Posts
9432
Joined
2/3/2010
Location
Lehi, UT, USA
Edited Date/Time
4/27/2012 4:42pm
For sand riding...stiff/softer on the compression? Faster/slower on the rebound?? (For the forks, obviously).
And on fast choppy stuff, my forks just do not seem to be soaking them up at all (it's so bad that at the end of a race it almost feels like the bars are going to get jerked out of my hands). Is this an issue that can be corrected with the clickers, or do I need to get different springs or play with the oil amounts?
I ride a 2006 CRF250R, and race in the desert (amateur/intermediate/B...and i'm a mid pack guy....not fast, but not slow either). I'm 6'0" and about 165lbs without gear. I had the suspension revalved by a local guy, and it seems like its better since then...but it didn't fix the problem (the shock is absolutely incredible since the revalve).
Thanks for the help!
And on fast choppy stuff, my forks just do not seem to be soaking them up at all (it's so bad that at the end of a race it almost feels like the bars are going to get jerked out of my hands). Is this an issue that can be corrected with the clickers, or do I need to get different springs or play with the oil amounts?
I ride a 2006 CRF250R, and race in the desert (amateur/intermediate/B...and i'm a mid pack guy....not fast, but not slow either). I'm 6'0" and about 165lbs without gear. I had the suspension revalved by a local guy, and it seems like its better since then...but it didn't fix the problem (the shock is absolutely incredible since the revalve).
Thanks for the help!
I am also taking it, that you haven't tried moving the clicker softer? One mistake I hear a lot from my buddies, is they try to run the clicker settings a magazine runs OR they leave them where the shop put them at when they get it revalved. Major mistakes and if I didn't know this guys, I would have thought they were novices. There is a reason they put the clickers on this stuff. Its meant to be changed.
To me, it sounds like your rebound is set to fast and not allowing your forks to compress into the whoops. OR compression is so stiff the forks aren't going down, but you would this harshness on all parts not just the whoops. Look at your forks for dust marks left by the seals. They will tell you how far you are going down. You want to bottom at least once per lap....if not....you should come close. Its probablely a combination of both.
Make sure your shop guy did thing right and then try your clickers. Most often it is the set up and the rider that is the problem not the mechanicals in the forks......I have spent way to much money before figuring this out for myself!
Thanks for the feedback and advice.
The suspension guy said I'm right on the boarder of needing heavier springs (weight wise) and that I could go either way (Race Tech's website confirms this), but when he asked me about it I told him not to do it because I'll be selling the bike at the end of this year and figured I could make it work with the stock springs for the summer. I trust that he's got the oil levels where they should be (he's been doing suspension for like 30 years...he knows what he's doing).
I have moved the clickers softer...right now, I'm three away from all the way soft. So with that said, maybe I do need to slow down the rebound a click or two per your advice (I sped it up a full three clicks because I was having issues with headshake and kept losing the front end in corners...and the headshake went away and it handles better in the corners by speeding it up but maybe I need to slow it down a click or two? I'll give that a try). Maybe go stiffer on the compression and softer on the rebound? (I know why pro teams spend so much time testing...)
I'm a desert guy, and I do bottom the forks regularly in the deep whoops...and the fork seems to work well on the harder hits (its the smaller choppy stuff that it really bothers me).
Again, thank you for your feedback and advice. Its very helpful just to have outside opinions on this stuff.
Stiffer on shock low speed compression. May need to slow rebound down on the shock
And on fast choppy stuff, my forks just do not seem to be soaking them up at all (it's so bad that at the end of a race it almost feels like the bars are going to get jerked out of my hands). Is this an issue that can be corrected with the clickers, or do I need to get different springs or play with the oil amounts?
It could be caused by the forks packing and causing the suspension to be in the harsh part of the stroke.
More info on this last one would help our tuners get a better idea. Are you on the gas or off? Is it the first bump, 3rd bump, or a whole series of bumps that are giving you issues?
I found this article on google and it explains a step-by-step process of setting a bike. It starts with hardpack as the basic setup but has a section for sandy tracks:
http://www.rideconceptsinc.com/#/hardpack-motocross/4530965317
To me this sounds like a setup issue more then anything. Try this first and then see if new springs are needed. If your guy things you will be fine then I am sure you will be OK.
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What about the fork settings in the sand?
What can I do to prevent the fork from packing?
Again, I race desert, so on fast stuff, I'm usually on the gas for the most part. And it's pretty much all the bumps....like racing across a grassy meadow, the grass grows in little clumps (at least here in the desert), and those little clumps aren't absorbed at all by the forks....the shock tracks strait as an arrow and is very stable...but the forks feel like I'm hanging on to a jack hammer.
Thanks for that article, I'll give it a read.
To eliminate packing, go 2-4 clicks open on rebound and stiffer on compression to help raise the front end.
Make sure forks are flush with the clamps to increase trail and stability on the front end at high speeds.
Stupid question, but what does "open on rebound" mean?
You've been incredibly helpful, I can't wait to try all of this out tomorrow...hopefully it will help.
If you can't get what you need from clickers let me know. I can get you taken care of with a discount on a revalve if it comes down to it.
Also, don't be surprised if once you get your forks completely dialed if it ends up highlighting flaws in your shocks performance. That is normal, but we can always work on that and getting it better as well.
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