MOTOCROSS ACTION PRODUCT TEST: PRO CIRCUIT 2010 KTM 250SXF FORK REVALVE:
WHAT IS IT? KTM’s WP forks are weird. The MXA test crew likes the 450SXF forks and hates the 250SXF forks. How can that be? We don’t know, but we do know that if we owned a 2008, 2009 or 2010 KTM 250SXF, we’d be interested in having Pro Circuit revalve the forks.
WHAT’S IT COST? $675.80.
(1) Stock forks. The MXA wrecking crew has struggled with the stock WP 250SXF forks for several seasons, and with good reason. In stock trim, the forks are very harsh in the midstroke. Halfway through the travel, there is an unwanted and uncomfortable shelf of harshness. The biggest culprit has been KTM’s excessive fork oil height. To try to get rid of the midstroke spike, we drained 15cc of oil out of each fork leg on the 2010 KTM 250SXF. We still weren’t elated with the performance. The forks worked better with lower oil, but they didn’t offer the plushness that we yearned for.
(2) Revalved forks. Pro Circuit may specialize in Kayaba and Showa fork revalves, but their chief suspension guru, Bones Bacon, has spent many sleepless nights zeroing in on the WP forks. Bones believes that he found a solution to rider complaints when he valved the closed-cartridge bladder forks to ride higher in their initial stroke. To accomplish this feat, Bones installed Pro Circuit’s $350 National spring tubes, which allow the oil in the forks to flow more smoothly. In turn, the forks have a plush feel and are no longer hampered by midstroke harshness. Also, depending on rider weight and skill level, Pro Circuit installs stiffer or softer fork springs.
(3) Pricing. We went for the ultimate and most expensive fix for our 250SXF forks, but there are various levels of workmanship that a consumer can request. Pro Circuit charges $179.95 for the fork revalve and setup, $15.95 for new PC-01 fork oil, $129.95 for stiffer fork springs and $349.95 for the spring tubes. Individually, these mods can make the WP forks better, but just like percussion and woodwind instruments, they are much better together.
(4) Plushness. Every MXA test rider raved about the plush action of the reworked forks. The dreaded midstroke harshness was banished, and with it went the sometimes unpredictable, darting front-end feeling. The Pro Circuit-massaged forks helped the 2010 KTM 250SXF corner better, handle medium-sized chop and give test riders the confidence needed to blast down rough, bombed-out pothole straightaways.
WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? The price is fairly extreme. At close to $700, this is not a mod for the faint of heart.
The initial cost is rather exorbitant, but the end result is worth the price. If you have a KTM 250SXF, then you need to invest in better performance for your forks. Pro Circuit can provide that.
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