suspension ? for my kx 500

[ajt]

Hello and thanx in advance for your help!:) I have a '97 KX 500 (which I have had for only a few months), I weigh 215lbs and race desert in the open expert class. On my old bikes (ktm's) I followed a set-up that went like this: buy the right spring rates for my weight and set the static sag to 37mm +-5 on both the front and rear and if you have the right springs your race sag will be within the recommend range. I have talked to several mechanics and the theory goes like this if the spring rates are even (balanced front to rear), race sag does not matter as it is important to have the bike be balanced. i.e. if both ends are equally to soft for your weight, setting the race sag on the shock to the recomended range will unbalance the bike as the extra pre-load to the shock spring over powers the fork-springs, while if you set the static sag equal in this scenario the bike will be soft but still balanced. This brings about my Questions
1) should I go by this same method of using static sag (front and rear) on the 500, if so what are the ranges you recommend
2) what springs do I need for my weight
3)currently I do not know what springs are in my bike, except that one of the shocks says 5.6 but with .75inch static sag I get 4.5inch race sag, while the front has 1.5inch static sag and 4.5inch race sag
4)It has race-tech gold valves set for my ability/weight what valving do you recommend?
I know this bike is one of the baddest bikes around, but it handles poorly compared to my old 520. It seems like this should be the right place to go for help and I hope that you guys can help me make it handle better than the KTM !!!

[mikesmith]

If you go to the  Race Tech site you can type in your bike,rider weight, riding ability, and it'll give you most of the information you need,at least as a start.

[ajt]

thanx answer to number 2) is .46 for forks and 5.4 for the rear,  I look forward to any info on the other questions. I used a search for suspension and there has not been much discussion about setting the sag (static or race), I would hope this is the beginnig of one.

[ajt]

Does anyone out there have an opinion, suggestion or idea they can add. Suspension in my opinion is the absolutley, positively most important part of a bike to set up correctly. After-all new tires or an awesome motor do not mean diddle squat if a bikes suspension is working poorly.

[Paul]

ajt, I also raced desert but weight in at 200'. I run .46 in the forks, 5.4 in the rear with 7WT fork oil and light shock fluid. my sag came in at exactly 100mm. After motoworks got done with my valving I was in heaven and handing ass whippin' to joung bucks on 250's at the local tracks

[ajt]

Thanx. Paul is this the same setup that I see in the video under your name.

[Paul]

Yeah it is

[doordie]

ajt,you don?t know that he crash just after the shoot.    
Isn?t true Paul?

[Paul]

I did not, thats a perfect "10" landing on the downslope going into the a bowl @ Glamis

[mikesmith]

I think you should try differnt sag settings,some people steer with the front wheel and some with the rear.It's hard to say what works for you may not work for others,but from the video it  looks like Paul's got his right!

[Rick]

I, too, race open expert or Open senior (depending upon the event) and run 5.4 rear and .43 front.  I use 5 wt fork oil, and 10 wt suspension fluid in the rear with 160 lbs of nitrogen.  Acme performed the suspension mods, and she rides like a dream.

On the sag, both the static and race sag are important measures.  Set the static at close to 1 inch (.75 is fine), and then check your race sag.  If you vary much from 4 inches, you have the wrong spring for your weight (as a general rule).  

However, it must be noted that the position you are in while checking your race sag MUST BE your standard position at race speed.  Most folks tend to stand with their weight more to the back of the bike, which will change your spring requirements relative to someone else of the same weight and speed but with a riding position more to the front.  The correct position has been discussed here at length, but can certainly be reviewed if desired.

Good luck with the suspension setup.  I, too, believe the suspension is a critical part of the bikes safety.

Rick

[ajt]

Mikesmith that is a good commit, but I would think even with different riding styles you would still be close with the static sag front to rear being somewhere less than a half inch different of each other. At least on my 520 I always stayed that close, I used preload on both the forks or shock to come up with set up that work for desert (.25 more sag rearward) to tight single track(.25in more sag up front).

[ajt]

Rick I agree !00% that it is important to be in the correct riding/racing position you use. I have tried a little forward or backward can move your measurement more than a turn or two of pre-load.

[mikesmith]

The position on the bike is impotant like Rick said when measuring but make sure you where your riding gear (inculding a fanny pack or camel back/drink system) because if you set it up in the garage wearing toe shoes and shorts your not getting the true sag.

[ajt]

Yep, it is true, that you need to have an accurate weight of you and your riding gear, I am pretty mechanical adept, as such I have used this techiniques. The heart of my question is not how to measure and such but what settings work for other riders out there, so I can take from that information and make an informed decision about how I should set my 500 up (hopefully saving me a lot of time compared to figuring out on my own and helping others out there with the same questions). Once again thanx for any input