Question for the TT gods.

[thumpinsx]

I took MXA's advice and ran 4.9 springs and set the oil level to 375cc in the forks of my 2006 CRF450R. Their reasoning is the stiffer springs help keep the bike up in its stroke over the small chop and such and the lower oil level makes it plusher. My question is would changing the ICS springs from the stock 2.1 to 1.96 further improve the initial plushness or would it just screw everything up. I weigh about 195 w/o gear and ride at a vet novice level on tracks in the socal area.

[MRW]

I took MXA's advice and ran 4.9 springs and set the oil level to 375cc in the forks of my 2006 CRF450R. Their reasoning is the stiffer springs help keep the bike up in its stroke over the small chop and such and the lower oil level makes it plusher. My question is would changing the ICS springs from the stock 2.1 to 1.96 further improve the initial plushness or would it just screw everything up. I weigh about 195 w/o gear and ride at a vet novice level on tracks in the socal area.

Save ye money and just remove (4) of the 30mm x .10 face shims from your Base Valve stacks:ride: You are much plusher now my son:ride:

[frezno]

i'd start with 350cc of oil and if you really want to change the ICS take the 1.76 kg/mm spring

[rks1]

The stock .47kg fork springs are fine for your weight. If you want to hold the bike up in the stroke, that's a mid-valve issue that can only be adressed through a revalve.

If you go with lighter pressure springs now, that'll be just like putting the stock springs back in your forks. Now you've purchased two sets of springs that you didn't need..........

[harrperf]

I think mxa has steered him wrong I also don't think he needs any stiffer in the mid

Keep lowering the oil height as suggested and I agree the base shims would be a help

[harrperf]

Last vet novice maybe vet b I did I used .50 fork springs low oil height and slightly softer mid and base

This is on kyb but same weight as you and the principles apply

The springs really help imho with hard braking along with jump stability up the faces on set ups not valved stiff especially in the mid

[rks1]

<sigh>.....spring for weight, valve for conditions!

You don't use springs to hold the forks up in the stroke. That's MXA's aproach and it's wrong. I had guys who weigh 165# calling and saying they wanted .49kg springs because MXA told them it worked. I love the MXA guys, but that was rubbish.

Adjusting the float value in the mid-valve will help hold the bike up in the stroke. If you try to do the same by altering only the basevalve, you end up with a harsh fork (ala stock KTM). Same result by trying to add spring rate.

[harrperf]

If you valve soft for rider you can not get enough low speed at times

It's not cut and dry to pick a spring rate and valving why do top pros run more front spring rate than they should?

It's the whole system and what you want out of it not to mention going up one or two rates on spring rate is a small difference in first couple inches of force

Anyways I agree with much but not all in this guys case your prob right he would have been better in his diy sense with stock springs and lower oil height as it's prob too stiff

[mog]

if the ics is just like changing the main springs, thats ok as its cheaper than a main spring by a good amount.

[rks1]

It's not cut and dry to pick a spring rate and valving why do top pros run more front spring rate than they should?

It's the whole system

But it is cut and dry to pick one spring rate. We all live under the same conditions of gravity, right? It's our own mass that makes the difference. Why do pro's use more spring rate in the fork than they should? Maybe because they're pros and that's what they want? I don't know, but it doesn't matter in this case.

You are correct - it's the whole system. You guys are finally catching on to the MXT philosophy! You don't just shuffle some compression shims and call it a day. You have to approach the whole system as a unit. Glad someone's been listening.

[harrperf]

But it is cut and dry to pick one spring rate. We all live under the same conditions of gravity, right? It's our own mass that makes the difference. Why do pro's use more spring rate in the fork than they should? Maybe because they're pros and that's what they want? I don't know, but it doesn't matter in this case.

You are correct - it's the whole system. You guys are finally catching on to the MXT philosophy! You don't just shuffle some compression shims and call it a day. You have to approach the whole system as a unit. Glad someone's been listening.

Not sure I'll call it a philosophy that's exclusive to one company or individual...but if your the first to think so then good on you:)

I don't feel one spring weight matches one rider weight or even bike

Certain riders need more than guideline others less and when you really get picky some prefer it for chassis attitude and corner feel

As I commented to help with softer valving in low speed situations stiffer springs are good it's all force at the end of the day be it spring force or damping force

All hydraulic damping with any bleed struggles at low shaft speed it's force is V dependent of course you know this but I guess it's pointless