General Dirt Bike Questions

[Gravy]

I've really really liked my Maxxis Maxxit front, but I will say that after 3 trips to Moab (probably 15 trails) a bunch of the side lugs are torn off. I don't know if there is a tire that will hold up better to that rough terrain though. I can tell with the side lugs torn off it's beginning to loose tracking ability in the loose sand.

Whatever Aaron had in Moab was terrible in the sand. He was wandering all over the place and had to keep his feet down most of the time.

 

[Greg]

... Whatever was on my 300 (maybe Greg can chime in) I would say avoid, it was probably the worse front I've ever had. I also did not like the Pirelli MT21 that was on my Husky.

It's a Bridgestone 51M and it's pretty bad, the front end washes out and is quite unstable with it.

The Maxxis Desert IT rear is great, but the front is average. They both last a long time and have stiff sidewalls, which is good.

My next front tire that is going on the KTM 300 is a Pirelli Scorpion Pro F.I.M. It's an Enduro tire and is supposed to hookup well and be good in rocky singletrack, the downside is that it wears pretty quick from what I hear and the side knobs tear off easy. If I can get a season's worth of riding out of it AND it works well (as I hear it does), then I'm fine with that.

Seems to be hard to find a decent front tire!

 

[Tonkaman]

I am very pleased with my mx51 so far

 

[Tonkaman]

How does everyone like to set up their suspension? I just rebuilt my forks and shock with new springs for my fat ass. Now I need to dial in the compression/rebound. Lets hear your favorite methods

 

[Cascadia]

I'd be interested in this also. I've never tuned suspension for myself. I just ride my bikes how I buy them.

 

[ChestonScout]

Another front tire to avoid is the D606. It is DOT legal and it still looked new after 2 years but it didnt perform at all. HORRIBLE in the sand

 

[glockman]

My TTR came with Kenda K760's on front and rear. They did pretty well last fall up AF. The rear is wearing pretty fast with only a couple hundred miles of 50/50 pavement/dirt. I am going to replace the rear with a trials and see how the front does.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I understand what each knob does on the suspension, but I can't tell what proper rebound or compression feels like. I know how to set the sag and all that, and the rebound/compression makes sense, but i don't know when I've got too much or too little compression or damping.

And what do fork/shock bladders do? What about those quick release air valves, what are those for?

 

[sixstringsteve]

I found these articles about suspension tuning.

http://www.ohv.8m.com

http://www.dirt-bike-tips-and-pics.com/dirt-bike-suspension.html

[video=youtube;9pAKoXhA1WA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pAKoXhA1WA[/video]

 

[jentzschman]

I understand what each knob does on the suspension, but I can't tell what proper rebound or compression feels like. I know how to set the sag and all that, and the rebound/compression makes sense, but i don't know when I've got too much or too little compression or damping.

And what do fork/shock bladders do? What about those quick release air valves, what are those for?

We will have to have a suspension party one of these days. I probably need to make a few adjustments to my suspension as well.

 

[glockman]

I understand what each knob does on the suspension, but I can't tell what proper rebound or compression feels like. I know how to set the sag and all that, and the rebound/compression makes sense, but i don't know when I've got too much or too little compression or damping.

And what do fork/shock bladders do? What about those quick release air valves, what are those for?

If you bottoming you have too little compression. Set it in the middle then ride it and adjust a few clicks either way to see how it feels. I change my compression settings a click or two depending on where I am riding. Sand dunes I back off two clicks. Throttle 215 increase 1 click. I think rebound is a personal preference. I set my rear pretty slow so if I case a jump it doesn't launch me over the bars.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sixstringsteve]

That's good info Glockman, thanks.

 

[glockman]

I had a set of the quick bleed valves on one bike and never saw any benefit. I pushed the button after a long whoop ride and barely got any air. Did the same thing after climbing 4 or 5K ft of elevation and had the same response, a barely detectable amount of air released. Is that amount of air enough to make a difference in your fork? I don't know for sure. They do look pretty cool though

 

[Caleb]

I had a set of the quick bleed valves on one bike and never saw any benefit. I pushed the button after a long whoop ride and barely got any air. Did the same thing after climbing 4 or 5K ft of elevation and had the same response, a barely detectable amount of air released. Is that amount of air enough to make a difference in your fork? I don't know for sure. They do look pretty cool though

Any air will affect your fork performance. Air will expand and contract at different rates than the fluid and will make a difference. Also, with fork bleeders, you're not supposed to push them while there is any weight on the suspension.

 

[glockman]

Any air will affect your fork performance. Air will expand and contract at different rates than the fluid and will make a difference. Also, with fork bleeders, you're not supposed to push them while there is any weight on the suspension.

Good to know. I can't remember if I was on the bike or if it was on the stand.

 

[Tonkaman]

Good articles Steve, thanks

 

[sixstringsteve]

Has anyone used seal savers on their forks? All the trials guys used 'em. I figure for $20 it might be worth it to make your seals last longer. Does it make a difference, or is it just a gimmick?

http://www.sealsavers.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=2

 

[Caleb]

Has anyone used seal savers on their forks? All the trials guys used 'em. I figure for $20 it might be worth it to make your seals last longer. Does it make a difference, or is it just a gimmick?

http://www.sealsavers.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=2

I put them on my CRF when I rebuilt the forks. I ended up removing them as every time I went to clean my bike, I noticed there was dirt and crap built-up underneath them. I can't say it shortened the life of the seals, but I doubt it was helping them last any longer.

 

[sixstringsteve]

great feedback, thanks Caleb.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Here's another general question:

When replacing front fork seals, do most people replace the bushings as well, or just the seal, wiper, and oil?