Every time you take a turn, your bike’s suspension deals with the forces generated by your body weight and the bike. If you’re a beginner, it’s probably a lot to think about:
- How much air pressure should I use in the front fork?
- How tight should I screw in my rear shock’s compression knob?
- What are all these clickers on my rear shock’s high- and low-speed compression adjusters, and how do I use them?
- Why are there so many ways to adjust my bike’s suspension, anyway?
We have shared important tips regarding turning your dirt bike’s suspension that you can’t miss. Have a look.
Getting Started: Understanding Your Bike’s Suspension
Dirt bike suspension is a complex system of components that work together to keep your bike upright and moving through the air and over terrain. Suspension is made up of many parts, including springs, shock absorbers, linkage, and damping.
Each part contributes to the overall performance of your dirt bike. But if you don’t understand how the different suspension components work, you can’t get your bike to perform at its best.
Also, if you feel the need to change the suspension system, do it. Safety can’t be discounted when it comes to off-road biking. As much as motocross helmets, boots, etc are important in dirt biking, so is your bike’s suspension system.
Dirt Bike Forks Tuning
If you are a dirt bike rider, you just need to know how to tune dirt bike forks for a good riding experience.
Dirt bike forks are an extremely important part of your dirt bike. They have a wide range of adjustments, and that is why it is possible to tune the forks so that they fit your weight, riding style, and dirt bike riding conditions better.
The compression and rebound can be tuned to make the forks feel softer or stiffer. The spring preload can be changed to raise or lower the fork in the triple clamps to give you the right amount of sag.
Shocks
There are two basic types of dirt bike shocks available, air and coil. Both types have significant advantages and disadvantages. Air shocks are lighter than coil shocks, and coil shocks are less likely to bottom out due to their higher spring rate.
However, air shocks tend to overheat if you run them at full pressure on a hard jump or whoop section for any length of time. If they do overheat, they will give you a very firm ride.
How To Adjust Dirt Bike Suspension For Your Body Weight
Bike sag is an adjustment that determines how much the suspension compresses (compression damping) when it’s loaded and the amount of travel (travel damping) the suspension has when unloaded. Some riders use the sag as a reference point to make sure their suspension is adjusted properly; others just let the sag adjust itself based on their body weight and riding style.
The basic idea is to have your sag within a certain range, but there isn’t a set standard that applies to everyone. The ideal range depends on how much weight you’re carrying, where you’re riding, your suspension setup, and the size of your tires.
Here’s how to adjust dirt bike suspension for your body weight.
First, climb on the bike and get in your riding position. Then, grab the clutch lever and gas tank with one hand and grab the handlebars with the other. This will give you a good idea of how much pressure is on the suspension when you’re on the bike. Get another person to notice the sag while you’re on the bike, then tweak it according to your body weight and terrain you’ll be riding your bike on.
Final Word
To adjust your bike’s suspension is a pretty straightforward process, but it can be a little confusing for new riders. Many people think it involves a lot of guesswork, but the truth is that there’s a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it.
Take cues from all the dirt bike suspension tuning tips from this article to ensure you do it the right way.
