Factory Suspension vs. Stock Suspension | Dirt Bike Shootout

Is factory suspension worth the money? Does upgrading to the top of the line aftermarket stuff really make you faster? Let's find out. So I'm here with Sean who is one of our channel test riders and we're here at Oxford Motorpark today for the WP suspension test day and Sean's going to ride a selection of bikes today. This morning with stock stuff and then this afternoon we're going to change it out for the super trick stuff but firstly Sean I hear that WP have a bit of convincing to do with you all right so just tell us that story and your beliefs about top end suspension. I've always been skeptical about the you know the top end suspension I think you know for a club rider it's a lot of money for what it is pro rider yeah 100% you know because they need that kind of stuff so here we are today with some convincing today. Yeah so today we're going to see if we can debunk those preconceptions that you have and then see if it's about setup and things like that so we've got the full WP crew here today to help us set up the suspension just to your liking so you best go and get geared up and we'll hit the track. Magic. WP are one of the Dirt Bike World's most respected and well-decorated suspension companies. I mean they've literally won hundreds of world titles. They are best known for their association with KTM and but WP does in fact work with every colour in the rainbow and they've also got a range of products to fit most budgets from entry level to the top of the line stuff and it's those two ends of the WP spectrum that we'll be focusing on today. On the KTM here we have the cheapest setup available from WP which is the Exact Pro 6500 cartridge and bladder kit. The Exact Pro 7548 fork and 8950 shock on the Kawasaki however is the top of the line expensive stuff but how much difference does it really make? Today Sean has ridden every bike with every level of WP product available but for our test in this video we'll be focusing on comparing stock suspension against the entry level WP and the top of the line WP gear. We'll be doing this via a hot lap showdown and Sean will be doing those laps on the 250 four strokes. Busy day Sean. Very busy. 10 sessions riding five bikes two times. You rode the whole fleet so 250, 350, 450 and then 250 Kawasaki, 450 Honda. So you rode them all this morning with stock stuff and then with the trick stuff this afternoon. As always we did the hot laps that's the way we like to prove whether something works. So once again guys you're going to know the results before us. So I'm just going to talk to Sean now about the feeling that you had on the bikes and we're just going to talk about the 250s because that's what you race. So the KTM and the Kawasaki talk us through your thoughts and feelings on them. They had different stuff on them. Yeah. So starting with the KTM because it had the kind of entry level stuff right? Well in the morning it was stock. You know I ride the 250s so very familiar. It just felt at home you know. I think as a stock bike out the crate that is so hard to beat. Their slogan is ready to race and it is literally it is that. You know what I mean? You can see it out there that you love it. It's just so good. I mean the whole range is good but you know they're just so much fun to ride and plush and stable and you know they just give you so much confidence and as you know if you're confident on a bike you'll go fast. You know it's that simple. You know we're comparing against the Kawi which I'm going to be honest it was shocking. You know yeah I struggled with it as a stock bike. We're talking about suspension not you know engine or you know or ergonomics or anything like that but the way the bike felt out the crate they were worlds apart. Just completely different. It was very vague. It didn't track. The front end felt loose. It was just all over the place and it did you know you can see by the footage I don't think I've done any of the jumps because I couldn't get that feel that I wanted. Then we went to the afternoon. Yeah so afternoon the WP guys swapped out. Just tell us first what was in the KTM? So in the KTM that is basically your entry level is what you'll get. There's you know in that there was a bladder kit and a spring conversion. It's a twin spring not a single function spring. So they took the air out and then converted it. Put two springs in there. You know so basically it's like a conventional oil fork. Very good. Very good. Again they are so good out of the crate and putting that stuff in it just gives you that little bit more feel. It wasn't drastically different. Not at all but it was it was good. Yeah it was good. For me the shock and the track the thing in the morning the tracks changed and then in the afternoon it got rougher so the shock for me didn't feel like it worked as well as what one of these would. Do you know? Yeah. You know very good but you could just tell it's not a track shock. Yeah it's just got a bladder kit on it. So Sean I know you're not a betting man. We know that yeah. But if you had to say what were you quickest on? Stop version or with the upgraded suspension on the KTM? Yeah upgrades 100%. 100% upgrade. Yeah it just gives you that little bit more confidence in the turn you know and if you're confident you ride faster. It's that simple. We'll see if he's right when we watch the uh the fast laps. Moving on then to the biggest change of the day then the Kawasaki. That had the full setup right? Out of all the bikes I rode in the morning out of all of them that that unfortunately was the worst. At lunchtime they changed out to put the top of the line WP suspension stuff in there. How did that change the bike? Night and day? Yeah pretty much. Just completely changed it. Just can't describe the change that it made to that bike. So absolutely in the afternoon you had confidence hit the jumps and yeah it was just yeah it was just fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. Like you know just out of this world. Yeah just tracked it the ground absolutely everywhere. There wasn't any bit where there was a hole or anything like that where it then be skitty or you know it'd be loose or you know lift. And that's that yeah super track shot right? Yeah that is it's outstanding. I mean there's a bit out the back and it and you know you're on a you're on a right hand turn and it's choppy as anything but that you couldn't even feel it. It was just even when it dropped into the holes it just drove all the way through you know. So and the front again was just so planted. It was a fantastic setup. I can't say enough about it. It sounds like you was going to be faster on the bike you rode in the afternoon than with the the upgraded stuff but let's find out how much by. Yeah well we'll see. Like I say I've raced one of them don't I? But I mean that compared to the stock bike you rode this morning. Oh yeah yeah yeah. So let's let's jump into that. Let's compare the Kawasaki this morning and this afternoon. Yeah Hitting the track first will be the KTM 250 SXF. So here we go then we have the stock setup on the left and the entry level WP setup on the right. And the clock is on. Let's see what difference the entry level WP suspension can make to a lap around Oxford Motor Park here. Fantastic new circuit that's been built this season and what a facility this place is. So already it looks like the entry level stuff has given Sean a slight advantage early on in this lap. See she's hit that big tabletop there with a slight lead. So big thanks to Dan Farron on the FPV drone here providing us some awesome footage of Sean's hot laps through the roll as he goes then. The WP setup still in the lead then. Yeah we can see again he hits that tabletop with a slight advantage. Building that gap ever so slightly as we come around near to the halfway mark of the lap. We'll jump down into the trees there in an awesome part of the circuit. Probably this one of the sandier sections as well. A big booter up out of the trees there. Sean launching it on the KTM. Like we say Sean races KTM 250s so he's so so comfortable on this bike to start with. So don't be surprised if these are his fastest laps of the day. It is windy out there so Sean decided not to hit the send it button on the big big tabletop. Keeping it safe because I tell you what that is a big jump. So we're coming around to the last part of the track now. Just a handful of corners left to go and the WP suspension setup still in the lead then. There's not too much in it though. Over the dragon's back. Back across the start line two corners to go. We'll have a left and then a right into the final turn. He's just got another section of rollers to navigate now and then he'll cross the line. But yep it is indeed the WP suspension that's going to take the win. So there we have it. The cartridge and bladder kit gave Sean the confidence to go just over a second faster around Oxford Motor Park. Now let's find out what difference the expensive stuff makes. Here we go then. It's Kawasaki time. Stock suspension on the left. Super trick full factory WP stuff on the right. The clock is on and Sean said it in his review. He really did struggle to get the grips with this Kawasaki in its stock form. So keep your ears open for some signs of Sean's struggles throughout this hot lap on the stock bike. Seems like the super trick stuff always already has a slight advantage here. Up there Sean giving us some on-board commentary. We're heading to one of the sandy corners and then the rollers. So one of the toughest sections for the suspension to deal with on this track. Some more colourful commentary from Sean there. And he's definitely got a nice advantage now with that super trick stuff. You can visually see how far ahead he is now. Looks to be gaining all the time as he drops into the trees about halfway through the lap then. Another sandy section and the big booter out of there. Look at this jump. Sean was clearly struggling with that Kawasaki in its stock form. Feels so sketchy. We're about two thirds of the way around the lap now so not too much longer left to go in this hot lap showdown. And just look at that lead that the super trick stuff has built up. We're about three or four corners left to go. Four corners left to go of the lap. This has been a massacre here. The super trick WP stuff really proving how good it truly is. Literally just folded the front end here. Here it comes Sean about to cross the line. Sort of lap time on a Kawasaki bike he's unfamiliar with. But I tell you what he was lagging behind with the stock stuff. So that's a massive seven second difference between stock suspension and the top of the line stuff. So what can we conclude? Well the entry level suspension appears to provide marginal gains and a little more comfort. But nevertheless one second per lap is still considerable and will add up to a lot over a race distance. But it's the top level gear that is truly a marvel. This stuff will transform your riding especially if you're as Sean was with the KX. A seven second swing is just insane. Right Sean so to finish us off then I know we always talk about how like a 450 has got way too much power for the average rider right. And I think that's the same with most modern motocross bikes. They're more than powerful enough for the normal weekend warrior. So bearing that in mind is upgrading your suspension the best improvement money can buy for a weekend warrior? Is it the best upgrade that money can buy? Yeah yeah it is. Do you think it'll upgrade the suspension will help you way more than an exhaust pipe system? Yeah I was just about to say don't waste your money on a pipe. If you if you want to go faster on the track you know get you get that get your suspension in you that's it. A pipe don't give you confidence. A pipe will make it sound nice. Yeah you know maybe give you a couple of yeah yeah and then when you ain't got the decent suspension you fall off and crash it it gets all scratched you'll be crying. Save your money on a pipe and get your suspension. There you go. So if we're right in thinking you guys will have seen the GoPro hot laps you've seen the proof that suspension definitely improves your lap time and I don't think you would have got those gains from an exhaust pipe right? No way. No way. Definitely not. No. It just sounded good. Once again thanks for watching. His name's Sean. My name's Max. This has been 999 Laser. Until next time we'll see you at the track.