Australasian Dirt Bike — June 2017

http://www.adbmag.com.au JUNE 2017| 153

FACTORY RIDE / READERS RIDE / HERITAGE / ACTION / OAS / BUYERS GUIDE

1STANDUP

Sitthebikeonapitstandsotherear

wheelisoffthegroundandnot

supportinganyweight.

2CLEARTHEDECKS

Removetheseatandsideplates.Some

bikesyoucanremovethesideairbox

covertomakeiteasierandothermodels

youwillneedtoremovearadiatorshroud

toreachthetopshockbolt.

3REMOVEEXHAUST

Removetheexhaustsystemandsetit

aside.Onsomebikesyouhavetoremove

theheaderbeforeyoucanunboltthe

silencer.

4 SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM

Removethetopandbottomshockbolts

sothattheshockisloose.Bikeswitha

monoshocksometimesrequireyouto

removepartofthelinkagebeforeyou

canreachthebottomshockbolt.

5 SUBFRAME

Removetheboltsfromthesubframeand

movethesubframetothesidetogive

youroomtoremovetheshock.Most

bikesyoucandothiswithoutloosening

theairintakebootbutsomebikes

requireyoutoremovethesubframe

completely.Someyoucanswingthe

subframeupoutofthewaybyleaving

thetopsubframeboltsinposition.

WHYCHANGE

A SPRING?

Themainreasonforchangingaspringiswhen

thestockoneistoosoftortoohard.Springsare

calibratedinN/mmorkg/mmandsuitcertain

riders’weights,capabilitiesandriding.For

example,acommonsagsettingforamotocross

rideris30mmstaticand100mmridersag.Ifyou

needtowindthepreloadupalmostalltheway

toget 100 mmridersagthenyouwillneeda

heavierspring.Ifgettingaridersagof 100 mm

makesthespringlooseontheshockbodyor

yourstaticsagbecomesmuchgreaterthan

30 mm,thenyouneedalighterspring.Most

manufacturerslistoptionalspringsintheir

manualsandspecifywhatweightriderssuit

whichsprings.Ifyouhavethecorrectspring

fittedandstillfindthesuspensiontoosoftor

toobouncythenthisisfixedbyadjustingyour

clickersorhavingasuspensiontunerre-valve

thedampingrods.

SAG

Acommonmotocrosssagsettingis 30 mmstatic

and 100 mmwiththeriderbutsomeridersprefer

toadjustthis 5 -1 0 mmeitherway.Acommon

endurosettingis 40 mmstaticand 110 mmrider

buttherearesomepeoplewhoprefera

motocrosssetupinthebush.Thenewreverse-

headYamahashandlebetterwitharidersagof

110 mmorgreaterforbothinthebushand

motocrosstrack,anymorethanthisandthey

strugglewithsteeringandrearwheeltraction.

TO SET IT:

• Startwiththebikeonapitstandwiththerear
  wheelofftheground.


• Measurefromapointonyourswingarm,
  usuallytherearaxletoapointonyourrear
  guard.Thisisyourfreelength.


• Takethebikeoffthestandand,withitresting
  onitsownweight,measurefromthesamepoint
  ontheswingarmtothesamepointontherear
  guard.Thedifferencebetweenthis
  measurementandyourfirstoneisyourstatic
  sag.Formotocrossthisshouldbeapproximately
  30 mmorupto 40 mmforenduro.


• Gettherideronthebikeandhavethemput
  theirfeetuponthebikewithsomebodyholding
  thebikeupright.Measurefromthesamepoint
  ontheswingarmtothesamepointontherear
  guard.Thedifferencebetweenthis
  measurementandyourfirstmeasurementis
  yourridersag.Formotocrossthismeasurement
  shouldbeabout 100 mmand,forenduro,it
  shouldbe110mmorgreater.


• Ifyourmeasurementsareoutthenyouneedto
  windinthelockringstoreducethesag
  measurementsorbackthemofftoincreasethe
  sagmeasurements.

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FITTING A REAR spring is not a hard job

but there are a few tricks to make it

easier. We’re going to explain why you

would change a spring, how to do it and

how to set up the suspension afterwards.