jboomer

~SPONSOR~
Jan 5, 2002
1,420
1
Well, I've finally got some money to put into my bike (04 CRF 450)! Everyone always says the first mod you should make to your bike is to have the suspension revalved, this will be a first for me. The suspension on this bike is far better than any other bike I have ever ridden(although I've never ridden a bike that has had the suspension revalved). With that in mind, should I expect HUGE gains in controllability/rideability? I'm running the stock springs (180# Novice/Intermediate MX'er) and these seem to be perfect for my weight/ability....so I'm not anticipating needing to purchase new springs.
Also, I'm having trouble deciding on where to send it! Some people say Factory Connection is the best place (especially for Hondas) and I could understand that considering their experience working with more factory riders etc, but they also want a little more money for the service. MX-Tech seems to be really popular with most amateur level racers and often provide track-side support (although not in my area that I'm aware of) for just a little less than FC's price. But, a really good friend of mine's father just went into partnership with another guy and formed Hygear Suspension in NY and I can expect to save some money using their suspension. At my level, is the difference in performance between any one of the above mentioned companies going to be that noticeable? Just curious as to what I should be looking for in a tuner in regards to my skill level and expectations(saving some money, "name brand", etc.?)...also taking into account how great the suspension already is on this bike . Does suspension really get THAT much better?
 

JohnScott

~SPONSOR~
May 22, 2001
96
0
I think you will notice a difference. I used Jeff Howe with TrakControl Dynamics and am VERY pleased with my suspension - night and day difference for me. You need to check him out, I looked at the very same shops you are considering and chose Jeff once he talked me through his processes. The best way to contact Jeff is jhowe@pclink.com - take a look at his prices at www.trakcontrol.com

BTW, just go with his stock piston setup.

John
 

terry hay

Member
Nov 8, 2003
200
0
Boomer
A tuner is only as good as his test programme/experience/understanding. Jeremy Wilkey is one of the most obstinate, moody, cranky, aggressive, beligerant and arrogant people I have ever dealt with. But he does know his stuff and is passionate about his work. I doubt very much if you will find many people more truly committed to performance in the suspension industry. And yes, you will appreciate the difference.
Terry Hay
 

Studboy

Thinks he can ride
Dec 2, 2001
1,818
0
I had MX-Tech do the forks on my 02 YZ250. This bike had horrible forks stock. MX-Tech's valving VASTLY improved the rideability, comfort, and control of the bike. The only complaint I have is that the bottoming resistance isn't quite what it used to be, but I think that I just need to add a bit more oil and I will happy with it. The biggest thing that I noticed is that I didn't have to worry about my bike kicking or doing anything unexpected off of obstacles anymore. I have wrecked a lot less since the revalve.

For me, it was money well spent.
 

jboomer

~SPONSOR~
Jan 5, 2002
1,420
1
I serviced the forks myself today. It was pretty easy, took about 2 hours. I sent the shock to Factory Connection, it was almost a hundred bucks cheaper....hopefully the quality will be comparable. I'm pretty excited!
 

MXTex

~SPONSOR~
Feb 29, 2000
417
0
I have all my bikes revalved. Yes, the difference is incredible. I've used many different tuners. You can't lose with MX-Tech. Jeremy is an engineer, rider, tester and technician all built into one; and a damn good guy. My impression of Jeremy is that he's straight up. No BS. One of these days I'm going to meet him face to face and have a beer; or two. I'm sincerely looking forward to that time.

You know, after being in this for a while, I've found that from a relatively high level, you can characterize suspension tuners into two categories. One category being those that actually redesign major components within the system to achieve their desired results. MX-Tech is a prime example of this ideology. Then there are those tuners that work with the existing componentry as originally designed and tune from there. I've seen both ideologies work well. Typically, the redesign type tuners are more expensive. With all this said, I've had great luck with Jeremy but am trying another tuner for my new bike. He's more of the second characterization mentioned above. Frankly, my big driver for this selection is $'s. I've heard very good things about this tuner in regards to my type of bike and he is much less money than MX-Tech. So I'm going to give him a try. And if it doesn't work out, I'll save my money, eat a big helping of humble pie, and send my stuff to Jeremy. But this time I'm using www.dicksracing.com. Good luck in making your decision.

Jim
 

jboomer

~SPONSOR~
Jan 5, 2002
1,420
1
That's kinda my outlook as well. Money talks. I was originally going to send it to MX-tech. On their website it says basically that suspension valving runs XX amount of money...but it doesn't say that's XX PER end. So I shopped around and found the cheapest and went with them. I have faith that FC will do a good job, besides the suspension on this bike is so darn good already!
 

JohnScott

~SPONSOR~
May 22, 2001
96
0
IMO, If you guys want MX-Tech quality at FC prices then I would take a look at TrakControl Dynamics. If you'll talk to Jeff (AKA Shocknut) for a little bit, you'll quickly find out he's on the same level as Jer.

John
 

terry hay

Member
Nov 8, 2003
200
0
The obvious question here has to be..
"Do you want the suspension you'd rather pay for, or the suspension you'd rather ride?".
There is no way in hell that you are going to get identical jobs from different tuners. If you do more work to a particular job then it is only feasible that the price will be greater. You have a bike that is worth thousands of dollars that will be used occaisionally. Better to get the most out of those occaissions.
Terry
 

jboomer

~SPONSOR~
Jan 5, 2002
1,420
1
That's more reason to save money! Entry fees, aftermarket accessories, top ends, gear, gas, etc.... The was I see it is: I needed to get my shock serviced anyway (had the bike a year and hasn't been done yet), no one local will do the nitrogen charge so I would have to send it out anyway, and a standard rebuild would cost me about $100 bucks.....for a little more I get a revalve too by a reputable tuner!
 
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