached is a graph from REP. The red line is the REP vs the black line Production.

Ride Engineering Full Performance Linkage (Husqvarna FC450)

Getting that comfortable feel as well as increased track toughness can be somewhat hard to find on the Husqvarna FC450. At least for me anyway. I can go to tracks that are soft and tighter and be completely happy with the Husqvarna and then go to a fast/choppy track that has more flowing corners and be confused on why this bike feels so different. I know a couple companies have been making different linkage ratios for the Husqvarna and KTM’s, but I wanted to try Ride Engineering’s performance linkage system on the FC450 to see if it actually improves upon the ride comfort on choppy tracks. 

 You might be saying to yourself, well what about the KTM Keefer? I do similar negative feelings on the KTM that I do on the white bike, but the Husqvarna does seem like it’s slightly more forgiving at times on rougher tracks. As you may already know this link also can work on the KTM, so if you’re on an orange bike, this test could also apply to you. I will be doing a full review on a couple different linkage systems (Ride Engineering/REP) on the KTM in the coming weeks, just to see if I can feel a difference between each. 

So what exactly am I looking for here? Why is there a need for a different linkage ratio on this machine? Why didn't the R&D team at KTM/Husqvarna choose the ratio that Ride Engineering came up with in the first place? I will give you some insider knowledge on the R&D process a little before we dive into this test. Sometimes when OEM R&D teams test suspension, often there is a few linkages that the test riders have to weed through to see which one works best for a wide range of riders on said bike. Setting up a bike for the masses is not easy to do and most of the time the OEM’s choose a setting that is more of a “comfort setting” than a performance setting to offset the stiffness of the chassis. Comfort is needed on any new production motocross bike and getting a suspension spec that coincides with the correct linkage ratio as well as frame stiffness can be tricky. Not every bike benefits from an aftermarket linkage ratio, so don’t think you need a linkage on every bike on the dealer floor. If you’re happy with the feeling that you get when you ride your machine then try not to overthink it. JUST GO RIDE! If you feel what we are describing in this test then possibly a linkage could benefit you. If you DO NOT feel the things we are explaining in this test, you can simply disregard it and move on to something else you want to add to your FC450.   

What I Want Out Of The Rear Of The Husqvarna 2020 FC450?

The rear of the Husqvarna FC450 feels somewhat rigid on acceleration chop and I can feel like my rear end is dancing around when hard on the throttle out of rough corners. I spent some days searching for some added traction/comfort by changing sag settings, spring rates and clickers, but came up empty handed. I also tried a WP Pro Component shock and that just exacerbated my problem a little more on acceleration, creating a firmer feel out of corners. Even though I had more hold up and less fade with the Pro Component shock, I wasn't happy with my acceleration feel. 

What Did I Get Out Of The Ride Engineering Performance Linkage? 

Ride Engineering recommends that you go up a spring rate with their linkage, but I wanted to try it with the stock 45 N/m spring rate as well as a 48 N/m. The Ride Engineering pull rods are 1.3mm longer than the stock rods and the knuckle is more progressive, so it ramps up different than the stock knuckle. Once installed and the sag was set to 104mm, I immediately felt slightly more comfort out of the rear of the bike on acceleration, but also noticed it being a little low for my liking in that area. On steeper jump faces or flat landings I felt like the shock bottomed and felt empty on high speed compression. After increasing the high speed compression, it helped a little on jump faces as well as helped the empty feel on slap down landings, but it hurt acceleration traction. I installed the heavier 48 N/m spring on, reset my sag, jumped back out on the track and was quickly greeted with a firmer feel, but the firm feel didn't translate into a harsher rear end like the stock linkage/spring had. 

The rear of the Husqvarna stayed up in the stroke more out of corners, but also had a freer feeling to it, which increased my rear end traction. Another positive to the heavier rear spring/Ride Engineering linkage combo was that the control of the Husqvarna was better when hitting de-cel bumps at speed. At times with the stock shock/link, the Husqvarna would ride too low and have a sudden kick to the rear end that left me with a sensation of less control leading into corners. With the heavier rear spring and Ride link the initial braking bump feel was firmer, yet the FC450 moved less when getting to the fifth, sixth, and seventh braking bump into corners. I could hold on the throttle a little longer because I had more control as well as better action of the rear end. If there was a negative to the heavier spring/Ride Engineering link, I would have to say that it can make the Husqvarna a slightly slower cornering bike on initial lean, but to me I didn't mind the slight slower turn in feel. I know some of you may not like that, but if you find that this is bothering you then simply run your sag at 103mm and this can help initial turn in. 

Like I mentioned above, I tried the WP Pro Component shock with the Ride Link set up and it gave me a similar feeling that the stock shock/Ride link set up did, but with even more hold up when ridden aggressively (of course that has something to do with the valving as well). I liked that with the Ride Engineering knuckle/rod set up of the FC450 felt less firm on acceleration and yet still had more control on de-cel bumps. 

This Ride Engineering Performance Link is $449.90 and is available over at ride-engineering.com and fits current Husqvarna/KTM models. 

If you’re a KTM owner and looking for a little comparison, stay tuned for a REP/Ride Engineering Performance Link comparison as both companies make a different knuckle ratio for the white and orange machines. Will I be able to feel the difference? Find out soon! 

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