the ohlins shocks on the ktm's are the best shocks available

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: sjbr549

the ohlins shocks on the ktm's are the best shocks available</end quote></div>

I honestly cannot see what is so great about those ohlins shocks- they don't seem any better than Elka Factory's or Fox Float X Evol's i doubt that they are lighter than the fox float X evol's.

The only thing special i notice about the ohlins is the PDS- But with the fox shocks im not sure that is necessary since they are air-shocks.

The elka's probably dont have PDS but they might have something else that does the same thing

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: GE4x4

The KTM is truely race ready for XC. It doesn't need nerfs and many xc racers don't use them. They will also be MX race ready for 09 when they make the MX quad, which will have nerfs. Your just trying to make a xc quad into a mx quad.</end quote></div>

Why wouldnt you need nerfbars on an xc quad? like i said before- if you hit a jump and your foot slips off the beg because, say- the rear shock catapulted you. Sometimes you dont have time to properly get your foot back on the pegs and you are in for a ROUGH landing along with a broken or sprained ankle if only your heel made it back onto the pegs.

 

It's more of a personal choice then anything with XC. I use nerfs, but many don't as there not forced to have them like MX racers are. That is why it doesn't come with them. That's why it can be called race ready, as there not needed to race xc. But if this was there mx quad, then it would not be race ready as nerfs are needed. But that will be on there 09 model.

 

Race Ready!

As has been proven by the diversity of the answers to this post, the term "race ready" is totally relative to several factors.

What type of racing? - obviously MX and XC require different "race ready" setups so it is impossible to make the same machine race ready for both types. When KTM says race ready they are speaking of XC and indeed some racers don't use nerfs... crazy IMO but some guys still opt to leave them off claiming that they are too likely to get hung up on log and brush.

How serious are you? - race ready to a novice is not race ready to a pro..... the novice can take any of the 450s out into a local race and compete and win on a virtually stock machine. I've seen guys in the "B" class win on stock machines in MX and XC. I saw a guy win a local Hare Scramble on a YFZ450 that he picked up on the way to the race, he was hooking up his tether switch while waiting in the line for inspection.

So it really depends on where you are in your racing career and what type of racing you are going to primarily be involved with.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: crazy1291

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: sjbr549



the ohlins shocks on the ktm's are the best shocks available</end quote></div>



I honestly cannot see what is so great about those ohlins shocks- they don't seem any better than Elka Factory's or Fox Float X Evol's i doubt that they are lighter than the fox float X evol's.



The only thing special i notice about the ohlins is the PDS- But with the fox shocks im not sure that is necessary since they are air-shocks.



The elka's probably dont have PDS but they might have something else that does the same thing</end quote></div>

I think they are all probably pretty darn good ....

I like Elka myself, but one of the nicest riding quads I was ever on was a YFZ with Ohlins so I know they are nice too.....

And Fox are always good and reliable... one thing I always liked about Fox was consistent performance when they are really hot.

Suspension has come so far it is amazing ...... by far the biggest improvement in today's machines is the suspension. All of these rezzie equipped units are really good in comparison to what we used to get off the showroom.

I give Polaris credit for using the Fox units when the Jap machines were plugging crap into the frames.... Finally Suzuki caught on with the Kayaba deal and now just about every sport machine is coming off the floor with awesome suspension......

Obviously when you get to Ohlins, Elka, Works and the high end Fox stuff you are moving up to yet another notch...

 

nerf bars are nice to have but i trails i ride the bars or netting get hung up on stuff.it looks alot like the gncc stuff.just wide enough for one quad with hillclimbs,roots,stumps,rocks and ruts.any jumps are small at the least

 

the only race ready quad is the cannondales the best is prolly the moto
it comes with nerfsand all

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: race4life254

the only race ready quad is the cannondales the best is prolly the moto

it comes with nerfsand all</end quote></div>

The only thing the c-dale XC quad has over the KTM was the nerf bars, but it also had a near $11000 sticker too. So I think you can buy some nerfs with the savings. There MX quad was over $11000.

 

i think "race-ready" is a term thrown around alot these day and depending who you ask they will have different answers. the ktm 525 whould be considered race-ready to most racers but some people might think race ready is nothing less than a factory quad ready to ride in the pros.