"where many mechanics will opt to replace a dropper post or fork or shock rather than perform a rebuild"
Literally just had this happen to my cousin, though actually not even a "rebuild". The shop she went to hadn't ever worked on a KS dropper, and just didn't know how easy the cartridge* swap is. So they offered to just sell her a new post, because they labor cost they were thinking about charging would have made the (easily done in less than 30 minutes) swapping of an $80 cartridge cost almost as much as a new post.
Another cousin quickly stepped in to say "bring it to me and we'll drink some beers and learn how to do it ourselves"*, so they'll keep some metal out of the trash and get some knowledge into their heads, win-win.
Maybe this also says something about the proliferation of very similar components with just different corporate logos slapped on them, such that a smaller shop just can't afford to learn about all the various same-but-slightly different components. Yes, KS isn't just-another-brand-X-cartridge user, but fact is they're not as common as a Reverb, Transfer, or even the various house brands, at least around here.
\* It's a cartridge! Like, literally the thing you're talking about, and they still didn't want to do it.
\* Because of course a little parts shopping and wrenching doesn't automatically mean a loss of riding time.
March 10, 2022, 7:20 a.m. - Justin White
"where many mechanics will opt to replace a dropper post or fork or shock rather than perform a rebuild" Literally just had this happen to my cousin, though actually not even a "rebuild". The shop she went to hadn't ever worked on a KS dropper, and just didn't know how easy the cartridge* swap is. So they offered to just sell her a new post, because they labor cost they were thinking about charging would have made the (easily done in less than 30 minutes) swapping of an $80 cartridge cost almost as much as a new post. Another cousin quickly stepped in to say "bring it to me and we'll drink some beers and learn how to do it ourselves"*, so they'll keep some metal out of the trash and get some knowledge into their heads, win-win. Maybe this also says something about the proliferation of very similar components with just different corporate logos slapped on them, such that a smaller shop just can't afford to learn about all the various same-but-slightly different components. Yes, KS isn't just-another-brand-X-cartridge user, but fact is they're not as common as a Reverb, Transfer, or even the various house brands, at least around here. \* It's a cartridge! Like, literally the thing you're talking about, and they still didn't want to do it. \* Because of course a little parts shopping and wrenching doesn't automatically mean a loss of riding time.