Suspension set-up for rocks

[RazorbackDave]

Went trail riding last weekend. Lots of rocky, steep uphills. Had a hard time maintaining traction near the top of the hill, my bike would lose traction and I'd end up stalling. One of the other riders (an accomplished enduro guy and KDXer who was following me) opined that my rear suspension was too hard, that the back end would deflect and bounce rather than soak up those rocks. He suggested backing the preload off a tad and tweaking the clicker on the rear shock to soften things up. I will admit that I don't fully understand the dynamics of suspension so I'm looking for some (additional) guidance before I start fiddling.

I have heavier springs in front and back (from Race Tech to match my weight) with stock valving and the current clicker settings are neutral. The rear shock pre load is quite firm, my bike sits as high or higher than a YZ/WR426.

I would like to make the ride a little more plush as most of my riding is in very rocky and hilly trails, not much "big air". What would be a good starting point for experimentation?

 

[Simon Fuller]

I'm bit of a novice but have had a play with the suspension on my 220. First read this http://www.off-road.com/dirtbike/tootechp1.html. Its a great guide on how to setup your suspension.

From what I understand and from my experience preload is not the way to stiffen the rear end. Preload sets the ride height. After you have set the ride height correctly I would start playing with the clickers, moving them 2 to 4 clicks at a time until you have the right plushness vs bottoming resistance.

Another thing to look at is shock servicing. If your bike is a couple of years old it will be due for an oil change. This will greatly affect the rebound. I ride a lot of sandy forests and b4 I serviced my shock I was bouncing all ove rthe place in whooped out sections. Changing the oil is relatively straight forward if you have a manual, but you will need to take it to a shop to have it regased (v. cheap).

You don't say your weight, but I've heard the KDX shock is OK for about 75 to 85 kg's if you are outside this you may need a lighter or heavier spring.