This is very interesting. Regarding the FORKS....I can't see how the valving is much different, if at all, from the '03 valving. Yet, guys are saying how much better the forks are on the '04? :) Perhaps "new bike syndrome"? Having SIX 24x.10 shims against that piston is nuts for typical off road use...it makes the forks very harsh. Why would they persist with this base valve setup, for the EXC models?? Or do they just ship the same fork regardless of model...seems closer to SX valving than trail valving.
On the other hand, I am curious as to the effect of the shock changes compared to the '03 setup.