1st TS snow bike, KTM XACT air fork What works?

[Randman]

Hello guys, 1st post in SB section, Have a 2022 KTM 450 XC-F with a ARO3 129 Premium with QSL and would like more front end firmness. I have the air cartridge at 190 psi and am over the manual recommended psi of 174 lbs. Does an air pro work on these type forks? Getting mixed answers on adding the TRIO as it is a dedicated Snow Bike and wont be switching back to dirt. I am 245 lbs with avy bag and gear. Bike is really fun but a bit soft still. Reading other posts I ordered a 200 and 225 lb springs for skid but am unsure which way to go on the forks.

 

[Excalibur]

Hey - Famous Youtuber, Montana Gearhead! Enjoyed your build and first ride videos. Increase the compression/rebound settings also. I have the same bike setup on a Yeti 129 mine are at 195psi. I did have the forks revalved also. If you are going to put it back on wheels for dirt use then the Trio might be a better option than a revalve. For now maybe just try upping the air pressure and compression/rebound clickers.

 

[Randman]

Hey - Famous Youtuber, Montana Gearhead! Enjoyed your build and first ride videos. Start at 185-195 psi, maybe a bit more. Increase the compression/rebound settings also. I have the same bike setup on a Yeti 129. I did have the forks revalved also. If you are going to put it back on wheels for dirt use then the Trio might be a better option than a revalve. For now maybe just try upping the air pressure and compression/rebound clickers.

Thanks for that...haha...So no biggie running over the manual stated pressure of 174 psi? Its pretty good at 188 psi, will add another 5 or 6psi. Do you add any additional fork oil? It is staying a snow bike so would like to not add the trio if possible.

 

[Excalibur]

I had Chaun at Big 4 Motorsports in Couer D Alene Idaho (RG3 Suspension) do the revalve. He snowbikes and has been doing snowbike forks for quite a while. Not sure what all was done internally. A lot of bikes are running PSI in that range, time will tell if it is a problem. You also can do a spring conversion to the xact forks. We have a 17 and 18 with the AER forks converted to springs.

 

[suva]

Lots of guys are running over 200lbs on the aer forks without any bad things happening. Adding some oil will help stiffen it up lower in the stroke.
Air pro makes a kit for the aer forks, I don't see why it would function any differently with aer forks compared to a spring fork.

 

[byeatts]

Air pro works fine and it only air charges the outer chamber however 190 -195 is just fine for most for powder riding . only set snow riding needs more stiffness and the air pro is a good option for that type riding , Trio is just bolting on more weight and bulk to the front end and is a Band-Aid over proper valving . Its all about weight and float to perform on snow , any extra front weight is very noticeable.

 

[Randman]

Thanks for the help , Guys. Will try a few more psi and run it. Thanks!

 

[CB-BLR]

If you want to talk to someone who is extremely good at setting up the AER forks...and how to adjust them...give BrockStar Performance a call.
Brock is awesome!

 

[eric82930]

Keep in mind the riot kit is very light on the ski so might not need crazy stiff forks. Also I've known many running 180psi plus on stock forks but they were on aros and camsos

 

[cbc76am]

add 20cc of fork oil to each leg, start at 200, I ran up to 215 on the ARO, Riot you can get away with 195 or so. compression clicker maxed, then out one click. Rebound slower by a good 10 clicks (near closed) to compensate for the additional spring pressure.

 

[BendBrapp]

I am very happy with the revalve to my AER forks by M9 suspension. I have a 17’ 450sxf with a ARO 129LE. The valving was aggressive and is Snowbike only. I run 175-180 psi. It can easily fly through whooped out trails and carve up all conditions. Very happy with Darrin’s suspension. He also tuned my skid shocks as well.