'08 YZ125 woods suspension

[Crash217]

Jeremy W. --

I'm a technician at a Yamaha shop and will be purchasing an '08 YZ125 shortly. I race AA class in state/regional enduros and hare scrambles and will be doing the suspension myself afterhours in the shop. I weigh 130lbs in street clothes. I have looked up springs rates on Race Tech's site and MX-Tech's site. Both sites recommend .37 fork springs and a 4.2 shock spring, so that is what I will go with from the catalog.

I have a question about valving, I have considered picking up a set of Race Tech Gold valves for the forks and shock and basing my valving off of their guides that come with the kits... (Race Tech products were all I could find for aftermarket suspension internals in our catalogs) What kind of advice can you give me? Can I make the suspension work just as well with the stock components and changing the shim stack?

Can you give me some guidelines perhaps? Myself and the other techs in the shop are pretty green when it comes to suspension. We can maintain it, but have never revalved anything so any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm trying to talk the owner into sending me to a suspension school this coming fall after the busy season. Just have to do some more convincing.

 

[SpeedyManiac]

I'd ride it with the stock suspension first before modifying it. Sometimes stock MX suspension on smaller bikes (125s in particular) works fine. Though since you're only 130lb it may be a little stiff.

 

[headbanger]

Crash,
I would post the question on the ThumperTalk "Yamaha 2 stroke" section, if you don't get any info here.

 

[SpDyKen]

Crash,
Set the sag, then ride the bike stock, first. You should break it in some, before you do anything. After you have some time on it, (1-2 hrs.,) back off of the compression and rebound adjusters, 4 or 5 clicks at a time. Go all the way soft, eventually.

Make written notes along the way.

Then put the correct springs on it. At this point, you will be pretty impressed with the bike, and the suspension.

Now, you will know exactly what you want to change to make it work the way you want it to.

Good luck, Ken