Forks Too Stiff!!!!

Hi,

I mostly trail ride, stock 01 RM250. A lot of times I'm generally traveling over rocks that are in the neighborhood of 4" dia. It is generally rocky terrain that I ride. I don't jump much and don't ride mx tracks, It's basically tight woods riding and rocky polelines. Also some midsize whoops.

I weigh about 210 lbs with my gear on and am 5'9" tall. The problem I am having is the front end just isn't soaking up the rocks well at all. It skips around and sometimes sends the back up in the air. What I have found to work best so far is to set the compression damping at the softest setting and the rebound damping force to the hardest setting. I was told this forces the shock to ride up high where the compression rate is soft.

This weekend I rode a friend's 91 kx250 (stock) and it was a real eye opener. It made me realize how much energy I use just trying to control my bike, and it is definitely worth doing something about it, although a 500 dollar revalve is simply out of the question for me right now.

Do I have any other options? How much are softer springs generally, what about fork oil weights and levels? What would give me the best results for my money?

I do have a friend who specializes in snowmobile shocks, he rebuilds them partime at a local shop, he has some knowhow of forks and tools and has offered to help me out. The question is, what should I have done?

Thank You in advance from someone who has no idea of how to get the results I need,

Sincerely,

Joe Chief.

ps: Even search topic suggestions would be helpful, I just don't know what terms to use to find what I'm looking for

Thanks Jeremy and Joe, I really appreciate your feedback on this subject.

Joe, How about some numbers here? Could you tell me what I might expect to spend for the re-valve? It's going to be tough not trying the free stuff first, especially if it suffices, yet I have a feeling I'm gonna end up putting out the $ in the end. Hope you're doing well.

Chief

Thanks RM_GUY and Neil Wig,

I guess the plan is to make sure I get my arse to Paragon.(perfect testing grounds btw) then see if a re-valve is what I'm looking for. Also ride this summer as is. 250 bucks or so over the winter 'slowdown' should be within range for me.

They say suspension makes the difference between winning and losing (not that I race) more than engine. and I truly believe it. Then again, I have more than enough snot in my bike for me.

MNKDXer, I bet that FWW does make a difference. Every bike I ride seems to be under that 'Load' that smooths things out except mine. Maybe someday...

Later.

Chief

MNKDXer, Good to hear the kid is on fire!!! Hope you guys have a winning and safe season.

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I am checking out the links and I guess I'm on my way to a better ride.

Sincerely,

Chief