Diff. between kdx cartridge and kx inverted forks

If are you asking conventional vs inverted forks, the advantage of the inverted is that they have less underhang below the axle and they are also stiffer. Because they are stiffer, you get less fork flex.

Now if you are asking newer KDX vs KX forks, well the KX forks have compression and rebound dampening.

The inverted forks will flex a lot less as well as the larger tube is clamped.

 

Kevin

I would presume there is less unsprung weight in a USD setup.

The oem kdx underhang is a major PITA!

I question the 'flex less' part. Yes, the larger tube is clamped, but you can't squeeze it as hard cuz it's not as sturdy a material as the downtube is, and you are not just squeezing a metal tube...but a metal assembly with sliders, wipers, seals and other hardware inside.

Maybe the less clamp but larger diameter works to the upside overall. If you figured the force per inch, it likely is greater.

Anecdotally, I've never had the kdx forks get tweaked. My riding buddy's 200 exc's forks looked awful double helix-like after he flipped it last year. We wedged the front tire, reefed on the bars and 'straightened' it right up! Well, enough for him to ride his broken-armed-self back to the staging area anyway.

ouch!

I have done a direct comparison on my old 92 kdx with completely stock forks and my 96kdx with 96kx250 front-end.
Results-- On jumping doubles with a nice down ramp, the forks performed very much the same. (25ft distances and about 10-12 ft up in air)
Jumping and landing on a flat. Kx soaks it up better instead of racing through the stroke. But given the weak springs and valving, the stocker could be improved probably.
Corners and chopping terrain or sharp edge hits; This is where the KX fork out shines the stock fork. The kx fork inspires more confidence and less of a bouncy or twitchy feel in the front end. This means you go faster because you feel more controlled in these situations.
Why did I go to forks from a KX and not stick to stock? I had pushed the limits of my stock forks and the kx forks were for up for sale, cheaply too, so I opted to put my 245lbs self on mx forks instead of upgrading the stock fork and still not ending up without rebound control.

My Dad recently bought a 01 KX 250 w/ a PC pipe/silencer, jetted accordingly. It is the most awesome, most powerful, clean-running bike I've ever ridden. I like it better than a modded YZF 426 I've ridden. I loved my KDX until I rode this bike. The only thing I don't like about it is the suspension. WAY, WAY, WAY too stiff in the woods. When I ride it, the fork doesn't move more than an inch at most. My Dad weighs in at ~200 lbs., and it's way too stiff for him, too. The fork overhang on my KDX is a PITA, but when riding over trail junk on my KDX, the suspension just soaks it up, and seems to "float" through it. My Dad's KX bounces off of the same stuff.

Originally posted by canyncarvr
IAnecdotally, I've never had the kdx forks get tweaked. My riding buddy's 200 exc's forks looked awful double helix-like after he flipped it last year. We wedged the front tire, reefed on the bars and 'straightened' it right up! Well, enough for him to ride his broken-armed-self back to the staging area anyway.

ouch!

Click to expand...

We are not talking about twisting of the forks to where they are bent/broken.

It is the twisting motion of the forks as you are riding. This makes the front wheel turn slightly side to side and does not inspire confidence cornering or in ruts. It is like a slight head shake but at slow speeds and usually when you dont want it to be there!

If you are going to keep the conventional forks on the bike, there is a solution for the fork flex. It is a fork brace. SRC makes one. It is $200 but worth the money. I had one on my XR600 and that solved 95% of the flex in those forks. You could corner tighter and pic any line on the trail and be on it. Before switching lines in the ruts meant going over the bars cause of the fork flex.

http://www.srcinc.net/forkbrace.html

A bit spendy, but they do work.