TE/TC te300 suspension

I learned this the hard way - weighed myself without gear, installed springs for that weight, and it was immediately obvious the spring rate was too low. Had to buy a second set of springs for my weight with full riding gear. You can read the whole sad story here.

I agree the manual is inconsistent, that's partly why I did it wrong the first time.

my gear weighs 15kgs, boots,pants, jacket, helmet, back pk with 2ltrs of water, basic tools and knee guards.

the difference from a full tank of petrol 11 litres to empty is 3mm rider sag on my bike

So, I've done a search and found nothing in regards to revalving the forks and rear shock from AEO in Mesa AZ. The only reason I'm asking, they mentioned that Stillwell is really expensive and they can do it starting at $400. Didn't really come down with anything other than I would need to talk to the suspension guy for a complete price to do both. Stillwell's web site quotes a Pro service will be $1450. And I want the Husky pre-load alloy rear spring collar ($140?), a bladder kit ($150). What to do???

http://www.aeopowersports.com/evosuspension/

Another option is to talk to Jason at Arizona Moto. He did my bike and I am quite happy with it. The price would depend on what you want done. I just needed to soften the first part of the stroke, to remove the harshness from the forks and soften the shock to match. Basically, remove some shims and replace the oil. Good luck getting things sorted out.

http://www.azmoffroad.com/

Every rider has a different weight and skill level.... the only person that tell a solid number is the tuner you pick.....

But whoever you pick you need to let them figure it out, you need to give them real info on weight, actual skill level and what you dont like about what the suspension is currently doing.... That is the main reason so many bounce around... They give a guy $600 and it doesnt work.... Well the guy is working with junk info....

I tried all sorts of mods and kits , not to my satisfaction. Finally put full KYB SSS forks on after 160 hours of compromised handling.
Pure heaven !!!
Feel free to contact me on summit@xsinet.co.za for more info.

Kept the WP lugs too.
This meant I still have the superlative Brembos and correct geometry.
Wow ! Just wow !!

Can the te300 suspension be dialed in for my 323lbs. I'm no racer or pro at 65yo but I do push my left kickers in the past. On my Husqvarna '98 250wr I put in the strongest springs f&r but when the front wheel bumped something the tripple clamp felt like it was getting sledge hammered from the bottom. I couldn't ride it off road. I'm thinking of a new te300 if I can get the suspension done right.

All KTMs and KTM build bikes are normally setup from the factory for the average European rider in the 75 to 85 kg bracket. (150 to 170 pounds) As most recreational riders are above that there is a good selection of aftermarket springs available to adapt the bikes to these riders. However I think you fall in the category that off the shelf stuff won't work, I would give a few of the suspension places a call and see what they can do.

Can anyone tell me if there is some better adjustments to be made to my standard WP 4CS & shock using only clickers & rear sag ?

Ive ridden my mates bike with $1200 spent on his WP suspension on a 2015 6days 300 with 4CS Gold valves & changed his forks to run comp / rebound in each one & it is a huge difference, i will be doing the same in time but probably not for 6 months or so. But for now wondering if there is any advantage in taking my bike "as is" to a tuner & getting sag & clickers set ? currently the clickers are all set to " comfort" as i like a plush ride & sag was set by shop when i bought bike but if there are some improvements to be made i would take it to a tuner so i have a better ride untill i get the whole lot setup ?

Playing with the clickers can helps, if you set the sag correctly the clickers will adjust damping to your style, weight and preference.
However if you want to sort the issues with the 4cs forks the clickers will not mask the underlying problem.
Go and see Dave at Suspension matters and it's the best money you ever spend! You get a much improved bike back which will make you smile every ride and wonder why you didn't do it earlier.

Oh i know mate haha !! Dave is who did my mates 6days 300 i was referring to above, its SO nice ! you know what i'm talking about !! i'll definitely be sending mine there too, just wanted to see if i could get any improvements out of standard for my riding time untill i pull the trigger & send suspension to Dave, not a lot by the sounds....

Dave is the man! LOL
The issue I had with adjusting the clickers before Dave did the forks is that is changed throughout the ride. One moment I had it setup ok and an hour in it started to puch the front our in turns and deflecting of rocks, some more fiddling improved it a bit bet then next ride it was totally out.
Now I haven't touched them after initial setup since I got them back.
Dave's work is reasonably priced but the issue is that on the 4 CS you need the additional cost for the adjusters at the bottom on top of the valving job, it all adds up! Worth it in the end.

Stock 4cs forks have a tendency to be unpredictable from my experience. Once I had mine fixed, it's a different bike and I have my confidence back.

No matter which bike you buy you will most likely need to change fork and shock springs and adjust the suspension. The reason is a properly setup bike with rider in full gear and full tank of gas should compress the suspension 1/3 of it's travel. This leaves the bottom 2/3 for absorbing impacts and the initial 1/3 for keeping the rear wheel on the ground when the bike is unweighted.

Changing springs and adjusting preload spacers get's the bike to it's 1/3 compressed baseline. Spring rates have no effect on damping but they setup the bike with room to move to resist bottoming out.

Oil viscosity, clicker settings and valve shim tweaking then gives you control on the "damping" functions for rebound and compression.

A bike with under-rated springs can't compensate with firmer compression clicker settings.

A good e-book to read on suspension setup and theory is "Race Tech's Suspension Bible" available on the Kindle Amazon store.

p.s. I've just bought a 2014 TE300 with the WP 4CS forks. I had a shop change the fork and shock springs for my weight and gear. The forks have standard valving and oil viscosity. We then set the rider sag to 100mm (1/3 of travel) and went riding on standard clicker settings. I have no problems with bottoming out or harshness. The bike floats over logs and rocks with ease...

After a year of riding stock suspension, I sent my fork and shock to Stillwell for the intermediate kit. It was pricy, but I have to say, it turned it from a beating in the rocky baby head trails, and fantastic in the desert in soft sand and dirt bike sized whoops. My bike now rails through corners, were before I had to wrestle the bars to keep my front tire getting swallowed in soft sand. I have to say, it was the best money I have spent!

FYSA, I'm 5'9" 215lbs w/o gear and ride with a 15 lb tool pack and a camelback.

Well just thought i would share a positive experience here. I sent my forks & shock to Dave at Suspension matters in QLD. He fitted what he calls the Balance Bleed System to the forks so now i have Comp adjuster on the bottom of each fork & rebound on the top of each fork, he even changed rebound adjusters to red on each fork ! He fitted them with Racetech Gold valves & then set them up according to how i ride after we spoke on the phone & discussed my riding style / terrain / speed / complaints of standard forks etc.

I can't remember exactly what he changed in the shock but i think it was fit a cone valve or something ? he said it was best to send in shock too & he'll set up forks & shock together.

I weighed myself with & without gear, 80kg without, 90kg loaded. ( 10kg heavier fully kitted out & 3 litres water in camelback, tools etc ) then Dave tested the spring rates of forks & shock while he had them & luckily both were within range for my weight.

As soon as i rode the bike offroad i could tell the difference, literally within seconds, this thing is an absolute pleasure to ride now & so predictable, riding along & hitting a tree root i was bracing for the harsh hit i normally got but WOW this thing just soaked it up stayed on line, over rocky sections the bike is noting short of amazing compared to before, really confidence inspiring, smoother & behaves so much better, my riding improved instantly. Deflections are a thing of the past now & i also run a Scotts damper, Bottoming resistance is better, even really slow speed 1st gear clutch fanning rocky creeks it feels better, high speed feels better, log jumps feel better, cornering & hitting rocks or roots it just rolls over them like they're not even there & holds a line. I sent it off with 34 hours on bike & honestly should've done it sooner. i cant recommend highly enough to anyone to get their 4CS set up properly & if you're in Australia definitely speak to Dave. It is like a different bike, a different bike that is even more enjoyable & safer than before !!! happy days !!

There is a link to 2 of Dave's videos below on 4CS & shock tuning.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LbT495IiWQ



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PArwBQf_7A

Who in the states is doing the most similiar work to the Suspension Matters guys? That first video sure is convincing! I have only had my 16 Husky 300 out one time. It really did not feel too bad in the very rocky rooty single track here in New England. But I am 260lbs and know I am outside the proper range. Looking to maybe make the investment in the suspension over the winter.