Posts
68
Joined
12/21/2015
Location
Carlsbad, CA
US
Edited Date/Time
12/27/2015 11:08pm
I have a 2006 Suzuki RM250 RC edition 2 stroke. stock suspension. for a while, the suspension has been too soft and harsh, to the point where I am too scared to jump anything bigger than a small double in fear of casing it, my suspension bottoming out, and me flying over the bars and killing myself. its starting to affect my riding, and i look like a goon when i dont hit any big jumps on the track.
i called pro circuit, and they said it would be around $1500 or more for new springs and the whole new job. thats a lot of money and i want to find something else. I know i can adjust my clickers and set the sag, but how much can that do? anyone have any tips or thoughts? thanks ya'll. oh and I am 5'11" 195 lbs novice rider that only rides so cal tracks.
i called pro circuit, and they said it would be around $1500 or more for new springs and the whole new job. thats a lot of money and i want to find something else. I know i can adjust my clickers and set the sag, but how much can that do? anyone have any tips or thoughts? thanks ya'll. oh and I am 5'11" 195 lbs novice rider that only rides so cal tracks.
$1500 is insane for a standard revalve, Factory Connection will do it for like $750.
If you want to be cheap about it, you could just add like 10-15 cc's of oil to the forks to add some bottoming resistance
It feels really good, not as good as the new bikes mind you - but I know what to expect and how the bike will react which brings comfort and confidence.
I have the same RM as you, I weight about the same and my suspenion is set up pretty nice for an old weekend warrior.
Good luck
The Shop
Just throwing another optin out there.
At $1500 PC is likely selling you on their high end revalve including extra things like their own fork and shock pistons, spring seats, pressure springs, etc... I don't know if they offer standard revalves or only offer it with all their custom parts, but I'd have thought they would have at least given you the option. They do have a lot of overhead to support though, lol
Stage 1: Rebuild -
A rebuild is a basic servicing of your suspension, at Race Tech we recommend every 20-30 hours. A rebuild includes dis-assembly and reassembly of your suspension putting it back together with fresh fluids and replacing wear items. If your suspension hasn't been serviced in some time, this is definitely a must. Just like the fluid in an engine, it'll break down over time. When it does, the damping characteristics change and that will play a huge role in how your suspension performs.
Wear items will be items like bushings and seals, and these should be replaced if worn to prevent further damage and to be sure your suspension is performing optimally.
Also note, not all suspension fluids are the same. A high quality fluid will reduce stiction, hold up under heat, and prevent fading. Stiction causes a sticky feel, loses traction, and can also make your suspension feel harsh.
A rebuild service at Race Tech costs $100 per end retail price ($100 forks/$100 shock) + the cost of replacement parts needed and fluids.
Stage 2: Proper Spring Rates -
Proper spring rates will set the balance of the bike properly for your weight and allow you to get sag/preload numbers where recommended. This will make a huge impact on how your bike handles.
Retail cost at Race Tech on springs is approximately $119 per end
Please note, for many riders, just doing Stage 1 and Stage 2 makes them very, very happy with their bike. While I'd love to sell you a revalve, fresh fluids and proper spring rates is plenty good for many riders. If you do those things and still are looking for more, your springs will still be used towards a revalve and be money invested into the end product.
Stage 3: Revalve -
A revalve will include everything above with a rebuild and in order to work properly should also be done with proper rate springs. Race Tech doesn't charge any additional labor for a revalve versus a rebuild. We specialize in personalized valving setups and guarantee our work, so we only we provide a revalve on our Gold Valves. Some companies will revalve on a stock piston, so this will lower the cost, but all revalves are definitely not created equally and when you hear about testing and development, this is where a bulk of that time and money goes. Do your research and pick the company you feel most comfortable with.
Race Tech offers compression and rebound valves for your RM250 forks, both include a personalized valving setting. The compression valves will provide damping on takeoffs, landings, rollers, and hold the suspension up. This is primarily where your bottoming resistance will come from as well. This is the only thing touched by many companies when revalving because it handles a bulk of the suspension action. If you are only doing one or the other, we'd recommend doing the compression valving.
Rebound valves (sometimes called the mid-valve) controls your initial plushness and Rebound Gold Valves really help improve traction.
On the shock, Race Tech offers our G3-LD Gold Valve. Just like the valves on the forks, this includes a personalized valving setup. This means your valving is setup for your weight, skill level, and type of riding to really personalize your suspension for you. The shock Gold Valve controls both compression and rebound damping.
When thinking of a revalve, remember from the factory, the stock setup has to work for a wide range of riders as best as it can. Whether it's a 100 pound beginner who rides in trails around his yard, or a 200 pound pro riding a pro mx track, the setup has to work okay for them; but because of this it won't necessarily work great for either rider. A revalve allows a company to focus solely on your setup.
Revalve pricing:
Revalve labor: $100 per end + cost of fluids and any replacement wear items
Proper rate RT Hi-Performance Springs (see above for pricing)
Fork Compression Gold Valve Kit Retail: $169.99
Fork Rebound Gold Valve Kit Retail: $169.99 (optional add on, combo compression/rebound kit is available for $299.99)
Shock Gold Valve Kit Retail: $169.99
Hopefully that helps break it down. Race Tech is a proud supporter of VitalMX and does offer a forum member discount. Just mention VitalMX when ordering via phone or email to get the discount. You may contact me via email if you'd like to get an itemized quote and discuss your setup further at chris@racetech.com.
Best of luck getting everything setup and getting back to enjoying your days at the track.
***hey slipdog, on a side note i dont know how the changes you made worked i just traded it for a clean '03 rm250
Post a reply to: RM250 suspension mods