Professional Suspension Tuning - Was It Worth It?

In a sport like motocross, suspension tuning is crucial if you want a competitive bike. The bike manufacturers build their bikes based on a mythical model rider who is about 5'10" and weighs about 75kg (165lb), I'm 5'8" high and weigh about 90kg (just under 200lb).

I quickly found that my stock RMZ's suspension was sprung too light for me. The forks would bottom too easily and I ended up with the compression dampening wound up so hard that the forks weren't using all of their stroke and this was also affecting the rebound dampening as well. The result was a front end that was harsh and choppy and didn't want to hold a line in a corner, it would climb out of ruts and didn't work well at all.

The rear end on the RMZ wasn't too bad, I'd set my laden and static sag but it would step out sideways in acceleration bumps and it needed some improvement.

I pulled the suspension out of my bike and headed off to Chads Offroad Setups , they do motocross suspension tuning but also setups for enduros, cross country, any discipline of offroad bike racing.

The standard springs were replaced with Eibach components, the forks had heavier springs fitted and the rear shock was also sprung heavier with a 5.70 kg/mm coil. The forks had 380ml of 5w Maxima oil added and the shock also uses 5w Maxima shock oil.

It certainly made a big difference, when I first got on the bike it felt like someone else's bike! It took a couple of hours riding to get used to it, the first thing I really noticed was the rear end. It tracked a lot better over rough sections of the track, it took a lot more before it would step out under acceleration and when it did, it would quickly pull back into line.

There was also a big improvement in the forks, the bike steers a lot better and holds a line through the turns. They feel more supple initially over rough fast bumps and are a lot more resistant to bottoming out on bigger hits.

It was money well spent, the bike is easier to ride and that means it's certainly less tiring to be on.

As far as value for money goes, your dollars are much better spent getting your suspension right before worrying about motor mods and hop ups. A professional suspension tuner will be able to rebuild your suspension specifically for your ability and riding style which makes a big difference to your lap times.

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