Chase SX setup, spring rates

aees
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Is that a 5.6 spring rate I'm seeing, for a what 170 rider 😄?

What rear spring rate are we talking about, if he runs stock linkage Keefer? 

It's from the newly uploaded SX bike review.

@Kris Keefer 

 

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6/20/2025 9:44am

I've always been curious about what actual spring rates riders run for SX. You hear about how uber stiff it is but to actually know how man spring rates above they go would be interesting. 

6/20/2025 10:04am Edited Date/Time 6/20/2025 11:53pm

At least a 60 i bet

NicNak
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6/20/2025 11:27am Edited Date/Time 6/20/2025 11:27am

just to keep in mind. ktm spring rates are vastly different than the japanese bikes. If you run a 5.2 on a kx that's not a 5.2 on a ktm.

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aees
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6/20/2025 11:39am
NicNak wrote:
just to keep in mind. ktm spring rates are vastly different than the japanese bikes. If you run a 5.2 on a kx that's not a...

just to keep in mind. ktm spring rates are vastly different than the japanese bikes. If you run a 5.2 on a kx that's not a 5.2 on a ktm.

Fork is same. Only CV thats runs a spring rate lower. 5.6nm is 5.6.

Rear is 10nm difference of you run stock linkage on MX-line.

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The Shop

PRM31
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6/20/2025 1:23pm

What rider should a 5.6 work for in a KYB?

6/20/2025 1:35pm
NicNak wrote:
just to keep in mind. ktm spring rates are vastly different than the japanese bikes. If you run a 5.2 on a kx that's not a...

just to keep in mind. ktm spring rates are vastly different than the japanese bikes. If you run a 5.2 on a kx that's not a 5.2 on a ktm.

A 5.6 kg/mm spring would approximately equal a 55 n/mm spring.  That’s still a pretty damn stiff fork spring.  He’s obviously going a lot faster than we do!

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6/20/2025 2:05pm

A spring rate like that for 170-180lb along with a shim stack like this is insane IMG 8774 0.jpeg?VersionId=0s3zxnT4u

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6/20/2025 2:07pm Edited Date/Time 6/20/2025 2:07pm

It’s all in the shims

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MPJC
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6/20/2025 2:14pm

I recall seeing Tomac get off his bike and I was amazed by how little the rear moved. Looked like a pretty stiff setup! 

FGR01
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6/20/2025 2:43pm
MPJC wrote:

I recall seeing Tomac get off his bike and I was amazed by how little the rear moved. Looked like a pretty stiff setup! 

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aees
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6/20/2025 3:10pm
NicNak wrote:
just to keep in mind. ktm spring rates are vastly different than the japanese bikes. If you run a 5.2 on a kx that's not a...

just to keep in mind. ktm spring rates are vastly different than the japanese bikes. If you run a 5.2 on a kx that's not a 5.2 on a ktm.

A 5.6 kg/mm spring would approximately equal a 55 n/mm spring.  That’s still a pretty damn stiff fork spring.  He’s obviously going a lot faster than...

A 5.6 kg/mm spring would approximately equal a 55 n/mm spring.  That’s still a pretty damn stiff fork spring.  He’s obviously going a lot faster than we do!

Its not kg, its nm. All mx springs is measured in newtonmeter. Not sure why some in US refer to it as kg, when they are not even using metric system for anything else. Just confuses people 😄

55nm x2 in the fork wouldnt move even if he cased a triple 😂

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aees
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6/20/2025 3:19pm
PRM31 wrote:

What rider should a 5.6 work for in a KYB?

I run 5.1 for 200lbs. 

Around 260-270 maybe for 5.6 i guess

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bvm111
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6/20/2025 3:34pm Edited Date/Time 6/26/2025 1:34pm

i’m 215 vet B and Mark at REP has me at 5.2 front springs in my CV forks… Keefer has a video up where his mechanic jade dungey talks him through the set up and he states that chase runs a more normal spring rate… so maybe that’s 5.6? 

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Village Idiot
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6/20/2025 4:17pm
NicNak wrote:
just to keep in mind. ktm spring rates are vastly different than the japanese bikes. If you run a 5.2 on a kx that's not a...

just to keep in mind. ktm spring rates are vastly different than the japanese bikes. If you run a 5.2 on a kx that's not a 5.2 on a ktm.

A 5.6 kg/mm spring would approximately equal a 55 n/mm spring.  That’s still a pretty damn stiff fork spring.  He’s obviously going a lot faster than...

A 5.6 kg/mm spring would approximately equal a 55 n/mm spring.  That’s still a pretty damn stiff fork spring.  He’s obviously going a lot faster than we do!

aees wrote:
Its not kg, its nm. All mx springs is measured in newtonmeter. Not sure why some in US refer to it as kg, when they are...

Its not kg, its nm. All mx springs is measured in newtonmeter. Not sure why some in US refer to it as kg, when they are not even using metric system for anything else. Just confuses people 😄

55nm x2 in the fork wouldnt move even if he cased a triple 😂

Maybe because for many years it was common for the springs to be rated and listed in kg/mm (especially aftermarket) and a lot of people are still used to this scale. Here are some snips from Kawasaki and Yamaha manuals showing both scales of measurement -

image 1776image 1777

 

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soggy
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6/20/2025 4:54pm
MPJC wrote:

I recall seeing Tomac get off his bike and I was amazed by how little the rear moved. Looked like a pretty stiff setup! 

FGR01 wrote:

iirc Eli was running a 6.4 rear for SX

StillSmokin
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6/20/2025 7:47pm
NicNak wrote:
just to keep in mind. ktm spring rates are vastly different than the japanese bikes. If you run a 5.2 on a kx that's not a...

just to keep in mind. ktm spring rates are vastly different than the japanese bikes. If you run a 5.2 on a kx that's not a 5.2 on a ktm.

A 5.6 kg/mm spring would approximately equal a 55 n/mm spring.  That’s still a pretty damn stiff fork spring.  He’s obviously going a lot faster than...

A 5.6 kg/mm spring would approximately equal a 55 n/mm spring.  That’s still a pretty damn stiff fork spring.  He’s obviously going a lot faster than we do!

aees wrote:
Its not kg, its nm. All mx springs is measured in newtonmeter. Not sure why some in US refer to it as kg, when they are...

Its not kg, its nm. All mx springs is measured in newtonmeter. Not sure why some in US refer to it as kg, when they are not even using metric system for anything else. Just confuses people 😄

55nm x2 in the fork wouldnt move even if he cased a triple 😂

You are clearly a retarded foreigner lol

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Nutellalord
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6/20/2025 8:30pm Edited Date/Time 6/20/2025 8:31pm
MPJC wrote:

I recall seeing Tomac get off his bike and I was amazed by how little the rear moved. Looked like a pretty stiff setup! 

In late 2014 like two weeks before A1 Eli pulled up to Cahuilla bc all the SX tracks were flooded.  Anyways, I remember he said he was riding on SX suspension and he showed us how stiff it was, he was putting a good amount of effort to get it to compress and the forks budged like an inch.  Also the track was SOO gnarly, like 8 inch deep ruts from one edge of the track to the other and from out the corner all the way up the jump faces.  By the end of the day no one was even jumping anything anymore, but he was out there HAMMERING.  So gnarly.

 

side note: I can't even imagine how stiff JS7's set up was

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cwtoyota
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6/20/2025 9:04pm
A 5.6 kg/mm spring would approximately equal a 55 n/mm spring.  That’s still a pretty damn stiff fork spring.  He’s obviously going a lot faster than...

A 5.6 kg/mm spring would approximately equal a 55 n/mm spring.  That’s still a pretty damn stiff fork spring.  He’s obviously going a lot faster than we do!

aees wrote:
Its not kg, its nm. All mx springs is measured in newtonmeter. Not sure why some in US refer to it as kg, when they are...

Its not kg, its nm. All mx springs is measured in newtonmeter. Not sure why some in US refer to it as kg, when they are not even using metric system for anything else. Just confuses people 😄

55nm x2 in the fork wouldnt move even if he cased a triple 😂

Maybe because for many years it was common for the springs to be rated and listed in kg/mm (especially aftermarket) and a lot of people are...

Maybe because for many years it was common for the springs to be rated and listed in kg/mm (especially aftermarket) and a lot of people are still used to this scale. Here are some snips from Kawasaki and Yamaha manuals showing both scales of measurement -

image 1776image 1777

 

Yes, agreed.  Manufacturers published their springs in kg/mm for a long time in the USA, so most of the industry here used that as the standard.
I almost always give people numbers in both units to avoid confusion.

@quadzrulebro, the numbers you gave would be ten times that of a very stiff fork spring.

The fork spring rates will be in the order of 5.6N/mm ≈ 0.57kg/mm
With that in mind, the rate listed on Chase's sticker is N/mm, not kg/mm.

Just for example a stock KTM shock spring rate on a 450F is 45N/mm ≈ 4.6kg/mm.
Unfortunately knowing Chase's shock spring rate would be less meaningful because he probably has a factory linkage.

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6/21/2025 11:52pm
bvm111 wrote:
i’m 215 vet B and Mark at REP has me at 5.2 front springs in my CV forks… Keefer has a video up where his mechanic...

i’m 215 vet B and Mark at REP has me at 5.2 front springs in my CV forks… Keefer has a video up where his mechanic jade dungey talks him through the set up and he states that chase runs a more normal spring rate… so maybe that’s 5.6? 

His mechanic is named Ryan Dungey?

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Gravel
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6/24/2025 9:29pm
A 5.6 kg/mm spring would approximately equal a 55 n/mm spring.  That’s still a pretty damn stiff fork spring.  He’s obviously going a lot faster than...

A 5.6 kg/mm spring would approximately equal a 55 n/mm spring.  That’s still a pretty damn stiff fork spring.  He’s obviously going a lot faster than we do!

aees wrote:
Its not kg, its nm. All mx springs is measured in newtonmeter. Not sure why some in US refer to it as kg, when they are...

Its not kg, its nm. All mx springs is measured in newtonmeter. Not sure why some in US refer to it as kg, when they are not even using metric system for anything else. Just confuses people 😄

55nm x2 in the fork wouldnt move even if he cased a triple 😂

You are clearly a retarded foreigner lol

How many kg/mm in a nm?

Nobody knows…

6
Luxon MX
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6/24/2025 9:33pm
Gravel wrote:

How many kg/mm in a nm?

Nobody knows…

solid reference 😂

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6/24/2025 10:11pm

I'd imagine stiff AF since he loads the bike a lot.

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Mit12
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6/26/2025 9:31am Edited Date/Time 6/26/2025 9:31am

The spring is not what is making the suspension stiff. Its the compression damping that makes it stiff. If the spring was that stiff they would never be able to set the proper sag. 

1
6/26/2025 9:38am
Mit12 wrote:
The spring is not what is making the suspension stiff. Its the compression damping that makes it stiff. If the spring was that stiff they would...

The spring is not what is making the suspension stiff. Its the compression damping that makes it stiff. If the spring was that stiff they would never be able to set the proper sag. 

I would think these guys sx setups don’t go by standard sag/free sag numbers. I bet their shocks have little preload and free sag. If any at all 

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mx317
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6/26/2025 11:22am
aees wrote:
Its not kg, its nm. All mx springs is measured in newtonmeter. Not sure why some in US refer to it as kg, when they are...

Its not kg, its nm. All mx springs is measured in newtonmeter. Not sure why some in US refer to it as kg, when they are not even using metric system for anything else. Just confuses people 😄

55nm x2 in the fork wouldnt move even if he cased a triple 😂

You are clearly a retarded foreigner lol

Gravel wrote:

How many kg/mm in a nm?

Nobody knows…

1 kilogram-force millimeter = 9.80665 N*mm

1
aees
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6/26/2025 1:18pm
Mit12 wrote:
The spring is not what is making the suspension stiff. Its the compression damping that makes it stiff. If the spring was that stiff they would...

The spring is not what is making the suspension stiff. Its the compression damping that makes it stiff. If the spring was that stiff they would never be able to set the proper sag. 

That is why they are running low sag numbers like 95-98. Spring is for sure part of the stiffer setup since comp go hand in hand with increase or decrease of spring rates in bigger swings that we talk about here. Rebound goes same way.

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bvm111
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6/26/2025 1:35pm
bvm111 wrote:
i’m 215 vet B and Mark at REP has me at 5.2 front springs in my CV forks… Keefer has a video up where his mechanic...

i’m 215 vet B and Mark at REP has me at 5.2 front springs in my CV forks… Keefer has a video up where his mechanic jade dungey talks him through the set up and he states that chase runs a more normal spring rate… so maybe that’s 5.6? 

His mechanic is named Ryan Dungey?

whoops sorry for the mix up, my brain wasn’t keeping up with my typing evidently! 

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jaun
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6/26/2025 4:19pm
NicNak wrote:
just to keep in mind. ktm spring rates are vastly different than the japanese bikes. If you run a 5.2 on a kx that's not a...

just to keep in mind. ktm spring rates are vastly different than the japanese bikes. If you run a 5.2 on a kx that's not a 5.2 on a ktm.

A 5.6 kg/mm spring would approximately equal a 55 n/mm spring.  That’s still a pretty damn stiff fork spring.  He’s obviously going a lot faster than...

A 5.6 kg/mm spring would approximately equal a 55 n/mm spring.  That’s still a pretty damn stiff fork spring.  He’s obviously going a lot faster than we do!

No, 5.6n/mm is about .55kg/mm 

cwtoyota
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6/26/2025 5:42pm

You are clearly a retarded foreigner lol

Gravel wrote:

How many kg/mm in a nm?

Nobody knows…

mx317 wrote:

1 kilogram-force millimeter = 9.80665 N*mm

You have the conversion factor numerically correct, but the units wrong.  They are a ratio, not a product.

1 kgf/mm ≈ 9.81 N/mm

Spring rates are force over displacement.  
Usually, spring rate is expressed as k, force as F, displacement as x or d.
This comes from Hooke's law F = k*x which can be solved for k.

k = F/x   which works out to [N/mm], [lbf/in], [kgf/mm]

 

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Gravel
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6/26/2025 5:57pm

You are clearly a retarded foreigner lol

Gravel wrote:

How many kg/mm in a nm?

Nobody knows…

mx317 wrote:

1 kilogram-force millimeter = 9.80665 N*mm

Get out. Out of the boat, now

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