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I think it is hard to objectively enumerate all the differences. If I was racing
my bike hard every week I could probably talk about fade or how well the
rebound/compression/spring-rate combination handles bumpy curves...

I can say the bike used to be practically sagged halfway or more just sitting
there, but not anymore.
I really like my 1500's forks and progressive springs, but now when I sit on the
1500 the forks seem unsubstantial compared to the 1800's Traxxionized forks.
I stayed on the road two weeks when we went to InZane this year... I enjoyed
having good suspension all 5000 miles of it...
-Mike
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Thanks for the info, Mike. It's helpful to hear(read). I have the same trouble sometimes articulating differences in specific ride changes, especially if the change isn't fresh, due in part to riding being such an overall experience.
It sounds like the upgrade is a welcome one, especially the harder one pushes his bike. It's a lot of money, though. I'm not sure I can justify 3000+ dollars for it. I imagine, when the time comes, I'll just end up doing the monotubes/progressive rear, and tapered bearings. My biggest concern is finding a shop around south Texas that I can trust for that kind of work.
Jason