Could you please give details about the Ktech setup?! I went to their site and I’m lost about what parts I would want. Thanks and love the videos!!

This is a very down to earth comparison - budget vs mid vs premium. Awesome stuff!

Great timing for my upgrade- Excellent work as usual! Just spent a few days riding in Idaho with buddies: we had 2 700's, 790, 890, 990 and 1090 to do back to back seat time comparisons. All bikes were stock suspension. KTM definitely better suspension, but the 700 engine is phenomenal IMO. Easier and more fun to ride than the Kool Aid bikes. Power is very linear as my brother put it. We also did a roll on 4th and 5th gear road drag race 700 v 790: 700 pulled away first until about 3-5 seconds in where the KTM power kicked in and slowly pulled away. I was surprised on the T7 power. REALLY love this bike and am not tempted AT ALL to "upgrade" to the 890> Can't wait to get the suspension done. Thanks again.

Just found your channel and this series, honestly some of the best T7 related viewing on youtube. Thanks for taking the time to put this together.

Great video and discussion. I really appreciated the freeze-frame moments that showed the differences quite clearly. This was a very valuable episode.

Given the limitations of your testing I think you did a fantastic job of showing the viewer what's happening. Excellent 👍

Good comparison, thanks for making the time. I have my T7 since first batch of July 2019. I immediately felt the need for improved suspension but there were no products out there. Fast forward Tractive/Rally Raid released their setup and also Ohlins did with their road oriented STX shock and open cartridge system. Went for the full Tractive extreme like the one shown here due to all the hype online about their 35mm piston. Had problems with the fork setup since the beginning, the shimstack configuration and digressive piston made the fork very harsh on my typical spanish rocky terrain. Never bottomed out even on the most extreme jumps, but even opening compression all out didn't solve the problem, it deflected dangerously on slow technical rocky terrain. Tractive sent a set of softer springs that their had initially designed in their charts but obviously that didn't change the issue as SAG was ok. Had to spend money at the end in a suspension specialist with a dyno machine, and after 3 different shimstacks, I have somehow found a good setup. He immediately saw the original graph on the dyno and told me this was similar response to an SBK bike. He also told me that having just one leg for compression and one for rebound even with bigger pistons are a drawback because they control less oil flow than a twin piston set up. You just have to see that all premium off road suspension have compression/rebound on both legs and the single leg thing is left for ease of use in road applications. All in all, it was a bad experience after spending so much money. As far as I know, after many complaints by customers, Tractive have changed their internal settings but I can't tell how they are. If I was going to spend big buck again, I would install a full 48mm Ohlins fork or a BOANO 48mm KYB kit up front. They are proper forks and re-sell value if you change the bike is very high.

Ktech it is then, time to give Martin a call at Torque Racing. Thanks for this Llell, really appreciate the effort you put in, not easy to do, on your own!

More than all, congratulations for the effort and honesty in the review!!

I just had my bike resprung and revalved with the K-Tech kit as described above - It's exactly as you depict and I could not be happier for the money. Thanks for the amazing straight forward info. Subbed and Liked!

AWSOME stuff The differences between the three suspensions were somewhat expected after you explained it all (if that makes any sense) The jump from entry level (Hyper Pro) to mid level (Ktech) just about always produces the biggest bang for the buck across the board in most suspension setups. It’s the jump from mid level to high end that generally closes the gap between the two, but that’s where all of the smaller attention to detail and precise adjustability are to be had (which in the right hands can produce phenomenal results) Super great video that brings to light what can be achieved if one so desires 👍🏾

Howdy from Texas. Nice review guys. Well done!

Thank you this gives me a little understanding about the stock to modified ‼️‼️‼️‼️

Great test, the best there is on KZfaq. Thanks!

Great timing! just talked with my mechanic about K tech today. Thank you for reassuring me that it's going to be awesome 😎

I love these videos! You are making really good contents! It’s interesting for me even if I still have to buy my T7, but anyway really entertaining!

Nice and clear video 👏 Only thing I did to my T7 was change 85Nm rally raid rear spring and put in 2.5mm spaces in the front. Don’t think the front one got much different but the rear is much more rugged to take my weight. Maybe I will do a big upgrade at some point but for now it does the job 😊

Love the channel and this series. Keep them coming !

Great information and perspective on those bikes and the set up.

thanks for your review, very helpful!👍

Great review . Food for thought on a future improvement to the suspension . Do have the Rally Raid 95nm rear spring but no other improvements to the suspension . That was the absolute least I do at the time as I don't weigh 168lbs with gear panniers etc .

Woohooo been waiting for this! Cheers guys🎉

I really enjoyed this. I've fitted K tech to my CRF300 Rally, a bike with a notoriously soft and cheap standard set up and it's a totally different bike. I think a deeply scientific approach can take away from the point, how does it feel, do you ride with more confidence, accuracy, smoothness? They are just as relevant to me and this test captured that brilliantly. The video footage showing the amount and speed of compression were cool too. Nice work Llel 👍

ALWAYS FABULOUS and informative

I have been waiting so long for this Llel! I’m currently in the midst of creating a T7 build series myself actually 😁

This series was great.

This is the topic I was waiting on!

I have the K Tech valve kits and springs, I fitted the rear spring myself first last year as it’s the easiest first fix for the soft rear suspension. Had the valve kits and front spring fitted and set up done, including the rear spring the total was just under £1,000, which is over half the cost of the Rally Raid set up, so it’s a verry competitive option as it’s not that far behind it.

Interesting comparison. I went with the Ktec orvs last year and it was definitely an improvement on standard.

great to see, I am about to get touratech progressive springs and a heavier weight oil for the front on my F750GS, to reduce the diving on breaking, hopefully this improves the bike

Great work! I really need to get a better understanding of suspension and heard there’s a book called “The Suspension Bible” that’s worth the purchase. I have experience that suspension can truly transform your bike and riding. Also that Tractive is basically the best for bigger bikes

The k tech front springs alone are enough for me, a huge improvement, no bottoming out and cheap and easy to fit without removing the forks from the bike.

Thank you again I'm a big fan of your magazine and videos... I am very interested to see a comparison between a standard T7 and one with the Hyperpro. I think Hyperpro is the cheapest and most convenient mod for so many people but I couldn't see in this video how much of an improvement it is from the standard ... Thanks again

Your videos are very good and informative. I don’t have a T7 yet, but I’m seriously thinking about one. I just have to convince the wife.

The K tech is the winner, it goes with the value of the bike. When did people get so spoiled, when you jump a 425lb bike it’s harsh man. That is that plain and simple. Put some protection on the bike and adjust the stock suspension after the correct rear spring for your weight is put on and just ride it. Forget all the hogshit and ride it. It’s big and fun and good

@Brake Magazine - For the K-tech setup does it retain the same amount of settings (clickers) for each function of the fork and shock as the OE? If yes what was your baseline (and/or final settings) for the fork and shock? Thank you :)

Scientific accuracy can be limited, but it easy to understand the difference between cheap and expensive suspensions nad the video in my opinion shows without any doubt how the expensive suspensions work much better than the cheap ones. Anyway I had a BMW 1150 ADV (in 2003) and everybody told me that the suspensions weren't really good, so I bought two new expensive suspensions from WP and I can assure you that the difference was huge, both offroad and onroad. I wouldn't save money on the suspensions, thay are too imposrtant, unless you have a bike with good suspensions, like a KTM. Thank you for the video, very interesting and as I already said, in my opinion, well done.

Lovely review. I wish you guys also had a stock bike to test.

Whoop whoop, that’s me and my bike! Finally I’m on the internet! Yes!!!!

Love the channel and the vids, great quality and very engaging. Why did you choose the t7 as a platform for this series instead of a ktm 890? Was it just price? Or do you dislike the low slung tank? Is it better for single trail/harder stuff? Thanks and again love your content.

Very nice video! Do you maybe know which springs (nm) you used with the ktech setup? I am getting it done right now and I’ll be getting the 90 rear and 6.9 in the front. That seems stiff to me? I weight around the 110kg fully geared up.

Good video :)

Is there a particular reason why you didn’t opt for the longer travel version suspension? I rech the ground with flat feet and currently debating if i should or shoudn’t go longer travel

With just the hyperpro kit, or even standard, you can adjust something else... oil level in the forks. Next to oil there's air in the fork, the air compresses when the fork compresses and works like an extra spring, by adding more oil to the fork the airchamber is smaller and the 'airspring' increases capacity and gets stiffer. It's a well known method of tuning forks and preventing diving. In means of setup, always setup your springs first, they're responsible for the geometry, there should be measurements (static sag / rider sag) from Yamaha... After the geometry is right you start fiddling with the clickers for compression (low/high speed) and rebound.

Awesome series! Would’ve even been more awesome if you guys swung standard World Raid into the mix😇

Curious what clicker settings you settled on for the Rally Raid/Tractive setup? I have the closed cartridge extended setup on mine and ended up softening the compression/rebound even more to plush the suspension up. About 11,000 miles of off road later and I love it.

AT rider, haven't ridden the T7 yet, but this is an awesome video!

Can you post a link for the k-tech rear piston and shim stack? All I'm seeing on their website is the rear spring.

would be great to see this comparison on the ktm 790/890

Hyerpro components are good for street use but not for offroad use. Linear springs with a riders' weight match are the better choice. You also need to consider the breakaway torque of the fork and use high quality fork dust caps / oil seals and the right fork grease. I'm looking forward to experience the difference between OEM stock components with stiffer springs vs. Öhlins catridge & shock. BTW great Ténéré 700 series 💙💛🏁👍🏻

great video guys .... say hey to dad we missed him on this one..... its a shame people are so snarky that you feel the need to apologize for obvious and unimportant things so theyll not flood comments with hatefulness and nitpickin..... id like to apologize for those folks theyre just dumb and dont know better your true fans totally git it keep up the great work please

Correct spring rate is critical. My K-tech kit with wrong (too hard) front springs was a nightmare, soon as i swich to a correct one (only one step softer - 6.3 instead of 6.6) it becomes a great set up.

Nice review. Anybody fitted the öhlins option? I had that on my old roadbike. They know their stuff.

Hey Llewellyn, would you mind sharing your clicker settings on the Rally Raid kit? i have the same kit and im struggling to find a balanced setting thats plush enough for small bumps but firm enough for big hits

Great video! I’m looking at getting either Andreani or Tractive fork cartridges and Tractive shock. If seat height is not a big issue, do you think I should go for +30 mm suspension travel on both front and rear, or keep it stock length? I ride 60% road & 40% off road Spanish rocky trails. I can’t find good list of pros and cons for having longer suspension on T7. Thanks!

I would love to hear what your clicker settings are for the Rally Raid front forks. And the high speed / low speed and rebound on the rear shock of the rally raid

Comparing the rally raid and katec suspension what did they be better than the standard suspension that comes on the world raid model?

Nice work. Shame you didn't buy a KTM 890 adventure, as there no comparisons at all between the Tractive x-treme setup vs the XPLOR PRO.

Would you say one could fit the Ktech setup with little to no wrenching experience?

Fascinating video Llel, my dad an I have been trying to decide on two bikes to buy to get off to Norway an Iceland, the 890R an the Norden 901 Standard an T7 have been really interesting watching your vids. It's a shame in a way Yam an alot of the Japanese companies really don't do better suspension from the get go I'd rather that than phone connectivity an stuff. Really undecided which of the three to get at the moment, the Reliability of the Yamaha seems to catch my attention but the suspension on the 890R although the cam an immobiliser issues are a worry from what I've read up though they've made improvements to the followers so they are wider. I wish Yamaha would sort the exhaust hanger as well, I know there's aftermarket pipes but I prefer stock ones for my ears. Just a few thoughts from someone who's confused as to what to buy at the mo haha!

after 3 years riding T7 on all types of tracks enduro mx tracks and your every day full of big rocks tracks. you learn a lot. me and my mate run high end and just revalve and springs. one bike has full ohlins with 48mm forks and tfx rear. my bike has a two stage revalve set up and have a revalved rear shock and springs in and run a tfx rear ohlins as well. both set ups are very very good. you can push both set up very hard. ohlins have a slight edge when you are at the limits of the T7. but most riders would not find the limits off a good revalve with the air gap adjusted. or why bother spending on exspensive sus and just buy the raid suspension and put it on your T7 £1/000 and you get more travel as well . the raid suspension is very good standard. and T7 is 15kg lighter . but you will proble delete this like you have on other comments i have put on.

How much do the the riders weigh? And what would a stock suspension do when the rider is 72kg?

What is the rebound/compression setup on the K-Tech bike?

Thanks for the review! I had the K-tech installed based on this very review. I have to say my experience is very different! I find it to be really stif, it doesnt dive while braking, which is good, but I feel every single stone i go through even though I set the clicks at the softest. Maybe someone else has this feeling as well?

ktch fited t7s headlight is dangling

244 for the Hyperpro springs? I got quoted €800 for my Transalp, and i live in the Netherlands (Hyperpro is Dutch).

Talk to me about your fork stick out. Looks like you have nearly nothing sticking out of the triple - I find that it gets squirrelly around 70mph with not enough weight on the front. Thoughts?

Unscientific maybe, but excellent nonetheless. This channel punches way above its weight class.

Llel, I would love if you could compare the RR stuff on your T7 with a stock World Raid and the 890R. My bet is 1. 890r, 2. T7 with RR, 3. WR.

I also have the K-tech kit. Does anyone know the the base setup for clickers or a setup that works for them? I have the K-tech kit installed, but there are no K-tech dealers where I live. I feel a bit lost with mine... It seems to lack rebound on the shock and generaly is less comfortable than the standard one for me.

Does anyone know what sumpguard is running the budget bike? Minute 2:56

Mans got nikes on

*dear folks, can we be 100% sure here, that the SAG has been properly and rigorously set on all these bikes, front and rear? thx*

Being only 65kg I propably don't have to worry too much about getting a suspension upgrade.

Too bad there wasn't a way to do a blind test on this to prevent bias. Awesome comparison nonetheless.

I suppose the big question is how good is the KTM stuff after spending that cash

It’s informative and good KZfaq but I don’t understand upgrading the Yamaha’s suspension, $20k bike that needs $5k of suspension upgrades or you can buy a $23k KTM ready to go with WP 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Typical Yamaha fitting cheap suspension to save a few bucks.

Sold my T7 in 6 months. Couldn't stand it

This video is useless if all of the riders don't have same weight and skills. If 1 rider rides all of them on same track it'll be more clear what they personally feel about each shocks setup 🎯

This is a stupid test. Use railway, same rider and seismograph to estimate damping.

😋 p̲r̲o̲m̲o̲s̲m̲