Trail Rider Magazine

36 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com slightly understeer in the corners - until you run less sag and raise the forks a little. In a world where we seek easy answers, there isn't one here - except that they all work well. Suspension The KTM XC has the stiffest suspension as it is intended for faster terrain - even a little moto. It is also very well balanced and can ridden effectively out of the box – especially at faster venues. Unlike the 2013 model, the new 4 CS forks and shock are valved stiffer and are more compliant in open terrain. The XC is also more stable at speed, courtesy of the firm sus- pension and the 22mm triple clamp offset. In technical terrain, the PDS seems to outperform the linkage but the opposite holds true in faster terrain. The stock suspension on both the KTM XC-W and Husq- varna work surprisingly well in stock trim for their in- tended purposes of technical woods riding. The shock valving on the XC-W has come a long way in the last year and is much more compliant than it was just two years ago. The closed chamber 4CS forks on the Husqvarna are valved slightly firmer then open cartridge forks on the XC-W, but they are still well tuned for the woods. For fun woods riding, we ended up with the settings about in the middle on both bikes, which indicates quite a bit of ver- satility in their use. You won't want to moto them, but they are darn good in the woods. As we've said in the past, the forks on the Beta work well in the technical terrain and can be made to handle whoops and chop by adding 15cc of fork oil. The shock, however, is valved firmer than the forks. For the techni- cal terrain, we ran the shock close to its softest setting. For the faster Florida terrain, we ran it about in the middle. At a minimum, the Beta needs a little suspension massaging on one end or the other, depending on what kind of terrain you ride. Overall, I preferred the XC-W in the technical woods. The sus- pension works extremely well out of the box and the PDS is bet- ter for chugging along at slower speeds and in technical terrain. For faster venues, the XC is hands-down the best. But who rides stock suspension anyway? Stability. This was easy. The KTM XC is the most sta- ble bike at speed. The Beta is also pretty darn good when you tune the forks accord- ingly. Both the Husqvarna and KTM XC-W can be a little twitchy at higher speeds. Interestingly, the Husqvarna is the best off the showroom floor for stability over the technical terrain while being pushed hard. Here's where that little extra weight in the back end is a benefit. The XC-W is close to the TE through the woods at speed, but the supple, open cartridge forks tend to blow through the travel when pushed hard. The The KTM XC-W has a smooth motor and plush suspension. It's ready to go right off the showroom floor.

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