2016 KTM 450 FE - suspension setup for C rider?

greg570
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296
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7/8/2015
Location
SK
How should I setup the suspension to be more "managable"..at the moment it feels stiff and bouncy... I am 185 pound, C rider...hard pack track...

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dow516
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53
Joined
4/16/2015
Location
Martinsville, IN, USA
3/13/2017 3:18am
Where are your air pressure, compression and rebound settings, and sag set to make it feel stiff and bouncy? The manual has basic settings which I find get me in the ball park on my '16 350 (not air forks). With 105 mm of sag try, for the shock, 17 clicks out on compression and rebound. On the fork, try 15-20 clicks out on the compression and 20 clicks out on the rebound. That's just the basic comfort setting in the manual. If it still feels too stiff after that, let some air out.
greg570
Posts
296
Joined
7/8/2015
Location
SK
3/13/2017 3:28am
Forks:
145psi
15 rebound
17 compression

Shock:
12 rebound
15 compression

I am thinking going to
Forks:
140psi
12 rebound
20 compression

Shock
10 rebound
15 compression
dow516
Posts
53
Joined
4/16/2015
Location
Martinsville, IN, USA
3/13/2017 3:41am
Motocross action has some settings also. Check out the 2017 ktm 450 test. http://motocrossactionmag.com/bike-tests/72480

They suggest slower riders may need to reduce the oil height to use the full stroke of the fork
greg570
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296
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7/8/2015
Location
SK
3/27/2017 11:10pm
So I tried the new setting on the track and it was much better...

The only problem now is a fast tabletop (4 gear)... it feels like the forks are shooting the front end in the air too much after taking off...

Do you think increasing rebound will help this...or should I lower compression even more?

The Shop

dow516
Posts
53
Joined
4/16/2015
Location
Martinsville, IN, USA
3/27/2017 11:38pm
One of two things could be happening.
1) There forks are blowing through too much stroke on the face of the table top, then they are rebounding from further down in the stroke, and the length from which they are rebounding makes the rebound speed seem too fast . In this case, I would go stiffer on compression to see if it helps.

2) The rebound is just to fast and needs to be slowed down.

You can put a zip tie around the fork stanchion, then go hit the 4th gear table top to see how much stroke the fork is using.

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