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Edited Date/Time
5/30/2022 5:50am
So there's a bunch of photos ML took for us at A1 plus other team shoots and there's quite a few different swap outs of the BFRC shock getting about. Can you go into more detail on this ML? Especially the Race Tech set up as I see that as the most cost effective so far for guys who want to change theirs out too. Pick up a good used older WP unit and send it off to RT. Does their unit use the standard for WP sliding reservoir piston or does it have the bladder kit?
HEP motorsports RMZ with older WP unit
HEP with kit KYB
Hanny1hunded RMZ with works Showa
Josh Hill #1 with RG3 prepped kit Showa
HEP motorsports RMZ with older WP unit
HEP with kit KYB
Hanny1hunded RMZ with works Showa
Josh Hill #1 with RG3 prepped kit Showa
The WP body has all Showa internals and requires some machining.
Why is everyone swapping it out?
Right about now technical touch should have KYB kit shocks on sales.
The Shop
The new BFRC shock is awesome technology. You can pull the valving assembly out without disassembling the entire shock. The piston pushes the oil through the valving instead of pushing the valving through the oil.
The main issue here is that there just isn't a whole lot of knowledge around it soon enough to be ready for prime time Supercross. So I think you are seeing people just switch over to known technology to get by.
By no means am I a pro or really even that good anymore, but this shock is totally fine for all us normal amateurs. I'm sure they will figure it out for pro level soon.
Race Tech has recently released all their gold valving products for the BFRC shock and I have a set on the way. I've run Race Tech for years on a dozen bikes so I'm sure it will work out good.
The characteristics of the shock don't suit Supercross. as the shock seems to struggle with high shaft speeds...it works good in road racing with shaft speeds below 5 meters per second but not in moto with shaft speeds upwards of 10 meters per second.
Kawasaki has been testing this shock for production use for a few years now and keeps turning it away due to the negative feedback from their test riders.
Here's the problem: the previous RMZ 450 shock was an amazing production cast body version of the A-Kit Showa; so, this shock IS a step backwards. I just had a discussion with a Showa tech from Japan and even he seemed VERY proud of the old shock (just now, at Houston). He seems to know that the new shock is challenging to set up. Me? I REALLY want the old shock on the new bike...and that's EXACTLY what Race Tech has done with the ShoWP. Yes, that's "ShoWP"! Showa guts in an old WP body...because the WP body fits the new frame/sub-frame junction.
I'm thinking there's an older KYB body that's fits this bike, too. I'd REALLY LIKE to try a KYB on this bike. I got to know KYB stuff really well on the early KXFs. They make excellent shocks.
When it comes to "arguing" about these things? You'd have to be a fool to argue with ML...he's seen it all. He's usually "built/rebuilt" it all. He knows this stuff. He was an Enzo Crash-Test dummy for quite a while.
I believe WP has the ability to build a REALLY GOOD & affordable shock for this thing, too.
Pit Row
So what do you think the future is for this shock? Does it go the way of the TAC fork and go away after a few years?
I really like the ideas behind it, they make sense for sure. But if it doesn't work well for high shaft speed as you say then that sort of dooms it.
Again maybe fine for people like me but you can't have a bike that pros have to change the shock to be competitive on.
You may aswell post up some pictures of CRFs or SXFs and ask why they've had the BFRC shock removed... It makes no sense.
Picture of the TTX:
But time will tell once I can start really riding it outside lot, but the people talking about swapping it out and burning it that haven’t even ridden it just stop lol, I’m a pretty heavy guy and go faster than a large majority of the people riding and so far it’s been ok for me, hasnt spit me off hasn’t done anything funny, but like I said only have about 3 hours on whole bike and have ridden it anywhere rough yet.
Thanks.
Thank you!
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