Tutorial: K-Tech SSK suspension upgrade on a Honda CRF300L

Many people complain about the CRF300's stock suspension. Although we rode the CRF250L's stock suspension for more than 100000 kilometers, we also decided to try a suspension upgrade on our new bikes.
This is a very detailed instruction how to install K-Tech SSK pistons on a Honda CRF300L or Rally. Please use the timestamps to navigate, if you should get bored. Sorry for the sound, we don't have proper equipment yet.
If you rather prefer to read a tutorial, you can find it on our website www.rtwriders.com/2021/11/k-t...
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00:00 Intro
00:48 K-Tech packaging details
01:12 Open the fork leg to remove the damping cartridge
03:28 Remove the old compression unit
05:38 Compression valve comparison + correction
09:00 Remove the stock compression piston
10:20 Install the K-Tech compression piston
13:20 Remove the stock rebound piston
18:13 Install the K-Tech rebound piston
22:38 Final check of the new pistons
24:16 Reassemble the cartridge
26:24 Reinstall the cartridge into the fork leg
29:31 Fork oil
32:13 Reassemble the fork leg
33:40 Outro
rtwriders
moto_miri
www.RTWriders.com
#CRF300L #CRF300Rally #bikemodification

[@oldscar6169]

To K-Tech Company you should pay this host RT for doing a Tutorial that ktech should have done , Will done RT ! Excellent Tutorial you have the only Tutorial that I have found related to the CRF300 front fork upgrade from beginning to end Thank you 🙏

[@RTWriders]

Thanks a lot. We had the same problem that time and couldn't find any tutorial. So we thought this video would help a lot of people.

[@Tobiker]

Ich hab euch grad in der FB Gruppe entdeckt und ihr trefft genau meine Themen. Rack und Federung. Bin jetzt schon Fan. 🥰

[@RTWriders]

Danke - freut uns dass es dir gefällt.

[@ug9191]

Excellent video. Thank you!

[@RTWriders]

We're glad that you like it. Thanks for watching.

[@ug9191]

@@RTWriders this is interesting, I just installed my K-tech valves and they came as a complete assembly. I only had to remove the clip and slide the compression valve in, then unscrew the rebound valve from the shaft and thread the new one on. I guess I have time for a beer!

[@pfakx]

Hope you guys post more on KZbin

[@RTWriders]

Thanks 😃 yes, we are planning to do a bit about our coming mototrips aswell

[@pfakx]

I checked the website and thought if all this was captured in video 📹 too it would be great.

[@RTWriders]

Yes, I thought so too, but we filmed to little to make a film out of it. Now we are starting on the TET and we will do a bit more there

[@OldMan_54]

Top Video, super erklärt.

[@RTWriders]

Danke, freut mich, wenn es hilfreich ist.

[@sk8moto]

following!

[@RTWriders]

Thank you, I followed back 😃

[@outsideguy3633]

Before I take something like that apart I’d take a couple pics.

[@RTWriders]

You mean pics of the shim stack? One could do that- however, there would be an additional risk, that your stack falls apart and you don't know the order of the shims anymore.

[@Eddie_Turbo]

Hey mate, I have ordered this kit in Australia along with a replacement fork spring. Do you have any tips to replacing the fork spring? I have never done any work on front forks before but your video has given me confidence to install the left valving myself. Thank you.

[@RTWriders]

Hi, exchanging the spring is very easy. Open the fork cap and drain the fork oil. Afterwards, compress fork tubes completely. The damping rod (with the top cap on the end) is connected with a piston in the fork tube, that is hold by a circlip. To remove that circlip you have to push down the damping rod for few millimeters. It needs some effort because there is a little preload spring that is mounted right below the circlip + a washer. It is easier to have a second person for that. Just remove that circlip with a little srewdriver and you'll have access to the spring.

[@user-yb9ww6lv7j]

Great video but just one question, if you have assembled suspension parts in the past and have used red Loctite, how has it been to disassemble those parts again. Red Loctite is a permanent high strength fixing liquid and needs heat to release it and some of those components are delicate and difficult to get to where heat might be an issue. K-Tech actually say to use a medium strength Loctite such as 243. What are your thoughts?

[@RTWriders]

Thanks - I've only disassembled the lower leg bolt so far and that was ok. I've also not used original Loctite, but that probably won't make much of a difference. I didn't cover the whole thread with Loctite and just used very little. For installation I also worked with the Race Tech manual and they recommend Hi-strength Loctite on their gold valves installation. That's why I used it, too. However, I think you would be perfectly fine with medium Loctite.

[@rhw8567]

Hi, thanks for the video! Is it maybe possible to share the shops name where you ordered the valve kit from in Europe? All I can find are shops who only provide the valves with fitting services only. Which sounds like a hassle if I am not based in the respective country. Thanks is advance!

[@RTWriders]

Hi, we ordered it at www.euro-racing.it

[@954Rider]

Great video! Very detailed and easy to understand thank you! I have one question for you, where did you find the recommendation from Ktech for the fork oil range of 16-20cSt. I was looking to confirm this and couldn't find it anywhere.

[@RTWriders]

Thanks, great that you like the video. I asked K-Tech for the oil viscosity. They recommended their own fork oil what's 17,5 cSt. For fine tuning they told me to use anything between 16-20 cSt.

[@954Rider]

Thanks, I ended up going with the Motul Expert Light @ 17.9 cSt will have the valves next week to install.

[@RTWriders]

​@@954RiderCool, you'll like them.

[@Hugo_Alex]

Thank you for sharing this, very helpful! How does the ride feel now? Do you feel the front wheel more planted providing more traction? You should have more feedback from the terrain as well. Also noticeable when braking, the bike doesn't dive right away? At least that's what I feel lack of, and also looking for an upgrade like this. Wish you great adventures!

[@RTWriders]

Thanks a lot 😃 To be honest we didn't really try it out before upgrading, specially not offroad, so we can only compare it to the CRF250L that we drove before. The spring is definitely harder, and we also think the suspension is better. We try to drive mostly off-road, in the moment we are on a trip, drove the TET through the Baltics, Finland and now we are on the way down through Norway. We will post videos about our trip when we have a bit time, but on our Instagram profil we have a video from Lithuania where you can see a video of us riding with all our luggage, and how the suspension has to work 🤪 The offroad parts were much better then on the old bikes, but also because we adapted our racks better. So overall it's a difficult to tell if it's just the suspension. With our rear suspension we are not so happy at least.

[@RTWriders]

instagram.com/tv/Cd_Ci9uICLH/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= here is the link 😃

[@Hugo_Alex]

@@RTWriders Thank you for your feedback! I'm about to do this job for my 250L and your video will be very useful. Curious that my kit came already with the aluminum base attached to the shims components, seems that I don't have to transfer the shim stack components like you did. I wonder if it's different on for the 300L. Anyways, just curious about that, I still have to dismantle the fork leg and check it. Checked your instagram. Nice section to stress test your suspension. hehe

[@RTWriders]

@@Hugo_Alex The shim stack does already come attached to the aluminium valve base. However, the shims were mounted the wrong way around when they came out of the box. Therefore I'm telling in our video, that it is important to check, if they're mounted in the right order before installing them.

[@nils8485]

@@RTWriders was stört euch an dem Wilders Federbein? Und gibts irgend eine bessere Alternative? Kenne sonst nur das YSS

[@sredju]

Hallo Tobi. Mich wurde der Unterschied interesieren. Shims Grösse und dicke von K-Tech und Honda zu vergleichen, auch Kolben, Lövhen an dem Kolben. Da ich sehe dass auf dem K-Tech Kolben dind nicht viele Shims. Vieleicht.

[@RTWriders]

Hallo, ich bin leider gerade in Südamerika und kann daher deine Frage nur schlecht beantworten. Auf unserer Homepage findest du auch einen geschrieben Artikel, vielleicht hast du da ein paar bessere Fotos mit mehr Details?

[@ronald8673]

Did it make a difference riding ?

[@RTWriders]

We haven't been riding much with this bike before the upgrade, but compared to the 250L that we had before it made a difference we think, but maybe not as much as we thought. The different spring we feel

[@MotoSly]

you should have also put the K-Tech spring in! that is what makes the big difference.

[@RTWriders]

@@MotoSly We put a shorter Wilbers spring in there. Due to stupid German regulations, we had to do so, because we used a shorter Wilbers shock on Miriams bike to lower it. Otherwise it wouldn't have been legal.