raiding forks to improve turning

biker

Member
Sep 22, 2000
170
0
My cr 250 tends to skate the front tire out in turns. I was told to raise the forks about 2mm to see if that helps. I have about 1" free sag now. Is there anything I should be careful of when raising the forks. Should I take the tire off and do it individually or leave the tire on and do it as a unit? I was low on air pressure, about 6.5 lbs. , would that cause the front end to push. I've bumped the pressure up to about 12 lbs.

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96 XR 400
01 CR 250
 

marcusgunby

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jan 9, 2000
6,450
2
I would try it now you have changed tyre pressure.You can raise the forks in the clamps by loosening the pinch bolts and pushing each leg up the required amount.Make sure the bleed screw is accessable afterwards.Use a torque wrench to retighten bolts or be carefull as overtightening causes damage to the outer fork tubes.
 

yamadawg

Member
Dec 1, 2000
42
0
Lower the fork in the tripple tree and ad a small amout of rear spring.this will help put more weight on the front and help with pushing.

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it dont hurt till the bone shows.

2001 YZ 250
 

biker

Member
Sep 22, 2000
170
0
When you say add a little rear spring, do you mean increase the preload a little.

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96 XR 400
01 CR 250
 

marcusgunby

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jan 9, 2000
6,450
2
That right -run about 95mm of sag when sitting on the bike compared to the fully extended length measured from the axle to the seat bolt.
 

vznx1w

Member
Dec 7, 2000
35
0
Raising the fork tubes (lowering the front end) and increasing the rear spring preload (raising the rear end) both produce similar handling effects. They increase turning ability at the expense of hi-speed stability. This is because these adjustments effectively decrease the chassis rake and trail dimensions by tucking the front wheel in closer to the bike. Depending on where you ride, you may want to deviate substantially from the recommended settings to achieve optimal results. For example, the track I normally ride is all tight turns and has no straights longer than 3rd gear, so I run my forks up 5mm and only 90mm of rear sag to improve cornering. However, this setup wouldn't work for someone running fast tracks or desert fire roads. My advise is to continue to adjust your bike for better turning, until you become uncomfortable with its stability on your track's fastest straight. Note: if you raise the forks more than 10-15mm you may want check that the front wheel is NOT contacting the lower tripe clamp when bottoming. Have fun!
 
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