43mm WP fork strip

[WAZ]

After 30 years working on bikes, I'm about to strip my first set of forks (2001 EC300). Are there any special tools/techniques involved in stripping the 43mm WP fork? I've had a look on youtube, but only found videos for the newer ktm WPs, which seem really straight forward. Any tips would be appreciated.
Cheers.

 

[Brian VT]

I dove in and changed the shim stack a few(many) years ago. No prior fork experience at all.
It was a piece of cake. The only "special" tool I needed was to grind down the thickness of a wrench (spanner). It's been a while, so not sure why, but I think it had to squeeze between the coils of the spring?
That, and the seal driver, are all I can remember being as "special".

 

[WAZ]

Thanks for that Brian, sounds like it should be a half hour job then!

 

[Tafka]

This might help:
LINK

 

[Rick]

After 30 years working on bikes, I'm about to strip my first set of forks (2001 EC300). Are there any special tools/techniques involved in stripping the 43mm WP fork? I've had a look on youtube, but only found videos for the newer ktm WPs, which seem really straight forward. Any tips would be appreciated.
Cheers.

Check your email:

 

[WAZ]

Thank you very much for the manuals, they'll be a great help!

 

[rogerdodge]

Hi
is there any chance I can have a copy too.
Thanks
Roger

 

[WAZ]

Hi
is there any chance I can have a copy too.
Thanks
Roger

The link in Tafka's post above is for a manual, but not in English, the pics explain most things though. I can email you an English copy if you prefer. They really are easy forks to work on, it took me 10 minutes per leg to strip them.

 

[gasgasxc]

Are the gas gas wp-43s of that era the same as the ktm of the same era? Any differences at all?

 

[WAZ]

The manuals I had were for KTMs and I could see no difference on my GG forks compared to the manual. There may be differences in spring/damping rates though.

 

[gasgasxc]

Right on.Maybe some valving differences and springs but hard parts all the same and mix and match ya think? Is the fork any good? What do people mostly think of the early WP-43?

 

[wrench]

Right on.Maybe some valving differences and springs but hard parts all the same and mix and match ya think? Is the fork any good? What do people mostly think of the early WP-43?

It has been my experience (and others have commented) that they are junk.
Very harsh and revalving/springs did not help a great deal.
It had the same complaints with the WP's on my '00 KTM. Although, Bruce Tripplet transformed them the best with his "terrain tamer" setup but not a big enough improvement for me to shell out $$ for the same on the 01 Gasser. A swap to the Ohlins forks of the day is a huge improvement. There are others who swapped them out for Jap suspenders with good results as well.

You can revalve and change springs, but IMO you will never be able to make them great.

 

[gasgasxc]

Kinda what I figured.Ive got some 43s off a 2000 exc 200 that I cannot give away.