2016 Bitubo cartridge kit work on 2018 forks?

[ReidMcT]

I spotted a Bitubo kit on eBay. I've see some discussion, but nothing absolutely definitive about whether the internals of 2018 forks are different from 2015/16 forks. As far as I know, only the outside is different.

Would this kit work on my 2018 forks?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Adjustable-fork-cartridge-Bitubo-for-KTM-RC390-15-16/113692621890

 

[OpusNectar]

Found the same item from a "different seller". Their listing says up to 2018. And is 300 USD cheaper?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Adjustable-fork-cartridge-Bitubo-for-KTM-RC390-15-16/113692621890

 

[ReidMcT]

Found the same item from a "different seller". Their listing says up to 2018. And is 300 USD cheaper?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Adjustable-fork-cartridge-Bitubo-for-KTM-RC390-15-16/113692621890

I'm not clear what you are saying. Your link is the same as mine, and I see no mention of 2018. And $300 cheaper than the listing I linked to would be $79.

 

[OpusNectar]

My word, what a brain fart. Below is the link that mentions 2018, and is priced ​higher.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bitubo-JBH...718517?hash=item36383c6e75:g:Hq0AAOSwH~ZbYr94

 

[John390]

are they right when they say that it doesn't require removing the fork and disassembling it to change springs etc?

 

[ReidMcT]

are they right when they say that it doesn't require removing the fork and disassembling it to change springs etc?

I can imagine how that might work, but I also think it possible that they just included boilerplate language in the listing that may not necessarily apply to the weird RC390 forks. I am not counting on it. More attractive to me was the seeming mistake in pricing compared to other listings for the identical model number. Fingers crossed.

 

[Lima6]

So I'm guessing you went ahead and ordered them?

If so please post some feedback on how they are, they seem like a reasonable cheaper alternative to whats out there.

 

[ReidMcT]

So I'm guessing you went ahead and ordered them?

If so please post some feedback on how they are, they seem like a reasonable cheaper alternative to whats out there.

Yes, I did. And, yes, I will. There seems to be little info on the topic of Bitubo fork internals on an RC390. I hope I haven't made a mistake. It seems as if the seller may have made a mistake in pricing, but who knows.

 

[simpletty]

Bought and installed these. If you want to change the spring, unbolt the top cap and the spring comes out, easy peasy

 

[ReidMcT]

Bought and installed these. If you want to change the spring, unbolt the top cap and the spring comes out, easy peasy

Yeah, that part is easy to imagine. Harder is the rest of their claim:

"new exclusive cartridge dismantling system, which does not require removal of the fork. "

Anyway, that is not a big deal to me. More of interest is, How do you like the forks?

 

[chevaliernoir]

Here is the instruction manual :
http://www.bitubo.com/Bitubo/dms/Documenti MAGO/Istruzioni/KT003JBH01V1WO_IEF - REV02.pdf
(in english from page 13)

Complete disassembly seems needed !
I would even say it is complicated, mainly to unscrew the tube from the food

 

[ReidMcT]

Thank you, chevaliernoir, this is very helpful!

I am surprised by the large static sag specification (25-32 mm).

I also am a bit worried about the mention of possibly needing a special bushing kit. That would be an unwelcome surprise that would result in much lost time and expense.

And, yes, it is obvious that the cartridge cannot be removed without removing the forks.

 

[chevaliernoir]

I am surprised by the large static sag specification (25-32 mm).

By default, on all my road bikes, I target static sag at 1/4 of complete suspension travel.
Less for track, as there is no hole on the road.
So at least Bitubo recommendation is in line with my usage.

 

[ReidMcT]

By default, on all my road bikes, I target static sag at 1/4 of complete displacement.
Less for track, as there is no hole on the road.
So at least Bitubo recommendation is in line with my usage.

Thank you again for that thoughtful guidance. My bike is for track use. However, it is a bumpy track (no holes, though). So, perhaps I will aim for a little less static sag. I am hoping they send the right springs for my weight so that the loaded sag works out well.

Kind regards,
Reid

 

[ReidMcT]

Well, my Bitubo purchase is cancelled. After I purchased and paid for the Bitubo kit, I received a note from Omnia Racing asking me for more money to cover the mistake they made in pricing. After some back and forth with an Omnia Racing employee who has not yet discovered Google Translate, and who has a flexible relationship with Truth, I asked them to cancel the sale and refund my money.

At least I made a small profit on the exchange rates. It was just the right time to go long on the Pacific Peso against the Greenback.

For now, I'll stick with my Race Tech springs and stock valving. I just thought it was a worthwhile deal at the price; but it turned out to not be real. When I'm ready, I'll probably go with the Andreani kit from a forum vendor.

 

[KTMKane]

The 2015/2016 fork lowers are different than the 2017 as well. So you might have ended up having fitment issues with the ABS sensor.

 

[Botts]

The 2015/2016 fork lowers are different than the 2017 as well. So you might have ended up having fitment issues with the ABS sensor.

I had forgotten that I had a question about this answered earlier for 2017s:

Definitive YES. I have it on my 2017. And it is awesome.

A tip: while it does fit with the stock exhaust, you really should ditch your cat. It gets hot as fuck and sits VERY close to the shock reservoir. If you do retain the stock exhaust you may need to file the welds on the cat to provide and extra few MM of clearance. In addition to filing the weld, angling the reservoir a few degrees toward the right side of the bike will also provide a tiny bit of extra clearance.

Last tip: buy it from Eric @ Velocity Calibrations and he will provide you excellent setup support.