Front shock adjustment

[gjc32]

As everyone knows the stock KDX has the front suspenion set up for a 130 lb rider. I'm 190 and aren't looking to do anything too drastic at this time, but for a quick fix, would it be best to put more oil and max out the shock settings to make this handle better? The front end floats around through the woods compared to by buddies KTM. I can't test anything out right now because of the snow, but I'd like to get it set-up for when the weather breaks.

 

[Eview326]

I have the same question

 

[cicone]

have you tried the clickers?

 

[gjc32]

I went halfway on the clickers closer to the max, but haven't been able to test it. I figured with the expertise here, someone would know that I could probably just max it out with oil and the clickers and it would be the best scenerion to work with, with what I've got. It's woods and trail riding mostly, no racing or major jumping.

 

[KDXNick]

I tried adding more oil for a day of riding just before sending my forks out to Pro-Action that following Monday. It helped a little bit, but there wasn't any huge difference. I only added 5ml in each fork (stock springs '99 200), everything that I've read states that if you add too much oil with soft springs the produced effect is an initial harsh feeling followed by a sudden blow through the remaining travel. A Tech Tips section from a Dirt Rider magazine (probably a 4 or 5 year old issue) recomended adding fork oil in 5ml increments to avoid the described effect. A friend of mine experienced this very problem after he added too much oil to the forks of his '94 WR250. While trail riding, the bike gave you arm pump like an old KX500, and blew through travel like an 80 hitting a flat landing. I imagine that these effects would be more apparent on a KDX since they dont have rebound clickers. I recomend that you add 5ml to each tube, go in a few clicks on the compression clickers, and bleed the forks before each ride (see your owner's manual). It should be OK for trails, but I weigh in at 190 as well, and I assure you that fork mods will make an incredible amount of difference. Look into installing the Race Tech Gold Valves or heavier springs yourself, you'll save about $150 ($190 with the springs) over the price of a race shop's mods, and your investment would produce better overall results than any engine or exhaust mods.
-Nick

 

[Imathorp]

you probably have way too light if a spring. I have Fredette's setup in mine and would never go back to stock. I have 42 springs and his valve shim stack in my stock valves. I'm running 110 on my preload and 10 clicks out on the clickers. with this setup i have a soft initial that increasingly gets stiffer further through the compression.

all this with a Perelli front tire is an awesome setup.