MXA TEAM TESTED: WORKS CONNECTION WP AER EZ FILL

On Nov 30, 2017 Last updated Jun 13, 2022

WHAT IS IT? The stock air valve on the WP AER air fork is difficult to access. It is buried down in the recessed fork cap and positioned at an awkward angle—although, without the angle, you would never get an air pump on it. Works Connection had great success designing swiveling Schrader valves for PSF and SFF-TAC air forks on Hondas, Kawasakis and Suzukis. The new Works Connection EZ Fill makes air-valve access much easier.

WHAT’S IT COST? $49.95.

CONTACT? www.worksconnection.com.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with the Works Connection EZ Fill valves.

(1) Design. Thankfully, WP AER-equipped KTMs and Husqvarnas only have one air valve instead of two or three like their Japanese competitors. The EZ Fill WP AER Schrader valve is made from brass, and while this raises the cost, it ensures that the threads and fittings will last forever. Because you only need one EZ Fill for WP forks instead of two or three, the overall cost is halved. The EZ Fill’s Schrader valve rotates. It can be aimed in virtually any direction, but unfortunately the position of the stock WP Schrader valve does not allow the EZ Fill to be swiveled very far. In fact, the valve can only be aimed at one usable angle to the front of the fork leg or one angle to the rear. Most MXA test riders preferred the rearward position, as it cleared the bars and crossbar pad by a larger margin to allow the pump head to fit better.

(2) Installation. No problem. We bled all of the air out of the WP fork leg before we removed the stock Schrader valve. Once you have the stock valve out, place the supplied spacer on the EZ Fill part and thread it into the fork cap. Be careful; the threads are difficult to start because the angle out of the cap is 45 degrees. The hardest part is pumping the fork leg back up to 145 psi. We used a portable compressor to get the fork to 100 psi, and then manually pumped the forks up to the recommended pressure.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? Although the EZ Fill air valve is designed to rotate, the limitations of the WP fork cap means that is doesn’t swivel very much.

MXA RATING: The stock air valves are hard to use. The valve-stem cap is reluctant to come off and even more reluctant to be put back on. The recessed position of the stock valve makes getting the pump head on the valve tricky because the crossbar pad and bars are in the way. The Works Connection EZ Fill does not work as well on the WP AER fork as it does on Showa or Kayaba forks, but it does work better than the stock air valve.