Which MC FActory has the best "works" suspension.

Jeremy Wilkey

Owner, MX-Tech
Jan 28, 2000
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Poll number 3..

From what you guys see watching races, or reading what company has the best works suspension. I'm curious to compare what I see as a tuner. Sometimes I go WOW you could never do that with stock stuff but other times I can't beilve how bad some of it looks. Obvously the serious talent of the riders makes anything look great so plese don't base this not nesicarly on results, but rather how the stuff works with it's riders. This is not a aftermarket shoot-out so nothing about anything not on a top 20 guy.

Enzo, PC, and Factory Conn, and RG3, count as they provide mods or service for works level componets on top 20 bikes.

I'm sory to leave Husky and FbyF out. There stuff looks realy trick. I only had enough room for 10 spots. You can verbally vote for them by posting.
Regards,
Jer
 
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Vic

***** freak.
LIFETIME SPONSOR
May 5, 2000
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Both Pastrana and Windham's bikes look like they work pretty well. So does Brown's Kawie and all of the 250Fs. Dowd's bike looks like the shock spring is too stiff. RC's bike has obvious problems. I'll post more humble opinions when (if) I think of some. :)
 

Jeremy Wilkey

Owner, MX-Tech
Jan 28, 2000
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Suzuki seems to be doing very well, actually RG3 seems to be doing well. I've got some phots of the works stuff on the 125s. It does not seem to be as trick as the 250's. Can more of the voters comment on why they voted the way they did?
 

Jeremy Wilkey

Owner, MX-Tech
Jan 28, 2000
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Here is a photo of the RG3 125 Factory 125 The forks look like standard 49mm units from the 00 but coated, with trick peices. The shock was again a Showa unit.
 

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Jeremy Wilkey

Owner, MX-Tech
Jan 28, 2000
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Heres the F by F Husky

Take a look at this bike. It's super trick. The Zookes are huge and the Sachs Shock is fairly stock looking. The Sachs shock is the strong point of the stock Husky, so the fact that it needs little rework does not surprise me.
 

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Anssi

Member
May 20, 2001
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I would vote if I had looked at them this way (Believe or not, we have great coverage of the AMA Nationals here via digital satellite. Yeah, they are delayed a week or two, but we usually get to see all the motos (125 and 250). Of course we also get the 250 GPs with bits of 125 and 500 thrown in for good measure).

Anyways, the stuff on RC's bike looks like it has about 2 inches of travel. That's some weird ****.

I've been more attentive for the World Championship races, and a lot of the guys seem like they have pretty heavy spring rates but kinda soft dampening, looking at how they bottom from big jumps but keep afloat in the smaller acceleration and braking stuff.
 

marcusgunby

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jan 9, 2000
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The KTM of Langston although looks good it doesnt seem to have the best suspension.RCs bike looks horrid.Torts bike looks o.k. to me but nothing special.Windhams looks good.Browns bike did a nasty swap the other week(not sure i blame the suspension however)The best suspension ive ever seen was on Dobbys works KTM(differrent to Langstons).On production bikes from what ive been told/ridden the showas have the most potential but the KYB come with better valving so people prefer them.A well set up showa is good enough to win a championship IMO.
 

Byrd Man

Member
Aug 24, 2000
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I think McGrath's bike looks the smoothest over the knarliest whoop sections. Watch his head compared to the other riders when going WFO over whoops, he doesnt even booble compared to others. I know alot of this is dependent on his skill.
 

nephron

Dr. Feel Good
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Jun 15, 2001
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While we're at it, you guys need to "lern" me some "stuff":D

Know how much I know about suspension? NOTHING.
Please fill that oh so lonely void.

2 major questions:
1) What are the favorable and unfavorable characteristics of each of the shock/fork setups--Showa vs. KYB vs. ....You know, mags will say something like "the showa fork is surprisingly fine..." or I'll notice that a smaller CR will use one brand of fork vs. another for a bigger CR.
2) How do you tell who's suspension is doing what on the track? I know the basics, but these pro's suspensions all look the same to me. Just above, 2 thought that RC's suspension was horrid--how can they tell?

Jack
 

marcusgunby

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jan 9, 2000
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Rcs bike defies the laws of suspension-it looks like it uses 75% of the travel on the start line and it seems to bottom very easily.He is a very unusual rider as he mainly steers from the back end so his bikes set up weird.It looks like a chopper.The other thing is hes so damm fast most bikes would look like the suspension is horrible as his whole bike twitches and bucks.The thing i look for is basically is the suspension isloating the rider as much as possible.So you look at a section that is causing riders trouble and see the bikes reaction to the bumps and look at how much the roughness is passed onto the rider and how much they have to compensate.A good rider can help make bad suspension look better.A bad rider can make good suspension look bad.A pevious comment made was a good example -how MCs head is knocked around less than other riders.I have a theory that MC sets his bike up almost just for the whoop sections as that is where he is devastating.His cornering sometimes lacks speed/finness.
 
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MX265

Sponsoring Member
Jan 29, 2001
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I can't help but be amazed by Brown's cornering speed. He rails through them like he is on tracks. Just about everyone else looks like they are making some sort of effort. He also looks real smooth after a huge landing. I am in no way a suspension expert, so I cannot provide real technical descriptions, other than Brown looks so smooth because the fork and shock hardly ever appear to bottom no matter how hard he pushes them and he never appears to get that rebound bounce. He just flows. Good job PC. :)

Andy
 

Jeremy Wilkey

Owner, MX-Tech
Jan 28, 2000
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MX265,
Yeah I'm with you on that! Man does he rail corners..

MArcus,
No doubt most people say McGrath corners fast but I don't think so as well.. HE is actually realtively slow in corners unless he has a big berm. He is allways breaking lose the rear end..

HEres a picture of Tortellis bike. Its got full works everything including all CNC 'd body.

While I was hanging around the Honda Pits, I saw the coolest tool ever to check for consistent oil/ gas volume. The main shock tech put a guage on the resivor. It was very finely incomented. He charged the shock and ran it through its stroke and noted the rise in pressure. This would alow him to make sure the volume was properly set in total oil volume and bladder size.. Super cool!!
 

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Jeremy Wilkey

Owner, MX-Tech
Jan 28, 2000
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Here is the coolest bike I've seen yet.. It's Smets bike from Soutwick. I had the chance to see some internal stuff on the forks but I can't talk about it...The shock well I would have loved to seen the inside but Auri (SP)(WP devlopment Enginer over for the race) was probably making sure I was not around when he serviced this baby!

Anyway it's a double routed twin clicker this allows more precise valving control and better isolation of tunning circuits. The resivor tube was larger for less hydraulic realted nose presure on the shaft. Everything was just super trick. My digaital died right after this so I could get no more phots of the works 540 SX.. Joel was the coolest dude, and in the US I think way under rated.. (Unfortunetly)
 

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shockdoc

Member
May 3, 2001
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Personally I favor the KYB's. I don't think you can judge them by the way RC's bike handles. KYB , SHOWA or WP a lot depends on how the rider wants it setup. I too Jer got to spend a little time with Auri when I was in Europe with Keith Bowen. They (WP) were testing the PDS then. You are right about Smets. It was pretty cool hanging out with guys like him, Shayne King & the whole atmosphere at the GP's. They are both under rated here I think, it's tough over there too. Even got to meet Eric Gorr at the 1st GP in Belguim. Wish I could of spent more time there.


doc

PS...I would like to see (have) that oil/gas volume tool also:D
 

marcusgunby

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jan 9, 2000
6,450
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jer hows this for stupid-i was talking to jamie dobb at our local practice track and i commented how his bike was sounding nice(it had the same works suspension shown on smets bike)-he said the engine was std and had done 30hrs and it was very tired.He said if i didnt beleive him i should have a go and he would ride mine.I declined for 2 reasons one he absolutly hammers bikes and 2 i felt he was a bit eager to jump down my throat after i paid him a compliment.I will regret not having a go for a long while yet.
 

KawieKX125

~SPONSOR~
Oct 9, 2000
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After seeing RC rail down the washboard at southwick, I can't help but vote for his suspension. Jer, I wish I had known you were at the Southwick national. I would have liked to meet you and have a chat.
BTW, according to Gary Semics, RC looks so smooth in the whoops becasue he does not lean back much. He is going to stinkin' fast through them that he is literally skipping across the tops. In this case I would say that his smoothness is more attributed to his riding style than his bike, but I am sure it helps.

Marcus, whemever I hear the name James Dobb, I always think of an old camp counselor I had. His name was James Dodson, he was a pro. The difference is he is about 40, raced as Mark the Bomber Barnett's teamate and was from middle of nowhere Indiana.
 

Patman

Pantless Wonder
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Dec 26, 1999
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I voted KTM WP. Why? Because it's orange. We'll not really, it's because Smet's bike looks to handle everything pretty well and I've been oogling that pic for some time now. :D
 

slideways11

Sponsoring Member
Apr 18, 2000
411
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I too voted for the KYB,s The kyb suspended bikes just always look more balanced than the Showas. When you watch MC , Ferry, Vullimin and the other Yamaha riders the suspension looks like it is working very well. I think that RC is so strong and in such good shape that he physically makes the bike do what he wants it to. Honda who has 2 of the strongest riders on the circuit with Tortelli and Lorocco would do better with a different suspension package. The Hondas always look skitterish to me.
 

HiG4s

~SPONSOR~
Mar 7, 2001
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It seems to me the WP KTM suspension is real smooth and works better on the longer outdoor tracks. McGrath's bike seems to handle great as does Fonsieca's (sp?) Personally I'm not impressed with RC suspension, I believe it is mostly rider, and secondly engine. He just seems to muscle and power through things. And often his landings are so perfectly timed that he just doesn't use what suspensions he has.
 

Moo

Member
Jul 23, 2001
53
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Originally posted by marcusgunby
.He is a very unusual rider as he mainly steers from the back end so his bikes set up weird.

Steers from the back? What exactly do you mean? Like pressing side to side with your legs or breaking the rear loose or what? Sorry... I don't have cable or satellite so I have only seen him race on movies off the internet. Is there any way to get ESPN2 on a regular TV??
 

Jeremy Wilkey

Owner, MX-Tech
Jan 28, 2000
1,453
0
Marcus,
Yeah he pulled that one at Highpoint.. except he grabed such a huge handful the back of the bike actually passed him... All I saw as bike ricky, bike ricky, bike ricky.. :p

Ricky is amazing, I wished I had it in me to like him.. I have never meet him or had a reason to not like him..but I don't and I feel like I should, he works so hard and wants to win so bad. I can say one thing for sure. If he polished his presentation he would be twice the star as Travis... I think he wants it so bad that raw desire gives you a werid sesation.

Regards,
Jer
 

Jeremy Wilkey

Owner, MX-Tech
Jan 28, 2000
1,453
0
Here is a cool shot of the husky twin chammber 50mm fork from the husky of Lamson. It's intresting that most European factory bikes are comming with Twin chamber forks, seemily not liscenced through Showa. Do any of our readers have a clue how international patent law impacts such things?
 

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