I know that the frame will take up to 160mm forks but was wondering if it would run “fine” with a shorter travel fork and longer stem?

Wouldn’t want Santa to make an unnessary trip.

456 means 4,5 or 6 inch travel fork. Might feel a bit steep and the bb might be a bit low, but it’ll be perfectly rideable

You may or may not die or enjoy the experience.

Once saw a guy with 115’s on his and it looked steep

Ride mine with 100-130 travel u-turn forks and they are mostly set at 100 then 130 for the downs…rides great, get one

Steep as in racey steep?

Steep as in quick sharp, would be nice for singletrack stuff, less nice for battering down rocky stuff.

Ahh so okay for the salt flats of suffolk …….

Well according to on one with 100mm forks your looking at a 68 head angle and 74 seat angle so not racy steep.

See here

I run mine 100m rigid. Works for me 🙂 !

Thought they were steeper than that, sounds pretty slack at 140/160 then!

Mine runs 120mm all the time… TBH I find it lacks ground clearance a bit, it’s long and low so tip it over a big step and there’s sometimes a bit of teetering on the bashring involved. Not a big issue, but one I keep in mind when wondering “will this go”