Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/728976
P94 CN III PRODUCT REVIEW STILLWELL PERFORMANCE EXC SUSPENSION SERVICE LIST PRICE: $1300 READER ANALYSIS: I own a 2015 KTM 350 EXC-F. After an absence from riding for years, I wanted a bike that would allow me to ride versatile terrain and distances. I felt this bike's off-road capabilities and street- legal setup would be the perfect motorcycle for me. From the first ride I wondered what changes/modifications I should consider to help the bike fit my 6'3" and 240-pound body. Obviously I changed the gearing for off-road usability and stiffened the stock suspension as much as common sense would allow. Approximately 500 miles later I loved everything about the KTM except the suspension. There just wasn't enough stiffness in the stock setup for a guy my size. So, I called the crew at Still- well Performance, filled out their rider profile form, boxed up my suspension and shipped it off. When my goods arrived, their lead suspension tech called and talked me through my profile and answered my questions. Once we confirmed what I wanted, they went to work and about a week later my newly set-up suspension was ready to install. Stillwell Performance did their popular custom revalve service to the fork and shock and added their SP Provalve fork and shock pistons. Obviously, I needed stiffer springs front and rear as well. After reinstalling and set- ting the rear sag per Stillwell's recommendations, I took it for a quick spin. I immediately noticed a difference and the bike was visually riding in a higher, more appropriate part of the stroke. I actually felt like I was sitting on a bike made for me. With a three- day family trip to Cooke City, Montana on the calendar, I was eagerly anticipating the chance to ride the KTM with the new sus- pension over real terrain. My initial impressions were that the suspension might be set up a little too stiff! However, the more I rode and the faster I went the better the suspension felt. It got better at speeds I was scared to go in stock form. Midtrip and about halfway through a 40-mile ride I was riding with more confi- dence and carrying more speed into bumps, rocks, ruts and other obstacles. By the end of the ride I felt like my pace and my confi- dence in my riding were greatly improved. Clearly the setup was tuned for my size and ability and it really encouraged me to ride more aggressively. When I want to slow down and ride more ca- sually, I do back off the compres- sion a little to get some of the plushness back, but I definitely enjoy riding with the newfound alertness front and rear. So, if you don't ride in an aver- age size body, I would highly rec- ommend Stillwell Performance's custom suspension. Jake Ziegler Stillwell Performance specializes in making your dirt bike's suspension work better for you, no matter your size or weight. The Scottsdale, Arizona-based business offers both suspension-related product and services, which means you just ship your parts to them and they do all the work. And they, of course, send it all back to you in—here's the key—a timely manner. We recently gave them a try: Here's our story.