Suspension Setup

[Dirt Daddy]

I am new to dirt bikes and looking to ride with my son and have seen where guys talk about there bike is setup for there weight. Being that I am a little heavier than the younger guys am wondering how I determine what is needed and is it something that can be done by me or is that a shop job? I don't yet have a bike but am looking at stuff between 140cc -250cc which I assume will make a difference as well. Any help on this topic would be greatly appreciated.

[Red_Neck]

This is a can of worms

First and foremost – nothing wrong with getting a bike and riding it just like it sits – especially since you’re new to the sport

And Welcome btw
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Here a link to familiarize yourself a little

http://www.dirtrider.com/tech/141_0411_set_up_your_dirtbike/index.html


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The suspension puzzle


Front fork springs, rear spring, shock nitrogen pressure need to be installed/ set for your weight….

And in reality – getting this stuff correct – is so you can ultimately set the bike’s sag correctly… AND have the bike respond predictably/ not bottom out as your riding over various terrain


Depending on the bike you get – it’ll also have clickers on the forks and shock – these are to fine tune the suspension’s responsiveness

Tire pressures also come into play in all this

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It’s Easy to get overwhelmed – don’t…

Like I said absolutely nothing wrong with simply riding the bike like it is for awhile and figuring out what you like/ don’t like – then asking specific questions to fix it



Also

Having a Pro redo your suspension is about $800.00 – give or take… You may need this

But it can run into thousands – You don’t need this….

Redoing a suspension on your own - is easy, but it takes some specialized tools, and mechanical aptitude


RN

[Dirt Daddy]

Red Neck...

Thank you very much for the feedback and the link was a great help as well.

So what I am understanding is that once I get a bike and go thru this basic setup stuff, use the preload adjustments on the bike (assuming it has them) ride it a while before worrying about going any further? I have no interest in big jumps or racing so what the bike has may end up being enough from what it sounds like.

Again thanks for the help and now the only thing left to do is get rid of the current toys and get my new one. My son has his now I need mine! :razz: