Trail Rider Magazine

Sco s Steering Damper and SUB Mount Sco s Steering Damper and SUB Mount K Tech ORSS Air2Spring System K Tech ORSS Air2Spring System October 2026 19 I can't stress enough how proper res for the terrain are such an integral ingredient to the recipe for riding enjoyment. And being a weekend warrior, compo- nents that enhance the experience while delivering a safer ride was the direc on of this refresh project. The first order of business was the suspension. Mully is a good man, but he's certainly not the Mainte- nance King. His front forks had been spewing oil for too long, and the WP XACT air fork didn't work well on Maine's choppy rocks and roots. Second, the suspension was bone stock, straight out of the crate, and Mully is a full-sized man. We decided it best to send the shock and legs to Drew Smith at Works Enduro Rider for a proper upgrade. Along with heavier springs and a revalve, Drew recommended the K-TECH ORSS Air2Spring System. This kit replaces the original air spring chamber in the WP XACT forks. Basically conver ng the fork into a closed cartridge spring fork. As for the rear shock, it received a full revalve and K-Tech Bladder Conversion: a kit that replaces the OEM reservoir and piston assembly. Having run the K-Tech bladder kit on a number of bikes over the years, we like how it improves compli- ance over sharp-edged rocks and roots. The second upgrade chosen was a Sco s Performance Steering Damper. It's no secret that we're huge fans of Sco s dampers here at Trail Rider, and I'm convinced running a Sco s damper has saved me a world of hurt over the years. We like the adjustability of the Sco s unit, as it's the only damper on the market that only dampens AWAY from center, greatly reducing fa gue, since there's no reason for a damper to func on when returning the bars to center. I prefer to run my Sco s dampers with the low- speed se ng backed all the way off and rely on the high-speed valving to handle the sharp, unexpected hits. Once you learn to trust a Sco s damper, you can ride with a much lighter grip on the bars. This greatly reduces fa gue and arm pump in the pro- cess. As for the mount for the Sco s damper, a SUB (Stabilizer Under Bars) mount was chosen, as the increase in bar height of 1" would make spending me standing on the pegs more comfortable. Alec suggested a BRP insulated mount as it is insulated to reduce vibra on. Tires: Mully was s ll running the stock Dunlop Geo- max front, and as expected, it was toast, and the rear he'd been running was at the end of its lifes- pan. With the fantas c results we've experienced thus far with the Bridgestone Ba lecross X31 com- bina on, we spooned on a set, fi ng them with heavy-duty tubes. If you're looking for a new re combina on that works well in a variety of condi- ons, you owe it to yourself to order a set of X31s. The front works every bit as well as the tried-and- true M59, yet lasts much longer without shedding outer knobs. The X31 rear is an interes ng do-it-all re that behaves like a gummy in the rocks while hooking up in the hardpack too. Having been used to running larger-size gummy rears, we're liking the lively feel of the 110/100 X31 rear.

• Cover