Most of us would be elated by the performance offered from the finely-tuned 48mm WP XPLOR fork and PDS rear shock. Yet others with rally racing aspirations, or those who want to push their bikes to the max, are looking to squeeze out every bit of performance from the 790 Adventure R’s chassis. For those riders, WP’s got the ultimate upgrade – the XPLOR ‘PRO’ suspension.

The new WP XPLOR PRO is an entirely new high-end suspension for the new KTM 790 Adventure R that offers improvements in bump absorption, damping, and adjustability for the toughest off-road terrain. Suspension settings are all customized to the rider’s personalized settings and you can even increase the suspension travel from the standard 9.5” (240mm) to 10.6” (270mm). It’s the same suspension components being used by KTM Ultimate Race participants in this year’s Merzouga Rally.

WP XPLOR PRO 7548 Forks

• More comfort when using stiffer set-ups
• All adjustments made externally
• Unlimited opening up of WP Cone Valve so harshness reduced
• High quality coating
• Lightweight construction
• No sealing surface so minimum drop of pressure after valves opens
• No shims, therefore no loss of damping because of bent shims
• Price: €2,581 European Markets; $3,599 US

WP XPLOR PRO 6746 Rear Shock

• Friction optimized components
• Factory design
• Optimized WP PRO COMPONENTS set-up
• Fully adjustable with standard tools
• Includes adjustable high- and low-speed compression damping
• Price: €1,351 European Markets; $2,199 US

You can order the new XPLOR Pro suspension for your KTM 790 Adventure through any official WP authorized center. Also look for a similar suspension upgrade coming soon from WP for 1090/1290 Adventure R owners! Read on for more details about the new XPLOR Pro suspension from WP’s R&D leader Andreas Schülling.

* Additional charges may apply for certain custom settings.

How long does it take to develop a specific suspension like the one for the new 790 ADVENTURE?

It took us more than a year from the first test ride to serial production. In fact, we designed the product in parallel with the bike. We did this so we could adapt the design to suit the suspension, and of course, also the reverse, if and when this was necessary. We also carried out many weeks of durability tests in the field, and our dynos helped us to establish the best design to meet a certain high level of reliability, combined with lightweight materials

Can you tell us which unique technologies were used for the XPLOR components?

We took the Cone Valve Technology from the SX and Enduro products, and we fine-tuned it to suit the 790 Adventure R. We took the Closed Cartridge Technology from our premium products because we wanted to ensure constant damping behavior during riding, and the lifetime of the product. The PDS was used to guarantee the shock has perfect bottoming resistance, and, of course, we used low friction coatings and lightweight materials. All this results in perfect balance, better control, and a feeling of being safe, and in the end, that relates to being faster than before.

What do you see as your target customer?

Here we are talking about giving our customers that last five percent to make them even faster, and to provide them with such a feeling of safety that they can push even more.

In one sentence – what is the key benefit of this all-new suspension?

It means there are no compromises between gaining comfort and bottoming reserves, and at the same time, we have maximized the off-road capability by using unique technologies.