FE/FC Can't Decide! Buy 16' FE501S or wait for 2017 options to arrive?

[Teeszy]

I can only dream of what the Fall holds in store for us shopping for a new enduro bike. I'm torn between either dropping ~10k next month on the 501, or waiting to see what prototypes come to fruition later this year. I'm really anxious to ride which is pushing me towards what I feel may be a premature purchase and because the ticket price of these new bikes is so high I thought I'd get the communities opinion on the subject.. What would you do?

 

[bowser]

17 will be redesigned bike, i would suggest they are going to get ugly plastics like the FC's did this year

 

[Norman Foley]

The S models in the US may be a holdover for '17, as the new engine will have to be certified for EPA emissions.

 

[Wendell Walker]

For what it's worth, I held out for 7 years waiting for the next best thing to come along.
I ended up with a 15 FE 350, and I love it! I don't race, so I don't need the best suspension, the best this or the best that. I got a great deal, so took it.
Good luck.

 

[Weantright]

I bet in the end the performance of a "S" model no matter what brand will be the same. If you like a certain fork/shock brand that may sway you to one brand over another. Same goes for frame/handling history of certain brands. I wouldn't hold out for a night and day difference with a 2017. Most "S" models are a year or two behind off road models. If its a WR450/CRF450 you are looking at, it will not make it to the "S" anytime soon based on Jap's design specs,,,,, well at least the better MX/endure motors.

 

[Teeszy]

Well, I did it... Bought the 16' 501S from BMP
I rode it home from just north of the boarder in Selma, OR to my home on the coast in Crescent City, CA.
71 twisty miles and my ass is sore like I've been riding horses all weekend hahaha
I know it's not a touring bike but it's mostly because I haven't ridden since September of last year that I am so sore from it.
Going to rip up some trails thru the redwoods later today.. I predict I'll be standing most of the time! Peace

 

[bikesparky]

The 501 is an amazing bike, I never regretted buying it, after the forks got sorted that is.
With an S you probably want it decorked and get the dealer to load the EU map.
Get the forks sorted and ride, ride , ride....

 

[Benduro]

Anything to the rumour that '17s get air forks?

 

[bowser]

Anything to the rumour that '17s get air forks?

that's my tip also

 

[bikesparky]

I think KTM is under a lot of pressure to drop the 4CS forks as it consistently gets negative reviews in test, even by pro ktm journo's.
Not sure if the air fork will appear in '17. Issue is it'll be the first year and probably has newborn problems too.
By now most suspension people have figured it out how to make the 4CS work, so for me that wouldn't be an issue to buy a '15 or a '16 model.
I also think the 4CS will be easier to service than any air fork. The 4CS is not complicated to service so once sorted the following oil changes and seals could be done by anyone with medium mechanical skills.
Air forks I'm nos sure...

 

[Brapman629]

I'm not a racer by any means but I think the 4cs works great for my intermediate level of riding.

 

[LandofMotards]

Anything to the rumour that '17s get air forks?

Mx bikes follow the dungey replica which has them. So the 2016.5 is the 2017 model. Can't see them doing it to the enduro bikes for awhile.

 

[Benduro]

I'm not a racer by any means but I think the 4cs works great for my intermediate level of riding.

Mine are freaking TERRIBLE.
Sometimes, when riding medium-speed trails with medium-sized bumps or ruts they'll move like normal forks and that will leave me scratching my head because they usually just do everything badly all the time!
When riding fast fire roads, they transmit all the shock from stutter bumps and ruts straight through like they're rigid.
When climbing steep technical hill climbs (forks extended) they will not move on small bumps and turn even minor bumps into harsh, square-edged hits that threaten to loop me if I don't grab more clutch.
When I get on the brakes, their low speed compression seems non existent and they blow through all the travel and seem super plush, which makes me laugh.
I don't know what I'm gonna do to fix them, but it's clear that I need to do something.

 

[Brapman629]

Mine are freaking TERRIBLE.

What a bummer! I know on paper they are the same, but I wonder its nature of the bikes. 350 vs 501(s). After years of riding MX bikes in the woods the enduro just feels nice and plush for me. Hopefully you can get them sorted out!

 

[Throttle on]

I think KTM is under a lot of pressure to drop the 4CS forks as it consistently gets negative reviews in test, even by pro ktm journo's.
Not sure if the air fork will appear in '17. Issue is it'll be the first year and probably has newborn problems too.
By now most suspension people have figured it out how to make the 4CS work, so for me that wouldn't be an issue to buy a '15 or a '16 model.
I also think the 4CS will be easier to service than any air fork. The 4CS is not complicated to service so once sorted the following oil changes and seals could be done by anyone with medium mechanical skills.
Air forks I'm nos sure...

Its really amazing how much negative feed back these WP 4CS forks have gotten. They really are not that bad. They are a little harsh on hard edge hits and when abruptly putting the front wheel down hard after a wheelie. I have found there's a big difference between feel and control. Yes I'll say it again they have a slightly harsh feel in some situations however with over 2000 miles on My 2015 Fe 501s I've never experienced anything alarming. No scary deflection no crashes. I guess what I'm trying to say is I've had many motorcycles whose Forks were way worse. Today comparing New motorcycles like KTMs and Husqvarnas is like comparing superheroes They're all awesome. Some just have different powers or abilites than others. I may have my for 4CS Forks revalved or converted to open chamber this next winter. For now they work fine and I don't lose any sleep over it. I am 165 lbs no gear I run my clickers 18 to 20 clicks out comp and 7 to 10 clicks out rebound. I also removed 10cc of oil from each leg which helped a lot. According to my calculations they were over full from the factory. Throttle on!

 

[Huskynoobee]

Well as you know by now the 17 gets the new Xplor fork. We'll see about those being any better. I am going to wait and see in a couple of months what I'll be leaning towards in terms of 16 or 17. However, I have read that there is no "S" designation any more. They are all FE and all 50 US State legal. Apparently they dropped the off road only line so they are indeed the all new chassis, suspension, engine.

 

[Weantright]

You mean "new" name! Xplor fork is a 4CS with different valving.

 

[Teeszy]

^ Yeah I know, I'm regretting spending 11k on older tech now that the 3.5lb new lighter stuff is being released.. lol but not really I guess because I don't regret all the fun I've had on it since Feb! I just need to do something about the forks!
I'm barely 155lbs and 6' tall maybe 170~ with boots, helmet, pants hydropack and jacket on so the stock springs should be alright but the front wants to wash out in turns on both dirt tracks and gravel roads...
She's behaves just fine on the road though. Also, rough terrain makes my bike rattle so much more than any other dirtbike I've ever owned. I'm thinking suspension is to blame.

I've tried the clicker settings ThrottleOn suggested because we are close to the same weight but the front end still has a mind of its own offroad and is really hard to turn in and get sideways sometimes off asphalt.

It feels like the bottom of the tire where the rubber makes contact with the ground wants to slide out in the opposite direction of which I'm trying to turn. It's not very confidence inspiring when riding alone by yourself through the redwoods lol.
I'd like some more suggestions for clicker settings before I spend dough on a 4cs revalve or open chamber conversion since I don't fully understand suspension (it just confuses me) any more advice would be greatly appreciated.

p.s. I haven't tried taking 10cc of oil out of each fork yet...
It seems like a pain to do but if over full from the factory and the problem lies there then that could be all that I need at my speed, peace!

 

[DWK]

I'm significantly heavier than several of you but I likewise dislike the forks on my 2015 501s. Way too harsh for the type of old fat bastid trail riding that I do. I have the BRP soft polymer handlebar mounts with a Scott stabilizer but the shock and vibration, etc. is still really bad. The only good thing I can say about the 4cs forks is that one time I didn't see a deep erosion channel on a trail and hit it much too fast. The forks handled that big hit beautifully.

I've been bleeding excess air from the forks regularly but perhaps I'll also check to see if the fluid level is too high. I've heard of some folks using a much lighter weight Olin fork oil and wonder whether that might help?

Dave