Front fork help

[chamber66]

When I got my bike I was very happy with the suspension, but as i got used to it I started to have a few issues. When I checked the settings they were nearly al the way out
Any way after a couple of weks of trial and error I have got it pretty much as I would like. My only problem is I have started to suffer from deflections and occasionally lose the front end, which isn't fun
Here are my settings, and would appreciate if someone could tell me where I have gone wrong

I am about 190 Lbs
Fork
Oil is 5 weight at recomended level
compression is 10 cliks out
rebound is 10 cliks out

Shock
Low speed damping is 16 cliks out
High speed damping is 18 cliks out
Screw on bottom of shock is 16 cliks out and I have a 1.75" lowering link fitted

 

[hammer]

What bike?

 

[chamber66]

What bike?

OOP's sorry
It's a 2005 te 450

 

[Pete]

Watching with interest i have the same issue.

I have the fork re valved and resprung for me 200lb. I couldnt jump it or the front would wash out so i set the race sag (it was on 65mm i set it to 95mm) and jumps felt much nicer, i lowered the comp and rebound to 14/12 but it stil felt quite skatey on the front on faster bumps and rocks. Changed it to 12/10 but its still no good.

The bike doesnt feel balanced - if i stand the bike against the wall and put some weight on the peg the back suspension goes down a lot before the front moves.

 

[chamber66]

I can't say I have that problem. Only starts to get sketchy when you up the pace a bit

 

[MOTORHEAD]

Are your forks lowered also?

 

[chamber66]

Yes as far as i can

 

[Eurofreak]

make sure your sag is set correctly-check the manual but i think it's 100-110mm. A good test was described by PETE but take it a bit further. 95mm is a little soft.
Have someone balance the bike while you stand on the pegs with your riding gear on. Bounce up and down. both the front and rear suspension should compress and rebound at the same time. If the back end is moving too much increase the preload. A little can make a noticeable difference.
Next, check the rebound on the rear by going up a rough uphill. Increase the rebound until the back end does not swap side to side.
For the front, make several passes through rough trail that deflects. Increase the rebound a couple of clicks and try it.
See if that helps

 

[420skirider]

Watching with interest i have the same issue.

I have the fork re valved and resprung for me 200lb. I couldnt jump it or the front would wash out so i set the race sag (it was on 65mm i set it to 95mm) and jumps felt much nicer, i lowered the comp and rebound to 14/12 but it stil felt quite skatey on the front on faster bumps and rocks. Changed it to 12/10 but its still no good.

The bike doesnt feel balanced - if i stand the bike against the wall and put some weight on the peg the back suspension goes down a lot before the front moves.

What springs did you put in the forks? I'm 180 lbs and the re-valve and going to a .42kg fork spring resolved the issues. Sounds light if you look at the charts but it's not. I run my clickers in the middle range ( 12 comp/10 rebound) with the new springs and the bike handles way better. Also have some reserve to go harder/softer if conditions require it.

 

[kleemann]

When I got my bike I was very happy with the suspension, but as i got used to it I started to have a few issues. When I checked the settings they were nearly al the way out
Any way after a couple of weks of trial and error I have got it pretty much as I would like. My only problem is I have started to suffer from deflections and occasionally lose the front end, which isn't fun
Here are my settings, and would appreciate if someone could tell me where I have gone wrong

I am about 190 Lbs
Fork
Oil is 5 weight at recomended level
compression is 10 cliks out
rebound is 10 cliks out

Shock
Low speed damping is 16 cliks out
High speed damping is 18 cliks out
Screw on bottom of shock is 16 cliks out and I have a 1.75" lowering link fitted

Does this equate to: "Slow speed suspension movements are too harsh?" Like little square edges and baby heads etc? You are loosing the ability for the front wheel to stay on the ground/track your intended line because the suspension is too stiff?

The 45 mm Zokes are garbage compared to virtually any fork leg made in the last 10 years. On top of that Husky delivered them for a 180lbs A rider- a bit too harsh for everyday use- you really have to be hustling to get them to settle in and behave. You have to get into the fork valving IMO to get it feeling good- I even changed the shim stack on the midvlave to get mine where I wanted them.

Sounds like a call to an Zoke builder with a good description of how you ride and how you want the suspension to feel is in order.

OR...

If you are mechanically inclined- get a RceTech GV1 set and install that. Be honest to your self when you go online and do the "digital valving" where it suggests the shim stack. I took 2 of the 8 mm center bore shims from the main valve and stiffened up the mid valve a bit and then used a "2 stage" stack from RT on the soft side and its very comfy now. It will handle the big hits, jump faces and flat landings while staying plush on the chop and tracks very well. Im running 80 mm fork oil height, and its Silkolene 5 WT.

 

[stainlesscycle1]

What springs did you put in the forks? I'm 180 lbs and the re-valve and going to a .42kg fork spring resolved the issues. Sounds light if you look at the charts but it's not. I run my clickers in the middle range ( 12 comp/10 rebound) with the new springs and the bike handles way better. Also have some reserve to go harder/softer if conditions require it.

.42kg springs solved my slow speed harshness problem also - 180lb rider...

 

[tadgh]

When I got my bike I was very happy with the suspension, but as i got used to it I started to have a few issues. When I checked the settings they were nearly al the way out
Any way after a couple of weks of trial and error I have got it pretty much as I would like. My only problem is I have started to suffer from deflections and occasionally lose the front end, which isn't fun
Here are my settings, and would appreciate if someone could tell me where I have gone wrong

I am about 190 Lbs
Fork
Oil is 5 weight at recomended level
compression is 10 cliks out
rebound is 10 cliks out

Shock
Low speed damping is 16 cliks out
High speed damping is 18 cliks out
Screw on bottom of shock is 16 cliks out and I have a 1.75" lowering link fitted

might be worth a call to a shop called dr shox (endurotech) a chap called chris hockey. he set up my front forks and gave me good settings for some harshness i was experiencing on a te250.

he is based in the uk

 

[Pete]

I dont know what springs he put in i never asked. But i am going to try a few things this weekend.

1. Stiffen the rear up a bit until i have as much sag under 90mm as i can get while keeping the bike balanced.

2. Pull the front wheel off and put it on again, properly. I have read that not installing it properly can cause stiction? I just whacked it on last time i had it off.

3. Reset all clickers to manual defaults

4. Ride it and try to understand whats not quite right.

5. Make small changes, 1 at a time and keeping a log until i get it feeling nice using the following guides;
http://www.teknikracing.com/informa...ad515458fb564930e27bc134e.e3eSbNmQaheLe3aSay0

http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=271120

If i cant get it right i am off to the suspenders shop again. I love this bike, i want to keep it but if i cant get it to handle nice i will either whack in 50mm zokes/triples from an 07 model or upgrade. (prefer not to upgrade)

PS: My front tyre is a Michelin S12, made in Thailand. I am going to change this for a Bridgestone. I hope this will help with some extra sure footedness in corners.

 

[chamber66]

I dont know what springs he put in i never asked. But i am going to try a few things this weekend.

1. Stiffen the rear up a bit until i have as much sag under 90mm as i can get while keeping the bike balanced.

2. Pull the front wheel off and put it on again, properly. I have read that not installing it properly can cause stiction? I just whacked it on last time i had it off.

3. Reset all clickers to manual defaults

4. Ride it and try to understand whats not quite right.

5. Make small changes, 1 at a time and keeping a log until i get it feeling nice using the following guides;
http://www.teknikracing.com/informa...ad515458fb564930e27bc134e.e3eSbNmQaheLe3aSay0

http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=271120

If i cant get it right i am off to the suspenders shop again. I love this bike, i want to keep it but if i cant get it to handle nice i will either whack in 50mm zokes/triples from an 07 model or upgrade. (prefer not to upgrade)

PS: My front tyre is a Michelin S12, made in Thailand. I am going to change this for a Bridgestone. I hope this will help with some extra sure footedness in corners.

I have reset the clickers to the default settings, and i keep a chart. I am now pretty happy with the setup, and don't find the forks to harsh. In fact I find them better than any WP forks I have had in the past (Personal oppinion) it's just the deflections and occasional washout problem??

 

[Dirtdame]

Too bad you don't have a bike like my KX250. It's really plush!