The standard suspension that comes on MX bikes from the factory these days, as a rule, is fantastic. Take a look at the junk your father grew up on and those vintage bikes guys still race with practically no travel. With a little to no effort you can make today’s suspension work for you right out of the box. Most riders can make do quite nicely simply adjusting the sag properly and fooling with the clickers here and there depending on the conditions they are riding in. Some riders might be required to change spring rates to accommodate the spare tire they have acquired through the years to get things just right. Or others who are on the other side of the spectrum may need lighter springs.

Whatever the case, your suspension is integral to your ability to make your way smoothly over an obstacle. It is vital to set up your suspension properly from day one. It’s not that difficult. Don’t simply trust the settings from the factory or the dude you bought the bike from. Experiment with the clickers, trying one section at a time at a time to see how it affects the handling. As a rule, you should adjust your sag every time you adjust your chain. Incorrect sag is the number one reason for handling issues.

What happens if you have done these things and you still are not satisfied? What if you have adjusted the compression damping to a softer setting on the fork and shock and it still feels harsh? But now you have issues with the fork bottoming! What is the solution? Send your parts off to some suspension shop? It is a viable solution. But, unless you want to pay for express shipping, be prepared to be off the bike for a good while. UPS ground is usually 5 days one way plus 5 days back, turn around at a suspension shop could also be 5 days. Sounds like 3 weeks to me.

There is another option, one that doesn’t require you to intern with a suspension specialist to learn the subtleties of suspension tuning. You can call Race Tech and order their Gold Valve Kit for your fork and shock.

Continued