Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/105496
keted in thick layers of leaves that hide the ubiquitous rocks and roots the area is covered in. We began this test ride from a Rhodey Rovers Club member house which is located a short trail ride from Pachaug State Forest – a legal riding area. Rich Seymour and Paul Clough were also on hand to help dent and scratch the new WR and chime in with their thoughts. We first trail rode for a few miles to evaluate what the bike was doing, and then made a quick sag adjustment, fine tuned the clicker settings and opened up the air screw about a third of a turn to lean things out as the stock jetting is a bit rich. Once we established our baseline settings we ran the bike through an array of varying single and double track terrain. The obvious first impression is how light the bike feels, which is hardly a revelation. What was surprising is how well the suspension worked. The forks are closed cartridge, 48 mm Kayaba and the shock is a Sachs. The plush valving on both ends makes for a smooth transition from the initial to the mid stroke, causing less deflection and an overall woods-compliant ride. Rich Seymour, who is better suited weight-wise to ride a 144, confirmed the fine valving and even went on a positive mini-rant about the fine stock suspension. The Sachs shock was equally impres- sive, soaking up rocks and roots with surprising plushness, little deflection and adequate bottoming resistance. At my weight (165), the bike was slightly under sprung and when the hits started coming harder and faster, the softer spring rates were noticeable, but for someone within the right weight range, the stock suspension is above average. Overall, I would say that the suspension is valved with the trail riding/enduro enthusiast in mind. Once we tailored the bike to suit it's owner, Rich Mumford, he was all smiles; enthusiastically When it comes to aesthetics, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 16 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com