Advice on Springs - KX500, 155lb rider

IridiumRed

Member
Sep 19, 2004
10
0
Hey Guys

How accurate are the spring rate calculators????

Just recently got a KX500, 1997.

I'm 5'4, 155, upper beginner/lower intermediate skills

I'd say I'm 90% trails/woods. Maybe one day a motocross track...i'd be slow, but it would be fun

Springs seem too stiff.

I'll probably revalve it here in the near future (do it myself with Racetech), but I know that I need to get the springs right first

Bike came with stock suspension, and a pretty new rear shock (still stock)

Racetech recommended:
Forks .42
Shock 5.0

Since I want to trail/woods ride, i thought i'd go a little lighter on both ends, proportionally of course -

What i installed:
stock fork springs, .40 (according to racetech)
racetech 4.8 shock spring (used, from Ezbay). Right around 4-5% lighter on each end.
Filled with oil to about 120mm, racetech 2.5wt. Worked the piston plenty to bleed the air....

But - my sag numbers now -
rear - about 80mm race sag (with all the preload out of the rear), 30mm / more of free sag
front - haven't gotten a good # on this (i dont have a great assistant), but its gotta be around 25mm race sag. they barely move when i sit on it. I'm only 5'4 but can handle the bike pretty well. An extra nearly 1" would certainly make life easier for me though, ESP if it makes the suspension "right"

I dont think i have stiction issues - i completely tore down and greased the rear linkage. Replaced some parts as necessary (used a moose linkage rebuild kit).

Pushing down on the back of the bike and letting it rise up slowly, or lifting on the back and letting it settle, the numbers are really close. So i dont think I have a sticking linkage.

The forks have more stiction, but thats fairly normal. I even assembled the forks w/o springs and put them on the bike, and put the front axle in place and worked the forks up and down as I tightened the triple clamp bolts just to make sure I didn't have somethign out of alignment. The forks stroked nice and smooth, no noticeable binding.

ANYWAYS - I'm thinking of going one step lighter on each end, say .38 and 4.6. I thought that spring rates were MAINLY determined by rider weight/bike, that there wasn't that much "fudge room".

Sorry for the long post, but I'd like to hear if you guys think i'm on the right track, or if there is something I perhaps overlooked.......
 
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