Do you need really need to get your enduro suspension revalved and tuned on your dirt
bike?
For some of us... maybe.
But many of us, probably not.
Our local suspension tuners sometimes refuse to do suspension tuning.
A guy will come in with brand new motorbike and insist on having his suspension revalved.
And the suspension tuners say "no".
"We know this bike already has great suspension that will suit your weight.
You are wasting your money".
And sometimes the rider just goes to another suspension tuner that will take his money
and waste it on an enduro suspension setup instead.
The second thing they say is "Have you set the suspension sag?
And played with the damping settings yet?"
And when the guy says "no"
they say "Go and do that first!
If you still don't like the suspension, then come back and we'll talk".
Sometimes the riders have more money than brains for enduro suspension tuning.
"Here is $6000.
Fix my Yamaha with Ohlins forks and rear shock".
And our suspension tuners will often say
"No!
The stock KYB SSS suspension is already so good there will be minimal improvement for
$6000".
So do I really need to revalve my dirt bike suspension?
In most cases, modern dirt bikes won't need enduro suspension mods.
Or at least it will be better than our riding will ever be.
When Graham Jarvis came to Australia, I asked him what dirt bike suspension tuning mods
he made when he gets his loan bike in each country.
None.
I asked Ruben Chadwick what suspension changes he makes to his bikes when racing...
or a dirt riding suspension setup.
None.
I asked Tim Coleman about his suspension revalves.
None.
But what about playing with the clickers at least?
No.
Sometimes enduro suspension tuning can help.
But in most cases it is much better to spend our money on fuel, riding the motorbike, and
working on our technique.
Why?
Because it's usually 80% rider and only 20% bike when it comes to suspension tuning.
The biggest improvements with enduro suspension setup always come from developing your technique....
along with small potential improvements from your bike setup, tyre choice and suspension.
For example, stand up instead of sitting down before you get a enduro suspension revalve.
You automatically get an extra 30cm of suspension through your legs.
Learn the correct body positioning and shake that ass instead of dirt bike suspension mods.
If you don't move your body, you are just a dead lump of meat slowing the bike down.
Learn to work with the bike and move around on it instead of dirt bike suspension changes.
Enduro riding does not have to be an expensive sport when it comes to enduro suspension setup.
Don't fall for the stupid marketing that says you will be a hero if you buy the latest motorbike
model, a certain brand of knobbies, or engine oil infused with the body fluids of Graham
Jarvis.
Focus on your riding technique first, then on things like a dirt bike suspension revalve
or billet alloy gas caps.
The Traction eRag billet alloy gas cap.
A guaranteed extra 45% horsepower and faster lap times.
Only $2400 for enduro suspension tuning, you dirt muppet.
Before spending money on suspension mods you, get to know the motorbike first and see if
you really need to change anything.
The DR650 has truly terrible suspension, but I still rode on the stock suspension for four
months before getting suspension tuning.
Ditto for my Beta Xtrainer.
It's way too soft and undersprung for my weight, but I spent six months riding it standard
before I eventually had a suspension revalve.
Next, set the rider sag and play around with the damping settings.
And very importantly, if your forks feel harsh remember to try bleeding the air pressure
first.
This basic maintenance could save you a fortune in needless suspension tuning.
Remember too much air pressure in your tyres can cause a harsh ride too.
Still not happy?
Google around and see if there are budget mods that could suit you.
Sometimes just a change to heavier fork or shock oil might do the trick.
If you really think you could benefit from revalving your suspension, see if you can
delay this until your first suspension service.
This is usually around the 50 hour mark, and once they've pulled your suspension apart
for servicing it probably won't cost much more to have the revalving done then.
And finally lets look at some cases where it probably is a good idea to get your suspension
tuned.
Usually your modern enduro motorbike is set up for riders weighing about 80kg to 85kg.
If you are much heavier than this, then you could probably benefit from heavier springs
as you become a better rider and get faster.
You may find the stock valving is okay, it will depend on how hard you are pushing the
bike.
Discuss this with your suspension tuner.
You may have a bike with terrible suspension.
It could be a very old model, or perhaps it's a new bike like the DRZ400 which hasn't had
any suspension mods for 20 years.
If you are an inexperienced rider, suspension tuning probably won't matter.
But as your skills develop, you may find the stock setup becomes dangerous as you push
the bike harder.
Very occasionally a modern bike will have bad suspension...
the 4CS forks on KTMs and Husqvarnas a few years back come to mind.
Also you might have a bike with suspension that doesn't suit your style of riding.
For example you might be adapting a motocross motorbike for enduro use and the suspension
is too harsh.
Or you might buy a bike like the Beta Xtrainer but then want to ride it more aggressively
than it was designed for.
Or you have a secondhand motorbike that was set up for someone much lighter or heavier
than you.
And maybe you are just a really really good rider.
Your technique is now so good that it's time to fine tune your suspension for a small gain
in performance.
But of course if you are that good you aren't watching crappy vids like this.
And just a final note.
You might hear stories about how Joe Bloggs had his suspension tuned on his 2020 model
eurotrash, and now he's so much faster and the bike is so much smoother and more in control.
Is this true?
Maybe.
But just remember there's something called 'investment bias' in psychology.
When you have spent so much money on something, you can actively fool yourself into thinking
you've made a very wise investment when possibly it made little difference at all.
Maintain a healthy scepticism of everything you read and hear...
including this video.