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2012 link or not to link?

By capdoogie,
in CRF450R/RS/RWE & RX

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jasonpearee

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Has anyone tried to put on an aftermarket linkage. MX only. I know my 2012 has a little longer link than the 2011's but not as long as ride engineering or other after market companies. Or maybe even the entire system like rg3. Thoughts?

From what I've been told the 12's do not need an aftermarket linkage, plus they also said the aftermarket linkages are garbage... I'm going to take mine off my 09 here soon and put and internatl 2mm spacer inside the shock that helps out like the aftermarket linkage does without losing the travel...?

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Shawn_Mc

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From what I've been told the 12's do not need an aftermarket linkage, plus they also said the aftermarket linkages are garbage... I'm going to take mine off my 09 here soon and put and internatl 2mm spacer inside the shock that helps out like the aftermarket linkage does without losing the travel...?

To not loose the travel you'll need to shorten the bumper, but make sure youve got enough in the shock for that to work.

2mm in the shock totals about 8-9mm at the rear wheel.

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capdoogie

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yeah, maybe to early to tell. I thought Honda lowered the bike about 2mm with there new link from the 09 thru 11's. But the aftermarket links lower the rear a total of aprox 8mm, 6mm more. This is were I thought the factory Honda riders bikes are about, at 8mm. But maybe not.

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Shawn_Mc

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yeah, maybe to early to tell. I thought Honda lowered the bike about 2mm with there new link from the 09 thru 11's. But the aftermarket links lower the rear a total of aprox 8mm, 6mm more. This is were I thought the factory Honda riders bikes are about, at 8mm. But maybe not.

The do/are, they just do it at the dog bones though instead of shortening the shock 2mm.

Hell, the factories probably got completely different links and shocks...so what they actually do is probably different from rider to rider depending on what he wants.

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jasonpearee

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To not loose the travel you'll need to shorten the bumper, but make sure youve got enough in the shock for that to work.

2mm in the shock totals about 8-9mm at the rear wheel.

Well it's a 2mm spacer that goes on top of the seal head from what I understand that is made and tested by Race Tech. One of my sponsors who went to the week long suspension school at Race Tech was told by Paul who's the owner of Race Tech that's the proper way of doing it, and that's why Race Tech does not make a linkage arm. He did say your right and that it changes at the rear wheel but only by about 4mm to 5mm not 8 or 9. He's changed his and says it's definitely better in the fact that his rear wheel doesn't rub under the rear fender so bad anymore, which is what Paul calls (Parking) which he says is associated from putting the link arm on...

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flip N stitch

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I took my p/c link off my 09 & put it on my 012. I was told by the guys up at independent race shop that was the thing to do. the links are the same from 09 thru 012 it's the knuckle they changed. Yes it was an improvement in overall handling & turning, not a big change but a noticeable one. but now that i got 20 hrs on my bike and the suspension is well broken in i'm finding the stock springs on the soft side for me. I just ordered heavier front & rear springs & will put put them in this weekend.

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Shawn_Mc

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Well it's a 2mm spacer that goes on top of the seal head from what I understand that is made and tested by Race Tech. One of my sponsors who went to the week long suspension school at Race Tech was told by Paul who's the owner of Race Tech that's the proper way of doing it, and that's why Race Tech does not make a linkage arm. He did say your right and that it changes at the rear wheel but only by about 4mm to 5mm not 8 or 9. He's changed his and says it's definitely better in the fact that his rear wheel doesn't rub under the rear fender so bad anymore, which is what Paul calls (Parking) which he says is associated from putting the link arm on...

So he's shortening the travel of the shock, not shortening the shock? What the point other than stopping the black mark under the fender?

Normally when you put a spacer on/in the shock of those bikes youre putting it in-between the piston and the seal head (on top of the top out spring) to shorten the shock and lower the back of the bike.

Putting it on top would just shorten the shock travel and not lower the rear of the bike (the goal is to add some slack to the chassis geo in doing this to cure the twitchiness)

Putting it on top of the seal head like that I dont see how it could impact the rear height at all...

Im not saying John is wrong...I just dont understand what he's trying to do there.

You could cure the black mark under the fender with a stiffer or longer bumper too.

I know what its like to have the wheels skid under there on a big hit landing...if your body position isnt perfect its easy to end up with your belly across the bars, kissing the front fender. I was messing around with fork height back in 04 and got the front wheel heavily into the fender one day when I over jumped the big table at Elsinore. Not good. Didnt even finish the lap...went straight back and pulled those suckers back down...?

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Shawn_Mc

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flip n stitch, What sag r you running and did you change your clicker much when you added the link?

If you buy the link, leave the clicker settings where they were. Otherwise you wont know where the hell you actually are.

Adjust the clickers after riding it with the link installed. When you change those dog bones, you're changing where the rising rate is and that changes how the shock will feel in addition to the chassis feel and how that's related to the sag. Unfortunately, setting up the chassis requires a lot of thought?

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jasonpearee

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So he's shortening the travel of the shock, not shortening the shock? What the point other than stopping the black mark under the fender?

Normally when you put a spacer on/in the shock of those bikes youre putting it in-between the piston and the seal head (on top of the top out spring) to shorten the shock and lower the back of the bike.

Putting it on top would just shorten the shock travel and not lower the rear of the bike (the goal is to add some slack to the chassis geo in doing this to cure the twitchiness)

Putting it on top of the seal head like that I dont see how it could impact the rear height at all...

Im not saying John is wrong...I just dont understand what he's trying to do there.

You could cure the black mark under the fender with a stiffer or longer bumper too.

I know what its like to have the wheels skid under there on a big hit landing...if your body position isnt perfect its easy to end up with your belly across the bars, kissing the front fender. I was messing around with fork height back in 04 and got the front wheel heavily into the fender one day when I over jumped the big table at Elsinore. Not good. Didnt even finish the lap...went straight back and pulled those suckers back down... ?

That's probably it then, about the spacer in between the seal head and piston... I'm guessing I worded it incorrectly since he was explaining it to me on why Race Tech does it like that...??

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Shawn_Mc

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That's probably it then, about the spacer in between the seal head and piston... I'm guessing I worded it incorrectly since he was explaining it to me on why Race Tech does it like that...??

ya know what...

If youre looking at the shock shaft and building the shock, the seal head is the first thing there, then you'd put the spacer, then the rest...

So the way John told you may be the way he was looking at it. From a build up perspective. As opposed to the way I was thinking about it, shock body down, instead of up...

I probably got it wrong ?

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