Get More Out of Your Forks
The XPLOR forks come from WP as a trail-friendly package for slower-speed, dual-sport terrain. But in our opinion, the design of the forks leaves massive room for improvement. Below are a few of the shortcomings, as we see them:
1.) The Xplor fork comes as a single-side function fork, meaning all of the damping is in one side. This isn't necessarily negative. However, because the internal damping chamber and components aren't larger, to compensate for the extra workload of the single-side function, the oil has a tendency to break down faster. This leads to an unusual tendency for the forks to experience fade; meaning the performance drops more rapidly than should be expected.
2.) The internal valving, combined with the drawbacks of the smaller internal damping components, leaves less potential to get the handling performance most riders would like. Put another way, it's tougher to get both the maximum plushness and comfort in combination with the ideal control from the fork as-is.
3.) The external compression adjuster is located at the top of the fork, while the actual compression stack and internal rod are located at the base of the fork. For this reason, the compression adjuster isn't as effective as it should be. Though the external adjuster does make some difference, by affecting the mid-valve slightly, it would make much more of an impact when adjusting the clicker if it was located on the bottom of the fork.
Starting at $400*
*Fork springs, fluids and any wear items replaced are additional cost. Call us today to schedule your XPLOR Fork Kit - (951) 697-8488.
Benefits of Our XPLOR Fork Kit
Reduced Fade
The XPLOR Fork Kit that we use makes each forks fully damping, with compression and rebound internals on each side. With both sides doing equal work, the tendency to fade is all but erased.
Imporved Control
With the XPLOR Fork Kit, the improved performance of the internals allow us to achieve substantially more control with the valving. This is a big improvement for the rider, from our point of view, as the control-factor of the front end can greatly improve a rider's confidence and comfort.
Increased Plushness
Paralleling the increase in control, the improved internals help us achieve more plushness out of the front-end, while maintaining predictability and hold-up. This contributes greatly to the comfort experienced while riding.
External Adjusters Make a Difference
With the XPLOR Fork Kit, the external compression adjustment is moved to the bottom of each fork. There is also the addition of a second external rebound adjuster, as compared to stock. Because of this, the external adjusters make a much more noticeable difference. This gives you much more adjustability to dial in the performance of the forks when riding.
Additional Info
Once you give us a call—(951) 697-8488—we'll get your XPLOR Fork Kit scheduled and give you and estimated completion date. If you're dropping off your suspension, we'll collect any further information we need form you at that time. We also offer a suspension removal and remounting service, if you'd like to bring in your bike. If you're shipping your suspension and we need any additional information, we'll give you a call.
CLICK HERE to view our Shipping Info page.
As with our Revalve Service, after gathering your information, we'll then make a determination of the spring rate and valving spec you need based upon numerous factors, including your weight, skill, riding style and preferred terrain/discipline.
Learn more about our Revavle Service by CLICKING HERE.
One of the big shortcomings of the XPLOR fork is that most of the damping is done on one side. In order to compensate, the internals should be made larger, but that's not the case. As a result, the fork internals can be overworked quite dramatically. This has resulted in a unique situation where riders are complaining of fork fade. It's a very rare phenomena, previously unique to a rear shock.
The valving in the XPLOR fork also leaves room for improvement. The fork comes set up to handle a narrow set of demands. Namely, slower speeds and smoother terrain. But as soon as you raise the speed of the terrain, or it gets a little rougher, the XPLOR's lose some comfort and predictability.
The XPLOR Fork Kit that we use makes the forks work the same on each sides. Each side becomes fully damping, with compression and rebound. First and foremost, this takes the stress out of one side doing all the damping. With both sides doing equal work, the tendency to fade is all but erased.
Another benefit is that the control of the forks improves substantially. This is a big improvement from our point of view. The control-factor of the front end can improve a riders confidence and safety when riding. For this reason, it's always one of our goals to get the most control out of the forks. Additionally, we're able to get more plushness out of the XPLOR forks to improve the comfort of the front end.
The external adjusters also make more of a difference than stock with our XPLOR kit. In stock trim, the compression adjuster does very little. After installing the XPLOR kit, the compression adjusters make much more of a difference. When you click them in or out, they'll make a noticeable impact on the action of the forks, allowing greater adjustability when riding. Likewise, the rebound becomes much more sensitive to the adjuster as well.