Air stem??

[stealth1]

I noticed a air stem by the shock housing and it does not say anything about it in the manual and was curious if this is something that needs to be adjusted from time to time or just leave it alone. Thanks. Oh yea, I finally took all the great info here and bought a 2001 KDX 220 for my first bike and this thing is in a class all it's own.. I could not have made a better purchase. It's bone stock except for the pro taper bars. I really don't plan to do any upgrades until I learn more riding skills. Thanks again...

 

[dirt bike dave]

The shock has bladder that contians high pressure nitrogen, approx. 150 -175 psi. Just leave it alone until it is time to rebuild the shock. The pressure needs to be releived only when dis-assembling the shock.

The nitrogen filled bladder keeps the shock oil under pressure. This keeps the shock oil from foaming. If you are slighlty off on the the nitrogen pressure, it won't make any difference in how the shock performs, but by checking the pressure with a gauge you are going to lose some nitrogen.

 

[kelseybrent]

I'm guessing that's the valve for the nitrogen bladder on the shock reservoir. You can leave it alone until you have the shock re-oiled or re-built.

Congratulations on your choice.

 

[stealth1]

Thanks guys..I'm slowly learning what all this stuff is..

 

[DirtRoller]

Stealth good choice in bikes. You'll love it once you get the suspension dialed in. This mod or adjustment will let you develope your skills faster.
Just serviced my shock, so here's a picture of what it looks like on the other end of what you're talking about.
Shock Bladder pic