The Next Level In Performance...
First Let me start off by saying you will get a lot of different opinions from a lot of different people, I never debate anything with anyone so please don't email me saying "I disagree" or "why wouldn't this other way work". Now with that said... I get a lot questions about suspension, So I decided to make a few pages explaining the basics about suspension so that people can get more educated on what to expect when having their suspension done. Now let me explain what I mean about the basics... There are countless YouTube Video's on how to change fork seals, do shock services, etc. When I say basics, I mean basics in getting Top Level Suspension. There are literally hundreds of suspension companies that can re-valve or service you suspension, unfortunately most people are unhappy with the what they get back from these companies. The reason for this is very simple, these companies provide generic services and most are under equipped to do advanced work. Even some of the big name companies fall short when it comes to performance. I will attempt to explain some of the basics of getting Top Level Suspension and some of the common misconceptions that lead to bad working suspension... Over the next few months, check back regularly as I will be adding stuff Weekly to the suspension section.
On The left side of this page are buttons that link to different sections, I suggest you read then in order because it is easier to understand everything that way- I have also listed them in order of importance. I CAN NOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT THE RIGHT SPRING RATES ARE- do not use these spring rate calculators that are on different suspension companies websites, they are all wrong!
I recommend SDi for purchasing Suspension Parts... www.suspensiondirect.com Tell them we send you and they should be able to help you out.
Suspension is not nearly as complicated as everyone makes it out to be, most of it is very basic and with a little reading anyone that is somewhat mechanically inclined can grasp it. There are no "magic" settings or "tricks" that suspension companies can do that make them so much better then everyone else. Don't fall for the Con-Men out there trying to charge you big bucks for really not much at all- 95% of them only "Shim Shuffle". The more educated about how suspension works, the better prepared you are when dealing with shops and tuners. You can weed out the crap from the good if you are educated about what is going on. My hopes after you read everything I put on here about suspension, is that you can go to your local suspension tuner and either get what you want or recognize a bullshitter trying to get your money. Remember the best suspension you know is the best suspension you have ridden on- that doesn't mean it was even any good, it just means you haven't tried anything better yet.
This Page Has Been Visited-
The Real Deal About Suspension Explained
Air Fork To Spring Conversion