Bought a bike that the owner said had the suspension done, what can this mean?

[HairyTrails]

So the last owner said the owner before him had the suspension done for his weight etc he was apparently very tall and over 90kg’s. The front forks had suspension stickers on them. I’m 5’10 75kgs and riding this crf250r the suspension can be uncomfortably firm in the Bush. 

 

What can can this Mean? I had the fork seals done recently and the mechanic said the springs looked stock btw 

[Chicken-N-Waffles]

So the last owner said the owner before him had the suspension done for his weight etc he was apparently very tall and over 90kg’s. The front forks had suspension stickers on them. I’m 5’10 75kgs and riding this crf250r the suspension can be uncomfortably firm in the Bush. 
 
What can can this Mean? I had the fork seals done recently and the mechanic said the springs looked stock btw 

What's your sag? Stock springs might be fine at your weight. Was it revalved for bush use? Stock valving will be harsh offroad, its an MX bike.

[HairyTrails]

36 minutes ago, HevyRotashunz said:

41 minutes ago, HairyTrails said:

So the last owner said the owner before him had the suspension done for his weight etc he was apparently very tall and over 90kg’s. The front forks had suspension stickers on them. I’m 5’10 75kgs and riding this crf250r the suspension can be uncomfortably firm in the Bush. 
 
What can can this Mean? I had the fork seals done recently and the mechanic said the springs looked stock btw 

What's your sag? Stock springs might be fine at your weight. Was it revalved for bush use? Stock valving will be harsh offroad, its an MX bike.

That’s what I’m not sure of if it was revalved, I set my sag to around 115-120mm I wanted to be flat foot but I’m thinking I might change it back to recommend level people were telling me you can adversely effect the handling with sag like that 

[LIL-B227]

Not 100% sure what sag should be for that year CRF250 but I had an 05 years ago and it wanted 105mm (100-110) is a rough norm.  115-120mm seems WAY LOW.  If your race sag is 115-120mm, what is your free sag?  Ideally you want approx 25-40mm free sag if your race sag is set accordingly 

Good indication if it has been revalved is too look at the compression assy nut and shaft and look to see if the end has been filed at all.  Those usually come with the nut Peened so the only way to get the nut off to gain access to the Valving is to grind or file the nut/shaft peening so you can free the nut on the threads.  Your "good" shops will do it in a way that is really clean and efficient but you can still tell if it has been done vs one that is totally stock.  If you decide to take it apart snap a pic and lets have a look.  Now the only TRUE way to tell if it has been revalved would be to measure all the shims in the stack and compare to a stock valve stack if you can find one listed.  Unfortunately its easy for someone to just slap a sticker on a set of forks so you never really know until you get in there and have a look.  But like Hevy said MX suspension will feel stiff in the woods, totally different setup required.

Edited November 28, 2018 by LIL-B227

[Chicken-N-Waffles]

Not 100% sure what sag should be for that year CRF250 but I had an 05 years ago and it wanted 105mm (100-110) is a rough norm.  115-120mm seems WAY LOW.  If your race sag is 115-120mm, what is your free sag?  Ideally you want approx 25-40mm free sag if your race sag is set accordingly 
Good indication if it has been revalved is too look at the compression assy nut and shaft and look to see if the end has been filed at all.  Those usually come with the nut Peened so the only way to get the nut off to gain access to the Valving is to grind or file the nut/shaft peening so you can free the nut on the threads.  Your "good" shops will do it in a way that is really clean and efficient but you can still tell if it has been done vs one that is totally stock.  If you decide to take it apart snap a pic and lets have a look.  Now the only TRUE way to tell if it has been revalved would be to measure all the shims in the stack and compare to a stock valve stack if you can find one listed.  Unfortunately its easy for someone to just slap a sticker on a set of forks so you never really know until you get in there and have a look.  But like Hevy said MX suspension will feel stiff in the woods, totally different setup required.

Excellent information!

[numroe]

On 11/29/2018 at 8:22 AM, HairyTrails said:

So the last owner said the owner before him had the suspension done for his weight etc he was apparently very tall and over 90kg’s. The front forks had suspension stickers on them. I’m 5’10 75kgs and riding this crf250r the suspension can be uncomfortably firm in the Bush. 

What can can this Mean? I had the fork seals done recently and the mechanic said the springs looked stock btw 

If the 90kg guy rode MX, then it means you need to set it up for the bush.  Doesn't matter what was done, the valving and/or spring rate will be wrong. If he did off road stuff then maybe the valving is usable for you and you need a softer spring.  It's easy to self check your spring. As the other guys already said, set your rider sag to 105mm then measure your static sag (bike weight only)    If the static sag is > 40mm then your spring is too stiff.  If < 25mm it's too softer.   Within that range and you are fine tuning.

The massive sag you are using could make the rear feel harsh too. So far down in the stroke and the suspension will firm up too soon on most bumps.  I like LIL's advice to stay in the 100 to 110 range.  If you want to lower the bike a little and keep the shock working properly then hunt around for a lowering link (pull rod). Just a couple of mm longer might be what you like.  Then lower the front by sliding the forks up.  The bike's balance for stability and turning can be very sensitive and make a big difference to the fun factor so play around with front to rear heights a bit.

[Boertmann84]

It means nothing without the stack details, float, spring rate etc. call him and get the info to the shop he used and call them to see if they have the data

[mxaniac]

Uhm.... isn't weight in Newtons? 🙂

[Terry Hay]

A lot of the latest 250 MX bikes are coming out with fairly heavy springs (.48 kg/mm) I am not surprised that the stock springs are still in there for a 90 kg rider. You should look at a lighter spring for your weight. It will also be a good thing for trail use.

If the valving has been altered then I would certainly look at adapting it for your requirements as well. This will help you get the most enjoyment out of each ride.