You sure that's coz of the valves and not your oil height? My understanding is that the way the forks perform though the stroke, where the oil height will affect the last bit of the stroke. That's why you put a few more mills of oil in the forks if you're struggling with it bottoming out. More oil means there's less air in the fork, so when it compresses it gets to teh point that the pressure exceeds the spring load so the springs don't get to fully compress - however it puts a lot more pressure on your seals and increases the risk of you blowing the seals.

 

Good point. I don't know that. I didn't do the valves, the shop did, and they told me they filled the oil to spec levels. But I didn't check pre- and post- oil levels. What I did notice in the whoops is that before the valves, the forks may take the first bump or two okay, but they wouldn't return all the way through a consecutive series of bumps so each bump would compress more than the prior one. After four to six good bumps, it sure seemed that there was very little suspension left and that it was bottoming out. It hasn't done that since even through bigger and more bumps. I'm attributing that to the valves, but I suppose oil levels could play a part. I'm not jumping the bike so don't know what big single hits would do.

 

Ahhh, what you're talking about there is packing because there is too much rebound damping - and that's coz of the terrible stock valving (and the fact that the rebound damping can't be tweaked). So your re-valving would have solved that problem, and I stand corrected.

If it was bottoming from just 1 big hit before, and not anymore, it would more likely be the oil level (assuming you still have the same springs).

Sorry, I have also dragged this thread off topic. Back on topic, take a look at Part Shark as I believe their shipping to Aus is pretty reasonable and the fork parts look cheap: PartShark.com - Motorcycle Parts, ATV Parts, UTV Parts, PWC Parts, Powersports Apparel, Motorcycle Accessories for OEM and Aftermarket.
There appear to be 3 options for the KLX300 being 44026A, 44026B, and 44026C though I cannot find what their ratings are. There is only 1 spring option for the 2006 KLX250S so don't bother looking at that.

Hope that helps

 

No need to stand corrected...my post was insufficiently descriptive of the conditions of bottoming or packing. And ya, same springs in both cases.

 

I installed the moto pro 44. springs 6 rides ago and am having an issue.
My zip tie tells me that I am using exactly 7.5 of the 10" EVERY ride.
I checked my oil height, which I did not do when I did the change. I just put in the recommended amount. My oil heights were about 2.5 and 3". Should be 4". After making the height 4", took it out, again, 7.5" travel. I find this extremely unusual as I would expect to have slightly different max travel after each ride. Even if the difference is 1/4", but it is the same every single ride. Very, very strange.

 

Just taking a stab at this one, but have you tried it with your compression adjusters all the way open? When I installed my .44's, I did it at the same time I did the RT Gold Valve mod. I didn't even check the OEM travel with the stock springs, as the springs and damping sucked so badly I got rid of it pronto. I wonder if the lousy OEM compression piston and shim stack are actually prohibiting travel to that degree? 2.5" is quite a bit of travel to leave in the fork, and you were right to check that oil level...4"/100mm. Unless you're just toodling around and not challenging the suspension, you probably shouldn't be leaving 2.5" of travel unused. And while the OEM compression piston doesn't flow enough oil, it usually doesn't rear its ugly head on stopping travel with compression spiking until you encounter either one, big fast hit, or a successive smaller hits at speed...that's what high speed compression spiking is. If you were to slow roll off a steep ledge, the compression piston can usually handle that. Also, what oil weight are you using?

Edit: I'll add that I get full travel with .44's on my '06 with the Gold Valve damping as evidenced by the dirt line on the fork stanchion being pushed quite close to the axle lugs.

 

I did my valves at the same time I did the springs. Moto Pro is the only company working with the 09 valves. I will call them if it comes to it. I've been running the compression at about 3 clicks from full open. I will try it full open now. With the 351 I am starting to push it pretty hard and would REALLY like to get that 2.5" that I am missing. I am using .44s and I am 185lbs in street clothes. Going camping/riding for a few days this coming weekend and will be slamming the bike into everything I can find.
Another solution is just to adjust my valving. It is near the middle now as far as soft-hard goes.
Still, it is very strange that I am using the exact same amout of travel every single ride. I should buy a lottery ticket

 

OK, so you did the valves and springs, but did you make any changes to your shim stacks? Coz as I understand it that is almost as important as the valves. In fact, some tuners just mess with teh shim stacks usign the stock valves to get things working properly, although they only tend to do that on the higher end twin chamber/closed cartridge forks.

If you look at this thread on Thumper Talk there is a post on the shim stacks for the KTM bikes that might give you some ideas on what you can do with your bike to get the desired behaviours. (07 KTM 250 xcf-w fork shims - ThumperTalk)

Also, I see you have Flexx bars, which emans you can cheat a little with your damping. Depending on the rubbers you use with your bars you might be able to change your damping and oil weights so that the compression damping in the initial part of the fork stroke is not as plush (i.e. more compression damping) but use a lighter weight oil so the forks behave pretty similar to tehy do now - so you maintain decent front end traction on rougher ground (roots, square edges, etc). The lighter weight oil will plush up the mid stroke too and make the forks more prone to bottoming out in the last third of the stroke. To stop it bottoming out try getting your oil height right so that you get the full stroke used (like you want), but it's more air pressure locking that slows the last bit of travel rather than the spring being pully compressed. Then you rely on your Flexx Bars to absorb the last bit of "shock" when the forks have run through the full stroke so you don't break your wrists.

Hope that makes sense. It's just an idea based on theory, so I have no idea whether it will work or not. But you sound like you're not scared of playing with your forks, you know what you want, and trying things like this might get the desired results.

 

The design of the stock fork valves is so poor, that changing the shim stack is a useless job. On the KLX300 forks, there are 3 shims and a small spring on the compression valve, not much to work with.

Ride on
Brewster

 

Mc, I missed that you'd done the Moto Pro revalve. I don't know. It doesn't make much sense in light of that. You and I weigh the same and are using the same spring. Even though mine is an '06 and yours an '09, the 43mm KYB is basically the same fork and should be getting all the travel like mine. I'd hate to think the valve and shim stack from Moto Pro has a problem. Any other S model guys with Moto Pro valving care to chime in?