- Make sure your clickers are in the right place.
- Use torque paint or a paint marker to state the location.
- To fit your riding style and terrain, adjust the tire pressure.
- For the right spring rate for your bike, consult your bike’s handbook.
- Make sure your sag is in the right place.
Choosing the Right Suspension is Key to Your Bike’s Performance:
What is Preload and Sag?
If you’re looking to get the best performance out of your bike, having a suitable preload is crucial. This amount should be somewhere between an appropriate range that ensures optimum results for riding on different types of roads and tracks.
You should measure the length of your motorcycle’s fully extended suspension when it is at rest, and one more time with you on. Make sure to include any appropriate gear or cargo that you would usually take along for a ride.
To determine the right amount of preload for your bike’s rear suspension, you should use a percentage method. You can do this by taking thirty percent of how far out your fully extended shock is and dividing it by how much sag there currently is on both sides. To decrease or increase the level of preload, turn either collar that holds down tension at different levels depending on whether you want less or more padding between rider and dirt/ terrain.
Sag Facet
Here are the most important aspects of getting your dirt bike to feel right. You should start by determining free sag, which is how far it hunches down under its own weight without a rider onboard. Then determine rider sag once you have someone on board that will be riding with his or her usual gear.
Changing these measurements alters the ride height and stiffness of the suspension. Which less makes for more maneuverability. But reduces stability at speed while too much means increased comfort but decrease control. All this can determine via adjusting spring preload. Where there’s no recommended amount since every person has their preference. It bases on personal style.
How to Inspect the Sag?
Compression Damping
Compression damping is the body’s reaction to an impact. Turning it on allows us to have a more controlled, comfortable ride over bumps and potholes in the road.
While turning compression off gives our bikes a lively feeling but can lead to discomfort if we hit big obstacles too often. Compression damping change screws located inside each fork tube or at either end of your rear shock absorber depending on model type.
Rebound Damping
The rebound is the opposite of compression, in that it controls how or your suspension returns to its natural state. A primary function of rebound control is keeping your wheel on the ground and preventing bouncing.
Rear shock settings adjusted using a small screw found either at the bottom part of the clevis where it connects with linkage. Or swing arm for dirt bike while fork-mounted units have a change knob located inside lugs as their front counterparts do.
The compression adjusters locate at the top of the shock near the reservoir. The low-speed adjustment screw in the center, and high-speed nut surrounding it both work to control rebound rate. To stiffen suspension (or reduce rates of rebound) turn the clicker clockwise. And while softening achieve by counterclockwise rotation.
Is There a Rebound Setting Suitable for Everyone?
The rebound speed in which you set up your bike can make or break how fast you are. There is a very small range of speeds that will result in good setups, but it’s easy to mess this setting up and become slower than before.
The best rebound damping allows the suspension springs to absorb frequencies between 5 and 35 mph at a distance of 1-8 inches. Most riders will find that either their setup is good or it’s not, as deviations from this rule are only allowed in special circumstances. A rider’s riding style determines where on the spectrum they can use different settings for rebound damping. Either too soft (which reduces traction) or too hard (which increases power input by requiring more force).
Conclusion
Dirt bike suspension is a complex topic. But it’s worth learning about if you’re looking to find and fix dirt bike suspension problems. If not, your shocks may break down quicker than they should due to lack of service or maintenance. And the more time passes without adjusting dirt bike suspension, the harder it will be for you to do so in the future. because shock absorbers deteriorate over time as well as take damage from use if they are not cared for properly.
