How to Adjust Your Dirt Bike Suspension for Best Performance?

A good ride is about confidence, comfort, and control as much as speed. Achieving that ideal balance on your dirt bike depends on modifying its suspension.

In this blog, we will provide complete details about dirt bike suspension tuning and what adjustment suits you the best.

What is Dirt Bike Suspension Tuning & Why You Need to Adjust It?

Dirt bike suspension—a set of components—is utilized to absorb shock from jumps, thereby maintaining your steady ride. On rough trips or on off-road paths, it helps you manage your ride, absorb any impact, and maintain your tires on the ground.

But why do you need to adjust it? Or why doesn’t it come ready?

Simply put, every rider is different. Your weight, degree of skill, terrain you are riding on all affect the way your bike handles. In this situation, generic solutions are useless. Remember, the best performance may be obtained by learning how to modify the suspension on your dirt bike, depending on your needs.

And dirt bike suspension tuning is simpler than you would guess.

Tuning Suspension for motorcross dirt bike

Understanding Dirt Bike Suspension Components

Before diving into how to adjust dirt bike suspension, you need to understand the main elements of your dirt bike’s suspension. The two major components you will be handling are:

Front Forks

This suspension component is situated in the front of the dirt bike and connected to the front wheel.

The dirt bike front fork adjustment helps mitigate the initial impact when encountering bumps or landing jumps. They require adjustments for both compression (the extent of compression) and rebound (the velocity of return to their original position).

Dirt Bike Front Forks

Rear Shock

The bike’s rear suspension is handled by the rear shock absorber. It is essential in absorbing impacts when the back wheel strikes impediments and links the wheel to the frame.

Like the front forks, the rear shock requires fine-tuning of compression and rebound as well as preload adjustment, influencing the shock compression according to weight.

dirt bike shock absorber

Step-By-Step Guide About How to Adjust Dirt Bike Suspension

Now that you know the components, it’s time to work. Follow these steps to tune your dirt bike suspension for a smoother, more controlled ride.

Step 1: Pre-Tuning Preparations

You should evaluate the condition of your dirt bike before starting dirt bike suspension tuning. This covers tire pressure adjustment as well.

The riding, shock absorption, and suspension interaction of the bike suffer when the tires are underinflated. When it requires a small fix, incorrect tire pressure can cause you to believe that your suspension is the cause of problems.

The advised tire pressure ranges from 12 to 15 psi, depending on the route. Lower pressure is advised for softer ground generally, and higher pressure for harder terrain. This will help you understand that you must proceed with correcting your suspension if it is still off.

Step 2: Setting the Sag

Sag, simply said, is the degree to which your dirt bike contracts or sinks when it is resting, with or without you seated on it. Giving the dirt bike suspension tuning a “starting point” on the bike helps it to have adequate room to absorb shocks and maintain tire ground contact.

It also influences the general balance of your bike; hence, improper settings will cause the bike to feel either overly soft or overly stiff. Changing sag helps make the suspension meet each rider’s needs for improved comfort and performance, as every rider has a different weight and riding style. Here’s how to set it:

Calculate the Free (Static) Sag

Place the bike on a stand so that the back wheel is off the ground. Next, determine Measurement A’s distance—that between the rear axle and a fixed location on the rear fender. After removing the bike from the stand, let it rest on its own weight; then, once more, measure it (Measurement B). The difference between A and B is the free sag.

Measure Rider Sag

Sit on the bike in a normal riding pose with all of your gear on. Measurement C: Have someone take a reading from the back axle to the same spot on the fender. To find the rider sag, minus C from from A. For most dirt bikes, this number should be between 95 and 105 mm.

Adjust the Preload

Change the preload on the rear shock if the rider sag is not between 95 and 105 mm. When the sag is too high, tighten the spring to lower it. When it’s too low, remove the spring to raise it. Check the numbers again to make sure you have the right sag setting.

Step 3: Adjusting the Forks

For the best dirt bike suspension tuning, it is very important to adjust the front fork of a dirt bike in order to get the best handling and comfort. This adjustment decides how the fork responds to bumps and how quickly it moves back to its original position.

The dirt bike front fork adjustment is of two main types: compression and rebound.

Compression

Compression tells the forks how fast they bend when they hit a bump. It will be rough to ride if it’s too fast, and it will feel stiff if it’s too slow. Turn the compression clicker (often marked with a “C”) on top of the fork caps clockwise to make them stronger or counterclockwise to make them softer. Start with the manufacturer’s settings and then make small changes based on the area.

Rebound

Rebound controls how quickly the forks go back to where they were before they were compressed. Should you go too fast, the front wheel might bounce. If you go too slow, the bike will feel slow. To change the speed of the return, turn the clickers counterclockwise at the bottom of the fork legs. To slow it down, turn them clockwise. First, leave the settings as they are and make small changes.

Adjustment Process

Find the clickers and move them in all the way. Then, move them back out until they fit the way you ride. Change one setting at a time and test the bike after each one. Pay special attention to compression for how well it handles impacts and rebound for how well it recovers from bumps. Make small changes until the bike feels stable.

Step 4: Tuning the Rear Shock

The final step for dirt bike suspension tuning is tuning the rear shock. For the rear shock, you’ll also adjust compression, rebound, and preload.

Compression

How fast the rear shock collapses is controlled by compression damping. To make changes, find the “high-speed” and “low-speed” compression clickers on the shock.

If the bike bottoms out on big hits, turn the clicker in (clockwise) to make it firmer. If the ride feels too rough over bumps, turn it out (counterclockwise). Start with the settings that come with the app and make small changes (1-2 clicks) as needed.

blue dirt bike shock absorber

Rebound

How quickly the rear shock goes back to its extended position after being squeezed is controlled by the rebound damping. If the rebound speed is set too high, the shock may spread too quickly, making the back end bounce too much, especially after hitting several bumps in a row.

If it’s too fast, on the other hand, the suspension won’t be able to recover in time for the next bump, which will make the bike feel slow. The clicker for the rebound is generally at the bottom of the shock. To get a smooth recovery, turn it in to slow down the rebound and out to speed it up.

Preload

By changing the spring stiffness, preload changes the sag and sets the bike’s suspension for the rider’s weight. The bike sits at the correct height when the preload is right, allowing the shock to be most effective within its range.

Use the preload adjuster to make the spring tighter or looser, therefore either increasing or lowering the tension. Getting the proper sag readings—which should be between 95 and 105 mm with the rider on the bike— depends critically on this environment.

The correct degree of sag creates a balanced environment that increases the stability and control easeability of your bike on several surfaces.

Adapting Suspension for Different Terrains

No two pathways are the same, and your dirt bike suspension tuning should be according to the terrain you will ride. Here’s how to adjust dirt bike suspension for different riding pathways:

Trail Riding

Trail riding can include obstacles such as ruts, rocks, and roots. A softer suspension system will help you accept uneven ground without an overly harsh ride. First, cut the shock and fork compression. This will help maintain traction and allow more give.

Track Riding

Tracks mostly concern speed and leaps, so you need a firmer suspension system. Compress the suspension to stop bottoming out on landing hops, and change the rebound to keep the bike steady on fast turns.

Enduro

Enduro rides may be long and taxing due to the mix of smooth and rocky terrain. The key to a smooth ride is a balanced suspension system. It must be stiff enough for control but soft enough to overcome challenges.

This means your dirt bike suspension tuning needs to lie halfway between trail and track settings.

Adapting Suspension for Different Rider Experiences

One rider’s preferred dirt bike suspension settings could be absolutely incorrect for another. Your suspension should be customized depending on your degree of skill:

Beginners

Start with a softer suspension configuration if you have never dirt bike. On uneven terrain, this makes the bike more forgiving and simpler to control. For a more seamless ride, lower both compression and rebound settings.

Intermediate Riders

Intermediate riders should somewhat compress more for their dirt bike suspension tuning. This allows greater control during turns and jumps. You should combine comfort with performance, hence modifying the rebound to fit your riding technique.

Advanced Riders

Often the best approach for advanced riders is stronger suspension. You want a configuration that can manage large jumps and fast riding. For most control and stability, raise both compression and rebound.

  • Bottoming Out: Your bike is bottoming out if you feel it striking forcefully on large leaps or bumps. Compression will help to stiffen the suspension.
  • Strong Feedback: Should every bump seem like a jolt, the suspension is overly rigid. To have a better feel, soften the compression and change the rebound.
  • Diving Front End: The diving front end of the bike indicates that the forks are too soft if the front end dips too far when braking. Solution: Press the forks harder.
  • Rear Wheel Kicking: The rebound of the rear shock is too quick if the rear wheel kicks up too much following bumps. Slower the rebound to maintain bike stability.

Time to Hit The Track!

Changing the suspension of your dirt bike transforms it. It lets you modify your ride, therefore enhancing comfort, control, and performance. Making an effort to tune your suspension makes all the difference, whether your ride is enduro, flying around courses, or a bumpy trail.

Now that you’re equipped with the right knowledge, it’s time to hit the trails! Appolino innovative dirt bikes, available for dealers and distributors looking for premium bikes, ride smoothly and offer an experience full of thrills.

Our sophisticated suspension system guarantees exceptional shock absorption and easy maneuverability, providing the best mix of pleasure and technology for your consumers.

Partner with Apollino today and elevate your products with dirt bikes that deliver unmatched suspension quality and riding excellence.

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