WR1 Suspension Fork And Shock Revalve Service - Dirt Rider Magazine

Suspension is a make or break component for any level of rider. So when my '08 Yamaha 450's fork and shock started getting a little on the sacked-out side after a year of hard riding, I sent my stuff to the folks at WR1 Suspension to see if they could revive my bike. I weigh 220 and ride at an intermediate/pro level on both MX and off-road terrain, so I really needed a company that understands my riding needs and what I require out of the bike. My first phone call to WR1 impressed me quite a bit as the owner, Justin Giuliani, personally answered my questions and took down my info for my revalve. After a few weeks of turnaround time, I excitedly installed my freshly revalved fork and shock and hit the track.

My first ride was at the local arenacross track, which has lots of poppy jumps and small braking bumps. I set the sag at 110mm and left the compression and rebound at WR1's settings. The initial ride was slightly stiffer and had more rebound in the rear than I wanted, so a few clicks in on rebound and a couple more hours on the new springs and it started to break in and soften up enough to make the suspension fluid over any jump. I immediately felt my lap times improve and was able to ride harder and for a lot longer. I'd asked Justin to make the bike more stable with better bottoming resistance, and he definitely delivered. An additional perk was that when I called Justin with a question during the break-in period, he immediately answered the phone and helped me dial my settings in right then and there.Crossing over to the trails was just as impressive, as the bike handled better in turns and, after more break-in, was plush enough to eat up even the gnarliest surprises. With a few clicks in on compression and rebound, WR1's patented anti-bottoming valving system soaked up the harshest hits I could throw at it. Compared to my old suspension, the WR1 setup feels stiffer (a huge improvement for my weight) with a better feeling of control when landing off of big jumps and coming into hard hits.

For the type of riding that I do, WR1 outfitted my suspension with the friction-resistant coatings, zero bottoming resistance fork cartridge system, M1 oil, heavier springs and valving-the whole deal. All together, these modifications made my 450 feel like it works for me on any type of riding with just a few minor adjustments. However, this performance comes at a steep price: For revalve, springs, and oil, you are looking at $740. Stepping up to a revalve, springs, oil and friction-resistant coatings will cost you $1200. For everything above including a fork cartridge with zero bottoming resistance system, expect to pay around $3500. That's a lot of money no matter how you look at it, but the end result is a bike that rides like a factory bike and handles better than I could have ever imagined, and after 40+ hours neither the fork nor the shock have shown any signs of fading. Considering the improvements over how my bike used to feel, I couldn't be happier!