just how much better is good suspension?

I'd start by having someone videotape you so you can watch what your suspension is actually doing...then spend some time really trying to adjust the clickers to perfection. If after that you still aren't satisfied then by all means look into a revalve. (I've never riden a bike before and after a revalve for comparison, only after, so I can't speak of how much better you'd be with one) Just try not to be one of those persons who will spend the big dough to get there suspension redone and never try and adjust what they've got first. Good luck :thumb:

FWIW, here's my take. I find that revalves will generally help nearly everyone to "customize" the suspension to their particular needs. That said, the more extreme from "norm" you are, the greater the benefit.

Add-on question:

* I weigh 225 and ride a ktm400mxc (stock) in the woods - avg rider. How much difference is just a spring change going to make? versus a whole springs & re-valve?

trimxer: how much have you played around with your current setup? My 01 wouldnt do anything good and i thought i had big problems since it had been revalved by the previuos owner but i didnt know what he looked like eg, weight riding style etc. After a while, i found that it wouldnt turn because of the wrong sag, felt stiff because too much rebound making it pack etc. etc.! But just playing with the cliuckers has made it work sooo much better. I expect even a custom revalve will have some setting up required. However, there is also the confidence thing, and i will eventually get a custom revalve to help there and get me in a good ball park for my parameters (the other owner could have been a pro SX rider or a slow dufus, since i have nothing to comapre with).

IMHO, Stick with the YZ, it has a great reputation as stock, ive called several suspension companies about my problems and they all say the 01 is better to work with than the 02! Ive had mine ported and it has an awesome motor, i am trying to find someone at the track with an 02 for a back to back test!

mxc400, i may get corrected on this, but you may get away with the bigger springs and stock valving if you can turn in enough rebound to cope with that spring, its probably worth a try.

I ride a 98 yz400, Jeremy did the susension this year, and thanks to Rich,SFO and Eric I have a very fast 450 that can out run a ktm520 to the first corner.
That said, I would have a hard time finding a new bike that would handle and have the power this bike has,.....even if it is 4 years old! A friend of mine with a revalve Cr450f rode mine this week end, his words where, its plusher than mine. We both are in the 45+ class so plushness means alot. It hooks up tons better than with the stock spenders. Takes the big jump landings much better (very noticably better!) I got more bang for the buck rebuilding what I had. Thats my two cents worth. (And No, I am not buying a new bike next year, I don't have to with what I have.) :thumb:

Zoomer,

Sounds like good advice. I think I am going to go down the same path. Although my bike is a little newer - I still think the money to dial it in is better than have 'new' stuff that isn't dialed in. What type of $ did you spend to dial it in?

with my old suspension, I needed everything, so it was a little more $
But my friend who was bragging about his spent around 400.00, and thinks now that mine was well worth the money. Call Jeremy at MX TECH and he can give you a quote on your bike. Mine being older had some update stuff done. So I don't want to go quoting stuff :thumb: Its good stuff mister! thats all that I can say. And a new bike would still need the same stuff most likely.

;)

Just beware, I have over the years been taken by some suspension guru's, so I am very sceptical about sending stuff out. Not the case this time. :yeehaw: