your suspension set-up will decipherer how well you ride. if your suspension is not set up correctly you will lack the confidence to progress .and you will not improve.this is often the reason you see riders that you think are going to be at the top of there game as they get older but get to a level and then stop improving (confidence). how your suspension reacts will certainly affect how well you ride.so we have put together a quick guide to suspension set up..
1. Rear Kicks Side To Side: This is almost always caused by too much compression damping of the rear shock. You will notice this most when riding a straight line through whoops. Too much rebound damping of the rear shock can also cause this because the back end is held down in a stiffer area of travel… making it too stiff for the bumps it is hitting and not giving it enough time to return to full travel. This is what riders mean when they use the term “your suspension is packing“.
2. Rear Kicks Up In the Air: This is typically caused by not enough rebound damping of the rear shock. You will notice this most likely on braking bumps. Slow down the rebound damping to avoid the rear end of the bike from “kicking“.
3. Bottoming: A fork or shock bottoms because of a lack of compression damping. In many cases the spring(s) may be too soft. It is important to be sure that the spring weight in the fork, and shock, is accurately set to a rider’s weight. Race tech has one of the best graphs to give you the correct spring rates you should be using based on your model bike and your body weight. If the spring rate is accurate, be sure to adjust the compression damping to a stiffer setting. The fork’s oil level can also be increased by 5cc to 10cc increments to achieve a stiffer compression damping. A rear shock uses the same general rule as the front forks. Bottoming is caused by too soft a spring or the need to adjust the compression damping to a stiffer setting.
4. Headshake: Head-shake is a gnarly experience that is definitely worth avoiding. It is typically caused by too much compression damping in the forks. Too much rebound damping can also cause a ‘packing‘ situation in which the damping holds the forks down in a much stiffer area of travel than what is needed. Sometimes riders raise the fork tubes in their triple clamps to improve the turning aspect of their bike…though very effective for turns, this however can also reduce stability at high speeds and increase the chance of head-shake. Steering dampers are a useful after market accessory if headshake persists even after the forks have been adjusted properly.
5. Bouncing: When a bike kicks or bounces abruptly upon single hit landings, your fork or shock rebound is set too fast. The rebound damping needs to be slower on either the shock or the fork or both of them, depending on how the bike bounces. It is important to have the front forks and rear shock evenly adjusted regarding compression and rebound force.
Start taking closer note of how your bike is behaving next time you are at the track. You may notice that at least one or more of these common issues listed are affecting your bike’s handling. Understand that proper suspension settings are not just in order to handle jumps and whoops… dialling in your suspension will also greatly affect your bike’s handling in and out of turns, including it’s ability to find traction. Dig into your original owner’s manual and take a look at what the recommended stock setting are for your rebound and compression. Those settings are generally a good place to start. As explained, you must first set your SAG before you begin trying to set your rebound and compression. Don’t be afraid to take a pen and paper, and write detailed notes of what problems you may be encountering with your suspension. Have a friend watch or shoot video of you riding. This is all part of the process of getting your suspension dialled in. It will take some time and you should most likely consult a suspension expert to help you, but it will be well worth it. In the end, you will be grinning ear to ear and ripping around the track once you notice the difference of riding a perfectly dialled in bike. Cheers, Chronic MX.