Ride Engineering

Changing a dirt bike’s linkage can do a host of different things to a bike. For motocross, the goal is typically to change the way the bike handles and to modify the shock characteristics. Yet a longer link specifically for lowering the seat height is also an option. That is exactly what we tried on a Honda CRF450L using Ride Engineering Lowering Link. Even if you are average height, touching the ground or dabbing through tough off-road terrain can be a challenge on a normal, full-size dirt bike so lowering the overall stance of your bike isn’t just for short people. The Honda CRF450L has a...

As testers across the board have said, the 2019 Suzuki RM-Z250 has a rigid chassis and unforgiving stock suspension. What some testers don’t agree with is if they can deal with this or not. As the one tester that put down the fastest lap times on the yellow bike in our 250F shootout, I like the bike overall and it really works well when a track is groomed and smooth… But what bike doesn’t? When the track gets rough, the stock KYB fork starts to display an ugly set of traits - harshness, deflection, chattery-ness, and sharp-impact transfer all come to mind. While aftermarket triple clamps...

I recently ended up with a newer model YZ250, in part due to a desire for the higher-quality KYB SSS suspension they're equipped with. Even though the suspension has a great feel, the overall handling still left me a bit wanting. One particular area that I found unsettling was a startling level of headshake. This would most often occur when transitioning from being on the throttle, to braking into a corner or a braking section. How bad was it? I even contemplated selling it and buying a new '16 YZ250F to get that planted, predictable front end feel. Instead, I opted to find a cure that didn't...