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Suspension set-up

4559 Views 23 Replies 13 Participants Last post by  Flyin2low
I've played with my suspension settings a little bit and found I could really get the bike to sit down and slide a lot more controllably with the adjustments, but it's left me wondering what other people are running on their bikes.

On my 2004 CRF450 I found that setting compression to full soft, and rebound to full hard with 3.75" of sag helped the bike a lot. I also went up (hard) about 12 clicks on the forks compression and 4 clicks on the rebound. These "to the max" settings don't really leave me any room for adjustments now though, but damn the rear end chatter really disappeared.

Before I go and have the suspension revalved to give me some adjustment room, what are the rest of you all doing for settings. :hmmm:

Oh yeah, I'm probably an intermediate level rider, and I weigh 190-200 lbs.
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Full soft Reb on forks? Doesn't that make it kind of bounce or un load after you let off of the brakes?


Big Zero said:
I have a YZ426F with stock forks and shock. I have the compression on the forks set at full stiff. The rebound is at full soft. The rear is just the opposite. Full soft on the compression and nearly full hard on the rebound.

I ride the bike with a much more roadrace style. I tend to really abuse the front tire, and am relatively easy on the rears. I mostly strait line brake for the corners, with little backing it in technique. Some of the guys who back it in are shit slow in comparison, so who is right. We have had a couple guys come out who raced the AMA series, and I can hang pretty well with them, and I am actually a little faster through the corners then they were. They have me totally out gunned HP wise, so within a few laps, they start to pull away, but I haven't really seen that the backing it in technique is that much better. The guys who back it in well go fast, but not everyone who "backs it in" really do it how it is supposed to be done. If you watch Henry and Ward, they back it in, but carry a tremendous amount of corner speed. They don't even take the foot off until the apex of the corner. There is such a subtle change from the sideways slide to the accelleration off the corner, it really is cool to see. If you watch, the bars are crossed up, then they turn the bars in just about the time the foot comes off. They do it so well, it is really fast. The guys around here that back it in, go like hell, slide the bike in sideways to nearly a complete stop, then turn and accellerate off the corner. They almost come to a complete stop before turning to accellerate. (not fast).

It is really hard to set up the bike, or tell anyone else how to set up their bike, when everyone has a different riding style. If you can back it in well, the stiffer the front, the better. (definitely revalve) If you ride it into the corner, you need the front to soak up some of the little bumps in the track, (maybe should leave the valving alone) I have heard leave the length stock and revalve, I have also heard to lower but no more than two inches and then revalve.

You have to find what works for your particular riding style, weight, and ability.

Good luck.

paul G
What keeps the front tire from bouncing into the air at full extention?
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