How to Adjust Dirt Bike Suspension to Your Weight
You want in.
The idea of how to adjust dirt bike suspension to your weight sounds enticing. It will save you from spending a couple of dollars by hiring a technician.
And you will have that feeling of riding with telepathy since everything on the bike will be working in harmony. Also, it will help transform your bike from bucking bronco into an active triathlete.
But understanding how the dirt bike suspension works are well fuzzy. Our guide will make things look more comfortable if you’re an avid biker.
Let’s bring it into sharp focus. I will walk you through a step by step guide on how to adjust the dirt bike suspension to suit your weight.
Before jumping into the guide, it is good to familiarize yourself with some of the terms associated with dirt bike suspension.
Sounds great? Let’s dive into the main topic.
What is Rebound and Compression Damping?
Rebound damping helps the suspension to bounce back to their normal position from a downward stroke to its full travel. Rebound damping tends to work as a compression circuit.
On the other hand, compression damping help to control the initial bump stroke of the suspension when the wheel is forced upward by the bump. The compression circuit help control the speed at which the suspension compresses.
These two things in a bike work hand-in-hand such that if one has a problem, then your bike will be rendered useless.
Adjusting these two parts to strike a balance will enable you to enjoy your riding regardless of the terrain. The shock from the impact will be absorbed with any lousy feeling while riding.
In this series, you will learn how to adjust the dampers to the varying hydraulic resistance so that it can easily suit different terrain, weight, and riding styles.
What is a Sag and Preload?
A sag enables your dirt bike to feel right. It can either be free sag where the bike hunches down due to its weight or rider sag which determines how far the suspension can be compressed while onboard.
Preload refers helps the biker know how the compressed spring is when the bike is on rest. If you want a smooth and soft ride, then ensure preload is less.
Understanding the two factors will enable you to enjoy the ride from different terrains without experiencing any problem or hustle.
How to Adjust Dirt Bike Suspension to Your Weight
Do you want to adjust dirk bike suspension to your weight? Well, you will be expected to do some settings on the sag.
Here you’ll be required to adjust the amount of distance covered by the sag while on downward stroke from the rider’s weight.
Setting the sag on your own can be a daunting experience, and this is the reason why we recommend getting on board an extra hand from a friend.
The most important thing to consider is taking the static measurements. This will be achieved by placing the bike on the stand such that no wheel touches the ground.
The measure the middle of the rear axle to the fixed point. The fixed point usually the point where both the rear fender and side panel tend to meet.
Also, allow your friend to take the measurement using the same fixed points but on the rear end of the bike. Then get the sag of these points. Sag means difference.
The reasonable adjustment should be about 95–115mm on the full size of the bike, but this usually depends on the rider preferences and the make of the bike.
Adjusting the sag usually requires the use of a hammer and punch. The two tools work best after loosening the shock spring lock ring.
Then turn the preload spring to either decrease or increase the sag. A complete turn spring will result in about 3mm sag changes.
Striking a balance in terms of measurement between these two points will enable the dirt bike suspension to fall within a comfortable range.
Ride the bike for testing and make other adjustments needed until it suits your preferences as a rider.
Lastly, give your bike the best maintenance and care. These two features will enable your bike to have a long lifespan and also keep the riding and suspension consistent.
Factors to Consider When Setting Up the Suspension
Here are some of the critical factors to consider when setting up the suspension on your bike. They include:
Race Sag
Here you are required to take an accurate measurement while the motorcycle is on the stand and the rider on it. This should be done according to the guidelines to take precise measurements.
Static Sag
This involves taking the measurements that define how much a bike sag under its healthy weight. The size should be accepted after receiving the race sag.
Grease
Poor maintenance of your bike tends to make it have a short lifespan. We recommend greasing the moving parts like the steering head, shock linkage, and swingarm pivot.
Tire Pressure
Ensure the tires have correct pressure since most of the issues resulting from the suspension problems are caused by it. Balance the load since too much or low pressure poses different matters.
Height of Oil
Oil helps to make the forks firmer and also reduces the air space. Therefore, ensure your bike has an optimum amount of oil before taking any ride.
Get Air out of Forks
Too much air in the forks makes it stiffer, and this will make it hard to enjoy your ride. The best thing to do is bleed the air out of the fork by cooling it off.
Final Remarks
Adjusting the dirt bike suspension for your weight may seem confusing, but it is an easy thing to do by yourself.
The adjustment tends to vary from one bike to another and also according to the rider’s preferences. This is the reason why you need to do it yourself.
If you happen to have bought a new bike, then these adjustments are compulsory so that you can enjoy your ride on any terrain.
I hope the guidelines on how to adjust dirt bike suspension to your weight above will help you sort the current bike issue. Good Luck!