Universal Fork Tool ? - My first post here...

[OldEz]

Yeah LoL!

We ruined My Space (Just remembering that place shows how old I am!) and Facebook. Look out Tick Toc, here we come to ruin you too! My 40 year old nephew that I just set up suspension for on his 2021 KTM350XC-W has already switched to Tic Tock and is ruining it for them now!

The 350 came out like a Cadillac BTW, super plush with great bottoming resistance. No revalving required and it was horrible off the factory floor, worse than the Xtrainer. He was honestly afraid to ride it. Simple basic suspension math saved the day!

He has had it over a year and I've had the Xtrainer for less than a month and I have already passed him in engine hours.

On a funny note, he thinks my Xtrainer lugs better and has more bottom-end power. LoL!

[OldEz]

UPDATE ON THE TOOL -WHAT I ENDED UP DOING

I should have posted this before we got to the 2nd page. Sorry guys.

I went up to Beta's site and looked at the picture of the spring tool that I knew worked and at the picture of the universal tool that I was asking about. There were some very similar things but the tool that I knew worked appeared to be at least double and maybe even triple the length/height of the universal tool.

My thinking was surely Beta didn't make the first tool with that much excessive length and if it's the correct length, the other one is too short to reach the same spot.

I have to have something that works, soon. So I decided to get the tool I know works and if it costs me more later... well as Robin Trower and Dewar said, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5GLmHgQ-1E It's Only Money... (Hey next time maybe Johnny Cash. My tastes are all over the place.)

[F5 Dave]

Hell no, the 2nd page will be where the real action is. I've been wanting to have a XT suspension chat for a while so slightly off topic is sometimes the best.

[OldEz]

I'm running the video from Sunday through the software to put it on Youtube right now and then you guys can see what progress I've made so far. The software is slow, my uploads are slow, and Youtube doesn't rush to get out the HD version so it will probably be late tonight or early tomorrow before I send a link for it.

We weren't running real fast. In fact we were below our normal all day pace because we were just goofing off in the mud and testing the new bike a bit. We knew we were gonna be staying for 13-14 hours and needed to save some energy for the night ride. But we're not talking speed and racing here. We're talking suspension and I guess we were running fast enough to get an idea where the suspension is headed.

But when the software and Youtube get finished, I'll be back to post the link. Then if anyone wants to continue the Xtrainer suspension talk, we'll have a starting point I guess.

I was hoping Slaven's would get my springs here today but at this late hour, it ain't looking likely. Oh well, I can't change the fork spring until Beta sends me the tool anyway. A good suspension talk here would take my mind off it. LoL!

[OldEz]

Well the video is finally uploaded and finished.

Link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7_qDn7HvCg

I don't do video for numbers. I don't care if 2 people or 200,000 people watch. I do videos for my friends and family and sorta for a history, a video motorcycle journal. About 5 years ago the doctor told me to go home and get my affairs in order because I likely didn't have long to do so. So I did and also started back riding after 12-15 years off bikes. I mainly started the motorcycle video journal so my kids could see me enjoying every last second that I had.

But the doctors forgot to ask God and so 5 years on, about half lung capacity, and a back surgery later, I'm still here. I'll go home when God calls and not a day before.

So there is no fancy production. So far, no voice overs. I do have some videos up with music backgrounds for fun.

This is just my bro Orangeman (don't blame me, he picked the name) and me riding in the mud, having fun, and testing out the new Beta Xtrainer. We're not showing off or practicing for a race or even doing hard Enduro goat trail stuff. We're just riding and having fun.

But I think you can get a good idea of what the suspension is doing.

You will see me riding Orangeman's bike so he can try the Xtrainer.

For reference, it's a KTM200 that he bought a year and a half ago from some A class guy who had done a lot with the suspension, for example the forks are from a model 3-4 years different. It came with 2 sets of springs, one for Enduro, one for Hare Scrambles. He runs the Hare Scrambles set up. Since he has owned the bike he has fine tuned and tweaked on it and has a pretty good race set up. It's set up for his weight, 185lbs.

Orangeman generally finishes a little above middle of the B class in Hare Scrambles but all our friends lay it on him because he usually runs an A class speed when we're out play riding (not on this day though).

I didn't really edit this for you guys. I put it up for friends and family. My son told me last night to hunt him a bike and he would pay for it. I put these up for friends and family to maybe get inspired like my son did last night and to keep the journal going.

So if you want to see how an old school guy who used to get paid to set up suspension for other people and who got most of his know how from the founder of Race Tech would deal with a dead stock Xtrainer until he got other parts in, then check out the video.

I'll probably also post this in "Videos And Pictures" almost word for word. I would like to start a trend. I like watching other peoples videos and looking at pictures of bikes!

[F5 Dave]

Looks like a cool area to ride, I didn't have time to watch it all, but got a good impression.

[OldEz]

It is. It's a very cool place to ride, I just wish there was more of it... legal to ride.

It's Brown Mountain NC. There are 39 wonderful miles of legal trails on about 8500 acres I think it is. There are somewhere around 300-400 miles of ... ahhhh... "unregulated" trails.

In the 90's I could go a mile from my house and get into 2 weeks worth of trails if I had gas stops planned, Now I only have 3 riding areas within a 2 hour drive. Brown Mt. is the closest at 30 some miles away. But it is one of the premier places in America to ride I believe. i just wish there was more riding around.

[F5 Dave]

New Zealand is sparsely populated, but there is generally a use for most bits, hence most of riding localish to me is organised trail rides. But it is nice country. Winter gets muddy though.

Forks have had quite a few mods to try bring them up including trying to seal cartridge, modifying pistons, changing seals so they work and keep oil in and adding a compression adjuster at bottom of lhs fork using KX80 bits.

Trying a bit more oil next ride to stave off a light bottoming I had last ride. New rear spring on rear so that should help there.

[OldEz]

I must say, you have quite the inventive suspension guy there, whether that was your idea or your suspension guy friend, someone isn't afraid to think outside the box ! KX80 compression adjusters... Nice !

[F5 Dave]

All his ideas. His first was to put SSS forks in (like I have on my gasser) but they are quite tall so we decided to see what could be done with stock. We wanted to do a cartridge swap but the SSS won't fit obviously, WP did a 43 but, can't remember, KX80 ones were in a tray by the bench, considered if could be modded for longer stroke, rejected but compression bit used on one side, drilled access through large Allen bolt at bottom.

The Piston is the same in forks and shock. One of mine was slightly misformed from new on sealing surface. He did a bunch of stuff I don't really follow to try make them work more conventionally.

We were going to look at a YZ shock but it's all a bit narrow around the rear spring to carb boot interface. So stock revalved. I've cable tied a plastic sheet to avoid rubbing damage on wider spring near carb but actually probably won't be an issue just will monitor after next ride.