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
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
