The Value Of Correct Setup

Hi Bergers,

As noted elsewhere, I hosted a suspension setup and tuning weekend with my mate and suspension genius Frank Pons at home this weekend. We did 8 bikes this weekend, including 3 Bergs, a 450, 550 and 650.

Joe had had his 06 550 for a few months and not ridden it much, about 15 hours, and was getting back into dirt bikes when he got it. Price was right and he'd heard good things. He wasn't sure whether it was him, or the bike, but after riding some mates bikes he was starting to wonder whether the 550 was really for him. Front and rear springs and valving later and he now can't believe how well it steers and tracks over the snot. He is now in love, grinning from ear to ear.

Don is on his second 650 after a few 525's. Loves the power and is a big guy who rides well and hard. It was his previous 05 650 that I rode that caused me to get my 07 650. He's now on a 06 650 as he likes to get a new bike every year, gets a good deal on a run out and reckons its the way to go. He loves his 650s and does everything with them, races MX, flattrack, enduro, grasstrack and rides very hard on the trail. Has steel reinforced bones to prove it. He was a bit unsure as to the value of getting the work done, spending money, as the 650 was as good or better as anything he'd ever ridden. After new springs and valving he now has a bike that tracks and steers and floats over the snot, he's wrapt.

Young Tom is 15 and rides MX on an 04 KX250F. He was last of the 8 and after springs and valving cut 5 secs of his lap time off my 500m test track. He was finishing top 5/6, where now?

Moral, get your suspension sorted by someone who knows what they are doing. Lots of info here on the site and everyone should be able to get their sag right with the correct springs. Do it.

Steve

And I meant to mention that on Don's bike, although he didn't think he'd been bottoming out, the evidence on his shock told otherwise. When they bottom routinely the cap gets hammered into the shock body, belling it out and eventually destroying it, expensive. Get the right spring. Bottoming is masked by the big rubber on the shaft.

Steve

Good stuff Steve, sounds like it all went very well for all. I must admit it was my ride on your bike that finally convinced me to get my suspension done. I plan to have the whole package done on my bike this coming Saturday at our Bathurst DSMRA suspension workshop with none other than the legendary Frank Pons. I can't wait !!! He is a busy man at the moment, but I suspect he gets great satisfaction from seeing the grin on customers faces when they return from the test ride.
Cheers
Garry

steve

you dark horse you!

keep it to yourself whydonchya!

regards

Taffy

And, I might add, based on your comments here........

There is no need for special gold valves, bladders etc.

Just the right springs set to the right pre load,the correct valving stack, and correct oil height in the forks, to suit your weight, type of riding, and the difference is amazing. Also, of great importance is changing the oil in your suspension regularly. What is Mr. Pons advice on oil change intervals? My suspension guy suggests every 30 to 40 hours.

Your friend with KX250F performance I'm sure will continue to improve as his confidence in the handling increases.

The trick as you mentioned, is finding someone who knows their stuff and not some hatchet wielding knuckle dragger.

It sounds as though you have found a great suspension man in MR. Pons.

Keep what to myself Taff?

DaleEO,

On these weekends that I do with Frank, over the last 5/6 years, we've now done about 170+ bikes. I've lost count. In that time he's fitted 2 Gold Valve kits, a KX80 and a KLX250. The KLX still needs work and its Frank's personal bike...... He's also done my road bike, 94 ZX9R, and due to its limitations he adapted Ohlins internals to the forks and scrapped the EMC shock I had and rebuilt the original rear with WP internals and a KYB hydraulic preload adjuster with outstanding results. I've also got a differnt link and swingarm, but that another story.

Most modern suspensions don't need replacement valves or bladders, they are mostly supplied by those that sell them, because that is how they make money. One of the reasons I continue to facilitate these workshops is because Frank does the most with the least, his objective is to charge you as little a spossible to get it as good as he can.

As you say "Just the right springs set to the right pre load,the correct valving stack, and correct oil height in the forks, to suit your weight, type of riding, and the difference is amazing. Also, of great importance is changing the oil in your suspension regularly. "

I believe that Frank wouldn't disagree with 30/40 hours for oil changes. Its depends a bit on the type of use and the terain, how hard does the oil work and how much dirt gets past the seals. On average, say 30 hours for forks, and perhaps 100 for a shock. This also depends on the oil you use. Frank likes Motorex and Motul. There are a lot of 'name' brands that in his view are crap, he sees the evidence. He currently likes Motul full synthetic for shocks, but at about $70 per litre retail in Oz its not really for forks for everyone.

The other key point that comes out time after time is that sending suspension away and then putting it back in upon return and riding without final clicker adjustment also results in a less than ideal outcome. You need a test track and soemone to assist by looking at what the bike is doing and interpreting that into adjustment. Most can't do it by feel alone, although I think Im getting there. I like to get someone to ride my bike so I can watch occasionaly to see how my saddle feel has worked. The guides in the doc are useful here too, supplied originally by Frank. Don't be afraid to try things, but document what you do and be able to get back to a base setting if it goes wrong.

Like you said "The trick as you mentioned, is finding someone who knows their stuff and not some hatchet wielding knuckle dragger. "

Steve

Hi Steve,

Sounds like Frank is a right on guy. My suspension guy operates about the same, doing the most for the least so to speak.

I have been using Steve Searcy at Clean Racing for 6 years now and am very happy with his work. On my 01 501, I think I made one click adjustment to the compression and one or two rebound on the shock. On the forks which I fitted the updated 02 internals, it was about the same with the clickers. On my 04 550E I tried a few different clicker adjustments to the shock but ended up where he had set it originally. On the forks I went two clicks softer on the compression and that was about it for the majority of my riding.

I will use the ciickers to soften the suspension if I am doing tight woods riding like I do in the summer up in the mountains. We ride up there cause it's pretty hot down in the desert.

What I have always found amazing is that when I get my stuff back from him on the initial re-spring/valve is the the preload is spot on. 33mm of free sag and about 110 with me on it. I have played with the sag setting as well, but, always keep coming back to his original setting, as it works the best.

I agree that the forks will probably go longer than the shock due the fact that they don't get so hot. And again, you are right it depends on how much contamination the oil gets. However, for myself, and I dont' know what kind of oil Steve uses, most of the time the oil is due at 40 hours on the shock, so I get the forks done at the same time. I'm not the fastest guy out there, but, I do move right along and the shock gets pretty darn hot most of the time.

You guys are lucky you have Frank as there are a lot of people, with high degree's of notarity mind you, that just jack your suspension up. My rule of thumb is that if the bike is giving me blisters then something is wrong. This happened with a friend of mine recently that went to a well known, and highly praised (by the mags) suspension tuner when he bought his new 450KTM MXC, mainly b/c this "other guy" was a lot closer than Steve Searcy.

Long story short, after a particularly grueling desert race he had bandages on his hands after the race. He asked me for some help loading his bike, I went over to push his bike up to his truck and as I reached for the grips I noticed there was BLOOD on the grips!!!!!!!! It took him like 3 weeks for his hands to heal completely. Again, long story short, he finally ate some crow and went back to Steve to get his stuff done up right. Guess what, no more blisters!

Regards,

Blisters. When the forks in particular are working properly you don't need to hang on too tight and the whole experience is so much simpler and more enjoyable. Being old and not as fit as I once was, good/great suspension can be a real advantage. It means that I can ride all day when others wilt. They think its me, but I know its the bike being so easy to ride, a contolloble, linear power curve, a Berg speciality, and in particular a dialled suspension.

Once again, get the springs right, the sags will tell you what you need, and get the valving set to suit your riding style/talent and terrain. Standard Berg valving for rocky terrain is too harsh in the initial compression and then not enough whereas the rebound is generally not too far out.

Frank never ceases to amaze me how he can open up any sort of shock or fork and immediately spot an opportunity for improvement. Spread out perhaps as many as 40 shims that come out and then pick and choose a stack by adding and subtracting from his kit and reordering and then reassembling. I guess its called EXPERIENCE, but its experience thats also involved continous learning along the way. Frank tells me he first learnt about valve stacks from Jeff Fox who came out with his Fox Shox in the 70s before deciding that there was more money in apparel.

Its also interesting when he pulls a suspension down done by someone else and points out what went wrong, and its also not uncommon to pull apart virgin suspension to find that shims are missing. There were a couple of shims missing from one fork leg in the 450 Berg the other day for example. My brother had his XR400 done by an XR guru just before I met Frank. His shock proved to have a completely collapsed bladder due to poor assembly, and on it goes.

I had a few goes at revalving my 501 forks years ago before decding that I wasn't prepared to put the time into getting it right. 4, or 5 goes yielded change, often substantial, but not always good, for seemingly subtle shim changes. Soemthing of a cop out, but like most I have to prioritise my time. Fortunately, after one or two dead ends with other tuners, I met up with Frank.

Steve