pds suspension or other for woods

[overbore]

We have raced ktm with pds and suzuki with
link and never could get rear end right compared to
suzuki,so I was wondering if they have gotten any
better since 02.
overbore

 

[Buckholz]

Nahh, they are terrible, just ask Juha Salminen , Kurt Caselli, or Mike Lafferty

 

[marcusgunby]

they are better but still not as good as a jap bike imo.

 

[SpeedyManiac]

It seems that guys who used to have a gripe with KTM suspension still do. I've never ridden a KTM so I can't personally comment one way or the other. I will say that the suspension on my Gasser has linkage and is SWEET.

 

[Yamadad]

Supposedly the new stuff is much nicer. I don't personally know, but a buddy got a new bike and said the new set up is waaaaay better.

 

[Yamahauler]

Nahh, they are terrible, just ask Juha Salminen , Kurt Caselli, or Mike Lafferty

It should be noted that these guys run highly modified and even works WP suspensions.

You can go to races and see even the amatures with Ohlins rear shocks.

I just bought an '05 300 EXC to replace my '02 YZ250 and I'm currently in the process of re-valving, installing a tapered needle and a bladder kit to try to straighten it out. A new Suzuki is very tempting right now.

 

[marcusgunby]

I rode a 06 ktm 250f the other day, it was better than my 01 125sx but then so was a 01 ktm 520 at the time, in fact the 520 in 01 seemed as good as the 06 250f.

 

[Barbarian]

I've 450exc's ridden up to 2004. They were ok, but not as well suspended as a jap bike IMO. Motor was fabulous though if you like smooth power.
Lafferty, Salminen, Watts, etc. aren't going to let a little harshness in the rear end slow them down.

 

[Mc.85]

know this is old, but...my xc-w works pretty good. A little stiff on light impacts but big ones it does well on.The faster I run the better it works. A little diff, but it works Ok. After owning a new KTM I would not go back to anything else currently available. The fit and finish, reliability, level of quality components, I mean everything about it I love.Well not eveything the plug is a pita to get out, and it does vibrate a little when sitting still.Still works well, and holds up very very well.

 

[MikeS]

Stock the PDS is fair. The 06 uses a light spring and heavy valver and bump stop combo. To some it is better than the 01 and 02 and I am sure it is.
The PDS is sensitive to spring sizing and proper set up. We have an 03 250SX with an updated Needle kit and a few other internals. This shock was done by WER, then FC, IMO both made it better than stock but far far from perfect. FC had the spring right. MXTech did it a few months back and in comparison to our CRF250 Junior can hold the same lines. The PDS previously was not predictible or it would not hold a good line accelerating out of turns. Test riding an 06 XC model was predictible but as mentioned swapped badly during acceleratin.

Just our opinions and findings.

 

[Zerotact]

I've heard great things about KTMs with, a bladder in the rear, progressive springs, the right amount of sag and propper valving.
I'm having mine set up like this.

 

[Sub]

my 06 200xc is better suspended stock than my 2001 250sx is after I had the suspension rebuilt and setup for me. The 200xc just tracks so much better though the rough stuff, my 250sx literally throws me off the trails and is not controllable at all. There is no doubt the new stuff is better, hard to say if it is as good as linkage suspension. I feel my 200xc is as good as any japanese bike I've ridden.