If you want the best and are going to have a shop do it, do what many motocrossers do... Box them up and ship them to the best - Race Tech. We had a rider that never rode his motocrossers until the shock and forks were reworked by Paul Thede at Race Tech. The bike would come out of the crate on a stand and the suspension removed. Race Tech also kept records of what they had done for him as well. Now THAT is a suspension specialist shop.

The Gold Valves just offer an alternative at a lesser cost for a rider to do themselves. I also agree with TNC on the facts. The facts are you could put the latest Showa or Ohlins on the KLX and it would be the same slightly overweight low powered dual sport it was to start.

 

The shop i am probably gonna take it too creates a log of my bike and all the changes that are done. Any tweaks after the initial set up is free and they keep track of every change they do. He said they will do their best with the stock valves and only use the gold valves if they can not get the desired outcome. I don't mind paying for excellent service if the outcome is worth it and i am also not selling my bike for a pure dirt bike as i love this bike so much and how bullet proof it is. I am totally fine with an over weight and under powered bike

 

Then you are going the right way. Clearly their blanket statement was kind of incorrect on their own part if they do the Gold Valve if they can't get the results with what they have at hand. Aka, they don't have the right parts and KNOW they don't have the right parts... that is a good thing.

 

I'm not trying diss' the shop you're going to use, but if they indicate they'll try to use the stock pistons first, I don't think they've been into the KLX fork. The first and primary problem with the pistons in the OEM fork is that they don't flow enough oil. The OEM pistons cause a severe compression spike, even for light riders when you really push the fork in rough terrain. Over the years a few have actually tried to just reshim the stock compression stack, but the stock piston just won't flow enough oil. And, there's some decent engineering in how the piston passages and flutes are designed in how they flow that oil. Brewster's right in that you can't reasonably access the rebound stack. Still, the compression stroke with the stock pistons is horrid. The RT pistons are designed to flow more oil and flow it in a way that works with the shim stacks more effectively. While nothing will ever make this fork a top drawer Showa or KYB, the RTGV kit will make a very noticeable improvement.

 

 

Good question. While a very few have modified the OEM compression stack without notable improvement, I can't recall anyone breaking into the rebound elements...might be someone has. I looked at mine when doing the RTGV kit, but it didn't look promising. And then there's the issue of trying to replace the unit after realizing that such an effort isn't feasible. I'll bet there's no real rocket science inside the rebound section, but accessing and reassembling it might be the fly-in-the-ointment. I'd love to see someone crack one open if it hasn't already been done.

The issue as I see it in the OEM rebound setup is too slow a rebound. When I did my RTGV kit, I went back with a blend of 5W and 2.5W oil. This helped. The fork gets quite a transformation with the proper springs and a compression piston/valve kit like the RTGV, Moto-Pro, etc. I often ride in some decently gnarly terrain out west and at our enduro club's property locally. If you're not actually racing, the modified fork is a fairly remarkable improvement. It's when you really push the bike in whoops at speed or going fast in a rock garden that you notice the rebound damping deficiencies. If I need a bike that I can go warp speed in tough terrain, I need another bike...and that's not just because of the fork. Even so, the KLX fork can be transformed into a good fork for adventure and trail riding with good, competent results.

 

It was a different shop that keeps a log and will try the gold valves if they can't get the desired results. It will most likely be in the fall so i don't miss out on any rides

 

 

James at Performance Edge was going to use KX85/100 internals. He said they fit perfectly but the threads are smaller. He couldn't get the local machine shop to turn them down and rethread, they were worried about liability. Then with a '90's KX 250 fork cap you would have adjustable rebound...

 

Interesting on the machine shop's stance on liability in this instance. At least in most places in Texas I've used to thread or turn all kinds of items over the years, they could care less what "you" were going to do with whatever component they were modifying...unless it was obviously a silencer or some other "regulated" item. Generally you give the machinist the specs you want...maybe even draw a rudimentary example with some measurements...and he's off to the lathe or whatever tool is needed for the job. They can't be responsible if you installed it without proper torque or bad mechanical guidance. Heck, what if you beat someone over the head with a modified fork leg that they worked on?...LOL! No...it sounds more like the shop didn't want the business or they're just a bunch of scared panty-waists. I hear crocheting is a lot safer if they're looking for less exposure...but of course then there's those sharp, pointy needles to deal with...very unsafe.