KDXRIDER.NET

I am a new kdx 220 rider. What should the static and rider sag settings be? Thanks in advance for your help.

Rider sag is always about 100mm or 4 inches. I believe free sag is between 20mm and 35mm off the top of my head. Wait for other answers though to get a definate answer...

check this out

http://knetracing.com/tips/race_sag.htm

Yep. That's about right.

The 4" part is completely subjective. Generally speaking you want about 1/3 of available travel 'used' in race sag (you, with gear, on the bike, measured correctly).

The subjective part is something you should get some solid feedback from with a fairly small change. I tried 90 and 95mm settings. Hated 'em.

Free sag (bike alone) is whatever is left over as a result of properly set race sag. You don't adjust for that figure..it's just there. If it's wrong (again, race sag set first), you should change the shock spring.

Free sag too little? You need a bigger spring.
Free sag too big? You need a smaller spring.

That sounds opposite of what you might think..and that is a good way to remember it.

***edit** I can't pick and choose from what was here and leave anything that makes sense...so I chucked it.

Check:

http://kdx.woodsrider.net/viewtopic.php?p=3434#3434

to get the idea straight.

**edit**

hmm i'll have to read the site again.

but 25.4 mm = 1 inch so 25mm = .98 inch

25/25.4=.984

You sit on the bike, measure a 5" race sag. What are you going to do to get to 4"? Squeeze the spring? Of course not. You will extend (lengthen, make longer) the spring! Unless you're just way too fat, eventually you will make the spring long enough ('more' spring if you will) to get to a 4" race sag measurement.

seems that by lengthening the spring you would be decreasing preload allowing the spring to compress even more. lenghtening the spring only affects spring preload it doesn't change the length of the rear shock, right? if i sat on the bike and it had 5" race sag i would squeeze the spring, increasing the preload, which would not allow the bike to sag as much. maybe i'm wrong.
on the other hand if i sat on a bike and it sagged 5" i would get a stiffer spring.

1 inch does equal 25.4mm.

This sounds like a great exercise to think about instead of snooping at a website's description!

See what I mean? Consider the source!!! You're right on the mm of course. I had 24.5 in my head...not 25.4.

***edit** I can't pick and choose from what was here and leave anything that makes sense...so I chucked it.

Check:

http://kdx.woodsrider.net/viewtopic.php?p=3434#3434

to get the idea straight.

**edit**

Just some things to keep in mind...

The forks do not use a linkage/leverage system like a shock. One inch of fork tube/fork spring compression = one inch of front wheel travel. One inch of shock shaft/shock spring compression = ABOUT 3" of rear wheel travel. A shock rod will compress about 4", so rear wheel travel is about 12".

My master advise concerning adjusting shock spring preload to set race sag is: Turn it one way. If that doesn't work, turn it the other way.

Does your fork preload analogy take into account some early '80's KX forks with fork caps that allowed the preload to be adjusted? It's not always chunking in a tube that preload is adjusted.

No need to add material to increase preload on a shock spring, just turn the adjusting ring. That is what it is there for, like an early '80's KX fork cap. :-)

"There are some riders that will ADD preload to forks that will RAISE the front of the bike." Like you. I must say that technically, increasing preload will decrease the distance the weight of the bike and rider compresses the fork springs. If the bike is on a crate/front wheel off ground, then zero-infinity amount of preload won't raise the bike. Preload adjusts ride height. The spring rate stays the same, front and rear, no matter what amount of preload is used. You got all that, right? Preloading a spring is preloading a spring, no matter how it is done.

***edit** I can't pick and choose from what was here and leave anything that makes sense...so I chucked it.

Check:

http://kdx.woodsrider.net/viewtopic.php?p=3434#3434

to get the idea straight.

**edit**

CC on tightening the spring to 2" long... not raising the bike? True, but race sag will be less! (IT WILL SAG LESS WITH WEIGHT ) And I think that is the only point they try to make.

***edit** I can't pick and choose from what was here and leave anything that makes sense...so I chucked it.

Check:

http://kdx.woodsrider.net/viewtopic.php?p=3434#3434

to get the idea straight.

**edit**

Don't know... but it just worked out on my Mule for some reason! The spring MUST be the right rate!

Dax10, twist it one way, then the other to get it around 4". 4" is the standard suggestion, though as time passes and you try different settings , you may wonder from there. It is a great starting point, though.

I think the sag under the bike's weight is around 15mm - 35mm, but I am not sure.

The main thing is to set the 4" first, then check the sag with just the bike's weight.

Mule... are you saying you own a Kawasaki Mule utility vehicle or are you calling your KDX a mule??

Pachyderm, Mule...Camel...KDX... They are all the same.... Something you can count on.

OK, just wanted to be sure. You have heard of the Kawasaki Mule, right?

Yeah.... but that's not a Mule! It is more like a sure-footed Sloth!

My master advise concerning adjusting shock spring preload to set race sag is: Turn it one way. If that doesn't work, turn it the other way.

this works every time and its pretty simple

C'mon guys. Don't you just itch when something doesn't make sense? ...and you GOTTA sort it out or you won't sleep at night?

Maybe that's where 'Too smart by 1/2' comes in. ..which I always thought had something to do with being a smarta$$, but I guess not.

***edit**
Check:

http://kdx.woodsrider.net/viewtopic.php?p=3434#3434

to get the idea straight.

**edit**