46mm KYB forks on my WR430

These conversations make me wonder the bikes that were "so so" performers simply because of poor suspension set up? Definitely need additional research on this.

I was not riding dirt when static sag and rider sag became awareness factor.

I would bet that most bikes are not setup properly for their riders. But if you ride a lot or race, you would have to get your bike dialed in.
There must be a table out there of spring rates vs. rider weights. Some guidance would help pick the right spring rates would be nice.

many times i bet you are right about that

it likely depends on suspension design, i dont think you can just pick a spring stiffness based on rider weight.
the 85/86 and 87/88 bikes are a good example. two different rear suspension designs and the same rider takes 2 different springs to have the same effect. front forks may be a bit easier..
this is part of the reason suspension shops are still in business! when i sent my 95 suspension to drew at WER, somehow my sag was awfully close already, just how it arrived in the mail...

I was curious about the difference in overall length of the two different fork setups so decided to measure tonight ( never occurred to me to do this before beginning this project). Turns out the KX forks are 1/4" (6mm) shorter than the original units however they seem to have more room wrt travel. This plays well into Justintendo's observation of sag measures being off. Seems the smart ones among us would do these measurements ahead of time! On another note I took the bike out this evening and rode over a trail that's very rough ( rough to the point of being difficult for an old fat guy to hang on). I was easily two gears higher now and marveled at how much better the ride is! Not really a fair comparison as we've already established my suspension was no where near set up properly but I'm sure loving the difference! Plus I'm still a sucker for the "wow" factor of the USD forks.

will the kx forks bottom to point of putting the tire into the fender? this is also something to check as it can be very dangerous, since you say they are shorter but with more travel..you can remove springs and collapse forks to check.

Very good point, Justintendo! Yes, this we did check and we've easily 1/2" clearance when the forks reach the travel limit. This is less than with the original set up but also with a completely different tire. We're DOT legal front and rear now with trials type tires. The profile of these tires are much different than the knobbies before. Come to think of it that's yet another nod to suspension set up and handling.