Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1521336
22 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com 2024 WP Suspension Upgrades by 2024 WP Suspension Upgrades by K-Tech and Works Enduro Rider K-Tech and Works Enduro Rider Story By Kurt Flachbart Story By Kurt Flachbart Several months back, I wrote a glowing review of my new 2024 KTM 300 XC-W HARDENDURO. Now with a couple hundred break-in miles un- der its belt, I've got a good handle on the new pla orm. WPs new XACT Closed Cartridge fork is damn good right out of the box. The reality is the bike is sprung and valved for a much light- er and probably a lot faster rider. Given this, I did as I was told and put about 10 hours on the suspension before making any adjustments. Our ini al tes ng of this bike was down in Massachu- se s in a thick pine forest with loamy soil and li le to no rocks or roots. The bike felt amazing in these condi ons, and at the me, I was quite pleased with the stock suspension. It was during a gear evalua on that I chose my new '24 300 to rip around what we call the "Proving Grounds" here at Trail Rider central. This par cular piece of property is quite bony with endless sharp-edged rocks, some firmly embedded in the trail along with a fair amount of baby heads. As I burned in a few miles, I just couldn't seem to get one with the bike. Now I'm sure we've all been there, some mes you just don't find your groove and the bike just feels off. I was deflec ng and the front end was washing out and my wrists soon began to ache. I knew that my current weight far surpassed the target rider, and I was well aware the rider sag was way off. So far off in fact that adding pre-load to the spring would only make the rear suspension harsh and kick. Seated, the front end was raked out like Peter Fonda's Captain America chopper. About 10 miles in, I decided to head back to the shop and grab my "comfy old shoe", my 2019 300 XC-W, and see if it was really me having an off day or the bike, with the suspension now broken in, suffering in the rocky terrain we ride so o en. This par cular '19 300 has evolved into a woods mount that fits me like a glove. I enjoy se ng up a new bike, personalizing it, and having the suspension spring and valved for my weight and terrain. Let's face it, manufacturer se ngs will always be a compromise and most do their best to suspend a bike for a wide variety of terrain and skill lev- els. Not long a er taking delivery of the '19 300, Drew Smith at Works Enduro Rider performed his magic including the K-TECH ORVS (Off-Road Valve System) in the WP XPLOR fork and K-Tech's bladder system for the shock along with a revalve for New England terrain. The '19 300 eats rocks and does everything I ask of it without hur ng me.