Cycle News Staff | March 22, 2017
The year is now 2017 and if you aren’t satisfied with your stock suspension there isn’t a reason you have to keep it. WP has a complete line of competitive off-road suspension components for virtually every dirt bike. To have a company outside the Japanese monopoly of suspension components come in with an across-the-board, bolt-on, race-specific solution is a big move and WP is on the gas.
WP suspension is synonymous with such brands as KTM and Husqvarna, but WP offers suspension systems that you can buy for pretty much all brands.
To give the media a taste of what is available for 2017, WP held a ride day, providing a plethora of off-road bikes from a number of manufactures, all decked out with WP Cone Valve forks and Trax shocks. We have to admit it; the WP suspension looks super trick on the non- KTM/Husky brands, giving them a unique factory race look. WP suspension is available for Kawasaki, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Beta and Sherco.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM BOOTH
The WP Cone Valve fork is the top-of-the-line product from WP and is for a rider looking for the most performance possible. For 2017, the fork has improved bottoming resistance, improved comfort and new coatings.
When you purchase Cone Valve forks they are designed and tuned specifically for each model of motorcycle you plan on bolting them to. The WP Trax shock, now also available for a wide range of bikes, features new coatings, a lighter spring and improvements to the Trax system. The Trax shock system allows the rear wheel to return to the ground quicker than a normal shock, providing improved traction and bump absorption under acceleration. Purchasing a new set of WP suspension will set you back $3549.99 for the Cone Valve forks and $3549.99 for the Trax shock.
The WPs look right at home on the Beta.
When you purchase a set of Cone Valve Gen 2 forks or Trax shock you’ll notice the color scheme has changed to a mostly black look with red accents. The new look is clean and works nicely with the new WP logo.
WP has six dealers across the U.S. to service and supply your needs. Two on the west coast, two in the center of the U.S. and four locations down the East Coast. For 2017 WP is offering a wide range of equipment for off-road and even road racing. WP also offers suspension for the smaller-displacement bikes, too: minis, 50s, 65s and 80s.
Our experiences with WP components have proven they are extremely high quality with premium fit and finish, and they’re made for speed.
The WP Cone Valve fork is the company’s top-of-the-line competition fork.
During our media test day we rode some technical single track on a number of different models and brands. The general setup across the board was a little on stiff side for enduro-style riding. When the trail opened up and we were able to ride more aggressively, the component’s attributes really started to shine. Landing from drop-offs and smashing through g-outs wasn’t an issue and left us looking for bigger and hard hits while trail chatter and slower technical riding left us wishing for softer settings all around.
The WP suspension components, as tested, were born and bred for faster terrain and riders who demand big performance during aggressive riding. When talking with WP techs on site, we were told the set up for all the bikes was more of a GP setting, not a single-track enduro setting, ideal for faster terrain than what we were really riding that day. On the GP sections we did hit, we could feel the suspension doing its job superbly. Same could be said for similar components we’ve tested on motocross bikes.
This is WP’s latest Trax shock.
This shows how much variability lives inside a set of premium suspension components. They can be tuned for any type of terrain and style of riding. We know the Cone Valve Fork system and Trax shocks have been used in tight and twisty off-road competition by pros and consumers alike for years. So it’s not out-of-the-question to get them tuned just how you want them. Our favorite and the most-impressive bike transformation of the day for the single-track course was the Beta 430 RR. No longer was it an ultra-squishy, slower speed single track bike, with the WP components it felt more balanced, lighter and more responsive while still providing comfort and performance. Similarly, the 2017 KTM 250 XC-W on-site turned from a softer trail bike (stock) to a full-blown race setup with the high-end WP components. Pretty cool.
We didn’t have the opportunity to ride the WP AER48 spring kit, which drops easily in as a replacement and turns the AER48 air fork into a traditional spring fork, but we are looking forward to testing it soon.
WP also offers spring conversion kits to change your air forks into spring forks.
Anyone can get the most premium WP components now. The goods usually reserved for the Factory KTM and Husqvarna riders, or consumers on those bikes looking for serious upgrades. And that’s big news. WP’s motto is #getinfront, so if you are a social media lover, check the hashtag, tag your WP experiences and drool over what premium suspension is out there. Maybe you’re ready? CN
