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Race Tech's
Motorcycle Suspension Bible

• Suspension Tuning, Repair, and Maintenance

• Designing Custom Suspension Systems
• Modifying and Upgrading Stock Suspension
• Tuning Components for Your Riding Style
• All Motorcycles: Dirt, Street, and Track
Race Tech's Motorcycle
Suspension Bible

Paul Thede and Lee Parks

n__,__.
 Dedication
T his book is dedicared to those wirh an o pen mind and a thirst fo r knowledge .
Fo r rhe enrhusiast who wanes co go fas rer or smoorher o r safer o r all of the above.

Firsr published in 20 I 0 by Moro rboo ks, an imprint o f MBI About th e authors

Publishing Company, 400 First Avenue No reh , Suire 300, Paul Thede is widely considered mo ro rcycling's preemi nenr
Minneapo lis, MN 554 0 I USA suspensio n guru. H e is rhe owner and chief engineer of Race
Tech , rhe largesr mororcycle suspension modifier in rhe
Copyrighr © 2 0 I 0 b y Paul T hede and Lee Parks world. Paul lives in Coro na, Cali fo rn ia.

All righrs reserved . Wi rh rhe exceprion o f quo ring brief Lee Parks is rhe besr-selling au rho r o f Total Control. Based
passages fo r rhe purposes o f review, no pare o f ch is o n his inrernario na lly renowned Tora! Conrro l Advanced
publicario n may be reproduced wirhour prior wrirren Riding Clinics, Total Control is considered by many co be
permissio n fro m rhe Publisher. rhe riding skills bible. Parks lives in Apple Valley, California.

T he informario n in chis book is rrue and complere co

rhe besr o f o ur knowledge . All reco mmendario ns are
made wirhou r any guaranree o n rhe pare o f rhe aurho r
o r Publisher, who a lso disclaim any liabili ry incurred in
connecrio n wirh rhe use of chis dara o r speci fi c d erai ls.

"Race Tech," "Gold Valve," "Emulacor," and ocher rrademarked

Race Tech products used by permission of Race Tech.

We recognize, further, that some words, model names,

and d esignario ns menrioned herein are rhe p roperry o f the
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o nly. This is nor an official publicario n .

Mororboo ks rides are also ava ilable at d iscounrs in bulk

q uanri ry for indusrrial or sales-p romo tio nal use. For d erails
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400 Firsr Avenue N o rrh, Suire 30 0, Minneapolis, MN
554 0 1 USA.

To fi nd o ur mo re abo ur our books, jo in us o nline ar

www.mo ro rboo ks.com.

ISBN-1 3: 978-0-760 3-3 140-8

Presidenr/CEO: Ke n Fund
Publisher: Zack Miller
Senio r Ediror: Darwin H o lmsrrom
Edicor: Perer Bod ensreiner
C rea rive Direcro r: Michele Lanci-Alro mare
Design M anagers: Brad Springer, Jo n Simpson, James Kegley
D es igner: Danielle Smith

Prinred in Ch ina
Contents
Author's Notes . .. . . ........... . .. . .... •. . . .. .. . .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. .. . . .. . .. . .. . 4

CHAPTER 1 Suspension Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

CHAPTER 2 Springs .. .. .... . ..... . ....... . .. .. . . .. ... ..... . ..... . .. 9

CHAPTER 3 Damping . . . ... ... ..... . .... .. .. . .... . .. . ........ . .. . . . 26

CHAPTER 4 Friction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

CHAPTER 5 Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

CHAPTER 6 Troubleshooting and Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

CHAPTER 7 Tools and Equipment for Suspension Service ......... . .. . . .108

CHAPTER 8 Suspension Service Department ... . ................ . .. . . .113

Appendix 1: Lowering .... . ........ . . ...•. . .. ............. . .. .. .. . ......... 238

Appendix 2: Swingarm Length . .. . .. .. . . . • ... . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . .. .. 239

Appendix 3: Glossary .... . . .. .......... .•.. . ..... .. . .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . 240

Appendix 4: Race Tech Motorcycle Suspension Bible Testing Log .. . . .. .. . .. . .. . .. 248

Appendix 5: Race Tech Tool List .. . .. .. . . . • ... . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 250

Appendix 6: Resources .. . .. . .. . ........•. . . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . . . . . . .. 252

Index . ..... . .. . .. .... .. . .. .. . . .. . .. . . •. . . .. . .. .. . .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. .. . . .. .. 253

Authors' Notes
I first swung a leg over a mini bike at the age of 10 and
was hoo ked. My life instantly had directio n. I raced
professional mo tocross, stud ied hard in schoo l because I
wan ted to work in the industry, went to college and studied
harder, graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor of
science degree in mechanical engineering fro m Cali fo rnia
Polytechnic University in Po mona. I started a business with
partners buildi ng high- perfo rm ance motors and suspensio n
and then opened Race Tech in 1984.
I r d id n't rake long to realize I could drop lap times fa r
fas ter by setting up suspensio n than by bu ilding su perfast
moto rs. Somewhere in this rimeline I realized I wasn't going
to be the next natio nal cham p, and while I continued to
race, I really enjoyed helping others go fast and stay on th e
rubber side.
Back in the early 1990s, we tu med o u r attentio n to road
race and street bikes and were blown away with the results.
l invented the Gold Valve and the Go ld Valve Cartridge
Emulator back then and starred to produce products-
includ ing a line of suspensio n tools-chat wou ld help others
tune suspension. In 1994 I created the fi rst Technical Edge
Suspensio n Seminar and have taught more than 100 se m inars
and rhousands of srudenrs around rhe world.
T hrough the years I've had the privilege of working
with many top-level riders like Doug D ubach, Gary Dento n,
Mi ke Beier, Jeremy McGrath , Tallo n Vohland , Rodney
Smith, Ty Davis, Danny "Magoo" C handler, Jamie James,
James Rando lph, Tom Kipp, Lee Parks, Rich O liver, David
Antho n y, Micky Dymond, Darryl Arkins, Ben ny Ca rlson,
Josh Brooks, M ike Merzger, Jo rdan Szoke, Bo nneville legend
Paul Livingston, M ike and Jeff Alessi, Jake Weimer, Eric and
Be n Bostro m, Kerry Peterson a nd the Peterso n gang, Malcolm
a nd Alexander Sm ith, Brando n T hede (my six-year-old son),
a nd riders li ke you.
In the fo llowing pages, I pro m ise to avo id big words
as rhere is very little value in you being impressed with my
vocabulary. In some cases, you may want to read a sectio n mo re
4
than o nce, and in fac e, you may want to read the book many
times. I encourage you to use che fo rms available to d ownload
free on www.racerech .com. Refer to che Troubleshooting and
Testing chapter as you are testing, because ir ca n "jog the
marbles." Use o ur website to look up suggested spring races
and see what's available fo r your model. Feel free to co ntact
Race Tech and ask questio ns abou t your specific bike-we have
great tech nical support. Lastly, if you are really in trigued, rake
ad van tage of our suspensio n seminars-many of the wo rld's
top tuners have done just that.
Ir has been my experience over the years char much
of the information availab le o n suspensio n was hard to
understand, incom plete, o r contrad ictory. In fac t, much of
the most importan t information was sim ply no r o ut there
fo r public consum ptio n. For rhar reason, mosc people fi nd
suspensio n tuning a "mysterio us black arc." My goal is to help
yo u understand this challenging subject ar a higher level than
yo u do now. Be will ing to lea rn someth ing new, and keep
in m ind char there is always a "next level" of understanding
as well as suspensio n performance. T here's always room
fo r improvement. "The bes t you've ridden is the best
yo u know."
Ir is my opinio n thar almosr any bra nd of suspensio n
ca n be made to work well. T his depends mostly o n serup.
H owever the maxim um poten tial can be lim ited by its design.
I have immense respect for other suspensio n man ufacturers
and tu ners and my ho pe is that this book com plemen ts and
enhances rheir work too.
People with many different levels of interest and
u nderstanding will read this book. Perhaps you sim p ly
want a little clarity on a mysterious su bject, or maybe you
are reading this because yo ur kid races. O n the o ther hand,
you mig ht work o n suspensio n fo r a living (or you may
want to). If you want to become a great suspension ru ner,
you will need to be many thi ngs: a detective, a sa lesman, a
psychiatrist, a technicia n, and mosr of all, a student (l ike my
son Brandon).
Good luck and great rid ing.
- Paul Thede
Authors' Notes
T o understand the genesis o f the Race Techs Motorcycle
Suspension Bible is to peer into the minds of three
en thu siasts who love all things that go fas t and smell of ho t
o il: Paul T hede, Al Lapp, and myself.
Jn my first book, Total Contro4 it was my mission to
demystify the art of ad vanced riding- as part of that project,
l took the bold step of including two chap ters o n suspension
theory and setu p. I did this because so much of proper rid ing
techniq ue is about minimizing suspension movem ent so that
the lim ited amo un rofwheel travel remains available to maintain
traction . Ir seemed obvious then that part of the advanced riding
equatio n wou ld be to help riders ge t their suspensio n systems
set up properly. And , because I'm a big believer in teaching
people how to fish as opposed to simply givi ng them a fish,
we spend an entire ho u r on suspensio n in my Total Control
Advanced Riding clinics (www.totalcon trolrraining.net).
W hen consulting an expert to help design chis portio n o f
the clinic's curricu lum , there was really o nly o ne choice- Paul
T hede. Paul has forgotten more about suspension than mos t
people will ever know. His abili ty to make that knowledge
understandable in a real-world context is surpassed o nly by
his exhaustive understanding of mechanical en gineering.
My challenge was co cake a small piece of Paul's depch of
knowledge and creace a book that regular motorcyclists
would understand .
A true pio neer in motorcycle suspensio n, Paul shares his
knowledge in a most unselfish way. H e teaches many of his
most creasured secrets to those who attend his interna tio nally
acclaimed Race Tech Suspension Seminars (www.racetech.
com). T his means he has trained a huge majority of his future
customers as well as his co m petito rs. Ir's virtually impossible
to see a mo dern suspensio n com pan y in business today that
has no t been significandy inAuenced by him .
As a form er professio nal photograp her, l knew I'd have
no problem with the many how-to photos in the studio,
but there was o ne mo re critical part chat the book need ed-
technica l illustratio ns. For this mammo th task I needed
so meo ne with tremendous talen t- enter " Big Al" Lapp. Al
is a lo ngtime fr iend , racing buddy, and incredibly talented
illustrator. Fo rtunately he is also a big ti me gearhead , eq ually
at ho me at the con trols of a weld er o r lathe as he is with the
tablet o f his M ac. Al was ab le to make the words and ideas
come alive in ways o n ly someone who both understood and
loved the material cou ld.
Mark Kalan video taped Paul's six day seminar, which
was used as the basis fo r the book. Many people spent
cou ndess ho urs transcribing, w hirding down, and editing the
inform ation and p hotos into workab le-sized chu nks. l wou ld
like to thank Matt Wiley, Tracy M artin , Michael "Pilot"
Nelson, Rachel Westfall, Jim Barg, and Le nny Albin fo r their
sizeab le contribu tio ns to the project.
Finally, l hope that w hen you co mplete this treatise o n
suspension, you will no r so much be impressed wirh whar we
know, but be genuinely impressed with what yoi1 know. Too
m any autho rs of technical boo ks have forsa ken the average
reader in the ho pes of impressing their peers. W hi le I hope
that we can achieve both, we have gone to great lengths to
make chis materia l accessible to the layman as we ll as tho ught
provo king to the engineering elite. If we have fa iled at either
o ne, it was no t fo r a lack of effort.
- Lee Parks
5
Chapter 1
Suspension Basics
W hy do we need suspensio n anyway? After all , go karts
go precry darn fasc wichouc an y. The simple answer?
Bumps. (Well, ho les coo.)
Back in che begin ni ng, che wheel was revo lutio nary, bur
wood en wheels and solid axles didn't g ive che mosc com fo rcab le
ride. Spri ngs were added and char was muc h bener, bur che
wheels scill kind of bounced around a bic. Pneumatic cires
were a huge breakth rough in boch com fort and grip, bu r che
wheels scill bounced arou nd roo much. Nexc, che damper was
added ro contro l che oscillacio ns, and che modern suspended
system was born.
THE GOAL
If we were ro describe che ideal suspension, ic would have
max imum craccio n, minimal harshness (or maximum
plushness), contro lled bonoming, consistency (i c would nor
fad e), control che picch (fro nt-co-back movemen t) o f che bike,
have a proper "feel" fo r che road, and so o n. No re char so me
o f chese characceriscics are concradicrory-like m inimizing
harshness and resisring bo rrom ing-and you' ll see rhar we've
goc quire a challenge o n o ur hands.
T he basic goals of suspensio n are rhe sa me in every
vehicle, from a mororcycle ro a car ro a semi rruck. Of course,
we wouldn'r sec up a cru iser rhe same as a superbike, and
motorcycle
and rider
direction
of travel
• •
1.1 Without suspension the wheel is solidly attached to the chassis. When the wheel hits a bump, the chassis is displaced violently (it's harsh). It continues upward past the
crest of the bump. The wheel loses contact with the ground. When it comes back down, it bounces.
6
we wouldn't sec up a crail bike li ke a su percrosser, bur rhe
d escriptio n o f che perfect ride is che same-a bump is a bump
and craccion is craccion.
Lee's scare wich che d efin itio ns o f sprung and unsprung
mass. Sprung mass is che mass above che spring. This includes
che engine, mosc of che frame, che gas rank, sear, rider, and
so o n. T he unsprung mass is che mass char goes up a nd d ow n
wirh che wheel. This includes che wheels, ax les, lower slider
o n a telescop ic fork, brake caliper, pare of che swingarm, and
so on.
The rwo essential com ponents in ch e suspension-the
sp ring and che d amper-can cake many forms, bur chey
all have che essential job o f iso lating che sprung mass fro m
che ground.
In genera l, in che perfect world, che sprung mass sho uld
move along in a scra ighc line (or a s moo ch a rc around a
cum) , and che unsprung mass s hould move up and down,
fo llowing che ground. Ideally, when going over bumps,
che load berween che tire and che grou nd sho uld remain
co nstant, with the sa me load o n the up side as the d own side.
(O ne of che few exceptions to this is in supercross "whoop"
sectio ns where the fastest way across is ro get "on rop" of
che bumps and never lee che wheel dro p inro the low points
betwee n bumps.)
uncontrolled oscillation
causing loss of traction
severe loss of
traction on
back of bump
 T he techno logy required to create the perfect rid e is still
no t here (this is particularly true fo r m o to rcycles), b u t this is
the goa l.
Now fo r the m illio n-do llar q uestio n: how d o we
accomplish this? To begin , let's loo k at the forces involved
with suspen sio n . Certa inly there are ine rtial fo rces-bo th
linear and rotatio nal- but lee's focu s o n t he three main fo rces
in suspe nsio n com ponents: sp ri ng fo rces, d amping fo rces,
and frictio nal fo rces. Thar's it. T ha t's all there is. Suspens io n
is sim p le! Now b efo re you skip to th e en d of the book to see
how it rums out, let's take a close r loo k.
SPRING FORCE
T he two b asic types o f springs a re m echanical and air.
M echa nical springs com e in t hree different fo rms: co il, leaf,
and to rsio n bar, with co il springs being che m ost commo n
o n motorcycles. The fo rce o f a co il spring depends o n wi re
d iameter, coil d iameter, number o f coils, and m ateria ls.
Air springs, o n che ocher hand, have p ro perties like
initial pressure, com pressio n ratio, and effecti ve p isto n
area . The main thing to know about spring force is that it
is dependent on position, meaning the distance the spring
is compressed.

sprung
mass
less upward
uncontrolled oscillation
acceleration, of sprung mass can pull
spring only smooth er ride
wheel off ground,
direction en
of travel causing loss of traction c:
en
~
• )Ii m
zen
C5
unsprung z
mass m
~
0
en

1.2 When a spring is added, notice that the chassis initially moves upward but not as much as without suspension. It is not as harsh. Once it moves initially, it oscillates
uncontrollably. The wheel still loses contact with the ground but not as much. When it comes back down, it doesn't bounce quite so much.

sprung
mass
smoothest ride no uncontrolled
spring
and motion
direction damper
of travel
• )Ii

unsprung minimal loss

mass of traction

1.3 When a damper is added, notice that all the unpleasant characteristics are minimized but they're not gone. The sprung mass only moves upward slightly. The wheel still
loses contact with the ground but for a much shorter time. When it comes back in contact with the ground, it remains in contact.

7
 DAMPING FORCE
Damping forces depend o n o il viscosiry, o rifi ce sizes , piston
size, valving, shim co nfigurario n, and mosr o f all , velocity.
I r is worthwhile to no re rhar we are referring to damper
ve lociry-how fasr rhe damper compresses or rebounds - nor
vehicle veloci ry.
FRICTION FORCE
Fricrio nal forces depend o n rhe marerials in conracr
(rhe coefficienr o f fricri o n) , rhe no rm al fo rce (rhe force
perpendicular to rhe surfaces in conracr) , and wherher rhere
is movemenr o r no r (if rh e forces are sraric or dynamic).
ENERGY
On rhe energy level, springs score energy. In o cher wo rds rhey
rurn kineric energy (energy due ro mo rio n) inro po renrial o r
stored energy. D ampers and fr icrio n borh rurn kineric energy
in ro heat. W hy in the heck are we looking ar energy? Ar a basic
level suspension setup is force and energy management.
A su b tle no re at chis poin t, if rhe s hock gees hoc during
use, it's d o ing its job. Mo re damping m eans m o re hea r.
The mo re and rhe bigger rhe bu mps a re a nd rh e faster
you hit rhem , rhe mo re energy is converred inro hear. T he
m o re hear, rhe horrer rhe shock gers. Man y ride rs have
misrakenly rho ughr rhar if rhe shock gers ho t, something
is wro ng.
In rhe fo llowing pages we will rake so me of rhe mystery
o ur of rhe black arr of suspension. Keep in mind char
"suspensio n is simple." Thar may seem like a joke, bur o nce
yo u ger a clear grasp o f rhe fund amenrals, ir will be much
easier ro comprehend the mo re complex aspecrs. Lee's srarr
wi rh springs.

en
(,)

~
CICI
z
0
spring sprung mass moves
~
w
and in a straight line
Cl..
en
direction damper
of travel
•
:::>
en
•
maintains perfect
unsprung
mass traction

J
1.4 In the perfect world, the center of gravity of the sprung mass doesn't move vertically. The wheel remains in contact w~h the ground at all times. This can only be achieved
with active suspension where the wheel is sucked up on the face of the bump and pushed down on the back side. The technology to do this is not here yet, but this is the ideal
ultimate goal.

8
Chapter 2
Springs
W hile everyone knows basically whac a spring is, few
understand how spring forces affect suspension accion.
In che fo llowing pages, we' ll cake a closer look ac spring fo rces
a nd che d ifferenc cypes of springs used on mo corcycles.
SPRING FORCE
Springforce is che flrsc of che chree forces in suspensio n we will
look ac. When seccing up your suspension , geccing che co rrecc
spring race and preload is crucial, so ic shou ld be d o ne before
a ny ocher changes are made.
T he mosc importanc ching co know abouc springs is
chac che spring fo rce is dependent o n how much che spring
is compressed-ch is is referred co as spring displacement. Fo r
example, if it cakes I 0 kilograms(kg) o f force co compress a
spring l millimecer(mm) , che spring's race would be I Okg
per mm. So if you wane co compress chis parcicular spring
Smm, how much fo rce would ic cake~ The answer is 50kg.
Ten millimecers of spring compression would cake IOOkg
o f force, and so on. T hus, che amoun c o f force the sp ring
pushes back is dependent o n how far it's being co mpressed.
[e's importanc co remem ber chac springs are displacem enc (o r
posicion) sensicive.
T he coca! spring force creaced in telesco pic fro nt fo rks
is a bic more involved. T h is is because chere is a volume of
air trapped inside che for k cubes chac acts like an addi cional
~
I
free
~
~ spring
length
~ compressed
20 mm
~
l .;::=::
10 kg
K (spring rate)
20 mm
spring . W hen front forks are compressed, the air pressu re
inside che fork increases, even if no inicial air pressure was
used in che fo rk. T he more the fork compresses, che mo re
progressive che "air spri ng" becomes. Bas ically, the fro nt forks
have cwo spring forces: 1) the mechanical spring force, and
2) che air spring.
SPRING RATE
Spring rate is che "sciffness" of che spring, co mmo nly measu red
in kilogra ms per millimecer (k/m), pounds per inch, o r
newco ns per millimecer. One way co resc spring rate is co flrsc
measure rhe spri ng's "free lengch" (the un installed length),
t hen puc a known amount of weight o n che spring , and
measure che amount ic compresses. Spring race is calcu laced
by dividing che fo rce by che displacemenc. Noce: Spring race is
more co mmonly measured by compress ing ic in displacement
increments and measuring che add itiona l load.
By placing increasingly heavier weighcs o n che spring
and measuring how much ic compresses, a graph of force
versus displacement can be plorced. If we place a I Okg
weigh c on the spring and ic disp laces 20 mm , ch e spring race
is calcu laced as fo llows: 10kg/20mm = .S kg/mm. A I kg/mm
spring would displace lOmm wich che same l Okg weighc
added : lOkg/IOmm = I kg/ mm. More o n chis in che seccio n
o n measuring spring races.
2.1 One way spring rate can be calculated is by applying a
known amount of force and then dividing that amount by
the distance the spring travels.
.5 kg/mm
9
 100

90 /
80 /
70 /
-
en
..:.::
LL 60 r spring rate: 1
l 1.0kg/mm ~
/ the slope of the
line represents

...
G,)
y
50
I/ the spring rate

Cl
LL
y ~
en
...c.
c: 40
v ..---- -------
(I)
30
v ..---- ~
~
~ spring rate: 1
20
v ....-...- ------ 0.5 kg/mm j
10

0 P- ~ ------
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Spring Travel (D) mm.
2.2 This is a force-deflection curve for two different-stiffness springs. The blue spring requires 5kg additional force for each 10mm increment through its entire range. The red
~ spring is twice as stiff, so it has twice the slope, requiring an additional 10kg for each 10mm increment.
z
a:
Cl..
en
T he re are three basic types of spring designs: straigh t-rate,
dual-rare, a nd true progressive. A straight- rate sp ring maintains
a co nstant rate th roughout its travel and is very co mmon in [teiiii"ersP!§J
racing applications . The co ils on a straight- rate spring are spaced
evenly. Each additio nal displacemen t increment (m illimeter o r
inch) takes the same amount o f additional force to compress it
crossover
as it goes th rough its en tire travel. spacer
Progressive springs , by co ntrast, change thei r rate in
relatio n to whe re they a re in the travel. Progressive sp rings
com e in two m ain va rieties: dual- rate a nd true progressive.
coil alignment
A dual- rate spring co mmo nly has two diffe re n t co il spacings space r
alo ng its le ngth- one is close r together, whi le the othe r end
has the coils spaced further apart. As the spring co mpresses,
all the co ils co m press at the sam e rime. The closer-spaced
co ils run ou t o f travel soo n er (the co ils touch each othe r and ( main spring J
therefore ha ve no travel remaining). They a re then " blocked
o ur," making the spring stiffer. Stacki ng two different sp rings
o n top o f each o ther can also create a d ual-rate spring.
A true progressive spring has coils tha t start out close
together, and then are spaced progressively further a part with
each successive coil. Initially, the sp ring fo rce changes o nly a
small am o unt with each incremental change in displacement.
As the spring compresses, the coils are progressively blocked out,
A B c
2.3 One method of creating a dual-rate spring is to stack two springs on top of each
making its rate c hange gradually. A progressive rate can also be other. We can control the crossover point with different length spacers that block out
accomplished by using tapered wire, but a t a m uc h higher cost. the secondary or "tender" spring.

10
 100

90 I
I
en
80

70
l straight-rate l/ J v
-
..:.::
LL 60
spring

...
G,)
y
50
r dual-rate
l spring
1 / } /~ ~~
~~ ~ ~
Cl ~

LL
en
40
...c.
c:

(I)
30 ~A
20 ~~
"'
J pro~ressive 1 v l spnng
1
~~
~
10
~ ~
-- ~
~

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Spring Travel (D) mm.
2.4 Progressive springs gradually increase force through their travel, while dual-rate springs have a distinct "crossover point" where they change rates. Straight-rate springs
have a constant spring rate.

A spring rare rhat is roo progressive wi ll cause rhe suspension

From left to right: straight-rate, single spring dual-rate, stacked dual-rate, and true
progressive rate springs.
W hich sp ring type is berrer is a m arrer of app licarion
as well as opinio n , bur Race Tech recommends srraighr- rare
spri ngs in m osr relescopic forks. Here's wh y. W hen serring
up rhe spring rares on su sp ensio n , rhe ideal serup is o ne rhar
is progressive eno ugh yer nor roo progressive. A spring rare
rhar is nor p rogressive eno ugh will rend ro be a compromise.
I r m ay have a rendency ro feel roo harsh o n sm a ll bumps
and addirionally m ay bo trom out wh en hirring a large bump.
ro drop rhrough irs rravel roo easily during rhe first parr of
m ovem enr, causing a mushy feeling. Addirio nally, as rhe
suspensio n conrinues ro compress, ir may beco me roo stiff
roo fast and feel harsh.
Rem ember char in relescopic forks there are two m ain
spri ng forces: the m echanical coil spring and the air spring.
By irs very nature the air sp ring is very prog ressive and can
easily be tuned w irh o il level. Race Tech has fo und rhar
rhe comb in arion o f a srraigh r-rare spring and rhe n arurally
occurring, progressive air spring offers the besr combinarion
of fro nr suspension p rogressiven ess. In facr, if m ore
progressiveness is d esired, a simple increase in fork o il level
m ay be all char is necessary.
On rhe rear o f d irr bikes an d ATVs w irh n o linkage,
resring has s hown char progress ively wound springs o r eve n
dual- and rriple- rare springs p erform th e besr. This ca n
m ake rh e wh eel force curve similar ro rhar o f a linkage
setup. Srreec a nd road race rear suspens io n d oes nor require
much , if a ny, rise in rare and work fi ne wirh srraighr-
rare sp ri ngs.
Straight-wo und springs a re also easier ro understand in
terms of their spring rare. Conversely, the only way co acrually
see how rhe fo rce of a progressive sp ring cha nges is by u sing a
spring cescer co m ap o ur the spring forces.

11
 For example, if a simple dual-race spring is marked as
a 0 .5 to 1.0 kg/mm spring, its ini tia l race is 0 .5kg/ m m . Bu e
chere's a problem : where d oes che 1.0 kg/ m m race scare?
W ichou c con sulcing che m anufac turer o r tescing it you rself,
yo u wou ldn'c know.
Ma ny peop le mis takenly ask whac che in itial and fin al
races are. T his information is very misleading. To illustrace
chis pro blem look ac Figure 2.5. We have plo cced ch ree dua l-
race spri ngs. All o f them scare w ich che sam e inicial race o f
. 5kg/mm and all o f chem end wich a race o f 1.0 kg/mm.
T hey are, however, dramatically differen c, simply by vireue
o f having differen c crossover po incs. (Th e crossover po inc is
th e po int in the travel where the rare changes.) Notice thac
wirho uc chis in fo rm ation , the initial and final rates are alm ost
worthless in describing the spring. W here the rare change
occurs causes a huge difference in how the su spension reacts,
so it's no c so simple.
A st raight- rare spring is much easier to underscand (a
0 .5 kg/mm spring will always rake an additional 0.5kg o f
force co m ove it each additio nal millimeter) , so you end up
with suspen sion chac is easier co ru ne.
Keep in mind char we wane eno ugh p rogressio n bur na e
coo much . On the rear of m o corcycles, there are lin kages with
very lirrle rise in rare as they are compressed. Som e fra nc
A-arms o n ATVs have che same problem. In chese cases a
progress ive o r d ual-rare spring-or even a triple-rare spring-
ca n be ap propriate.
How do you know what spring rare is correct fo r you r
m oto rcycle? Use che m echo ds ou tlined in che " how ro measure
sag" section lacer in chis chapcer to d eterm ine if the existing
spring race is coo hig h o r coo low, and then cake a n educa ced
guess as co whac your ideal sprin g race sho uld be.
A n easier way is to go ro www.racecech.com and use
che o nline spring race calcu laror-jusc look up che m ake,
m od el, and year o f che m otorcycle you wa n t for a spring race
ca lculacio n . Selecc che cype of riding and enter the rider's
weighc w ichouc an y gear. T he recommended spring race
shown on che calculacor sho uld be wichin a few p erce n c of
che id eal sp ring race, cho ugh ic m ay na e be exact. J usc selecc
che available race rhac is closesc co the recom mended rare. The
scock race is shown as well fo r compariso n .
STACKING SPRINGS
A number o f design paramecers affect spring race. One o f these
is che n u mb er o f coils. By increasing che n umber o f spring coils,
th e spring race becom es sofcer. This is contrary co what m any
riders ch ink abouc springs-chey think chac m ore coils (sp ring
m aterial) sho uld equal a s tiffer spring race, bu r che opposite is
crue. Imagine rhac you have a sp ring wich a rare of l Okg/ mm
and you puc l Okg o f fo rce on ic-ir would co mpress lmm.

en
Cl
z
a:
Q...
en

-
LL

...
Cl)
(.)

Q
LL
en
c::
·.::::
c.
en

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Spring Travel (D) mm.
2.5 Shown are three dual-rate springs all having the same initial (0.Skg/mm) and final (1.0kg/mm) spring rates but having different crossover points. This illustrates the
challenge of naming these springs. Note: This could also be created with stacked springs instead of being built into individual springs.

12
 Imagi ne taking ano ther identical !Okg/ mm spring and bar was cla mped in a vise and the other end had a hex nut
stacking it o n top of the fi rst. If we put I Okg o n the first welded to it. You could put a torque wrench o n the end and
spring, bo th springs w ill compress Imm for a total of 2 mm. app ly a specific torque and then determine the spring rate by
T hus, the combined spring rate wo uld be 5kg/mm (K =force/ recording the am ount of rotation. Now if rhe bar were rhe
displacem ent o r ! Okg/2mm = 5kg/mm ). T he combinatio n sa me diameter bur twice as lo ng, it would rotate twice as far
o f both springs lowers the o verall spring rate. T his is called with the sam e amount o f to rque applied.
springs in series. The length o f the torsio n bar relates to the number of
co ils in a spring-the fewer the coils (or the sho rter rhe piece
T he fo rmula chat governs this is: of bar stock), the stiffer the rate . T he greater number o f coils
(o r the lo nger the bar stock), the softer it is. Again, when
I I 1 I two springs are stacked, the number of total coils is increased ,
-=-+-+-+
K, K, K 2 K ... causing th e spring rare to be reduced.
Conversely, rem oving co ils makes th e rate stiffer. Race
K, - To tal Spring Rate Tech has a triple- rate fork spring kit tha t illustrates th e
K 1 - Spring Race of First Spring co n cept. T he kit is no t m ade to be progressive, as it wou ld
K 2 - Spring Ra ce of Second Spring firs t seem. Rather, it is m ade to provide m o re tha n o n e
K .. . - Ere. Spring Race rate. It co mes w it h o ne main sp ring- a regu lar, fu II- length ,
m ain fork sp ring, a nd two s ho rt, secondar y sp ri ngs that ca n
In o ur example of rhe two stacked ! Okg/ mm springs, the be stacked o n top o f the m ai n sp r ing. This allows the user
form ula would look li ke this: to choose different co mbinatio n s o f sp rings a nd change
t he spring rate. Using the m a in spring by itself provides
I/ K = I / I O+ I / I O= 0 .1+ 0 .1 = 0 .2 t he stiffes t spring rate (0.46kg/ mm in this exam p le). If
K = 110 .2 = 5kg/mm o ne of the sm aller springs is added to the m ain spring,
t he n ew sp ring rate is 0.43 kg/mm. I f all three sp rings are
Perhaps it's easier to visualize a torsio n bar spring like stacked up , th e resu lting rate is a b o ut 0 .40kg/mm. With
the one used in the VW Beed e rea r suspensio n . T he spring is t he additio n o f eac h spring, th e combined rate beco mes
noc a coil buc a scraighc, round sceel bar. Imagine che torsion so fcer. By removing springs, che race gees stiffer.

/
/
combined spring l
rcombined 1 /
v
force is coil spring '
plus air spring Ispring force ~
...
Q)
(.)

v ...........-
~

~
Cl
LL
/
Cl
v
...=
Cl.
en ...
/' ~
~
k
l coilspri~
~
~
~
~
air sp ring
....-
>---
---
~

~"'d~
'
~

~
L---
l---~

Fork Travel
2.6 The total spring force is a combination of mechanical spring and air spring.

13
 Ir's in teresti ng and impo rtant to note rhar two springs
placed in parallel (as used o n fro nt fo rks) add ro each o ther,
stiffening rhe overall o r com bined spring rare. If you are
running rwo .46kg/mm springs in you r dirt bike fro n t end,
rhe combined rare is .92 kg/mm . T his technique is commo n ly
used to "sp lit" rares. A .95kg/m m spring in o ne leg and a
1.0 kg/mm spri ng in rhe other gives a to tal of 1.95 overall.
T h is is equal ro two .975 springs.
AIR AS A SPRING AND OIL LEVELS
All telescopic motorcycle forks co ntain an air space-as
rhe fo rk is co mpressed , rhe air space gets smaller and its
pressure increases. W hen o il is added in rhe fork rube, rhe
air space is reduced , and rhe compressio n ratio is increased.
T he air spring insid e rhe fork rube works in parallel with
rhe mechanical sp rings, and therefore rhe fo rk oil level has a
direct relatio nship to rhe overall stiffness.
On motorcycles with air valves built into rhe fork caps, iris
nor generally recommended to use air as anything more than an
emergency tuni ng variable. T his is because adding air can increase
harshness no ticeably (due to additional seal drag or excessive
topping out) and , unless the added pressure is excessive, o nly
yields a relatively small beneflr in bottoming resistance. Adding
air is almost like adding spring preload (no r spring rare). On
touring bikes, however, rhe use of additional air pressure is quite
effective for temporarily changing the load -carrying capacity
en for riding rwo-up. The air valve also is handy for bleeding off
Cl
z excess air pressure that can build u p because of temperature and
a:
Q.,
en altitud e changes as well as air leakage past the seals.
Changes in oil level affect the total spring fo rce. Due to
the p rogressive narure of the air spring, rhe change in spring
force will be noticed more in t he last part of rhe stroke as rhe
fork reaches rhe borrom .
SPRING DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE
Coil-type springs are used in most motorcycle suspe nsion.
However, springs can rake o n many forms, includ ing torsion
springs (round bar stock rwisred axially), leaf springs (flat o r
curved metal bars, mostly used o n o ld er cars and trucks),
Belleville diaphragm springs (conical washer-shaped springs
char are used o n some motorcycle and automob ile clutches),
and finally air or ni trogen bladders o r chambers.
Springs can be made of a variety of materials, including
steel, titanium, or even carbon fib er. Heat-treated steel
14
springs are by far the most co mmo n o n motorcycle and o cher
powerspo rt vehicles.
H igh-performance springs are rhe most desirable and
rhe most difficu lt to produce. O ur defin itio n o f a high-
performance spring is one rhar is physically lig ht for its given
rare. T he fo llowi ng is th e formula char manufac rurers use to
design coi l springs using rou nd cross-section wire:
d4 x G
K= - - --
8 D3 x N
K - Spring R ate
d - Wire Diameter
G - Modules of R igidi ty, a material property
(G for chrome silicon spring steel-8, 102kg/ mm 2
o r 11.5 x 106 lbs/in 2)
N - Number of Acti ve Co ils
(Squared and Ground subtract 2 Co ils)
D - Mean Coil Diameter (mid coi l)
This can look a bir com plicated, bur if we take a
moment, ir can exp lain a !or. Notice char wire diameter is
in rhe n umerator (top of the fractio n). T his means as we
increase wire diameter, rhe rare gees stiffer. Notice also rhar
N (nu mber of active coi ls) is in rhe d enominato r (bottom
half of rhe fraction). T his means that rhe mo re active coils a
spring has, the softer it is (we d iscussed this when we talked
abou t stacking springs in series). This means springs ca n be
designed very differently and end up wirh the same rare.
Two designs, one wirh heavy gauge wi re and lots of coils o r
a second design wirh chi n wire and few coils, could be rhe
sa me stiffness.
How is this important in rhe real world~ First, think
abou t how much rhe spring ac tually weighs. The sp ring wirh
the heavy gauge wire and lots o f coils wou ld be consid erably
heavier than rhe ligh t gauge wire wirh fewe r coils-thus; rhe
fi rst d esign would nor be preferred. Secondly, rhe spring wirh
the ligh t gauge wire wirh fewer coils wi ll have more travel.
The downside to small wire diameter is char much higher
qu ality (and more expensive) material must be used. Also,
becau se o il level is ge nera lly measured wirh the spring out,
this difference in volume affec ts rhe air compression ratio in
the fork (a sp ring chat weighs more rakes up more volume =
higher com pressio n ratio= higher effective oi l level).
The top spring here has heavy-gauge wire and a lot of
coils and is a low-performance spring. The lower spring is
a high-performance spring that has small-gauge wire and
fewer coils. It may be surprising, but these two springs
have identical spring rates.
 35
6F ( 6F2 - 6F 1)
30 - K.,v = -
60
=
( 602- 601)
po int 2
(change in force) 40mm , 20kg
25 - spring rate =
(change in displacement)
02, F2

= /
- ~
.:.::
u.
20
...
G,)
c.:I / J(l.

Q
u. /
=
...
c:
15
point 1 / -
6 F=F2- F1
Q,
(I)
10mm, 5kg
/ ~

n /
10 01, F1

/ 1'7
5
/ ~

.....
[
6 0=0 2- 0 1
1 ~

,?

0 /
0 10 20 30 40 50
Spring Travel (D) mm .
2.7 Calculate Spring Rate ·Average spring rate is the slope of the force-deflection curve.

Here is a rather o bscure rea l-wo rld exa mple of why using
a h ig h-performance sp ring can really m ake a d iffere nce. O ld
35 mm H a rley-Davidson fo rks are pretty small in d ia meter fo r
a 60 0- po und m otorcycle, so the fork tubes h ave really thick
walls to help suppo rt all that weight. W ith a sm all tube and
very thick walls, there is little room inside to accommoda te
the spring an d m ainta in the correct oil level.
Som e aftermarket springs that a re ma nu fac tured fo r
these fo rks u se thick wire: they are low-performance, bu t less
expensive to make. T he p roblem is that these springs rake up
too much volume, so much rhar there isn't eno ug h vo lum e
left inside the fo rk fo r the o il to cover rhe d am pi ng rod. If
you use che recommended o il level and the su spension is
com pressed , the air space is used up an d the fo rk " hydrau lic
locks." T his m ean s ch ar rhe susp en sio n b ottoms o n the o il
even tho ugh there should be suspensio n travel left.
T h is brings us to a very fi ne poi n t. A sp ri ng rakes
up a certai n volume within the fork depe nding on its
d imensions -if che sprin g is chan ged, an d the new sprin g
d isplaces a different vo lume, th e o il level wi ll have to be
adj usted accord ingly.
To calcu late the volume ch e spring d isplaces, you cou ld
weig h it and divide by its den sity. For exam ple, if a steel sprin g
weig hs 292 g ram s and the d ensity o f steel is 7 .87 gram s per
cc then , you would di vide 292 gram s by 7.87 grams, to ge e
37. lee. In 4 1mm forks, lOcc is eq ual to approximately I Omm
o f oil level. I f you were to swap in springs rhar displace m o re -
going fro m 37cc to say 67cc-rhis equals a 30cc change. The
result is like changing your o il level 30 mm . T har's a lo t.
Ano ther thing char is critical to sp ring per fo rmance is rare
tolerance. "Industry standard " spring rare to lerance is plus o r
minus 5 percent (+/- 5 p ercent). T h is m ea ns if a shock spring
is rared at 5 .0 kg/mm, the spring cou ld actually have a spring
rare between 4 .75 and 5 .25 kg/mm. A sp ring marked 5.2 could
b e 4.94 to 5.46. As you can see, th e rates ca n overlap. T he only
accurate way to confirm the actual spring ra re is with the use
o f a ca lib rated spring rester. Race Tech springs are stringen tly
rested, so our tolerances are much , much righter. T his provides
significantly mo re con sistency and easier suspension n m ing
b ur also obvio usly costs u s a bi t mo re.
So metim es springs w ill get sho r ter w ith use-this is
know n as spring sacking. T his used to be q u i ce a p rob lem, and
consequently service m anuals commo nly have a m inimum
spring lengrh tolerance fo r refe rence. Ir is im por tant to no te
rhac sacked-out springs have nor lost their race, o nly their
lengt h. (This is no r true fo r engine valve springs : they sack
becau se of exposure to high temperatu res.)
If the length d ecreases, the preload decreases and the
suspensio n fee ls softer. Race Tech springs are p re-set (sacked
o ur) at the facto ry, so they won't change lengths when in use.
The p rocess of pre-setting a spring involves co mpressing the
spring co coil bind (this occurs when all th e sp ring's coi ls

15
 touch each o ther) a few times until the spring "sets" to its Next we cra nk che spring down 1Omm and read che force.
fina l length. Once a sp ring takes a set, it is d o ne sacking. T his In chis example ic reads 5kg. If we compress ic to 20mm, ir
virtually elimina tes the problem. reads lOkg. If we compress ic to 30mm, ic reads 15kg, and so
o n. T his fo rce d ata goes in che "force" column.
MEASURING SPRING RATE O nce we have displacement and force data, we ca n plot
T he fo llowing table and graph will help you understand the daca o n che graph and calculate che spring race. In che
how to measure spring rate. If we test a spring o n a spring table to che right, we've d o ne rhe mach. The t.D column is
tester we measure travel (displacement) and force. Unlike the the incremental change in displacement. T he G reek symbo l
first example, we measure the fo rce at incremen tal know n delta (t.) is quire often used to designate "change ." We also
displacements. (Previously, we put o n a fixed weight and ca lculated rhe incremental cha nge in force in the t.F column.
measured how much it co mpressed .) Average spring rate Spring rate K is equal to che change in the fo rce d ivided
betwee n two po ints (K) is defined as the change in fo rce by th e change in che displacem ent. As you can see, che race
divided by the change in displacem ent. in this example is 0.5kg/mm. Ir is imporcanc to note char we
Calculating Average Sp ring Rare betwee n Two Poi nts are actually calculating che slope of rhe line. Notice chis is
fro m Test Dara a srraighc-rate spring as rhe Une is straight. In rhis "perfecc-
world" example, we co uld have used an y two po ints and
(change in fo rce gocren the same 0.5kg/mm result.
Kav = ~ = (F2 - F l ) fro m point 1 ro point 2) Wich a straight-rare sp ring, the fo rce increases as you
g t. D (02 - 01) (change in displacement compress ic, but rhe rare doesn't cha nge.
fro m point 1 to point 2) We plorred rwo springs o n Figure 2.2. W ich che blue ploc,
when we cra nk this spring down 1Omm , we'll have 1Okg of force.
We have arbitrarily decided to use 1Omm increments fo r If we crank rhe spring down 40mm , we have 40kg. Putting chis
displacem ent. The first point is zero displacement. Ar rhis data into rhe fo rmula, we calculate rhar rhe spring has a rare of
po int che load cell would show che weighc of che spring. We l .Okg/ mm. As previously mentio ned, rhe spring rate is rhe slope
subtract chis weight off of all measurements by "zeroing" rhe of rhe line-i f rhe spring has a steeper slope, it is a stiffer spring.
load ac chis po int. In the case of rhe spring o n rhe graph, ir is rwice as stiff (and thus
en the line is twice as steep) as the softer spring shown .
Cl
z
a:
Q.,
en SPRING PRELOAD
Spring preload is o ne o f che most misunderstood concepts
whe n discussing suspensio n. Often we hear riders talk abou t
adjusting t heir mo to rcycle's spring preload to ma ke rhe spring
stiffer or softer. T his is a misco nceptio n: changing spring
preload does nor change rhe spring rare ac all. T he spring has
rhe same rare regardless of how rhe preload adj ustment is ser.
Let's look at what really happens. W hen a spring is
installed in either rhe front o r rhe rear suspension, the spring
is typ ically compressed a small amo unt. T he length rhe sp ring
is compressed is referred ro as preload. Specifically ir is defin ed
as rhe d ista nce rhe spring is compressed fro m ics free (o r
uninsralled) length to its installed length wirh the suspensio n
fully extended, Most vehicles, including motorcycles,
use positive spri ng preload (negative preload means rhe
suspensio n compresses before hitting rhe spring). T his is true
even for bikes rhar don't have external preload adj usters. Eve n
suspensio n wirh rhe external preload adjusters backed our all
rhe way co mm o nly still have so me preload.
Let's now introd uce rhe concept of preload fo rce (whic h
is different rhan preload length) . Preload force is rhe in itial
fo rce rhe spring exerts o n rhe end of rhe fork rube- or rhe
spring co llars of a rear shock-with rhe suspe nsion fully
If you are serious about working with suspension for a living, lntercomp makes this
extended. This fo rce is easy to calculate:
compact digital spring tester. A fork spring tester kit can be added on to this base
unit as well. Fo rce= Spring Rare x Displacement

16
 Point Displacement (mm) Force (kg) Change in D (tiD) Change in F (tif) tiF/tiD Spring Rate

0.0 0

2 10.0 5 10--0=10 5--0=5 5/10 0.5kg/mm

3 20.0 10 20-10=10 10-5=5 5/10 0.5kg/mm

4 30.0 15 30-20=10 15-10=5 5/10 0.5kg/mm

5 40.0 20 40-30=10 20-15=5 5/10 0.5kg/mm

6 50.0 25 50-40=10 25-20=5 5/10 0.5kg/mm

7 60.0 30 60-50=10 30-25=5 5/10 0.5kg/mm

8 70.0 35 70-60=10 35-30=5 5/10 0.5kg/mm

2.8 Theoretical "perfect world" spring test data.

100

90

80

70
en

-
.:.::
u.. 60

...
=
Q)
c,)
50
LL
en
___....,.. ~
c 40
·a::
=-
(I)
7~v
30

20
5~v
10
3~~
0
1~
~

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Spring Travel (D) mm.
2.9 This graph shows the theoretical raw data points and a line "connecting the dots."

W ith a given amount o f preload fo rce on the spring, it will
ra ke that same fo rce to ini tiate suspension m ovem e nt w hen the
suspensio n is fu lly ex te nd ed. As preload is inc reased, it tak es
m ore fo rce to cause the fork o r shock to b egi n to compress.
W hen preload fo rce is decreased , less force is required to
cause m ovemen t. Ir is important to no te that when the
m otorcycle is resting o n the ground w ith the rider on board,
the suspen sion is com pressed . W h en preload is cha nged the
sprung mass is held higher o r lo wer. T h is means m ore preload
d oes not requi re m o re fo rce to initia te m ovement o nce the
weight o f the bike has co m pressed th e suspension.
A con sequen ce of too muc h spring p reload th at results
in the suspen sio n being too ex te nded is th a t the re will not
b e e no u gh travel availa ble for the suspen sion to ex te nd into
holes. T h is can cause tires to lose tractio n as they skip over
d epressio ns in the road 's surface. O n the other ha n d, too li ttle
p reload squande rs ground cleara nce in corners a nd can cause
the su spensio n to bo tto m o ut m o re easily.

17
 2.10 Preload is the amount the spring is compressed
when installed with the suspension fully extended. It is
pre load the difference between the free length and set length
of the spring.

~ •
l
free
length
~
~
t I
installed
~
c=:?
~ length ~

~
l .;:::::: i I~
installed length is ~I
m'"""' w;th
the shock fully
extended
@
~

G rap h 2. 12 (page 20) shows the difference between
addi ng preload co a sofre r spring (b lue line) com pared to a
stiffer race spring (red line). Notice chat the two lines cross
en at the 30m m fo rk trave l m ark. T his m eans char bo th o f these
Cl
z setu ps provid e the sam e am o unt of fo rce to hold the bike up
cc
Cl..
en at 30 m m in the travel. The stiffer spring builds force ata fa ster
rate (it is stiffe r) but star ts off at a lower initial fo rce. It will
actually "feel" mo re progressive than the sofrer spring w ith
m ore p reload. Reme mber, however, chat m o re p rogressive is
no t necessarily be tter.
SUSPENSION SAG
T he ma in thing spring preload ad just ments rea lly do is
change the ride height. A change in ride he ight affects w hat
p erce ntage o f suspen sio n travel is avai lab le fo r a bso rbing
bumps a nd fo r ex tending in to ho les o r d ip s in the road
surface. To understand h ow chis affec ts the su spensio n's
abi li ty to handle bumps and d ips in the road , you m ust first
understand suspen sio n sag (o r race/static sag). Note a lso chat
it affects chassis geo m etry and handling. See the geo me try
chapter fo r mo re d etails.
T he co ncept of sag is simple. W hen a rider sits o n a
mo to rcycle, the suspensio n moves d ownward , o r "sags" under
the rid er's weig ht. Sag is the amou n t that th e motorcycle's
suspensio n compresses from fu lly ex te nded with the rider o n
bo ard. H ow much the bike sags depends on che spring rate,
the sprung weight of the bike and rider, and the preload.
Refe rring to Fig ure 2 .13, the line at the bo tto m
rep resents a level road surface. Above the surface o f the road
are potential bu mps chat will be absorbed by the suspens io n
du ring co mpressio n. Below th e road su rface are po tential
dips, o r depressions, which the suspension will ex tend into
as the m oto rcycle m oves fo rward. T he illust ration shows the
effect of a three-seep preload adjuster.
Imagine char wit h o nly the weight o f rhe bike acting o n
the suspen sio n (far lefr o f fig ure) it is nearly "copped o ut,"
m eaning 95 percent of the suspension's travel is available fo r
absorb ing bumps. N o tice chat the three-seep ramped p reload
adjus ter is set to its middle setting.
When the weig ht o f the rid er is added (second fro m left) ,
t he susp ens ion sin ks dow nwa rd, o r sags. Now 7 5 perce nt of
susp ension travel ca n absorb bumps, and 25 perce n t is left to
ex te nd into ho les. In the next draw ing, the preload adj uster
has been set to its lowes t, o r so frest , setting. This m oves the
p o int o f com p ression and exten sio n d own ward so cha t 65
p ercent o f the travel is now ava ilable for compressio n and
35 percen t for ex tens ion . (le is impo rtant to no te chat the
total a moun t of susp ens io n travel always rem a ins the sa me
a t 100 perce nt.)
In the last o f the series o f drawings, the p reload adjuster
has been moved to its highest, o r stiffest, setting. The po int
o f co mpression and ex tensio n has been m oved up, a nd n ow
85 percent o f the travel is available to absorb b u mps and 15
perce nt can exte nd into ho les.
The correct sag fo r motorcycle suspens io n can depend
o n a number o f things -including chassis geo m etry and type
o f use-but in genera l it should b e som ewhere around YJ of
the suspensio n's total wheel travel. T his number changes with
application (see tab le o n page 2 1) but it is im po rtant co keep in
m ind chat all these numbers are derived ch rough testing. W hen
we test eno ug h bikes, we find trends. The trends help shorten
t he testing process, but do n't fa ll in love with a particular

18
number. Every si tuation has un ique elements, a nd the correct
numbe r depends on the sp ecific applicatio n a nd rider.
Note that a particular sag number can be ach ieved w ith
dram a tically d iffere nt spring ra tes. Pe rha ps a spring rate that
is too soft using lots o f preload, o r a really stiff spring using
very little preload . With either of these sce narios, the quality
o f the ride w ill suffe r. T he spring w ith a rate that's too soft
will d ive a nd b o tto m easily. The spring with a ve ry stiff rate
will feel harsh , as it bui ld s fo rce too fas t and will no t m ove
eno ug h whe n hitting bumps.
By raking a few sag measurements, the ballpa rk spring
rate can be determined: we'll discuss tha t in more de rail later
o n in this chapter. In general, at the rime of this writi ng,
most s treet bikes are se t up with fork sp rings that are too
soft for aggressive riding even o n the street tho ugh the re are
exceptio ns. Racers ge nerally use highe r sp ring rates w ith less
preload th a n street riders.
Personal prefere nce, riding conditio ns, and type o f riding
are all impo rta nt fa c tors to co nsider when setting up sp ring
rates a nd su spensio n sag. T he stock suspensio ns of mod e rn
M X b ikes a re all ove r the place rate-wise as to the ideal rid e r
weight. T rail bikes a re generally und e rsprung. Don't ma ke the
mistake of crying to set up your stree t bike like a racer, or
yo ur endu re bike like a su percrosser. When in d o ubt, co nsult
www.racerech .com or a good susp ensio n tuner.
So far we've o nly d isc ussed static sag. D yna mic ride
heigh t, the amo unt the suspens ion d isplaces when you a re
r iding, is actually more important for optimal p erformance.
As we've d isc ussed , static sag is m easu red when the m o torcycle
is sta tio nary. D y namic rid e heigh t, as the na me would
suggest, is measured w h ile th e bike is in m o rio n. Becau se the
m o torcycle is moving, d yn amic ride height is ha rd to measure
without data acquisitio n like a Race Tech ShockC lock and
D ynamic G eome try software, but the conce pts are important
to understand. Static sag measure m e nts, o n the o the r hand,
a re relatively easy to figure our: all it rakes is an assistant and
a tape m easure.
The m ain thing preload ad justers do is change the geo m etry
of the bike when it is being ridden (see the geome try chapter).
Lee's say the bike is set up perfectly. !fa heavie r rider gets
on th e bike, the preload ad j u sters can be used to co mpe nsa te
for the inc reased weight. If the p reload is n or c hanged , the
bike wo u ld sag mo re- bo th statically a nd d ynamically-
when in use. T h is would affe c t gro und clea ran ce as well
as ra ke a nd trail o n the fro nt end a nd a n ti-squa t on the
rear. Prelo ad d oes affe c t bottoming res is ta n ce, bur if you are
experie ncing b o tto mi n g and the sag is in the recommended
b allpark , you proba bly a re n o t going to cure the problem
with preload. If the ride r weight c hange is excess ive, the
sp rin g rate shou ld be changed.

100

90
20 kg more force
80 available to resist
bottoming
\ \
70
~~ --
-
Cl
.::.::
~ ~
LL 60 _...----- ,
...
----
Cl)

0
u
LL
50

----- ~
_..... --
---
Cl
40
,......---
~

c
'i:: \\ -~
Cl..
en 30 [ 20 kg preload force V \.

20 ~ _...
~

-- -- ~ ~\
l l
10
- -- - the spring is the same ,
spring rate is .5 kg/mm

0
0
- -- 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Fork Travel (D) mm.
2.11 This graphically displays the effect of preload. The curve is displaced vertically upward. Notice the spring rate (slope) remains the same. In order to get 20kg preload force
we had to put on 40mm preload on this .5kg/mm spring. Notice the x-axis is now labeled Fork Travel not Spring Travel.

19
 100
Ei tensioh ~ompr1 ssion /
90 .
Cll
v
/
[ 1.0 mm/kg sp~~
80
"'
en
~
/ ~

) v
:;::
....
"' V"'"
en ~
70
en v ~
-
..:.::
u.. 60
both springs v
/
v---
~
~m~kg spring ]
...
Q)
c..:I
50
deliver 35 kg of / ~

~ v---
I-
Q force at 30 mm
u.. of fork travel
en
c 40 "' /
·.:
=-
(I)
30
;) ~
~~
v
20 --'{ 20 kg preload force ]

~
/
10 •
~- - _J 5 kg preload force ]
0 •
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130
Fork Travel (D) mm.
2.12 In the graph the .5kg/mm spring has 20kg preload force from 40mm preload while the 1.0kg/mm spring has Skg preload force from Smm preload. Notice they both
~ create the same force to hold up the bike al 30mm travel.
z
a:
Cl..
(I)

MEASURING STATIC SAG THE RACE TECH WAY
At first glance, measuring static sag seem s pretcy simple.
Excend the su sp en sion and measure becween the axle a nd a
n ear-vertica l poi nt o n the bodywork/fram e o n the rear of a
m oto rcycle or che exposed chrome o n che front end. Have che
rider get o n che b ike and bounce the suspension several rimes,
then take another measurement. The difference becween che
cwo measurements is the static sag.
Unfortunately, this process will nor get you any cype o f
consisten t m easurement. The culprit? Friction.
Friction is o ne of t he chree force s in suspension. All
m oving parts in a suspension system have friction . On front
susp ensio n , fo rk t ub es slide ch rough bushings a nd fo rk
seals slide over fork cubes, all creating fri ction. Friction is
present in the rear susp ensio n as well. Swi ngarm bearings,
shock linkages, rear shock seals, an d internal pis tons a ll
have fri ccio n.
T here are cwo cypes of friction: s cacic an d dynamic.
Static friction is che friction that must b e overcome co iniciace
suspensio n movement. Static friction is easy to demonstrate.
Scand nexc co your m otorcycle, ho ld the front brake, and
slowly load the fra n c su spension chrough che bars. Notice
that ic doesn't m ove right away. le cakes a certain am ou nt
o f downward fo rce to get the fo rks co move. Once chey just
sca re co m ove, che s cacic friction of che sea ls and bearings has
b een overcom e. D ynamic frictio n , o n che o cher ha nd, is che
resistance encountered during m otion. D ynamic fri ction is
cypically less chan static friction.
All this fr ictio n creates prob lem s in suspen sion
performance as well as when measuring sag. If the previo u s
m ethod fo r m easuring sag is u sed , che m easurement w ill not be
repeatable b ecause each time the rider sits o n che moto rcycle,
che su spensio n can scop ac a differe nt positio n (wichin a certain
range). Fortunately we can isolace th e effect of the friction
and rem ove ic from the results using che "Race Tech Mechod."
Instead of u sing just cwo m easu rem ents (fully extended an d
rider o n board), we wi ll take three. T he fo llowing procedure
wi ll give you more accuracy and con sistency.
Len gth One (LI) is the first m easurement. To obcain
Ll , che rear wh eel must be off che ground . If che bike h as a
centerscand, chis cask is simple; if nor it m ay help co have a
few, friends around co lift the bike. If you're m easuring a road
race bike, d o n'c use a swingarm scand-even chough t he cire
w ill be o ff the grou nd, the weight of the motorcycle w ill sti ll
b e pushing down o n the suspensio n , causing it to co m press.
Fo r che rear suspension m easurement, u se a measuring
cape o r a Race Tech Sag Master co measure che dis tance
b ecween the wheel axle and so m e point d irectly above it o n
t he bod ywork o r frame. To m easure che fran c suspensio n ,
the distance b ecween th e axle and lower trip le clamp o r

20
the exposed chrome length can be used. T his value is the
Ll measu rement.
(These same locatio ns wi ll be used for all three
measurements . Use a tape measure that reads in millimeters, as
it is much easier to d o the math when ca lcu lating static sag.)
T he L2 measurement is next. Put the mo torcycle back
o n the grou nd and place the rider on board . Have the rider
grab o n to so mething to balance o r use a wheel chock, like
the Co ndo r Pit-Stop, while the rider is in position. Now
push d own o n the suspensio n about 25 mm (abo ut a n inch)
a nd very slowly let the suspension rise back up and stop. If
there were no fr iction in the suspension, it would continue
to come up furt her. Where the suspension stops is the L2
measurement (measure between the same two po ints as L l ).
Ir's importa nt that the rider does not move or jiggle around as
this will cause the L2 measurem ent to be inaccurate .
W here the rider is positio ned o n the motorcycle is critical
when measuring static sag. On off-road bikes the rider sho uld
be stand ing on the footpegs for consistency. If the rider sits
o n the sea t, there is no telling where he is going to plop his
butt d own, and this will throw the numbers o ff. On street
bikes, have the rider sit down in a normal riding position.
Now lift the sp rung mass o f the motorcycle up about
25 mm a nd very slowly let it sink back down until it stops.
W here it stops is L3. Again , if the re were no fric tion, it would
drop a bit mo re. The mid point between L2 and L3 is w here
it wou ld be without friction. Next average L2 a nd L3 and
subtract that result fro m LI to find static sag. Static Sag =
L 1 - ((L2 + L3)/2)
If you carefully use this three-step method to calculate
sag, you will be consistent within o ne millimeter every time . In
add ition to obtaining an accurate sag measurement, the three-
step measuring method provides other valuable informatio n
abou t the suspensio n's condi tio n (see Stictio n Zone).
Recommended Sag Measurements
Front
Road Race
Sag 25-35mm
Preload 5-25mm
Stiction Zone 5-15mm
Rear
Sag 25-35mm
Free Sag, Top-out Bumper 2-8mm
Free Sag, Negative Spring 10-15mm
Stiction Zone 2-Smm
These guidelines are good starting points and are not set in stone.
What's the idea l sag? It d epends o n the type of
motorcycle and rider prefe rence. O u r res ting shows the ideal
sag is abou t 1/.1 to Yi of the suspension's total travel. Typically
fo r a spor tbi ke, sport-touring, o r standard motorcycle, sag
sho uld be around 35 mm , fron t and rear. Road race bikes
may have less sag, usually between 25-35 mm . So me cruisers
and custom motorcycles wi th li mited suspensio n travel could
have 25 mm o r less, especially in the rear. Off-road bikes, with
their mu ch lo n ger suspension travel, are betwee n around 60-
75 mm o n the fro nt and 95-105m m at the rear. Race Tech,
however, has used numbers anyw here from 85mm to l l 5mm
o n the rear, dependi ng o n what kind of geometry is needed.
Off-road, 80cc minis can have 55-6 0 mm a t the fro nt and
75-80mm at the rear.
Keep in mind that these numbers have come from testing
and are very general. Each setup must be speci fi c to the bike
and rider.
FREE SAG
Free sag is the amount the bike compresses from fully
extended under the bike weigh t o nly-without the rider o n
board. T his measuremen t, also known as bike sag, is used
primarily du ring rear shock se rup.
If there is too much sag in the suspensio n w hen
maximum spring preload is used (you run out of preload
adjus tment range), a sti ffer spring may be needed . Similarly,
if rhe preload has been reduced to its minimum and rhere is
srill too lirrle sag, it may indicate you need a lower sprin g rate.
But, supposing the range o f preload adjustment allows the sag
to be in the ballpark, how can you tell if the spring is close to
the correct spring rate? C hecking t he free sag can help.
For example, if we ser the static sag o n the rear of a dirt
bike to I OOmm and then measure the free sag to be 5mm, what
would we d o? The sag chart below says the rear free sag for a dirt
Street Dirt -full size Dirt - mini 80cc
30-35mm 60-75mm 55-65mm
10-35mm 3-15mm 3-10mm
5-15mm 10-25mm 10-20mm
30-35mm 95-100mm 80--85mm
2-8mm 15-40mm 10-25mm
10-15mm
2-Smm 2-5mm 2-Smm
21

c:
0
·;;;
"'
~
."'"
E
0
c:
0
·;;;
.,
c:
...., preload adjuster
middle position
preload adjuster
lower position
bike shou ld be l 5-40mm , so we are o ut o f the recommended
range. Wo u ld we need a stiffer o r softer spring? T he answer is
en a stiffer spring but with fess preload. This is because rhe o riginal
Cl
z spring is too soft and we cranked in an excessive am ount of
a:
Q...
en preload to get the static sag in rhe ballpark. T h is excessive
preload is ho lding rhe bike up when the rid er is o ff the bike. As
you can see, su spensio n setup can be co unterintu itive until you
understand the physics involved.
Keep in mind that free sag should b e m easured w hen the
static sag is alread y set. In o ther wo rds, if the static sag is way
o ff, rhe free sag doesn't m ean much .
Note: T h ese are good starting points. T hey are no t written
in stone!
Lately there is a trend for susp ensio n manufacturers to use
lo ng, soft, to p-out springs. In bo th fo rks and shocks these are
called negative springs and they fight rhe m ain spring. Top-out
springs will skew the free sag numbers. To further complicate
things, keep in mind chat m any different rates and lengths o f
top-out springs have been used by suspensio n m anufacturers.
If they a re very stiff, the free sag n umbers will be very
simi lar to a standard elastomer o r rubber top-out bumper.
If th e negative spring is very, ve ry so ft , it may be similar to a
top-ou t bumper as well if it completely tops o ut w ith just the
spring preload . When the negative spring is lo ng and fai rly
soft, it will have a measurable effect.
Put yo u r bike o n a center o r chassis stand , ho ld o nto
the chassis, and push down on the swingarm at the axle w ith
yo ur fo o t. If it extends 5 o r 1Omm, you've go t o ne o f these
shocks (or else the swingarm is so flexible you sh ould swap it
o ut for som ething stronge r- li ke spaghet ti n oodles). I f you
22
2.13 This figure shows the relationship between spring
preload and sag. II also illustrates how changing preload
changes the percentage of the suspension's travel that is
available for compression and extension.
preload adjuster
high position
have d etermined you have a bike with a negat ive spring and
it has a sig nificant effect, then use the free sag guidelines fo r a
negative spring in the cha rt o n page 2 I .
I n general, suspens ion sho uld not top out under rhe b ike
weight o nly (zero free sag). One exceptio n fo r rhe no- top-out
ru le is when setting up sh ocks for ad ults riding pit bikes like
KLX l l Os . They are co mmo nly topped o ut under their own
weight because o f the face chat th e bike is fai rly light co mpared
to the weight of the rid er. So m e o f these riders can b e well
over 200 po unds o n bikes o rigi nally d esign ed fo r kid s.
STICTION ZONE
The difference b erween the L2 and L3 is an indicatio n o f the
am o unt of frictio n presen t in the su spension compo nents.
We call it rhe stictio n zo ne. T he size o f rhe stictio n zone is
an excellent indicator o f the co n d itio n o f the suspensio n .
In general, the difference in the m easuremen ts for a
properly functio ning fro nt suspen sio n is 10- 20mm. If the
m easurement is m o re than 40 mm, there is a sig ni ficant
problem . T his cou ld b e caused by b ent fo rk rubes, worn-out
compo nents (fork tu bes, bu shings, seals), o r a misaligned
fro nt fo rk caused by improper installa tio n o r a crash . See the
chapter on troubleshooting fo r mo re informatio n.
G ood n umbers for rear suspensio n are much lower-2 mm
is consid ered good and mo re than 6mm indicates so merhi ng's
wrong . Excessive fri ctio n in the rear suspensio n could be
caused by a dirty o r worn-out shock linkage o r swingarm
p ivot bearings, o r a bent rear sh ock shaft o r bad seal. The fro nt
susp ensio n's srictio n zone is greater than the rear's because of
the basic d esign of telescopic fro nt fo rks. Even when rhe bike is
just sining o n ics wheels, there is a side load (accually forwa rd
load) o n the fork bushings cha t tries co lock up che forks. Added
co chis is che relatively large area of the fork seals.
If you have mo re than the recommended sticcio n, stop,
do no t pass GO, d o no t collect $20 0 , and give som e accencio n
co your suspension compo nents.
Luggage sho uld also be taken in co accounc. If a backpack
o r fanny pack is used, its weight must be p resenc for accurate sag
measurements. T he fuel-ca rrying capacicy o f che moto rcycle is
also a consideratio n. G asoline weighs arou nd seven pounds per
gallo n, so the amo unt o f fuel presenc during sag measuremencs
will make a d ifference-especially o n a dual-spo rt motorcycle
with an oversized fuel tank. Testing with half a tank of gas is
a good compromise. Rear ax le positio n can also affect these
measurements. Be sure co check sag afcer gearing changes.
SETTING PRELOAD
Seccing p reload o n a shock is preccy straightforwa rd. Referring
back co Figure 2.1 0, start by measuring the spring free length,
installing the sp ring o n the shock and tightening the spring
preload collars un til the set length is sho rter chan the free
length by che amo un t of the preload.
Telescopic fo rks can be a liccle mo re involved. T here are
cwo structural scyles o f forks: righ t side up (conventio nal) and
upsid e d own (inverted). T here are cwo basic designs o f cop-
o ut springs: incernal a nd external. T he fi rst thing you must
know is which rype of rap-o ut spring you have. Damping rod
forks are always external a nd rig ht side up. Upside down fo rks
are always incernal cop-out car trid ge forks.
T he o nly uncer tain d esign is a righ t-side-up ca rtridge
fork as it could be either. T his is easy co determ ine when the
Suspension Push Down,
Free Length Let Up Slowly
I2
340 mm 300 mm
Length 1 = 340 mm Length 2 = 300 mm
2. 14 This shows the RT method of setting sag. The Stiction Zone is the difference caused by friction when pushing down to get L2 and pulling up to get L3. The Stiction Zone
can give you clues as to whether there is a problem with the linkage or suspension components.
fo rk is apart by looking fo r the cop-ou t sp ring location. If the
fo rk is cogecher, unscrew che fo rk cap. Ho ld the lower slider
and pull u p o n the for k cap. If it is springy, it has an internal
cop-out. Ifie is no t springy, it is an external cop-out. Th is cype
sho uld be springy when you pu ll u p on the ch rome cube.
External top-out. Figure 2.1 5 shows the external top-out
spring in chis right-side-up dam ping rod fork. T he easiest way co
measure preload is to hold che chrome fork cube in che soft jaws
o f a vise. Unscrew the cap and lee it rest o n che spring or spacer.
Measure from the top of the chrome cube co the sealing lip o n
che cap (the part of che cap chat will scop on the top o f the cube).
T his is a direct measuremen t of preload. Make sure che preload
adjuster is backed ou t all che way before you d o chis.
Internal top-out. T his rype requires you co measure the
set length. The set length is the installed length of the sp ring
wi ch the fork fully extended. First, se t the preload adjustment
to minimum (if available).
M easu ri ng the se t length is best accomplished with the
cartridge o ut of the fork, however, it can be done with the
fo rk spring o ut and cap unscrewed fro m the o uter tube but
still attached co the d amping rod. Collapse the fo rk cube.
T he set length is measured from the point che spring touches
o n the cop of the cartridge to the point the spring couches o n
the cap wich the rod full y ex tended . (Sometimes the po inc
the spring touches o n the cap is actually a special washer o r
spacer.) A tape measure ca n be put down the fo rk cube with
the spring rem oved , if you are careful ro make sure the tape is
resting o n the flange when measurin g.
O nce the set length is recorded, measure the length of
the spring and su btract. If t he spring is lo nger than the set
length, chis is che preload. Be sure to includ e spring was hers.
Pull Up,
Let Down Slowly
Average 310 mm
320 mm
Length 3 = 320 mm
23
 External Top-Out Spring
2.15 To setup spring preload the first thing you must identify is which type of top-out spring you are dealing with. Shown are the two styles. Pay particular attention to the
method of measuring preload. Another variation of internal top-out spring design is a negative spring. See figure 2.16.
en
C!I
z
a:
Cl...
If additional washers need to be added, make sure they are
en
located properly. This can be done with a flange o n a special
washer or spacer or by putting them on the bottom of the
spring on an upside down fork.
RELAXED PRELOAD
Back-in-the-day life was easy. Measuring preload was simple
(Figure 2. 15). All you d id was measure the free length of the
spring and subtract the set length to calculate preload.
Life is harder now (tell Mom and Dad). T he latest
development for sport bikes is "lo ng, soft, top-out springs"
aka "negative" springs as in Figure 2.1 6. This means when you
install the spring, the fo rk o r shock gets longer o r "grows". If
the set length grows, the amou nt of preload you calculated
using the previous method is incorrect (the actual installed
preload is less than calculated)!
In the o ld d ays the top-out sp ring was so stiff the fork
barely grew at all , so we didn't have to accou nt for this. W hat
to do, what to do?
Let's define some new term s:
• relaxed set length- the measured installed length
without the spri ng installed (easy to measure)
• relaxed preloa d- the calcu lated preload using che relaxed
sec length (easy to calculate)
relaxed preload = free length - relaxed set length
24
Internal Top-Out Spring
• actual installed set length-the length of che spring
installed (can be hard co measure)
• actual preload-the length the spring is compressed from
its free length when it is installed with the suspensio n
fu lly extended. (hard co calculate because che accual sec
length has grown)
actual preload = free length - actu al insta lled set length
One way to deal with chis is co measure che growth of che
cartridge when che spring is installed and subcracc chis amount
from che calcu lated relaxed preload. Wich che spring our, che
fo rk cap on, and the fo rk cube full y collapsed, measu re fro m
the cop of che fo rk cube co the fork cap. I nscall che spring
and measure che distance between chese same two points. The
d ifference is che g rowth .
When getting preload recommendations fro m che DVS
valuing section on Race Tech's website, we give relaxed preload
because ic is much easier. We usually give a note in the Product
and Valving Search co noti fy you char you are deali ng with long
soft cop-out springs. T he difference can be as much as 40mm!
In most cases we recommend replacing the stock "long,
so ft, cop-out springs" with ou r Reactive Spring Series. They
are not as sti ff as che o ld days bur are no t nearly as soft or as
lo ng as che new fangled ones. Testing has shown che proper
to p-out spring can d rastically affect traction particularly when
leaned over in che cu rns.
 relaxed actual
preload pre load

growth
+ +
+
~
free ~ installed
length
~ relaxed
set length
length

~
1
note the length
of the top-out
spring
compresses
when main
spring is installed

2.16 Forks with soft top-out springs get longer when the fork cap is installed. We have coined the term "relaxed preload" to indicate the amount of preload that would be
created if the for1< didn't grow. Actual preload is the installed preload.

RIDER WEIGHT
hen measuring sag and adjusting preload, both the rider's weight and the weight of his/her riding gear must be taken into account. The rider must
W be wearing all his riding gear. Typically a road racer's leathers could weigh as much as 35 lbs. A motocross racer typically wears 10-20 lbs. of
gear, and street riders could be all over the place.

25
Chapter 3
Damping
W hen i rcomes to overall ride and handling characteristics,
many p rofessional runers consider damping ro be rhe
most critical fa ctor. Ir's a complex subject, so we' ll start with
the basics. Damping is viscous friction. Ir turns kinetic energy
in to hear and is sensitive only to damper velocity and no r
suspensio n stro ke positio n. T his makes ir funda mentally
different rhan a spring, which stores energy and is o nly
sensitive ro the positio n in rhe stro ke.
Damping in modern motorcycle suspensio n components
is created in different ways, bur it almost always involves
a fluid. The configu ratio n ca n be as simple as forcing o il
through a hole-as with o ld-style dam ping rod fo rks-or
can be as sop histicated as a multi-stage, bending shim stack
confi guration in comb ination with externally adjustable, lo w-
and high-speed compressio n and rebound circuits.
All forms o f damping acco mplish one thing: they
slow down rhe movement o f rhe suspensio n. Compression
damping slows down rhe suspensio n as it co mpresses when
rhe wheel encounters a bump, and rebound damping slows
the acrio n of the suspensio n as th e suspension extends.
DAMPING AND ENERGY
As we d iscussed previo usly, springs store energy as rhe w heel
encounters a bump. When traveling down the back side
o f the same bump, rhe spring releases this same amount of
stored energy. Dam ping, however, changes the kinetic energy
o f suspension movement into hear. Because energy can o nly
be changed from one fo rm to ano th er (Newton ian physics-
ler's leave quantum physics alo ne for now), th e total amount
o f energy remains the same.
T his conversion of energy fro m o ne fo rm into ano ther
is easy to observe. When a mo to rcycle is ridden over b umps
it is rhe d amping action rhar causes rhe shock to get ho t.
Suspensio n damping co nverts energy into hear only when the
suspensio n is moving.
POSITION AND VELOCITY
Le r's look at what happens when a wheel hits a bu mp. Inirially the
t ravel starrsou tat the static ride heigh tat zero suspension velocity.
W hen the wheel hits the bump, the suspension co mpresses.
Somewhere the middle of rhe stroke rhe compression velocity
is at its maximum and then slows down to zero velocity at
maximum compression. T he suspensio n contin ues to com press
even sligh tly past the crest of the bump. T he fron t wheel goes
airborne and, w hen it is done compressing, the suspensio n
starts to extend . Ir accelerates to a maximum rebo und velocity
and then slows down to zero at fu ll extensio n.
26
It remains at zero velocity at fu ll extensio n unti l the
wheel hi ts the ground. I r then accelerates to its maximum
ve locity and slows d own to zero at maximum co mpressio n.
Ir rebounds a bit slower this rime, because the wheel is in
contact with t he gro und instead o f free falling in th e air. Ir
overshoots o n rebound a bit t hen fi nally compresses back to
t he static ride height a nd zero velocity.
SUSPENSION OIL
One impo rtant factor rhar affects d amping is oil o r suspension
flui d . Oil is incompressible (well, no r really, bur ro a great
ex rent we can think of it rhar way) . When pressu re is applied
ro a chamber filled with oil, rhe pressure is exerted equally in
all directio ns. If there is a n o pening for rhe o il to get o ur of a
chamber, there will be flow and viscous friction (damping o r
resistance ro flow). The degree o f damping is determined in
large part by the flow rare-mo re d amping means less fl ow
and vice versa.
O il viscos ity is a measure o f a fluid's resistance to flow. Ir
is commo nly thought of as equivalent co the fluid 's thickness
(so metimes called "weight"). The mo re viscous the oil, the
more resistance there is to flow.
O ne measu rement of o il viscosity is called Seconds
Saybolt Universal (SSU) or Saybo lt Universal Seco nds (SUS).
Ir is named after Edward Saybolt w ho arrived at h is method
to measure o il viscosity around 1898. H e rook 60cc of
o il , placed it in a specific var, and heated it to 2 l 0 degrees
Fahrenheit. H e then o pened a calibrated ho le at th e bottom
and timed how lo ng it rook to drain out.
The Saybolt Seconds measurement ind ica tes th e
number of seco nd s it too k to drain : th e thic ker th e o il,
t he lo n ger the rime , and vice versa. When a specific o il is
m easured , it wi ll have a specific number o fSaybo lr Seconds:
75, for exam ple.
Wh en the Society o f Automotive E ngineers (SAE) got
together, they decided it would make more sense to create
viscosity ranges: rhar is 5W, ! OW, 20, 30, and so o n.
This method of measurin g o il viscosity is actually a
measureme nt of kinematic viscos ity. (For the purposes o f th is
boo k it is no t importa nt to get into a discussio n of absolute
versus kinematic viscosity.)
In the SI System (In ternatio nal Sys tem o f Unirs-
betrer know n as me tric) kin ematic viscosity is commo n ly
m easured in cenrisro kes (cSr). The ISO ( In ternatio nal
Organizatio n fo r Standard izatio n) has gro uped o il
viscosities in to ranges labeled as the mid po in t of the ra nge,
that is 22, 32, 46, etc.
 compression velocity

zero velocity

rebound velocity

bottom out

E
E
=
-
0

en
0
race sag 0..
0
l>
top out s:
..,,
Time z
C)
high comp ression

--
en
E
>
no motion
=u
0
Ci)
>
high rebound
Time
3.1 This motorcycle hit a bump or jump, went airborne, then landed and recoiled. When it initially hit the bump, the compression velocity spiked then slowed down and stopped.
It rebounded to full extension until it landed and the compression spiked again, this time to maximum. It then rebounded again and settled in to somewhere close to the static
ride height.

Oil viscosiry changes w ith temperature. Oil thins o ut as ic
h eats up and thickens as ic coo ls. The viscosiry index is a num ber
chac cells u s how scable che viscosiry is wich cemperature: che
higher che viscos iry index, th e mo re scab le ic is.
T he viscosiry index is determined by measuring che
viscosiry at two cemperacures, 2 10 degrees F a nd I 00 d egrees
F. T h e I 00 d egree reading is where the "W" (or "winter")
designacion is measured. (Contrary co popular opinio n , "W"
d oes n't m ean weight.) T he viscosiry index number is the n
assigned based off ch ese cwo m easurem encs. In engine o il
cermino logy, if the oil falls into the I OW range ac che low
cescing cemperature and a 30 range ac the h igh cemperacure, ic
is d esignaced as a I OW30 oi l and is called "mulci-grade."
Oil can be m ade more temperature, stab le u sing viscosiry
index m odifiers, including cercain lo n g chain polym ers. You
can think o f som e of these long chain po lym ers as looking
like sp iders with lo ng legs. W he n the o il is cold, the spider
legs are wrapped around their bodies and th eir presence d oes

27
not affect the resistance to fl ow. When the o il heats up, the
spid er legs expand and increase the resistance to flow. T his
causes the o il's viscosity to become thicker than it would be
withou t the viscosity index m od ifier added.
For exa mple, if we start with a l OW unenhanced
p etro leum-base o il, it has the viscosity of a 10 weight at 100
degrees F. If we heat the oil to 210 degrees F, it is thinner and
is still a 10. We could call it a lOWlO at this point. But if we
add viscosity index modifiers, this same oil ca n become as
thick as a 30 at the higher test temperature ( 10W30).
In viscosity index nu mbers, the petroleum-base, straight-
rate, u nenhanced o il has a viscosity index o f around 100 .
T he example o f a 10W30 has a viscosity index of about
140. E ngineered synthetic oi ls commo nly h ave a viscosity
index well over 150 without additives. W ith viscosity index
m odifie rs, it can exceed 400.
T he base o il is th in , but the viscosity index m odifier adds
to the viscosity. As the o il wears o ut, the lo ng polymer chains
break. Ir's like having the spider legs chopped o ff, and the multi-
grade o il starts to revert back to its base oil properties (in the
case ofa 10W30, it d egrades to a straigh t lOWl Oor 10 weight).
T his d egradation of the viscosity index is one reason su spension
o ils have to be changed periodically. T hese oils also suffer
contam ination from internal wear (adding things like aluminum
oxide) as well as external contamination past the seals.
As mentio ned previously, standard o il viscosity ratings
are ranges, n o t specifi c viscosities. This means oil viscosity
ratings can vary within a range between manufacturers. A 2
weigh t oi l from o ne manufacturer mig ht actually be thicker
than a 5 weight o il from a different company. Trying to
compare suspensio n o il from different co mpanies is futile
unless you actually test them. T his is co mpounded by the
3.2 Making damping the old-fashioned way! In reality a shock dyno is used to cycle the shock rapidly while taking data at a very high rate.
28
fact that suspension oils are not governed b y the sam e
laws of classificatio n that engine o ils are-su sp ensio n o il
m anufacturers can call their oi l anything they want. For these
reasons it is impo rtant to choose a brand and stick with it fo r
consistent resu lts when m aking internal changes.
W hich o il is the best oi l to use for motorcycle suspensio n?
After much testing w ith various manufacturers, Race Tech
eventually had its own Ultra Slick suspensio n fluid s b lended
back in the mid-1990s and has continued to refi ne them over
the years. T hese fluids u se synthetic-base o il alo ng wi th high-
end frictio n m odifiers. T hey are very slippery, temperature-
stable, retain thei r viscosity index fo r a lo ng time, have high
thermal oxidatio n resistance, and provide a lo ng service life.
MEASURING DAMPING
Let's take a closer look at d amping. As we discu ssed earlier,
damping is sensitive to d amper shaft velocity. A spring is easy
to measure, but how can we measure a damper? Im agine we
have a really long shock: ho ld it horizonta lly, p lacing the end
of the shock o n a scale resting against a wall, then compress the
shock at a steady rate. The scale in our scenario would indicate
the am o unt of damping b eing created at that velocity.
If we then increase the rate of compressio n in increments
and reco rd the corresponding d amping in a table, we could
plot these damping numbers against the different velocities.
Fo r this exa mple we have arbitrarily defined compressio n as a
positive velocity and compressive fo rce as positive.
Fo r rebound we would have to replace the scale with a
pull scale. We could then start the process over, measuring
rebound damping at incremental velocities. To plo t this d ata
we wo uld recognize that extensio n is a n egative direction
and rebou nd damping force is negative. Next we would
 50

40
1- - 1
"O
Q) "C
l "O ~
-
l
"O
Q)
Q)
Cl. "'"' Cl.
Q)
Q)
Cl.
Q)
Cl.

"' - :;::"'
.r:: "'
:;:: >--- "'
.r::
30 .~ - - .~
- 0
-0

-- T
.r::
~
.r::
~

.A•
20

= 10
transition from low speed to
high speed damping is not
.
-D
_..,-
./~~:-
-
.lll:
u.
a line, but rathe r a zone
-
.......
2) compression
~ ..........
.....

... -10
Q)
(..)

Cl
0
.,Av ....--4,--
I
J'§::'. starts at zero
velocity is maximum
1) shaft velocity r~rt at mid-stroke
\\
I-

!L
u.

-20
v
) ~
~
5) shaft velocity
reaches zero again at
_ l1\ 3) shaft velocity reaches V
)
-30 / f
f(
~ maximum rebound
zero again at
maxim um compression

-40 I 4) rebound velocity

-
.#'

-50 t
-.5
is maximum
~ at mid-stroke
I

-.4 -.3 -.2 -.1 0

----" ~

.1 .2 .3 .4 .5
rebound (- ) compression(+)

Velocity(V) meters/second
3.3 This is a damping curve going through one complete cycle. Notice the curve starts from fully extended al zero velocity then accelerates as it compresses-going lo the
right- up to a maximum velocity (in this case .5m/sec). It then starts slowing-retracing the curve back lo zero velocity at full compression. It changes direction and starts
rebounding up to a maximum rebound velocity at mid-stroke of .5m/sec then retraces the rebound curve as ii slows down to zero again at full extension.

50 mm

50 mm

------------------------------------f --

50 mm
3.4 Bump shape is critical in the creation of damper
velocity. The more square-edged it is, the higher the
compression velocity will be created, everything else
------------------------------------f -- being equal. Notice also, that the smaller the wheel, the
higher the damper shaft velocity.

29
connect the do ts, as in Figu re 3.3, es timating the rea l cu rve
by smoothi ng rhe data. T he combinatio n of the smoothed
compressio n and rebound curves is the total damping cu rve .
Real shock dynos typica lly use a crank on an e lectric
m otor, h ydraulic cylinder, or linear electric motor to stroke
the shock in and o ut. They measure velocity and load at very
hig h sampling rates. In o ne full cycle of the shock it starts
o ut at zero velocity, com presses to a maximum ve locity,
slows down and stops, reverses d irection, sta rts ex tending
up to a maxi mum rebound velocity, then slows down to
zero. This gives us a lot of data in a si ngle cycle. O n the
graph this cycle starts at the origi n (0 velocity, 0 fo rce) . Ir
head s u p the c u rve to a peak then heads back down to the
o rigin. I r then goes to a maximum rebou nd velocity a nd
heads back again to 0, 0 (origin).
In actual use the entire damping cu rve (the full measured
range) is not used on every bump. If th e maximum velocity of
a particu lar co mpression hit is very low, it doesn't go up the
compressio n curve very far. On the rebound side, energy is
stored in the spring, so the fu rther it is compressed, the faster
the maximum rebou nd velocity will be.
W hen tuning the suspensio n damping, it is viral to know
wha t velocities are occurring. Particu larly o n compression,
the shape of the bum p has as much to do with the velocity as
the size of the bump. Bumps can be square-edged, rounded,
ramped , or somewhere in between. The more square-edged
a bump is, rhe fasrer rhe suspensio n musr move ro allow rhe
wheel to travel over the bump while keeping the tire pressed
o n to the road's surface. Even at a relatively slow veh icle
speed , riding over a square-edged bump creares a grear deal o f
velocity- consider an aggressive parking lot speed bump that
abuses you at relatively low speeds.
Con versely, a ro unded bump will cause the suspension
to move more slowly as seen in Figu re 3.5. Bump shape
aside, as vehicle speed increases, so does the suspension
velocity. Double the vehicle speed and you'll d ouble the shaft
velocity. (Well, not exactly; there are other factors like tire
compressio n, but you get the idea.) You may no t have the
luxury of a ShockC lock o r other data acqu isition system ,
but it is a good idea to start estimating whether the actual
velocities are low o r high speed.
How much d amping is best? Well that depends o n how
you're rid ing, w here you're riding, and what type of motorcycle
we're talking about.
Sometimes the answer is counterintuitive. Most peo ple
think that racers (both MX and road race) need more damping
than trail riders or street riders. T hink abouc the back side of
the bump when the wheel is trying to get back o n the ground:
rhe faster you a re going, the quicker it needs to extend. This
means we could actually benefit from less rebound damping
at higher speeds. Hmmm ...
In fact, w hen magazines evaluate a new sportbike at a
racetrack, they o ften wri te something like: "We wanted to lay
down a really hot lap at Wi llow Springs, so we added a bunch of
30
compressio n and rebound d amping to help control wallowing
at the h igh speeds." While this definitely co ntrols wallowing,
there may be a much greater price paid in traction. When Race
Tech technicians provide suspension support at the track, they
find that many racers use way too much damping, and as soon
as dam ping is reduced , their lap times improve.
Let's turn to d irt applications. Supercross requires
bo tto ming resistance as a p rimary consideratio n, par ticularly
fo r lesser-experienced riders that overshoot o r undershoot
land ings. SX whoop sections also benefi t fro m a fairly high
level o f compressio n stiffness to maintain chassis geometry
and help a rider "get o n top of the bumps." Though it
helps in the whoop sectio ns, this high level o f stiffness is
cou nterproduc tive o n braking a nd acceleration bumps. Many
tuners fe el that a lot of rebou nd damping is also beneficial,
but there is really no reason to have more than that required
fo r ou cdoor MX.
Mose cu rrent sporcbikes have external adjustments fo r
bo th compression and rebound damping, as well as for sp ring
preload. Many fo rks use a screw adjustment located on the
top of the leg fo r rebound damping (not to be confused
with the spring preload adjuster). Another screw o n the
bo ttom, near the axle, usually adjusts compression damping.
So metimes two adj ustments are provided fo r low- and high-
speed compression damping.
A few street bikes use one fork leg exclusively fo r
compression damping and rhe o rher exclusively for rebou nd
damping: these will be labeled as such. T he side used fo r
compressio n damping usually has the lerrers "Comp" stamped
on the fo rk cap. Rebound damping is indicated as " Reb," o r
often as "Ten" which is short for rension.
Mose modern dirr bikes with twin chamber forks have
the adjusters reversed. The compression damping adjustment
is o n che rop of the fork legs a nd rebo und adjustment is on rhe
bottom. T he main poinr is chat it's very important co check
Most cartridge forks have the rebound damping adjuster on the fork cap. It will
often be labeled with the letters "Ten" (tension) or "REB" (rebound). A few models,
such as the 2009 Yamaha R1 s, FZ1 s, and many Moto Guzzis, have one fork cap for
compression and the other for rebound.
 50
[ compression(+) ]

---
40
--
~~

30 >----- >---
bump shape J

r high displacement, ,, ,,
20 ,,
[ but low peak velocity ,, ,,
,, ,,
= \ -
--
10
-
.lll:
u.
0
.,,....- -
\

- ~ - --
... -10
Q)
(.)

Q /
v
u. /;'
-20 /
v
/ high displacement
-30 .-:._ means higher peak
I
1" ..r rebound velocity
I
-40 I
I
I rebound (-) ]
I
-50
-.5 -.4 -.3 -.2 -.1 0 .1 .2 .3 .4 .5
Velocity(V) meters/second
50 I I I
[ compression(+) J
40 ~~
l
..- I

30 >----- >---
bump shape
J
,, ,,
20 I high peak velocity, ~ ,, ,,
,,

= 10
low displacement J ~
~
--
-
.lll:
u.
0
.,,....- -- - ~
.,,....-v

...
Q)

IC
(.)
_,,
Q
u. -10 ,, -~~
,, ,," low displacement
-20 ,, means lower peak
,,
I rebou nd velocity
I
-30 I
I
I
I
-40 I
I
rebound (-) ]
, I

-50 I I

-.5 -.4 -.3 -.2 -.1 0 .1 .2 .3 .4 .5

Velocity(V) meters/second
3.5 This illustration shows the effect of the shape of the bump given equal bike speeds. Notice the bumps are the same height as well. The ramped bump will not create as
high of compression velocities as the square-edged one. This is shown by the compression not climbing up the compression damping curve as far. On the rebound stroke this
shows the effect of the wheel deflecting off the square edge on compression causing ii to use less travel. Less travel used means less energy stored in the spring, so lower
peak rebound velocity will result.

31
for these markings o r consult the owner's manual before you
start making adjustments.
On rear shocks, the adjusters on the reservoir typically
are for com pressio n and the one o n rhe shaft near the eyele t
is fo r rebo und d amping. These adjusters-often refer red to
as "cl ickers"- have their limits and typically affect only a
sma ll po rtio n o f the entire d amping ra nge. Tweaking external
adj usters will never make up for poor internal va lving.
M ost external rebound da mping adjusters adj ust low-
speed d amping. If there is on ly o ne co mpression adjuster, it
is usually low-speed. If there are two compression adjusters,
o ne is low-speed and the ocher is high-speed. Maki ng external
damping adjustmen ts can never compensate fo r worn-ou c
damp ing com po nents o r wo rn-out suspensio n o il. So, if
your bike is wallowing like a '62 Cadillac with blown-out
shocks, you might wane to do so me suspensio n rebui lding
o r replacement before you spend the rest of your li fe play ing
with the clickers.
REBOUND DAMPING
Let's cake a closer look at rebound d amping. C ha nges in
rebound d ampi ng affect trac tion, the feeling of contro l, and
ride plushness. If you loo k at Figure 3.6, you will see chat all
o f these facto rs are plotted .
First lee's look a t p lus h ness. W ith less rebound
d a mping, the w heel moves quickly and th e ride q uali ty is
plush even to the po in t of being " loose." As rebou nd is
increased , the feeling o f plushness dro ps off until, at the
extreme end , the ride feels harsh.
Notice chat there are no numbers o n either axi.s, as the
purpose o f the graph is to communicate the concept. Also,
the feeling o f control is largely subjective, so it is hard to assign
numbers co. Having said that, these charts are based on years of
testing both o n- and off- road machines and hold true in theory
for virtually every type o f vehicle. Keep in mind most riders
do n't ride at the limit of tractio n, and if you're no t at the limit of
traction, it can be quite d ifficult to cel l if you've lost traction.

maximum maximum
traction feeling of
co ntrol

.. -.... --
......... ~
... ,e~ .
, , ..
.. .. ~'
',~~
\~
,,
,, \ C:O
\ ~
,, ""'
,, \
\ ~
, ,, \
\
,
,,
\
\

,, \

,,
\
\

, ,, \
\

,, \

, ,, useful range
, of adjustment
, ,,

less Rebound Damping more

(qu icker) (s lower)
3.6 This shows the relationship between rebound damping and traction, control, and plushness. Note that when traction is falling off as rebound is increased, the feeling of
control is still increasing. Most riders will beneM from using less rebound damping than they are used to.

32
 Looking at the graph , you will notice th at with too
little rebo und d am pi ng, t here is very li t tle tractio n ava ilable.
W hen the tire hits a bump, the suspensio n co mpresses and
the spring sto res some of the energy. O n the back side of the
bum p, the sto red energy in the spring pu shes the ti re back
down in a n unconcro lled way. The ci re is free to osci llate and
ca n beco me so light as it bo unces that it literally comes off
t he gro und. Undamped oscillatio n is the enem y of tractio n.
If t he motorcycle is traveling in a straig ht line, the loss of
t racti o n will me rely be uncom fo rca ble . However, if this
happens when the bike is lea ned over in a turn , the loss of
t racti o n can cause th e bike to slide ou c and crash .
Similarly, with an excess of rebo und d amping there is
very lit tle tractio n available. In this case, as che tire travels
up the bump the spring is, again , storing energy. T his time,
however, when the tire attem pts to move dow n the back side
of the bum p-p ushed by the scored energy in the spri ng-
th e movem ent is slowed d own excessively by the rebound
da mping. If the action is slowed enough, rhe ti re will no c
be ab le ro fo llow rhe downside of che bum p fas c enough ro
main tain co nsistent con cacr with t he ground . T his will cause
a reduc tio n or complete lack of cracrio n .
W hen suspensio n wirh roo much rebound dam ping
encoun ters a series o f bum ps, ir can lead co packing. T his
mea ns the suspensio n doesn't return fa r eno ug h, no t reaching
irs original srarcing po inc. T he availab le travel ro absorb
bumps becomes less and less, and ar rhe same rime ir requires
more and more fo rce ro in itiate movement. T his can reduce
t ractio n as well as make fo r a harsh ride.
Now lee's suppose t he init ial rebound sercing is already ar
rhe peak of traction. lf we increase rhe rebound da m ping and
rhe rest rider has a leisu rely pace o n a racetrack or th rough a
canyon, rhe resu lting loss in traction may no r be recognizable.
However most riders will feel li ke there is more control.
Most riders believe ch ar a bi ke is in control when rhey
do n't fee l ic wiggling around in rhe co rners. Less wiggles fee ls
like mo re tractio n, and more wiggles feels like less t raction.
l e is im porcanr ro no te o n rhe chart char rhe point ar wh ic h
rhe bikes feels rhe most "in control" is no r when ir has rhe
highest a mount of rracrio n. Therefore, ar rhe po int of highes t
tractio n, rh e bike will wiggle around a li ctle mo re rhan fee ls
com fo rtable fo r many riders.
T he main reasons why rhe po int of maximu m feeling of
contro l and rhe point of max imum rracrion are so far aparc
for bo th dire a nd pavemen r riders is because most riders are
no r riding o n rhe "edge" of tractio n. And second ly, mosr don't
relate decreasing rebou nd da mping wirh im proving traction.
For d ire, rhere is also rhe sym ptom of " kicking." Ir is
rhe most common ly misdiagnosed prob lem o n rhe rear end.
I r is rhoughr ro be a lack of rebound da mpi ng while in fac e
ir is usually caused by either excessive stiffness or excessive
bottom ing. So rhe bike kicks and, ro fi x ir, rhey slow rhe
rebou nd . The rider will li kely chink rhe " kicking" is solved,
a nd especially if rhe rider is prone to chinking char slowing
the rebo und will cure rhe problem . T he rider never recognizes
char he lost tractio n and gets used to the new feel. And, in face,
any less damping than ch is will make the bike feel "loose" ro
him . T he rebound is never sped back u p: after all why wou ld
anyone want ir ro "kick" again ? Hmmm .. .
O n rhe paved end , many srree c riders and road racers
"resr" rhei r suspensio n se ttings o n perfec tly smooch roads
char hardly even need suspensio n. In such a scenario, an
overabunda nce of da mping provides rhe least amount of
wiggling, add itio nal pi tch co ntro l (fron t ro back movement),
and, fo r chem, the maximum fee ling of control.
T he job of rhe suspensio n engineer and tu ner is ro make
rhe rwo peaks-max tractio n and max fee ling of conrro l-
as close as possible. Th is is d o ne by reshap ing rhe damping
curve and requires an understanding of high- and low-speed
damping. H owever, some riders are so used to excessive
rebo und da m ping, you likely will never ger rhe two curves ro
peak ar rhe same poin t.
So where do you want ro set rebound? Some would say
where rhe curves cross, buc th is is nor a measurable point.
The useable range is between the two peaks. If rhe setting
is ro rhe lefr of rhe tractio n peak, you lose borh rracrio n and
the feeling of co ntrol. If yo u are ro che right of che feeling of
control peak, you are losing borh tractio n and control. Now,
if rhe rider can gee used co a little looser feeli ng, the gains in
rracrion will improve lap rimes and rire life, and his " ideal
feel pea k" would be closer ro the rractio n peak. Some riders
ca n not hand le rhe looser feeling and end up closer ro rhe
control peak.
Sometimes it's possible ro "see" d iffe rences in tractio n o n
d irt bikes. By trying different rebou nd settings in rhe same
corner (particularly o ne wirh poor tract io n) you may no tice a
d iffere nt level of roost com ing off rhe rear t ire. T he rider must
use rhe same line and rhe same gea r and enter rhe co rner ar
rhe same speed as much as possible. W hile many chin k a big
roost looks li ke tractio n, rhe opposite may actually be true.
Go back ro ou r earlier discussio n of energy. Energy is
rhe abili ty to do work and can be cha nged from o ne for m to
another. Po wer is rh e rare of doing work. T he power created
in rhe e ngine has ro go somewhere: ir can be turned into
either projectiles or propulsion. Marhemarically: P = P + P o r
Power= Projecti les + Propulsio n (si lly bur true) .
All kidding aside, rhe message is imporranr. After a
cercain poi nt, mo re d irt fl ying off rhe back cire means less
accele ration for rhe vehicle, and vice versa. Keep in mind char
being in too low of a gear-particularly o n an open bike-
will cause rhe wheel ro sp in and th row up quire a roost. T his
may look and sou nd fast bu r in fac t is qu ire che o pposite.
A word of caution: be ing ar rhe limi t of rraccio n is a
delicate positio n ro be in , and ir is often nor possible co cell
any d iffe rence in cracrion wirhour pushi ng rrac cio n co ics lim it.
U nder chese circumstances ir's easy ro go roo far a nd crash.
Keep in m ind rhac d ifferent brands o r models of tires react
d ifferently at che edge of tractio n. Some are very fo rgiving and
33
some go away abruprly. W hile resting, ir is vitally im portant
to keep in mind that while slowing rebo und d own you might
be giving up traction .
We know that too little rebou nd damping a nd too
much rebound damping can be equally bad when ir comes
to both tractio n and a fee ling of control. At the ve ry least, the
op timum range of rebound se ttings is somewhere between
the peak of tractio n and the peak of the fee ling of con tro l.
W hile there is no owner's man ual that can tell you where to
set the ad justers for maximum tractio n, tes ting to find this
setting can be qui te rewarding.
HOW TO TEST REBOUND DAMPING
So how do yo u find the po int ar which the rebound dam ping
settings will provide maximum tractio n ?
T he first method isa "push tesr." T his test requires that the
sp ring se tup is in the right range. Also, iris vical chat frictio n
is minimal: if the suspensio n suffers fro m an app reciable
amo unt of fric tio n, this tes t is worthless. (Telescopic fo rks
o n rhe fro n t end are noto rio us for excessive frictio n, so be
aware.) T he pu sh rest ca n be very useful, bu t it may require
q uire a bit of testing to get the fee l of ir.
We' ll discuss how to rest the rear suspension, but the
procedure is basically the same for the fron t. Stare by measuring
sag, paying particu lar attentio n to che "scicrio n zone." If
sticrion is excessive, you will not be able ro use ch is method.
Stand next to rhe mororcycle with rhe fro nr w heel po inred
straight ahead. Push down o n the sear fai rly aggressively and
warch what happens when rhe suspension rebo unds, o r moves
upwards. Ler you r hands fo llow che sear as it comes up: t his
mea ns you are no t ho lding it down nor are yo u letting your
ha nds comp letely o ff che sear. You are loo king for rwo things:
how fas t rhe suspensio n rebounds and che number (if any) of
bou nces chat ic rakes just after it reaches rh e co p of its stroke.
Too m uch rebou nd damping looks like rhis: you push
down o n the seat and you can see che suspensio n move
upward slowly. As ir slowly reaches che top of rhe rebound
stro ke it stops all movement.
Too licde rebou nd d am ping looks somewhat different:
you push down and rhe suspension rebounds nearly as fas t as
yo u can remove your hands. In addition to a qu ick upward
movement when it reaches rhe co p of irs stro ke, it moves back
down again and oscillates two or mo re ti mes.
Here is what a good starting po int for rebound damping
looks like: after rhe suspensio n is co mpressed, ir will rebo und.
W hen the suspensio n reaches rhe rop of its stroke, ir will
barely overshoot and settle d own to irs free sag poi nt (a very
sma ll, single bounce) .
Keep in mind you can o nly feel low-speed rebou nd
da mp ing with this resr and no r high-speed.
If friction is excessive, ir wi ll appear that there is more
rebound damping rhan there accually is, and this resr wi ll be
misleading! A considerable number of vehicles o ut there have
so much lin kage or bearing frict ion chat yo u can li rerally cake
34
all rhe o il out of rhe shocks, life up the wheel, and it wi ll stay
whe re you place it. In chis case rhe fr ictio n feels very simi lar
to dam ping and can foo l you. T his is where a measu rement
of the stictio n zone can be invaluable.
Another rh ing that can change the feel is the stiffness of
the sea t. If the seat is soft, the compress io n will fee l softe r and
the rebound will feel slower. You may want to fi nd som et hing
harder to push o n, like a rail sectio n. Usi ng the tail sectio n
instead of the sear will gi ve you mo re leverage and rh e sp ring
and compression damping wi ll feel softer. H aving said this,
if you do enough push tests and co rrelate chem with crack
testi ng, you ca n get quite good at initia l setup.
The second , and best, way to adjust rebo und dam ping is
to go testing and make a series of runs with d iffere nt rebou nd
adjustments. Create a bracket of settings by changing the
adjustment in o ne directio n until ir gees worse. Then go in
the o ther directio n until it gets worse. If you do this, your
setting in the m idd le was the best. But remember: if you are
no t o n the edge of traction , you may no t be aware of the
change. T his is not easy. As yo u are testing, pay attentio n to
how che feeli ng of co ntrol changes and select a setting chat
gives you the bala nce yo u like.
O n some bikes with adjustable rebound d amping, you
ca n change rhe se ttings and work up co this po int. No r all
rebound dam ping adjusters are eq ual, however. On some
moto rcycles the range of adjustment is too fa r o ne way or the
o cher. For example, sometimes when rhe rebound adjuster is
ser ro rhe maximum (slowest) setting, the resulting rebound
d amping is still roo qu ick. T his is quite co mmo n on street
fo rks particularly in the 1990s and ea rly 2000s. On dirt
bikes it is just as com mo n ro see rear shocks with roo much
rebou nd d am ping even ar m inim um se ttings. T his is a tellcale
sign the suspensio n needs co be modified interna lly. Vircually
all mo to rcycles can benefi t fro m afcermarker valving and
personalized setup.
If you own a motorcycle withou t rebound dam ping
adjustment, you may still be ab le to make it better sim ply
by chang ing rhe o il. As we discussed previo usly, most o il's
viscosity will break down with use and the o il will beco me
th inner, o r less viscous. This is quite often overlooked. It's
also wo rth no ting here char rear shocks o n some bi kes a re not
rebuildable and therefore canno t have their o il changed.
Because you may not know what weight to pu t in (s tock
weights may not be viscous eno ug h, or in some rare cases,
too viscous), a q uick c heck ar www. racetech.co m will usually
provide the inform atio n. Unfortunately, while increasing o il
viscosity may imp rove rebound damping by slowing it down,
it will also increase compressio n d amping. T his may resu lt
in excessive co mpression damping, bur for cunacely there are
fixes for this.
Remember that externa l rebound adjusters are typically
low-speed adjusters. Eve n if yo u gee a good setting fo r tractio n
using t hem, there may be huge gains to be had fro m internal
va lving changes as well. N oc o nly is it poss ible to move the
p eaks closer together, you can also improve concrol when
u sing large am o uncs o f travel- li ke o n big bumps o r whoop
sections in the d ire- o r make improvemencs in pitch co ntrol,
particularly o n the fro nc end o f a street o r road race b ike.
COMPRESSION DAMPING
Compression d amping is o ne of the mos t misunderstood
compo nencs o f su spensio n rnning. Understanding
how compressio n damping affects ride quali ry goes a
lo n g way toward d em ystifying the "b lack arc" of how
suspension works.
A fundamencal difference exists between compression
a nd rebound d amping. Compressio n dam pi ng has to deal
wich a much wider range o f velocities generated by bumps o f
differenc sizes and shapes. Rebou nd damping, o n the o ther
ha nd, primarily has to concro l the energy o f the compressed
sp ring and , therefore, its adju stmencs are easier to perform.
Compression velociry-a nd therefore damp ing-is
affected by the shape, as well as the size, of the bump as well
as the speed at which you hit it. Bumps that have a more
square or sharp-edged shape cau se the suspension to m ove
rapidly u pward , w hile a bump with a gradual s lo pe, o r more
rounded shape, causes slower suspension movement. This
is the reaso n for separate low- and high-speed compressio n
damping. Rem ember, the terms high- and low-speed damping
useful range
of adjustment
less
(softer)
3.7 Notice that, as with rebound damping, both traction and control drop off as compression damping is increased. It doesn't fall off as rapidly as with rebound. Notice also that
the peak for control is lo the right of traction once again.
refer no t to the forward speed of the motorcycle, but rather
the velocity of the susp ensio n movemenc.
In the past, m any suspensio n tuners have considered
co mpression damping a n ecessary evil, meaning that less was
b ercer. Perhaps this way of chinking stems from che limitation s
o f old-sryle damping rod forks. D amping rod forks have what is
known as "orifice-sryle" damping, which can be bo th too harsh
and too mushy at the sam e time. (More o n this in a m o ment.)
W ith the ad vent o f cartridge-rype fo rks fo und on m ost
spor tbikes and Race Tech Gold Valve Cartrid ge Emulators
(aftermarket damping co ntrol valves fo r damping rod fo rks),
the a bility to co ntrol the shape of the compressio n-damping
curve has improved dramatically.
To study the effects o f compressio n d amping we' ll fi rs t
loo k at co mpressio n damping as a whole and leave the derails
of high- and low-speed fo r later. Compression damping
is virally impo rtant as it affects traction, p lush ness, and
bo ttoming resistance as well as con trol. (See Figure 3 .7 .)
Lee's first con sider bottoming resistance as it relates to
plushness . Notice that the m o re compressio n da mping there
is, the mo re resistance the suspen sion has to bottoming out.
Co mpressio n damping force is added to the sp ring fo rces
to help resist bottoming. Ar the sam e rime that bo ttoming
resistance increases, the feeling of p lushness decreases making
th e ride harsher.
Compression Damping more
(stiffer)
35
 As compressio n damping is decreased (left side of the
graph), pl ushness increases up co a poinr. In extreme cases,
when very little compressio n damping is used, the plushness
can actually decrease. T his occurs on big bu mps when the
suspensio n bo ttoms and feels harsh. In this case many riders
are not aware that the harshness is a result of bottoming. In
fact, I would estimate o nly 50 percent of riders {even really
good o nes) can tell if the front end bottoms a nd o nly 1 in 20
can tell when the rear is bottom ing.
On smaller b umps, less damping results in a plusher ride.
It may seem o bvious, but you need co have the right amo unt
o f co mpression damping-not coo much, no r coo little.
Bottoming resistance and ride plushness are a compro m ise.
You may need co sacrifice o ne fo r the other. T he job of a
suspensio n designer/tuner is co have the least amount of
comp romise in both areas. More o n this later.
So, mo re compression d am ping means more bottoming
resistance: pretty sim ple. But the creation of dam ping
req ui res velocity, so in a situation like bottoming mid-turn
on a road racer where there is very little suspensio n velocity
(the suspension is bei ng compressed due to centripetal
acceleratio n), compression damping is not the answer co this
particular bottoming problem- springs are.
Let's examine the effects of compression dampi ng on
tractio n. Imagine you're riding alo ng and you hit even a
small bump. If there is coo little com pressio n damping, the
suspensio n will noc have eno ugh resistance co upward wheel
movement. This means that the wheel sti ll has vertical inertia
at the crest of the bump, so it wi ll conti nue co move upward.
Remember Newton's First Law of Motion: " Every object in
a state of uniform motion tends co rem ain in that state of
morion unless an external force is applied co ir." As the wheel
conrinues co move upward, it conrinues com press ing the
suspensio n past the crest of the bump. This causes the ti re co
unweighc and possibly even lose contact with the road surface
as it crests the bump, causing a loss of traction.
Ac the ocher extreme, excess ive compression damping will
give coo much resistance co suspension movemenr, thereby
compressing the cire and defl ecting the spru ng mass upward.
Noc only can chis cause an uncomfortab le o r harsh ride, hu e
chis upward velocity of che chassis unweighcs the wheel, just
like havi ng coo licde compression damping. In extreme cases
o f coo much co mpression damping and a large or square-
edged bump, the wheel comes entirely off che ground as it
skips over che bumps, causing a d ramatic loss of traction.
In bumpy turns at extreme lean angles, you may experience
difficulty holding a line as the bike wi ll cend co d rift co the
o utside of che turn due co the loss of tractio n.
If you're hitting a series of bumps with coo much
comp ressio n damping, the suspension can actually pump
up as che wheels hie successive bumps. This is the o pposite
o f packing caused by coo much rebound damping. As che
tractio n cu rve shows o n che graph , tractio n fa lls off much
more q uickly with coo much co mpressio n damping. So if you
36
have co g uess how much compression damping co use, err o n
the side of coo little.
Dive is a term used co describe the fronrend compressio n
that occurs d uring braking. In th is case, compressio n
d amping controls the race of d ownward movement. The
maximum amount of travel used in the forks is determined
by a co mbinatio n of the spri ng force (includ ing air pressure)
and the com pressio n damping (a lo ng with frictio n of
course). More damp ing makes the for ks com press slower
and may use less suspensio n travel. Less co mpression
damping causes the forks co compress faster and use more
suspe nsio n travel.
O ne of the biggest misconceptions abo u t compressio n
damping is that che fas ter you ride, the mo re you need. It
is true chat the faster you go, the harder you hit bumps-
yo u may need mo re compressio n damping co control
bottom ing. It is also true thac some racers that are mo re
abrupt wich the applicatio n of the brakes and the throttle
may prefer a slower compressio n response race. H owever, if
yo u are not boccoming and yo u can learn co apply the brakes
and chroccle more smoochly, you may not need any mo re
compression d amping.
Ou r preferred method is co first determine proper sp ring
rates {see che spring chapter o r the charts at www.racecech.
com) and then use only as m uch compressio n damping as you
need fo r pitch control (rocking of che chassis fronr and back
during acceleratio n and braking) and borcoming conrrol.
Keep in m ind that the shape of the damping cu rve is
critical. In chis sectio n we simplified ou r descriptio n of
sym pto ms and talked about damping as a whole, but in
real life the bike may need mo re low-speed damping and
less high-speed co achieve the best setu p (or vice versa). The
compression side is what good tuners spend a lot of their
time o n-they're always seeking che right curve to maximize
bottom ing resistance while maintai ning plushness and
provid ing a good "feel" fo r the ground.
HOW TO TEST COMPRESSION DAMPING
U nlike rebound damping, it is hard co push the suspension
down fas t enough by hand co cell a Joe about compress io n
damping. Therefore, you will need co find a su itable road o r
sectio n of dire co use fo r cescing. Idea lly ic will have boch large
and small, rounded- and sharp-edged bumps on it.
When there is coo much compression damping, yo u wi ll
feel the bike hiccing che fronr sides of bumps somewhat like
the way a suspensionless bicycle reacts when it hies bumps.
The ride will also feel harsh over moderate and even small
bumps. Keep in mi nd, however, ch at excessive fr ictio n o r
binding can feel the same way.
In che case of coo licde compressio n damping, che front
end wi ll tend co dive qu ickly under braking {lack of pitch
co ntro l) . le can have an overa ll mushy o r vague feel and may
bocco m ouc easily. If ch e suspension boccoms excessively on
che front side of a bump, it can lau nch che bike and rider in co
the air. This can feel like excessive co mpressio n damping- it Fork Cap
can be very d ifficu lt to te ll the d ifference. More informa tio n o n 0-Ring
this discinccio n is available in the croubleshoocing chapter.
On a d ire bike ic can be valuab le co wacch che roosc o ff
Washer
the rear wheel. If you have a rough scraighcaway wich che
Preload Spacer
type of d ire rhac will show a visible roosc, wa tch fo r an eve n
scream coming off the back wheel as the bike is ridden over Fork Tube
the bumps. If the roosc stares and srops, ic is no r maintaining
t ractio n. Ofcen, chis is because the co mpression is too stiff and Washer
the suspensio n is deAecci ng. This can also be caused by a too
sofc compression se tting. Nexc make a change in che directio n Ai r Volume
you think is best and see ifit gets bercer o r worse. Remember,
Main Spring
too, that rebound da mping ca n cause this phenome non.
Ano ther clue o n dirt bikes can be gathered with your ears. Oil Level
O n a rough , cho ppy sectio n, listen for evenness of the engine.
Dust Seal
If the rpm are going u p and d ow n a lot, the wheel is no t o n
the grou nd mu ch. T he two most likely reasons are that it may Snap Ring
be deflecting off the bump because it is too stiff, o r it cou ld be Oil Seal
skipping over the bumps because che rebound is too slow.
Personal preference has a lo t co do with the " idea l"
Bushing
setup, as some riders like a firm er ride wi th mo re botto ming
resistance while others li ke it plusher. It is noc abouc right o r Damping Seal
wrong, it's just personal preference and what will make thac
Top-Out Spring
rider the fascest they can be.
Rebound Damping
DAMPING ROD FORKS (ORIFICE DAMPING) Orifice
We've d iscussed compressio n and rebou nd damping, Bushing
includ ing what each does and why they are necessary to
main rain tractio n. N ow we'll move o n to the vario us types of Check Valve Passage
0
fork and shock designs t hat are used to co ntrol da m ping. l>
T he most commo n fork design is the damping rod. I know, Rebound Check Valve
s:
..,,
I know: damping rods? W hy damping rods? If you understand z
C)

damping rods and their lim icacions and solutions, it will be Damping Rod
easier to understand cartridges. Once you understand cartridges,
it will be easier to understand shocks. This way, o nce we get to
shock design, it won't take much effort to cover the subject.
Oil
Damping rod forks have been aro und fo r years and coday Fork Slider
can be commonly fo und o n most cruisers, sta ndards, trail
bikes, dual-spores, minis, a nd mosc vintage bikes. D am pi ng
Compression Damping
rod forks are less expensive to manufacrure but don't offer Orifices
much sophisticatio n in the way of damping control.
Damping
DAMPING ROD ANATOMY Rod Bolt
Figure 3.8 shows che components of a dampi ng rod fork
design. T he fo rk slider at che bottom is attached to the
motorcycle's fro nt axle and the fork rubes are inserted into 3.8 Damper Rod Components
the upper a nd lower trip le clamps. Inside the forks are the
springs and d amping rods. T he main fork spring is located
di rectly o n top of the dam ping rod char is faste ned ro the fork d amping rod as the fo rks extend full y. Most modern dam ping
slider with a bolt ac the botto m. T he main spring suppo rts the rod fo rks use a top-o ut spring.
sp rung mass of che fro nt of che motorcycle and rider. T here is The top of rhe damping rod is a pisto n and has a pisto n
a no ther smaller spring called a top-out spring located between ring chat sea ls o n rhe inside of the fo rk ru be. The pisto n ring
the botto m of the d amping rod and bottom of the fo rk rube. keeps suspensio n o il fro m passing between che damping rod
T he top-out spring keeps rhe fork rube fro m banging into the and che inner fork rube.

37
DAMPING ROD COMPRESSION STROKE
W hen che fork is compressed (Figure 3.9), you can piccuce
che fork cube (the upper po ccio n) moving downward in to
chamber A. T he volume o f oil displaced is chac which che fo rk
cube displaces. (This means che wall thickness, noc che ou cer
d iame cec o r inner d iamecer.)
As che fork compresses, che volum e in chamber A is
geccingsmaller while che volume in chamber Bis geccing largec.
T his means che o il pressure in ch amber A increases while che
pressu re in chamber Bdecreases. H owever, as soon as movemenc
check valve opens
on compression
stroke to easily
fill chamber "B"
38
occurs, che rebound check va lve opens and allows fluid to pass
easily inco chamber B. T his means che pressure in chamber B
is o nly slighdy less chan in A, and you can pcaccically co nsider
chambers A and B to be o ne chamber (AB).
At this po inc, che vo lume the fo rk tube displaces scill need s
to gee o uc of ch am be e AB. le escapes ch rough ch e compress io n
d amping holes locaced ac che boctom of che damping rod ,
up ch rough che cencer o f the d am ping rod, and o u c into
chamber C . l c can also cravel ouc chrough the rebo und ho le(s)
in chamber B, buc this is a much sma ller vo lume.
3.9 Damper Rod Compression Stroke
Notice the check valve separating chamber A from
chamber B is open offering very little resistance to flow.
this orifice acts as
a bleed hole on
compression stroke
compression damping
orifice restricts flow
 Compression damping is concrolled by che number
and size of che co mpressio n d amping ho les and che rebound
dam ping ho le(s) along wich che oil viscosicy. Noce chac
che rebo und ho les accually reduce che overall compressio n
damping caused by che co mpressio n ho les. This cype o f
da mping is refe rred co as o ri fice-scyle damping because che
resiscance is crea ced by forci ng o il chro ug h ho les.
Ic is also impo rca nc co noce chac che p ressure in
chamber C builds as che air volu me d ecreases. This pressure
in cha mber C is d ependenc o n che inicial p ressure, che
co mpression racio (oil level), and the travel.
A5 lo ng as che compression scroke is noc too rapid, o rifice
damping can provide a reasonably comfo rtable rid e as che
from wheel h ies small bumps. Unforcunacely, noc aU bumps are
rounded and small in size-when a square-edged o r large bump
is encouncered, o rifice damping can creace a very harsh ride.
Because oil is no c compressible, che fascer che fork co m presses, che
fascer che oil is fo rced ch rough che compression damping holes.
if orifice damping
is set up to be
~~=i~=~ firm at low speed , :==~~
it will be harsh at
high speed.
if orifice damping
is set up to be
!J::::F=~~==: plush at high speed, :==::::::=~~
it will be mushy at
low speed.
3.10 The down-side of orifice damping is it is either too mushy and soft at low speeds or way too harsh on high speed hits.
O rifice-scyle damping increases very rapid ly as velocicy
increases. In face, che d am ping fo rce increases wich che square
of che velocicy. T his means every ci me che velocicy d o ubles, che
d amping increases by fo ur rim es. We have illu scrared ch is (see
Figure 3. 10) by showing che chick flow arrow being squeezed
ac che en cra nce of che small orifices o n a high-speed h ie.
You can see che compressio n scro ke d isplayed o n a
shock d yno graph in Figu re 3. 11. Nocice chac as che speed
builds, che fo rce builds. T his hap pens slowly ac fi rst b ut chen
increases rapidly before going nearly vercical. Ir is almosc as
if the o il flow-and cherefore che fo rk velocicy- reaches a
speed limi c. T his is no c absolucely crue, of cou rse, buc because
the dam ping fo rce becomes very h igh, che maximum velocicy
che fo rk reaches, in p raccice, beco mes limiced. This causes che
wheel co d efl ecc o ff o f square-edged bumps and che ride gees
harsh, indicaced by che curves going inco the "pain zo ne."
Another drawback of o ri fice damping occu rs in che
low-speed range o f movemenc. W hen braking, che fra nc
39
 Cl)

....
c.:I
Cl
u..
=
c
c.
E
~
c
c
Cl
en
en
....
Cl)

c.
E
Cl
(.)

Velocity
3.1 1 This figure displays damping curves for four compression hole sizes. Notice the characteristic "fish hook" shape remains for all the curves. Notice also the
tradeoffs involved.

end dives rather slowly in com pa rison to che high velocities
crea ted o n an abru pt hie of a sq uare-edged ho le o r rock a t
high vehicle speed. Ac chese low d am per velocities chere is no r
much resista nce to flow and che forks feel mushy and dive
rela tively rapidly. In face, when going ch rough lo ng du ratio n
dip s or gu llies-even if ch ey are nor very d eep-ch e fo rks
can bottom .
Perhaps you've considered increasing the compressio n
damping ho le size as che so lu tion for che h arshness prob lem.
T his change in orifice size is illuscraced in che compressio n
dam pin g curves in Figu re 3 .1 1. Nocice char the ch aracceriscic
"fish hook" s hape of che curve rem ains. W hile less "mushy,"
the sm aller hole wil l be excessively harsh o n th e square-edged
hi es. T he larger d amping hole will be mush ier, tho ugh ic will
be b eccer ac high speed. T his scyle of damping seem s to provide
che worse of boch wo rlds-harshness and bo ttoming.
Nore also char oriflce-scy le d am ping d oesn't require
rou nd holes. Any fixed orifice w ill d o: squar e, triangular, oval,
and so on .
DAMPING ROD REBOUND STROKE
Now we'll take a look at the flow of oil when the fo rk rebo unds
(see Figure 3.12). First the for ks extend as che spring pushes
o n the dam p ing rod. T he rebound check valve then closes
and chamber B gees sm aller, raising its pressu re on rebound
to the highest level in che fork. There are two ways oi l can gee
ou t of chamber B: fi rst th rough the rebound orifices routed
to che inside of the dam ping rod and , seco nd, between the
inner d iameter of the check valve and the oucer diam eter of
che damping rod directly into chamber A. Rebo und damping
is che resistance to this fl ow.
C hamber A on che oth er hand, is getcin g larger o n the
rebound stro ke, and therefo re has che lowest p ressure. T hi s
low p ressure in chamber A causes o il to b e su cked back in,
refilling ic.
Jusc like on che compression stroke, rebound resistance
on a damping rod fork is created through o rifice damping.
Rebound dam p ing, however, is a much simpler jo b than
compression d amping. Reb ound o n ly has to con trol the
fo rce of che fo rk sp ri ng, whereas compressio n damping
has to deal wich whatever fo rces che road or crack d ish o ut.
Maximum compressio n velocities o ften range fro m two
to six times greater than those during reb ound. Thus the
limitatio ns o f o rifice damping are less critical for rebound
than fo r com pression.
A major pocencial problem of a d amping rod fo rk is
cavitatio n (see Figure 3. 13). Cavitation is the fo rmation of
vapor bubbles in a flow ing Liq uid cau sed by a d ecrease in
pressu re. This occurs specifically in areas w here the pressu re
of the liquid fa lls below its vapor pressure. T his is che sam e
pheno m enon as boiling, bur in th is case ic is caused by a
decrease in pressure rath er th an che ad dition of hear.

40

check valve closes
on rebound stroke
T hiscreares rwo problem s. First, ir m a kes rheo ilcom pressible
because ir con rains va po r bu bbles o r "voids," rhe reby decreasing
rhe oil's d am ping cha racte ristics. Seco nd , when rhe void in rhe
o il rapidly colla pses, ir p rod uces a shock wave rhar can d amage
and pit rhe su rface of rhe parts (this second issue is m uch more
o f a problem in shocks rha n fo rks) . The po ten tial fo r cavitation
increases at lower pressu res and higher tem peratu res.
On rhe rebo u nd stroke, ch a mbe r A is gettin g la rge r and
suc king o il b ack in to ir. T he grea ter rhe resista n ce ro fl ow is
ar rhe com p ressio n o rifices (smaller ho les or th ic ker oil), rhe
3.12 Damping Rod Rebound Stroke
The check valve is shut. This means chamber B is a high
pressure chamber and rebound damping is created by
the flow out through the rebound holes and the clearance
between the outer diameter of the damping rod and the
inner diameter of the check valve.
rebound damping
orifice restricts flow
leakage past
check valve
grea ter rhe potential for cavita tio n . Stiffer springs a nd ho rre r
o il also inc rease rhe po tential p roble m .
THE PROGRESSIVE MYTH
This brings u s bac k to rhe age-old q u estio n : " H ow do you
m a ke ir firm a nd plush a r rhe sam e rime?" M os t suspen sio n
tu ners have believed char rhe solu tion was ro m ake ir m o re
progress ive. Perha ps you 've no ticed rhe sha pe o f rhe o rifi ce-
sryle dam ping c urve a nd tho ught ro yourself: "W o w, cha r
c u rve is rea lly p rogressive!"
41

In fac t, o rifice-style da m ping is th e most p rogressive type
o f d a mping rhe re is. Bur w ith the sho rtco min gs o f o rifice-
style d a m pi ng (ha rsh ness and bo rroming), you can see rhar
m o re p rogressive is n't necessarily be tte r.
Con sid e r the com press io n d a mping c u rve labeled
"d igressive" in Figu re 3. 14 . At lo w speed ir has a lo t mo re
com pressio n d a m p ing . Th is w ill m a ke the action muc h
fi rme r whe n hi ttin g the brakes, the reby controlling dive
(rhe fro nt e nd com p ressin g du ring bra ki ng). Ir will a lso help
bo rroming because o n every co mpressio n stro ke, no m a tte r
42
3.13 This illustration shows cavitation occurring on the
rebound stroke when the restriction is too great during
refill of chamber A. The effect shows up even more on
subsequent strokes.
bubbles are formed
by vacuum
cavitation occurs when the
orifice cannot pass enough oil
wha t max im um velocity is reac hed , rh e velocity begins and
e nds a r zero . T his m eans rhe d a m p e r sees low-speed damping
rw ice pe r stroke, so a ny inc rease in low- speed d a m ping te nd s
ro im p rove bo tto ming resistance.
Also no tice tha t, a r hig h velocity, t he cu rve d oesn't get
into the "pa in w ne." You mig ht th ink, " Yeah, but ir's head ing
the re." In actua li ty, the re is a m ax im u m velocity tha r rhe
suspe nsio n sees in the real world . This m aximum velocity
is pa rtially d ep end e nt o n the size and sh ape o f th e b ump s
b eing h ir, the veh icle speed , rhe m ass of the b ike, a nd rhe
suspensio n setup. T he highest velocity I've ever record ed o n
the ShockC lock is 15 m /sec on a "sho r t" supercross land in g
(the rider h ie the face, didn't quite make ir).
Gra nted , that is very fas t, but it also has some
implications -changes to the damping curve at velocities
over 15 m /sec don't have any practical effec t even in
supercross racing .
GOLD VALVE CARTRIDGE EMULATOR FORK
Fortu nately for d amping rod fork owners, there is an eleganc
way to cha nge rhe shape o f rhe d amping curve w irh rhe
additio n o f Race Tech Gold Valve C artridge E mulators. I
invenced Emulators back in rhe early 1990s to provide rhe
compressio n dam ping curve o f a cartridge fork, m ake ir
tunable, and offer ir ar a ve ry reasonable cost.
W ith rhe E mulator, low-speed compression has a much
beccer feeling of control while high-speed compression
absorbs large and sharp-edged bumps without harshness. This
provides rhe rider wirh beccer steering response and cau ses the
bike to feel m o re planted in the tu rns, yet m o re com fortab le
at rh e same rime.
Yo u can see in Figure 3. 15 char rhe Gold Valve Cartridge
E mulator sirs o n rhe top of rhe damping rod and is h eld in
place with rhe m ain sp ring. T he Emulato r perfo rms rwo jo bs:
ir provides a digressive com pression damping curve char is
adjustab le, and sep arates co mpressio n from rebo und dampin g
so char bo th can b e inde pendenrly tuned. Lee's rake a look at
how ir wo rks.
The Emu lator rakes over co mpression dam ping
duties fro m rhe da mping rod. To do ch is rhe dampin g rod
compression ho les are enlarged and , depending o n rhe m odel,
increased in n umber. W ith la rger flow area the restrictio n at
t he compressio n holes b eco m es negligi ble. Ir is certainly srill
rhere, bur rhe effect is so sm a ll it is no lo nger significant.
Instead , all the com p ressio n damping rakes place in
t he Emu lator.
W ith rhe E mulator installed o n top o f rhe damping rod,
low-speed d amping is co ntrolled by low-speed bleed ho le(s)
in rhe valve piston (see Figure 3 .15). Oil flows unrestricted
from cham ber A to rh e inside of rhe damping rod , then
up toward chamber C. Ar rhe lowest velocities rhere is nor
enough pressure to open the m ain valve pisto n and all the o il
goes through rhe E mulator's low-speed bleed h o le .
At higher velocities, particularly w hen rhe w heel
encounrers a square-edged bump or when landing from a
jum p, rhe fo rks muse m ove rapidly. The o il pressure builds in
cham ber A and beneath rhe E mu lator to a po inr char lifts rhe
Em ulator pisto n offi rsseat, allowing rheoil to flow into chamber
C (see Figure 3.16). The o pening pressure is adjustable via rhe
valve's spring preload. C hanging the valve spring rare contro ls
the slope of the damping curve o nce rhe pisto n opens- check
o u t rhe range of adjustment availa ble (Figure 3 .1 7).

0
l>
s:
..,,
z
C')

...
Q)
(,)

c
LL
en
c
CL
E
«I
c
c
c
en
en
...
Q)

CL
E
c
(..')

Velocity
3.14 Many tuners over the years have erroneously believed that the more progressive the compression damping is the better it is. This style of curve actually gives the worst of
all worlds-mushy and harsh. A better solution is a digressive curve for most applications.

43
 Here is a closer loo k at the details of the Emula to r
(see Figu re 3. 18). T he m id -speed compressio n damping
adjustment is acco mplished by changing the valve spring
preload that pushes the piston agai nst the Emulator's valve
face. By increasing the va lve spring preload, more pressure is
req uired for va lve opening.
Once installed, making changes is relatively easy. First
remove the for k cap and main spring. Use either a lo ng
welding rod bent over at the end o r a "pans grabber" a nd lift
the E mula tor out of the fo rk tube . Adjust the valve spring
44
preload and reinstall. This ca n be d o ne o n many bikes with
the fo rks still mo unted .
Let's look at rebound (see Figure 3 .19) . I nstallation
of th e Emu lato r does not change rebo u nd damping,
t herefore, adjust ment o f rebound damp in g is made by
changing the oil viscosity. Though it may no t sou nd like
it, this is sti ll a significa nt cha nge. In a standa rd damping
rod fo rk with no Emu lato r, chan ging the o il's viscosity will
change rebound d am pin g, but at the expense of cha nging
co mpression dam ping in a similar way. With an Emulator,
3.15 The Emulator is a compression valve that sits on
top of the damping rod and is held in place with the main
fork spring. During the lowest compression veloc~ies the
damping is created by a small orifice.
low-speed orifice
damping is provided
by hole in the
emulator valve
check valve opens
to easily fill
chamber B
more and larger
holes in damping
rod radically reduce
orifice damping
it d oesn't matter wha t weight o il is used to o btain idea l
rebo und damping because co mpressio n d am ping can be
adjusted separately.
So how effective are Emulators? Not o nly d id Jamie James
win the AMA National Road Race C hampio nsh ip in 1994
with a facto ry Yamaha using Emulators, but Lee was part o f
an endura nce team that won the WERA National Endurance
C hampio nship in 200 1. T he tea m had two identical Suzuki
SV650s that were ridden by three riders. T he o nly difference
be twee n the two moto rcycles was the damping co n trols in the
front fo rks. One bi ke used Race Tech Go ld Valve Cartridge
Emu lators o n the stock damping rod forks and rhe o cher
mo rorcycle had fu ll carrridge fro nt fo rks. T he lap times were
virtually identical between the two seru ps.
Dirt bikes have had similar resulrs. Back w hen the Factory
Suzuki Team was j ust making the swirch ro fo ur-strokes, ir
ca m paigned DR350s wi th bo th Race Tech carrridges and
Emulators. T he feed back from the riders was char bo th were
excellenr. Many mini bike, vintage, motocross, and road race
champio nships continue to be won wirh Emularors.
STANDARD CARTRIDGE FORKS
Srandard carrridge forks a re more sophisricated rhan damping
rod fo rks. From o utward appearances, right-side-up sta ndard
3. 16 When the shaft velocity gets high enough, the
pressure increases to the level required to open the main
valve. Once ~ opens, the damping curve is linear and the
rate of increase depends on the valving spring stiffness.
the emulator valve spring
can be tuned with both
preload and rate changes
supple high-speed
damping is provided
by opening of the
emulator valve
check valve opens
to easily fill
chamber B
45
-
u..
gold valve emulator
valve spring preload

...
Cl)
u
Cl
u..
c
Cl
en
en
...c.
Cl)

E
Cl
u low-speed compression
damping orifice
Velocity (V) valve

-i
I I

gold valve em ulator ] check valve

u.. valve spring rate stifler rate
...--,,\ ~
...
Cl)
u ~

Cl ~_, k::::: :::::::.-: t::::=-

u..
c
Cl
~ ~~ --
·c;; ....., ~ ~- 71

u
en
...c.
Cl)

E
Cl

/
)
- ~~ ~ __, L_
softer rate

3.18 Emulator Components

Velocity (V)
Inside the ca rtridge are two valving assemblies- the o ne

-
u..
gold valve emulator
bleed size
t-+- ---+-----<t---+-- -+-- -+-- ---1 fo r compression is located in the bo rro m o f rhe cartridge. The
va lve assembly that governs rebo und d am ping is located o n
the end of rhe d am ping rod ar rhe top . T he ocher end of rhe
...
Cl)
u
d amping rod is arrached to the fo rk cap .
Cl
u.. Most cartridge forks also have external adjustments fo r
c re bo und and co mpressio n dam ping. T he low-speed rebound
Cl
en ad justmen t screw is located ar the top of rhe fo rk cap. The
en
Cl) ad justment screw is connected to a long rod that extends d own
~ r---J~::::t~~~l"""~i----j==":i into the cartridge . T he e nd o f the rod (or a separate need le)
E has a taper char acts as a need le valve, controlling the o il flow
Cl
u through the low-speed re bo und o rifice. W h en the adjusanent
screw is turned in (clockwise) the needle is lowered deeper into
Velocity (V) the ho le, restricting the flow of o il and increasing damping.
3.17 Emulator adjustments of valve spring preload, valve spring rate, and bleed hole This low-speed adju ster also affects high-speed rebou nd-as
size create tremendous tuning flexibility. it con tinues to flow at high speeds -bu t no t to the extent that
it affects low-speed rebo und.
The low-speed compressio n ad juster is located at the
cartridge forks look very similar ro damping rod forks, but bo ttom of the fork leg. (On so m e models the screw is located
the difference is o n the inside. o n the side of the fo rk leg.) It works in a similar m anner as
In standard cartridge for ks, the dam pi ng is d one ins ide a the reb ound ad juster. We'll take a closer look to see how both
m e tal cartridge, hence the name. T he cartridge tube is a ttached low- and high-speed damping are accomplished, starti ng with
ro the bo tto m of the fo rk leg. T he m ain spring, located inside the compression stroke o n a car tridge fo rk.
the fo rk tube, sits between the rop of the cartridge and the Let's say the fro nt wheel encounters a sm all, rou nd-
fork cap. The drawing shows a sm all rop-out spring that is shaped bump and the fork compresses. Upon co mpressio n ,
external ro the cartridge. the dam pi ng rod goes into the cartridge and d isp laces fluid.

46

T his volume o f oil (rh e volume rhe d amping rod displaces)
musr exir rh e carrridge . In a s randard cartridge fo rk it is this
vo lume of fluid thar conrrols compressio n dam ping.
In Figure 3 .2 1, chamber A is gerring smaller, so ir has
rhe highesr o il pressure . Notice rhat the rebo u nd check valve
is op ened as the fo rk compresses. Th e check valve creates very
lirrle resis tance ro flow and allows cha mber B ro fi ll easi ly.
T his m eans ch amber B has o nly a slig htly lower o il pressure
than A (norice rhis is very si milar to chambers A and B in a
damping rod fo rk). C hamb er C has rhe lowest pressure.
Ar very low velociries, all o f rhe flow o ur of rhe cartridge
will pass through t he adjustab le low-speed compress io n
3.19 On the rebound stroke the Emulator check valve
opens feeding the enlarged compression holes to refill
chamber A Rebound damping is created exactly the same
way as wijhout an Emulator.
check-valve opens,
allowing chamber A
to refill easily
rebound damping is
unchanged from standard
damping rod fork
enlarged compression
damping holes reduce
restriction to chamber
A, reducing cavitation
o rifice. As long as the compressio n srro ke moves slow ly
enough , rhe low-speed compression damping circuit in rhe
co mpressio n base valve w ill co n rrol all rhe fl ow o f o il.
N ow ler's look at hig h-sp eed compression. As rhe sh afr
veloci ty inc reases, so does rhe resisra nce ro fl ow r hrough
rh e low-sp eed adjus rer circuir. T hi s causes rh e p ressure
in ch amber A ro increase. At a pressu re determined by
rh e stiffness o f rhe shi m valvin g stack, rhe shim s d eflecr
and the p o r t o pen s. Note rh ar o il still passes rhrough the
low-speed compress io n o r ifice, b ut wirh h ighe r p ressure,
t h e bu lk o f th e flow passes rhrou g h t he hi gh -sp eed
damping circuir.
47
 low-speed low-speed rebound
rebound damping damping adjuster
needle orifice

cupped washer

check valve spring

check valve plate

rebound damping
valve body

seal

check valve port

high-speed damping port

high-speed damping rebound

shim stack valve detail oil feed
passages
base plate & nut
top -out spring
nut (external)
cupped washer
bushing/seal
check valve spring
rebound valve
check valve plate
cartridge tu be
check valve port
compression
seal base valve
high-speed comp ression
damping port

compression damping
valve body

high-speed compression
damping shim stack

oil feed passages

base plate
compression base low-speed
low-speed compression compression
valve detail damping
damping needle orifice
adjuster
3.20 Standard Cartridge Fork Components

In Figure 3 .22 you can see rhar rhe compress io n shi m
srac k consisrs o f a series o f sp ecial sm all washers. These small
washers act like springs: as o il pressure exerts force o n rhe
shim srack rhey d efl ect, allowing o il ro flow past rhem and
o ur o f the cartridge . The ind ividual shi m s ch ar m ake up
the shim stack can be changed in n umber, diam ete r, a nd
rh ic kness ro co nrro l rhe am o unr o f damping. (Ir sho u ld
b e no red rhat even rho ugh the drawing shows o il fl ow ar
t he righ r side of the shi m srack, actual o il flo w takes place
around rhe enrire circumfe ren ce o f the valve. It is drawn
t h is way ro illu srrate rwo sets of po r ts, one set flowing in
each d irectio n .)

48
 y~y :z

check valve open ,

oil passes easily

check valve closed

low-speed movement
doesn't create enough
pressure to open the
shi m stack

3.21 Standard Cartridge Fork Low-Speed Compression

49
 check valve open,
oil passes easily

check valve closed

high-speed com presion

circuit opens when
pressure builds enough
to deflect the shim stack

3.22 Standard Cartridge Fork High-Speed Compression

50
REBOUND DAMPING
Rebo und d amping o n the standard cartridge fo rk design
wo rks in a similar manner to compression damping (see
Figure 3.23). As the fo rk extends, the check va lve closes
and chamber B gets smaller, making it the highest pressure
chamber in the fo rk. C hamber A is getting bigger and
therefore has the lowest pressure .
Ar lo w-speed rebound velocities, there is no t eno ugh
pressu re to o pen the rebound shim stack and all the flu id
flows fro m cha mber B into chamber A thro ugh the low-speed
rebo und o rifice. Du ring low-speed rebound , the rebound
ad juster needle co ntro ls the flo w of o il.
During high-speed rebo und , the p ressure in c hamber
B is hig h eno ugh to o pen the rebo und shim stack (see
Figure 3 .24). O il certa in ly co ntinues to flo w through the
lo w-speed rebound circuit, bu t the maj o ri ty of o il will go
through the bending shim c ircuit. Ju st as with co mpressio n
d amping, the rebound shim stack can be tun ed by changing
the number, thickness, and d ia meter of shims.
Let's no t forget the process of refillin g chamber A. T he
entire vo lume o f chamber B gets transferred to chamber A,
but this is no t eno ugh volume to com pletely refill chamber
A- it is defic ient by the vo lume o f the d amping rod.
Fo rtunate ly the compressio n d amping valve has a check valve
that o pens , allowing fluid to pass freely from chamber C back
in to chamber A.
Ir is bo th in te resting and impo rtant ro recognize that the
velocity o f the rebo und stroke is directly related to the amo unt
o f travel used. The mo re travel used , the mo re energy is stored
in the spring and the greater the force is extending the fo rk.
T h is typica lly means that low-speed rebo u nd damping will
be created on smaller displacements and high-speed will be
created when lo ts o f travel is used. The exact velocity will a lso
depend o n thi ngs like whe ther the tire is in contact with the
grou nd o r the bike is in the air (probab ly no t with a street
bike- I hope).
MULTI-STAGE DAMPING
T here is a va riatio n o n the standard shim stack used in the
cartridge fo rk that produces a mo re progressive compress io n
damping curve. As you can see in Figure 3.25, the compressio n
shim stack has two shim stacks o n to p o f each o ther, separated
by a smaller diameter washer. At the lowest velocities the shim
stack is closed a nd a ll the fl ow goes th rough the low speed
ad juster. As the velocity increases, the low-speed stack (the
o ne closest to the valving piston) opens and oil fl ows through
the compress io n d amping ho les- the sam e as a single-stage
shim stack.
In the next d rawing (Figure 3 .26) the compression stro ke
is even fas ter, causing even higher o il pressure in chamber A.
With m o re o il pressure pushing o n it, the low-speed shim
stack is d eflected far eno ugh to make co ntact with the second
(high-speed ) shim stack, thereby stiffening up the to ta l stack.
With two-stage (o r mo re) shim stacks, the progressiveness
can be tailored. No re that the mo re stages there are, generally
the mo re p rogressive the curve will be. T his style o f stack is
common o n dirt bikes.
D o n't be confused by the termino logy. When we refer
to a lo w-speed and high-speed compression stack, yo u might
wonder if the low-speed adjuster and the low-speed stack
control the same velocities. Any time there is an open " bleed"
ho le, it is the lowes t speed d am ping control. T he po in t at
which the low-speed stack opens depends o n its stiffness.
Keep in mind that the effects o f all o f these compo nents
overlap. The higher the velocity, the less effect the low-speed
adjuster has, tho ug h it d oes sti ll flow and have some effect.
We will get in to fu rther d erail about va lving stack styles a bi t
later in this chapter.
CARTRIDGE FORK MID-VALVES
On the com pressio n s troke o f a ca rtridge fo rk, the jo b o f the
check valve o n the rebo und pisto n is to allow o il co freely pass
fro m chamber A to chamber B. But wha t if we put a valving
stack in the place o f the check valve and call it a mid-valve?
W hat are the possible benefits and limita tio ns?
On the rebo und stro ke (Figure 3 .27) it is easy to see
there wo uld be no downside to it. Its jo b is sim ply to shu t
o ff the flow th rough chose passages, and it wo uld d o just
that. On the co m p ressio n stroke t here certainly is fl ow fro m
chamber A to B, but cham ber Bis getting bigger, so it tends
to crea te a vacuum. If we restrict the fl ow too much, we
cou ld easily cause the fo rk to cavirate o n the com press io n
stroke and cause incomplete fi lling o f chamber A. If, on the
o ther ha nd , we restric t the flow belo w the level that causes
cavitatio n, we would be ad d ing compressio n damping.
W hat's the d ifference be tween adding mo re damping
at the compress io n piston versus adding it to the mid-valve?
Remember that the volume of o il that goes through the
compressio n piston o n the compressio n stroke is exactly the
vo lume d isplaced by the damping rod . On the compress io n
stro ke, the vo lume of o il tha t goes fro m A to Bis the area o f the
inner diameter of the cartridge minus the area of the damping
rod rimes the length o f the displacement. This means that a
2 4 mm diameter ca rtridge with a 12mm diameter damping
rod will pass 3 rimes the vo lum e in to cham ber B th rough the
m id-valve than out o f the cartridge thro ugh the compress io n
base va lve.
So w hat is the benefit o f t he mid-va lve? We have been
talking abo ut o il as being inco m p ressible, bu r that is nor
precisely true. Because there is a slig ht compressib ility of the
o il as well as expandabili ty of the ca rtridge rube, the re is a
bi t of a lag between t he d amping rod entering the cartridge
and the da mping being created by o il passing through the
co mpressio n valve- particularly o n very small movemen ts.
Because rhe vo lume is so much greater thro ug h the mid-valve,
it does n't ra ke much valving to create a significant amo un t of
co mpressio n damping. The net resu lt o f a mid- valve is rhar
t he "lag" is reduced.
51
 low-speed orifice
"'1!~:::::::=----.--r""'"I creates damping

check valve closed

low-speed movement
doesn 't create enough
pressure to open the
shim stack

check valve open,

oil passes easi ly

3.23 Standard Cartridge Fork Low-Speed Rebound

52
 check valve closed

high-speed rebound circuit

opens when press ure
builds enough to deflect
the sh im stack

check valve open,

oil passes easily

3.24 Standard Cartridge Fork High-Speed Rebound

53
 check valve open,
oi l passes easily

check valve closed

low-speed movement
generates on ly enough press ure
to move the low-speed
portion of the shim stack,
but not the high-speed stack

3.25 Standard Cartridge Fork Two-Stage Low-Speed Compression

54
 check valve open ,
oil passes easily

check valve closed

high-speed movemen t
engages both stages
of the shim stack

3.26 Standard Cartridge Fork Two-Stage High-Speed Compression

55
 cupped
washer
check
spring travel
limit
support shims
shim
clearance
primary or float
clamping
shims sleeve
refill
ports

rebound
piston a mid-valve
is a modified
check valve
rebound
shim stack

mid-valve
mid-valve
detail
3.27 Mid-valve Components everything else
is the same

T he mid-valve was first introduced in dirt b ikes. T he

challenge for a mid-valve in a dirt bi ke is to be able to handle
incred ibly high shaft velocities o n compression . T his makes
for extrem ely high Aow rates past the mid -valve valving stack
and the shims have to bend very far. In the past there have bee n
many forks where the m id-valve shims distorted permanently
o nce in use. T his sometimes occurred o n rhe very first ride-
o nce bent, rhey no longer function as a mid-valve. If rhis
happens, why have a mid-va lve in the first place?
T ho ugh there are potential weaknesses, there are also
benefits ro be had ifthe mid-valve can be crea ted that doesn't
p erm anently distort and is set up to prevent cavitatio n .
T here are a number of mid-valve d esigns, bu t lee's look
ar a very commo n o ne. Look at Figure 3.27. T his mid-valve
consists of a shim stack that slides o n a sleeve. This allows
the mid-valve stack ro d isplace before it has to bend. There
is a secondary shim char suppo rts the bending shims a t high
deAections, and there is a coil spring to return the stack back
to the pisto n on the change fro m com pressio n to rebound .
MID-VALVE COMPRESSION STROKE
Refer to Figure 3 .28. When the compressio n stroke begins, the
mid-va lve immediately displaces a distance we call the "Aoac,''
"clearance," o r "gap." T his Aoat is provided because o f the
immense Aow rate fro m chamber A to Bon the compressio n
stro ke, particu larly on dirt bikes.
As the velocity increases, the shim stack starts to bend.
(See Figure 3.29.) It bends until it hi ts the seco ndary shim ,
which helps kee p it fro m perma nen tly distorting. On the
rebo und stroke, the entire mid-valve disp laces back ro rhe
pisto n face wirh a little help from the check spring. The
rebo und stack behaves as norm al. (See Figure 3 .30.)
In the past I o ften recommended dismantling the mid-
valve and co nverting ir back to a sta ndard check valve as it
eliminated the potential problem s of permanent distortio n
and cavitatio n. Som e of the stock d esigns today have less
problems with permanent disto rtio n , and in these cases we m ay
recommend no r changing the mid-valve back ro a check va lve.
In other cases Race Tech offers Re bo und Gold Valves
that not o nly have tunab le rebo und valving stacks but also
tu nab le mid-va lves, allowing tremendo us Aexibili ry. Race
Tech HFR (High Freq uency Response) Rebo und Gold
Valves fo r pavem ent u tilize a no n-displacing mid-valve,
so they m ake the change in directio n from compressio n ro
rebo und very rapidly. T he reason we can get away without a
d isplacing mid-valve on these m odels is that the compressio n
ve loci ties are much lower than o n a dirt bike, so the p o tential
fo r permanent disto rtio n is dramatically red uced.

56

Bear in mind that caviration is always a risk- that the m o re
compressio n damping you create at the mid-valve, the higher
t he po ten tial for cavitatio n o n the comp ressio n stroke. If you're
using a mid-valve and yo u decrease the compressio n damping
o n the compressio n base valve, you increase the chance of
cavira tio n. This is because it is the resistance to the flow through
t he compression valve (and our of che cartridge) thac fo rces che
o il fro m chamber A to chamber B. You need to seek a balance
3.28 Mid-valve Low-Speed Compression
3.29 Mid-valve High-Speed Compression
b ecween having enough com p ression valving ac the compressio n
b ase valve and no t too much mid-valve valving.
TWIN-CHAMBER AND OTHER PRESSURIZED
FORKS AND CAVITATION
W ith the ad vent of the m id-valve cam e an increased po tential
fo r cavitatio n. In the old days before che cwin-chamber fo rk, we
used co introduce this subjecc in the shock absorber seccio n of
57

rhe Race Tech Technical Edge Suspension Seminars, bur ch is is
now a big part of fork d esign too.
As you may rem ember, cavitatio n is the fo rma tion o f
vapo r bubbles in a Aowing liq uid ca used by a decrease in
pressure. T his occurs speci fi cally in an area wh ere the pressure
o f the liquid falls below its vapor pressure. One way to reduce
the tendency coward cavitatio n is to pressurize the cartridge.
Refer to Figure 3.3 1 number I . H ere we have a shock
shaft artached to a solid pisto n in a shock body partially fi lled
with o il. T h ere is a ho le in the piston and the p iston can slide
but seals nicely o n the body. There is no "cop" o n the shock, so
it is open to atmospheric pressu re. Before m o tio n is initiated ,
the pressure in both chambers A and Bare equal at 0 .
If we compress the s hock very slowly, the pressure in
chamber B becomes negative (a vacuum) while the pressure
above the piston rem ains a tmospheric at 0. (It sho uld be noted
char in this example we are using gauge p ressures, not a bsolute
pressures . Absolute pressure at standard atmosph eric pressure is
about 14.7 p si, or I atmosphere. Gauge pressure ac atm ospheric
pressure is 0 psi, o r 0 atmospheres. 0 psi absolu te is an a bsolute
vacuum.) Ar this very low velocity there is very li crle cavitation ,
bu t w ith enou gh resistance chere can be some.
Refer to Figure 3.3 1 nu m ber 2. As we increase che shaft
velocity, che pressure b ecomes low enough to create void s o r
vacuum pockets in the Auid. T h e faste r the sh aft is m oved,
the m o re cavitation occurs. T he sm aller che hole-a nd
therefore, che greater the da mping effecc-che soo ner che
cavitatio n happen s.
Refer to Fig ure 3.3 1 n umber 3. To remedy the problem ,
we could pu ca Aoacingpisto n o n che top of the Au id in chamber
58
3.30 Mid-valve Low-Speed Rebound
A and put a coil spring w ith preload against the opposite side
of rhe piston. This way th e ini tial p ressure in bo th chamber A
and chamber B not o nly start off the sam e before m ovem ent,
but are at a higher pressure. W hen m ovem ent is initiated, the
spring fo rce creates a pressure that helps pus h the o il through
the o rifice in co cha mber B, thus reducing cavitatio n. If there
is enough initial pressu re created by the spring, cavitatio n
ca n b e completely elim inated . In rea lity this ca n be a difficulc
so lutio n co assemble, buc ic is used when the pressures required
to eliminate cavitation are fairly low (as in fo rks).
Refer to Figu re 3.31 number 4. On a shock absorber the
forces are fairly high, so a more practical solution is the use of a
compressed gas instead ofa coil spring co create che pressu re inside
the damping chambers. It is important to note thacwhen the system
is at rest, che pressures in all three chambers (A, B, and the nitrogen
chamber) are the sam e. If che nitrogen pressure is high enough
co overpower che resistance co Aow, cavitation is eliminated . Noce
that as far as eliminating cavitatio n is concerned , ic doesn't matter
whether a piston or a bladder is used in the reservoir.
Lee's go back now co the front fork. Look at Figure 3.32.
If we want co pressurize the cartridge, we need co m ake room
for a pressure chamber. If we mount the cartridge upside down,
we can attach the damping rod co the bo rco m of the fork. The
cartridge rube and compressio n valve, alo ng with the reservoir
piston, are then attached co the fork cap at the top of the forks.
Notice chac che shaft chac the compressio n piston is
attached to is the sam e o n e che reservoir p iston slides on. Yo u
can see that che reservoir is pressurized with a coil spring.
This illuscracio n is based o n a Showa Twin -Chamber.
So me detail is o mitted, bu c no tice the necked-down part of
 high shaft velocity
low pressure creates high damping
pulls oil through and strong vacuum
damping orifice causing cavitation

pressure helps fo rce high pressu re

oil through damping eliminates
orifice, reducing cavitation
cavitation

3.31 Cavitation Control

the compression d amping shaft just below the fork cap-it
is m a rked as "assembly groove." This is Showa's solu tion fo r
assembly, a nd we will discuss the details lacer in the book.
Briefly, w he n the cartridge is initially assembled, it is overfilled
with o il. The d a mping rod is then comp ressed all the way,
displacing the reser voir piston an d com p ressing the pressure
spring until it reaches the assembly groove. Ar th is point the
reservoir pisto n shaft seal no lo nger seals a nd rhe reservo ir
p iston stops m oving u pward. Any excess o il "leak s past."
W h en the sh aft is released , the pressure spring exte nds and
the reservoir piston m oves d own and seals again, trapping rhe
correct a m o unt of oil inside the cartridge.

59
 low-speed
compression
damping adjuster
assembly groove
compression
damping rod
reservoir pressure
spring

reservoir piston

compression valve

compression
damping rod
As to the fun ctio n of the fork, the damping is exac tly the
cartridge tube same as a standard, no n-pressurized cartridge. O il is forced
through the compression valve a nd moves the reservoir pisto n
b ecause ofthedisplacemen t o f the da m ping rod into the cartridge.
rebound valve T he reservo ir provid es pressure to eliminate cavitation.
It is inte res ting to no tice that with this p ressure-sp ring
design , the pressu re in the cartridge starts very low, as the
pressure spring preload is very low. T he pressure bui lds as the
fo rk co mpresses. This means the resistance to ca vitatio n sta rts
reb ound ve ry low and improves d eeper into the travel. Maximum
damping rod velocity o n m ost la ndings from jumps occurs at YJ to \12
travel-this is w he n the po tential fo r cavitation is a t its
highest. This m ay be a d esign limitatio n but remember, all
you need is enough pressure to eliminate cavitatio n and
top-out spring
(internal) no m ore.
O ther designs o f pressurized cartridges include W P units
shaft seal o n so me KTMs, whic h use a bladder w ith nitrogen instead
of a pressu re spring. (See Figure 3 .32 .) The pressure in this
d esign builds with the displacement o f the d a mping rod and
the compress ion ra tio of the volume o f the reservoir ch a mbe r
compared to tha t o f the damping rod. T his makes it possib le
fo r the pressure to remain muc h mo re con stant compa red to
oil passages using a pressu re spring, thus the resistance to cavitatio n is
more consistent th rough the entire stro ke.
Other advantages o f pressurized cartridges include the
ability to u se different viscosities in the inne r cartridge a nd the
o u ter cha mber. Inc reasing the viscosity in the outer c ha mber
spring makes the hydraulic bo n om -out m o re aggressive, if tha t's what
you need. This can be d one instead of replacing the bottom-out
"lock" ring with a larger diameter aftermarket ring, eliminating
the problem of scoring that these afre rmarket rings often have.
The re is also a mino r ad vantage with the separation of
the inner a nd o uter cha mber o il in the event that the oute r
c hambe r oi l gets contaminated.
low-speed rebound There is, o f course, a d ownside to all pressurized fo rks:
damping adjuster added com p lexity, additional sealing surfaces that inc rease
fri ctio n, and the number of places t hat there can be leaks.
3.32 The Twin-Chamber design inverts the cartridge and adds a spring-pressurized
Spring replacem e nt is a bi t m ore involved as well. Remembe r,
reservoir. The value of a pressurized cartridge is it can eliminate cavitation if there too, that if there isn't any cavitation, the major advantage ofa
is any. pressurized cartridge is minimized. Also no te that cavitatio n is

60
a much bigger issue o n d irt bike fo rks than it is with street
and road race forks because of the high ve locities involved.
Remember that the pressure spring in the reservoir does
no r create damping- rather, ir creates pressure to eliminate
cavitatio n and ultimately adds to the main fo rk spring force
slightly. The pressure springs are positio n sensi tive, not
velocity sensitive.
Supercross generates higher shaft velocities and mo re
bottom ing problem s. To deal with it, tuners qu ite ofte n
opt for mo re mid-valve compressio n dam ping. These harsh
cond itio ns require stiffer pressure springs in the reservoir, but
which o nes? The problem in answering that q uestion is that it's
hard fo r the rider to detect cavitation . Typically the rider may
feel it bottom or perhaps feel a looseness due to the decrease
in rebou nd damping, but in resting, those symptoms are really
hard to pin o n cavitatio n. Most shock d ynos ca nno t even come
close to creati ng che velocities req uired to induce cavitation, so
they won't be able to detect it either. T he ru le of thu mb is:
higher compression velocities and more mid-valve damping
requi re stiffer pressure springs or mo re reservoir pressure. (See
www.racecech.com fo r recommendations.)
OTHER FORK DESIGNS
T he 2009 model year saw many new cartridge styles
in troduced into the spo rtbike market. Suzuki and Kawasaki
in troduced che BPF " Big Piston" for ks with 39 and 37mm
pistons, while Yamaha brought our 30mm cartridges with
com pressio n on ly in o ne leg and rebound o nly in the other.
If the notion of an " imbalance" created with compression
in one leg and rebound in the other seems to pose a
problem , you can stop worrying-unless the fro nt ax le flexes
app reciab ly, bo th fo rk legs are going u p and down ar rhe same
time. In fact, in the 1980s Marzocch i had a series of dirt bike
forks rhac had o nly o ne fo rk spring: rebound damping was
in that leg and com pression was in the o ther leg. T hough
they were never considered the best-performing fo rks, the
bikes they were fitted to showed no evidence of turning left
better than right (or vice versa), nor did they exhib it an y
unusual binding.
T hese new designs have shifted from rod displacement to
piston displacement. Th is means that, instead of the damping
rod volume displacing the fl uid ro create compression
damp ing, they are mo re like a shock where the entire vo lume
swept by che piston (cartridge inner diameter rimes travel
used) is being used to make dampi ng. In theory this provides
the same advantage as the mid-valve d oes in dealing with
the "compressibili ty" of the oil and expandabili ty of the
cartridge cube.
T he downside, in my opin ion, is char che damping
pistons are way too restrictive. The volume of oi l going
through che pisto n o n a 39mm BPF Showa is cen and a half
times char which a 12mm d iameter damping rod pushes in a
conventio nal cartridge. T his means there is a big tendency for
the pisto n o rifices themselves to create significant harshness.
But, to be fa ir, everything has upsides and downsides. The
most im portant consideratio n is whether or nor a tuner can
make che forks perfo rm , and rhe answer to that questio n is
usually yes. T he degree of performance yo u can wring our
of these designs depends o n knowledge of rhe problem and
ski ll in resti ng and tro ubleshooting o n rhe part of bo th rhe
test rider and the tuner. T his is why Go ld Valve Kies fo r these
fo rks have radically increased flow areas.
SHOCK DESIGN
le may com e as a surprise, but rhe study of shock absorber
design won't be pa rticularly difficu lt by chis point in che boo k.
If you understand the previous co ncepts presenced, shocks are
easy. T here are six major shock desig ns we are going to look
at, scarring wich rwin- tube shocks.
Twin-Tube Shocks
This type of shock is the most popular style o n the p lanet
by a long shot (see Figure 3.33). If yo u look closely, you can
see ir looks very si milar co a stand ard cartridge fo rk, with che
shock shaft che equivalent of che damping rod . On che end
of rhe shock shaft is a rebound piston wi th a check valve o n
the top side. T here is a "base valve" (com pressio n valve) ac che
bo tto m of che cartridge wich a check valve o n the top side.
Outside the cartridge is a co mpressible air space to deal wich
the displacemen t of che shock shaft. T hese shocks must be
m ou nted in the orientation shown and ca nnot be inverted.
There are su btle variations, like the additio n of a Freo n
bag inside the outer chamber instead o f letting the air contact
the oi l directly. Contrary to what you mig ht think, the use of
Freon as a gas has nothing to d o with coo ling the shock. T his
variation had limited improvement.
There are also designs chat feature a floating piston ring
that seals o n the outer d iameter of the ca rtridge tube and the
inner d iameter of the shock body, allowing che shock to be
pressurized through an opening in the seal head. T his is done
in a n effort to contro l cavitation and allows the shock co be
m ou nted in any direction.
Emulsion Shocks
E mulsio n shocks are single-tube shocks that have no reservoir
and are not quire fu ll of o il because they require an air space
to deal wich che displacement of the shock shaft. T hey must
be mo unted in the orientation shown, with the body u p and
the shock shaft down. T he compression valving stack is o n
the bottom of che pisto n while che rebound stack is o n the
o ther side.
These shocks are genera lly pressurized to raise the
tempera cure and lower the pressure ac which cavicacio n occurs
wi th in che suspensio n flui d itself. As you might imagi ne,
the potential for cavicacion a nd foaming is real-the idea
behind the design is t hat o nce it "foams up," ic will become
consistent. Emu lsion shocks can actually wo rk qu ire well but
are not co nsidered to be a high-performa nce design.
61
 nitrogen (gas) nitrogen
compresses r--;=;::::~-..r"

shock shaft
oil (liquid)
displaces volume
inside body

Emulsion

Twin-Tube
3.33 (Above) The twin-tube design
looks very similar to a standard
cartridge fork. The shock shaft
has a rebound piston attached.
The bottom of the cart has a
compression base valve and there
is an air space on the outside of the
damping lube.

3.34 (Top right) This illustration

shows the effect of shock shaft
displacement. The solid shock shaft
displaces oil volume in the shock
body as it compresses. Because oil
is incompressible, there must be
a compressible space inside the
shock for the entire stroke or ~ will
not compress.

3.35 (Bottom right) All of these

designs are related lo the
DeCarbon Remote Piston Integral Bladder
original DeCarbon mono-tube
design and are considered lo be
Internal Reservoir Reservoir
high performance. Floating Piston

62
DeCarbon Reservoir Shocks
If we were ro separate the o il from the ni trogen with a
floating pisro n in the main shock body, we would have a
basic DeCarbon reservoi r shock. I group remote reservoirs,
bladders, and diaph ragm reservo irs in ro this group. All are
high-performance d esigns.
When the French scientist Dr. C hristian Bourcier
DeCarbon invented this design, he used a floati ng reservo ir
piston in the main s hock body, b ut all t he styles mentioned
are variations of this rheme. Externally DeCarbon's original
design looks like an emulsion shock, but internally it's
quite d ifferent.
By pressu rizing rhe nitrogen space, we can reduce
o r eliminate cavi tatio n. Remember that the amo un t o f
nitrogen pressure required is directly related ro the amo unt
o f co mpression damping required-this was discussed in
the pressurized fork sectio n. N itrogen is used in rhis design
because ir's dry, inexpensive, inert, and easily acquired in high-
p ressu re borrles, bur iris nor rhe o nly gas rh ar can be used.
One of rhe problems wirh rhe original DeCarbo n design
for many mororcycle applicatio ns was rhar, because rhe
floating pisro n was in rhe main shock rube, rh e shock was
considerably longer rhan a twin-rube or emulsion shoc k. A
solution ro rhis was attachi ng a remote reservoir wirh a hose.
Now this idea has evolved inro an integral reservoi r bu ilt
inro the body. The integral design nor on ly sim plified rhe
design, bur it has rhe added benefit of a very s ho rt hear path
to rhe added su rface area o f the reservoir body keepi ng the oil
coo ler. Thar being said , if the shock d oesn't fad e appreciably
with tempera ture (the shock loses damping when it gets hot),
this adva n tage is unimportant.
Shock Adjusters
Rebou nd adjusters can be used in a ll rhe shock designs
mentio ned. The adjus ters generally posi tio n a tapered needle
in an o rifice and are low-speed adjusters. T here are two
mechanisms fo r moving the adjuster needle. The first type
uses a kno b th readed onro rhe eyelet that moves a crosspin
resti ng against the adj usting needle rod. Th e seco nd type uses
a sc rew with a tapered rip rhar pushes rhe rod directly. (See
Figure 3.37 fo r d etails.)
Ano ther rebound ad juste r design has fo ur posirions-
th is type has a barrel inside the shock shaft with fou r different
size holes in it. One of these ho les is a ligned with an ou tlet
po rt ro determine w hich one flows.
W hen rhe reservo ir is a ttached o utside the main shock
rube, we have the o ppo rtunity ro add external compressio n
adj usters. T he vo lume rhar rhe shock shaft d isplaces flows
in to the reservoir and-while this may no t be a lo t of fluid-
is eno ugh ro influence the shock's behavio r with an adj uste r.
Increasi ng the shaft diameter increases the vo lume of flow ro
the rese rvoir, making the adjuster more effective.
T here are many adjuster d es ig ns: a sim ple o ne is show n
in Figu re 3.37. T he low-speed adj uster is the o ne on the right
and is just a simple tapered needle in an o ri fice. T he high
speed adjuster o n th e left is a coil spring o n a valve plate:
using rhe adjuster airers rhe spring preload . On rebou nd the
refill check valve opens and allows rhe oil ro return ro rhe
mai n shock body.
Most production compression adjusters are fa irly
ineffective, so much so rhar when doing blind resti ng, most
riders cannot rel! much d ifference with any o f the settings. T hese
fi ndings have been backed up wirh dyno resting. The advantage
o f ineffective adjusters is that the user ca n't mess it up-on the
o ther hand, they can't improve things much either.
There are no general sta tements rhar can be made about
which brands of adjusters are more effective, bur this is w here
good testing o r d yno work comes in . O ne of rhe design
consid eratio ns of Race Tech G3-S C usrom Series Shocks
was ro have a significant range of ex ternal compressio n
adjustment. We were ab le ro achieve an impressive range of
33 percent.
Through-Shaft Shocks
A simple version of a through-shaft design is a linear steering
damper, with compressio n valving o n one side of the pisto n
and rebo und o n the other. The shock is com pletely filled with
o il. Generally speaking, rhere is no compressible air space
required because the shock shaft volume going in is eq ual
to the volum e going our. H owever, it is preferable ro have
a compressib le space ro allow for expa nsion o f the oil with
temperature. T his basic design is used in Race Tech Caddies
Softail Shocks.
Solid-Piston Shocks
Solid-piston shocks can be linear o r rotary vane style. The
linear version shown uses a so lid piston in a twin-rube design.
Passages or hoses are attached to the inner and ou ter rube and
a valving block ca n be bu ilt into the shock body o r attached
with hoses and remotely mo un ted. This basic d esig n is used
b y Oh lins in its TTX Series shocks (see Figu re 3.39).
This Scott's Steering Damper is a rotary vane damper that does an excellent job of
controlling headshake. Even ff headshake is not a problem, the damper allows the
rider to relax qutte a btt more.
63
 compression adjuster
top mounting eye
reservoir oil passage

shock body
reservoir

threaded preload adjuster

bladder
piston nitrogen

shaft snap ring

seal head reservoir cap

bottom-out bumper nitrogen filler

lower spring perch

low-speed rebound adjuster

bottom mounting eye

rebound base plate
shaft nut
spacer

- - - - high-speed rebound
shim stack

piston
low-speed rebound
shim stack

low-speed compression
shim stack

low-speed rebound high-speed com pression

damping adjuster seat shim stack
L...--.....:::::~~:!--- compression base plate
low-speed rebound
adjuster inlet port r="'=lr- - - - - - - low-speed rebound
damping adjuster needle
shock shaft

3.36 Shock Valving Components

T he TL! OOOS Suzuki introdu ced in 1997 uses a ro tary
va ne style damper attached to the swingarm with links and
h eim jo in ts. T he spring is attached separately o n a unit
that looks li ke a shock but isn't. The valving consists of two
asse mblies that look very much like cartridge fo rk valves, with
one controlling compressio n and the o ther rebound- in fact,
we fit Fork Gold Valve Kits to these wh en we reva lve them .
T he TL dampers suffer from high fri ction and a tendency for
the attachment heim joints to get sloppy, but they can be made to
work very well with internal polishing, anodizing, and care of the

64
 3.37 Shown are the two most common types of rebound
Rebound adjusters where a rod through the center of the shaft
Adjusters positions a tapered needle into a seat. It is being moved
by either a threaded adjusting collar or an adjuster
screw with a point on the end. The high- and low-speed
compression adjuster shown is one of many types
cross pin available. Most of these designs use the flow from
the shock body to the reservoir to create additional
compression damping. The tapered needle adjusts low
adjusting speed while the preload on a coil spring pushing onto a
knob piston controls high speed.

if there is only one Compression

clicker, it is usually Adjusters
low-speed

clicker adjusts
orifice size
clicker adjusts
sp ring preload

heim joints. T heir big downfall was a lack o f underscanding by
tuners, who removed the stock damper and easily (and perhaps too
eagerly) replaced rhe spring unit with a complete standard shock.
Ir is notable because it was, as fa r as I know, the fi rst production
version of a solid-piston shock design.
Another version of rhe rotary vane d esign is a Sco tt's Steering
Damper. These are nor suspensio n units technically, but they do
dramatically affect handling , and they are a damper. There are
p avement and dirt versions, and they have bo th h igh- and low-
speed d am ping adjustment and perform very well.

65
 Through-Shaft
3.38 Through-shaft shocks don't require a reservoir as the shaft volume entering is
the same that is leaving. Reservoirs are only added to compensate for the expansion
of the fluid with temperature.
POSITION-SENSITIVE DAMPING SYSTEMS
In th e Race Tech Technical Edge Suspe nsio n Seminars, we
delve into linkages and leverage ratios in quite a bit of detai l.
Linkages (and, in fac r, all shock mo untings) have a leverage
ratio curve. The leverage ratio, as we defi ne it, is basica lly the
t ravel of the wheel d ivided by the travel of che shock. W ith a
linkage, the o pportunity co vary che leverage ratio thro ugh the
stro ke becomes q uite significant.
T his allows the suspension to be plush on the li ttle bumps
a nd stiff o n the big o nes. T his is, obviously, of particular
sig nificance for d irt bikes. W ithout a linkage, the abili ty to
change the leverage th roughout the travel becomes quite
limi ted. Thro ugh testing o n dirt vehicles of any type, we've
fou nd that a progressio n of2 5 to 32 percent is a good range of
change berween 50 and 250mm travel.
W ithou t a linkage, it is d ifficu lt co gee mo re than about 12
percent. T his means setups without lin kages-including ATVs
a nd automotive A-arms-benefit not o nly from progressive
spri ng setups but also position-sensitive d amping.
You might recall that l said damping is sensitive to velocity,
no t position. T his is precisely true. It is, however, possible to make
the damping change th roughout the position of the stroke as well.
66
Solid-Piston,
External Valving Block
3.39 Solid-piston shocks come in many forms. In this case the oil is pushed through
a valving block to create damping. The reservoir is attached between the valving
pistons where the pressure is lowest. This allows a lower required pressure.
There are a number of ways co do this. O hlins uses
rwo d ifferent size pisto ns attached to the shock shaft with
the piston o n che end o f che shaft going in co a "cup" in the
bo ttom of the shock bod y at the end of the shock stroke.
ln the au to mo tive off-road world, King Shocks have external
bypass cubes located at d iffe rent heights alo ng the shock body.
The WP PDS (Positio n Sensitive Damping System) also uses
two pistons similar to O hlins, but both pistons are the same
size. W P's design is by far t he most popu lar in the motorcycle
world , particularly because they come as o rig inal equipment
o n KTM mo to rcycles. KTM removed th e shock linkage and
mo unted the shock directly fro m the swi ngarm co the fram e
in 1998. This introdu ced the need to make bo th che spring
rate a nd the dampi ng change with positio n.
Referring co Figure 3.40, you can see there is also a
metering needle attached to the bottom of the shock body.
There are two phases: the fi rst is befo re the need le enters the
shock shaft, and the second is after the needle has entered.
ln the ini tial movements befo re the needle enters, the o il

oil
nitrogen
flow goes from chamber A th rough the cencer o f che shafc,
bypasses che "seconda ry" piscon, goes ou c chrough pores in
che shafc and spacing sleeve, and goes ch rough the "p rimary"
pisco n compressio n circuics.
Once rhe shock compresses enough co engage che
m ecer ing need le, che o il in chamber A can n o lo nger
b ypass che secondary piscon , so ic is forced ch rough ic.
T he damping crea ced by che secondary piscon is added co
che damping creaced by che primary piscon because che sa me
volume o f o il still flows ch rough che prima ry piscon.
3.40 The first phase of a PDS Shock is before the shock
has collapsed enough to engage the pin. The oil can flow
to the primary piston through the center of the shaft,
bypassing the secondary piston. The problem, historically,
is the center of the shaft has too much restriction.
PDS needle
oil flow bypasses
secondary piston
From m y perspeccive, che m ajo r fl aw in chis syscem is
che res cric cion in flow area co che p ri mary piscon chrough
che center of che shafc. I did a series of cescs with che PDS
in 1999 and initially, no m accer w hat I d id with the valving
on the primary piston , ic was always harsh o n square-edged
bumps. Then I removed che secondary p isto n en tirely.
The rider's feedback was ch at it was much plusher on braking,
acceleracion, and small, single, square-edged bumps. The
scandard metering needle was no r engaged in chis area! All
char needed co be tested then was to put che secondary p isco n
67
back on and remove the metering needle enti rely- it was
ha rsh again. O ver the yea rs WP has increased the bo re size in
the center o f the shaft, and this has helped.
Terry H ay o f Shock Treatment (Race Tech's Australian
distributor) invented a novel solutio n that has had wo rldwide
success. One o f the problems with the stock metering needle was
it was very sho rt and , if it were an y longer, the needle would
hi t the rebo und seat and start des troying thi ngs.
Ter ry made a metering need le that was much lo nger
than stock and telesco ped in to itself. T his made rhe
oil
nitrogen
68
progress io n mo re consistent. Bu r what abou t rhe res triction
in flo w ra re? H e simply su rrendered ro rhe fact rhar rhe bo re
o f the shaft wou Id be restri ctive and fo rced rhe secondary
piston ro fl ow o n high speed hits thro ugho ut rhe enti re
st ro ke. This required a significant decrease in compressio n
d amping o n rhe seco ndary pis ton. In my o pinio n (and
yes, I a m biased), Terry's Telescopic PD S N eedle alo ng
wi rh Race Tech's P Se ries Progressive Shoc k Springs and
a G o ld Va lve comb ine to significantly improve the KTM
suspensio n performance.
3.41 Once the pin is engaged, all the oil is forced through
the secondary piston on ~sway through the primary
piston. The damping created by both pistons is added
together. This abruptly increases the damping toward the
bottom of the stroke.
POS needle blocks damping
rod shaft, forcing oil through
secondary piston, creating
additional damping
primary piston
continues to
create damping
rebound adjuster
flows slightly
 standard PDS
needle has a
oil short tape r,
and is harsh

lengthening the PDS needle

taper can cause the needle
to strike the low-speed orifice

inlet port for high- the telescoping PDS

press ure oil, which needle collapses
extends the needle when it contacts
the solution is a the low-speed seat
telescopi ng PDS
needle II
nitrogen

the telescopic needle

has a long gradual
tape r for smooth
damping progression

passageway for
low-speed circuit

3.42 The Telescopic Needle creates a gradual progression over a longer stroke eliminating the abruptness and harshness. This is enhanced with revalving.

69
 FADE
Fade is a decrease in d amping duri ng use. Ir is usually caused
by one o f three things. First is the loss o f viscosiry w hen rhe
o il hears up. (Losing viscosiry means char rhe oi l chins o ur.)
T his can be because rhe viscosiry index of rhe oi l is low (poor
qualiryoil) or because rhe o il's viscosiry index has broken down
with wear (poor qualiry viscosiry-index- improver addi tives).
T h is decreases damping, parricularly in rhe low-speed range.
Remember char, o n rhe energy level, a shock converrs kinetic
energy inro hear, so rhe shock hears up when in use. Fro nr
forks generally hear up much less than rear shocks because
there are rwo fork legs instead of o ne shock, giving rhe fro nr
forks much mo re surface area in comparison ro rhe shock.
T hey are also up front hanging ou r in rhe b reeze cooling off,
while the shock is ofren stuffed in and hidden from the wind.
On some models the shock is exrremely close to the exhaust
pipe , wh ich doesn't help marcers eicher. Fade can also be
caused by che o il becom ing more compressible as ic hears up.
Another cause o f fade is mechanical blowby. T h is can
happen when d ifferen t materials expand differencly as they
heat up. If che shock body is made o f aluminum and che
pisron is made of steel, che aluminum body expand s faste r
than the steel pisron as che s hock hears up.
T his is nor a problem if che sealing design o n the pisron can
hand le thedifference in expansion.A poo rseali ngdesign, however,
can leak. If the oil is going around the pisto n and not through it,
the damping decreases and the rider experiences fade.
A common culprit is the energizer 0- ring underneath
the pisto n band . O n KYB and Showa shocks, par ticularly
o n o lder models (pre-2000), the energizer 0- ring can wear
o ff and form a flat spot, lessening the preload on the piston
band-so metimes to no thing. T h is p roblem is hidden
because the stock piston band is endless (full-circle hoop )
and doesn't expose the co nditio n o f the 0-ring. M easu re the
installed o uter diameter of the piston band and make sure it
is larger than the in ner d iameter of the bo re.
Ano ther source of fade is cavitatio n, an issue we have
d iscussed in quite a bit of d etail already. If the shock loses
pressu re for any reason, it will show up as a dec rease in
damping bo th o n com pression and rebou nd.
I remember when a rider came up to me and cold me he had
f1Xed the harshness problem on his stock shock. He co ld me he let
some of the n itrogen pressure out and now it's great. I asked him
how much, and he cold me he only lecouta lin le-he just pressed
the valve core and it wenr "pssssssst." T hat mig ht be almost all
of the p ressu re, for all I know. N ow, I wanr to be clear, I'm not
suggesting chat chis is a solu tion fo r harshness. I'm presenting it to
describe the effect of cavitation. Any time the compressibility of
the oil increases, as with cavitation, the d amping decreases. To be
clear: chis was not a viable solution to the harshness problem.

<!I
z
ii:
::!:
ci:
c

...
Cl)
c.:I
Cl
u..
en
c
=-
E
~
c
c
Cl
en
en
...
Cl)

=-
E
Cl
u

Velocity
3.43 Damping curves come in many shapes and styles. The orifice curve is of the classic velocity squared variety. Tapered or straight stacks provide a linear curve. Two-stage
stacks increase the rate of change in damping when the low-speed shims touch the high-speed stack. Preloaded stacks are digressive. Freeloaded stacks start open therefore
begin quite similar to orifice, however as the velocity increases, the shims bend, and the damping is less than it would be ~the orifice were fixed.

70
VALVING STYLES
We are go ing ro look at a number o f valving sty les as seen in
Figure 3.43. T he majo r q uestion is: how progressive d o you
wane it? T he shore answer-progressive eno ugh but not roo
progressive. Perhaps not the answer you wanted to hear, but
this is what we do when we go testing. We are re-shaping the
damp ing curve. M o re progressive is not necessari ly better no r
is being roo li near o r digressive. The trick is ro fi nd the right
shape curve for the specific application. Keep in mind that
damp ing is sensi tive ro velociry, so the shape o f the bump is
as big a deal as the size. Small sq uare-edge bumps can cause
single-stage
flat piston
no preload
tapered stack
clamping shim
quite high velocities, and rounded bumps h it at very high
ve hicle speeds can do the same.
Orifice Style Valving
We've looked at orifice-sryle damping and its d rawbacks. The
fact that it is related to the shaft velociry squared means that
when the velociry is d oubled, the d amping increases by four.
The result is a suspensio n setup that feels both mushy and
harsh.As we d iscussed before, both th e Emulator and cartridge
fo rks were in vented to eliminate this rype o f damping.
Single-Stage Valving
Referring to Figure 3.44 the first rype ofbendingshim sryle valving
stack we'll look at is a single-stage, Aat piston, and no p reload,
tapered stack. Most mod ern valving systems use some kind of
bending shim valving stack o n a valve piston . T h is rype of valving
is inherently linear, meaning that if you double the velociry, the
force increases by a consistent percentage. By changing the
stiffness of the valving stack, the rate of increase is tuned.
It may seem co nfusing at fi rst glance b u t notice that
these illustrations on ly show the left half of the stack and
don't show anything on the top side of the piston .

Additive Damping
I magine fo r a mo ment that we remove the shim stack fro m
3.44 This is a very common valving style for road race and street bikes. the piston entirely and decrease the feed po rt size. W hat do

I
r combined

dam~~/) ~
I j
... I
Q)
(,)
damping curves
=
LL.
=
=
=-
are additive:
A+B = C

""
vv I
)v~~
E
~
c 7 .......

~~ l
= /
=
"'..."'
Q)

=- /
v~
/
~
~
/ ~
shim-style
linear damping
r
_.
E
=
(..) /, ~~v ~
v ~\_~
orifice-style
progressive

~~ / "__ .-- ~
,,...,.,.., / ~
damping

~ ""=::>
/_ ~~

Velocity
3.45 This shows how damping is additive for a typical piston and valving stack. In this case, curve A is created by the piston orifi ces alone and is proportional to the velocity
squared. Curve B is the linear damping created by the single stage shim stack alone. Curve C is the total of both the piston and the shim stack combined.

71
we have? We have o rifice-style damping. We've just turned
a cart ridge fo rk into a damping rod fo rk. T he po int here is
that just because it is a cartridge doesn't mean the valving
wo rks well. T here are, in fac t, mo dels that have co me fro m
the fa ctory with this scenario.
Next, let's replace the sh im stack. As mentio ned, shim
stacks are inherently linear, so if we install a shi m stack o n this
res tricted , small-port piston, the damp ing of the shim stack is
added to the dampi ng of the piston. See Figure 3.45 .
To fig ure o ut if a change to a dam ping system adds to
o r decreases fro m the existing d amping, the key q uestion
to answer is, " Does the same amount of o il fl ow through
that circu it?"
Let's say we added a compressio n adjuster to a shock and
it fu nctio ns o n the volume of o il that goes into the reservoir-
in th is case it doesn't affect the volum e of o il going through
the compression va lving. T he compressio n adjuster therefore
adds to the overall da mping. T he add ition of a m id-valve o n a
fork d oesn't change the volume of o il going thro ugh the fork
com pressio n base valve and , o nce again, is additive.
On the other hand, o n a carcridge fork, the low-speed
compressio n adj uster bleed circu it is separate from the main
compressio n piston shim stack. Backing out the adjuster and
increasi ng the bleed size increases the flow through this adj uster
circui t. T he increase in flow th rough the adjuster circuit comes
at the expense of the flow th rough the main piston shim stack
circuit, meaning that rhe overall dam ping is decreased.
Gold Valves
We introduced the digressive concep t when we introduced
Emulators. H ow does this concept apply to cartridge fo rks
o r shocks? W hen the piston po rts are overly restrictive (too
sma ll) the damping created by the piston alo ne may a lready
be too harsh on high-speed hi ts. To make matters worse, the
shim stack adds more d amping on top of rhar. This may work
o k at low speeds, bu t o n high-speed hits it's way too stiff.
I invented Gold Valves in the very ea rly 1990s and, at the
time of this publishing, we have over 60 unique valve designs
with many d iffere nt port configu ratio ns. In general Gold
Valves increase the flow area. T his increase has a very similar
effect to that found in d amping rod fo rks when we drill ou t
the stock compressio n d amping ho les when insta lling an
Emulator. The compressio n ho les o n the damping rod serve
the same function as the compressio n dam ping piston po rts.
Go ld Va lves put the damping contro l o nto the shim stack,
a llowi ng a much greater range of tu ning flexib ility, including
the ability to dramatically reduce harshness.
72
Two-Stage Valving
We have already looked at two-stage valving in t he cartridge
fork sectio n. Two-stage valvin g (Figu re 3.46) is comm o n ly
used in dirt bikes where a large range of demands are placed
o n the suspension. One thing that makes d irt bikes m ore
cha llenging is that they commonly encounter bumps much
greater in size than their suspens io n travel. Landing off
jumps can generate very high ve locities as well. D irt bike
forks o n a normal motocross track quite co mmonly see 7
m is velocity with an average rider. They also have to deal
with "no rma l" lo wer-speed situations like brake dive go ing
in to turns. Two-stage valving is a good setu p to hand le this
range of obstacles.
The sma llest-d iameter shim-the o ne fa rthest away
from t he pisto n-is called the cla mping shim. Its d iameter
is the most critical pare of che valving stack because all che
ocher "wo rking" shims bend o n it. On a two-stage stack chere
is a small-dia meter shim that separates che low-speed stack
from the high-speed stack. This small-dia meter shim is ca lled
t he crossover shim , and both its diameter and thickness are
impo rtant. Using a larger dia meter will stiffen up the low-
speed wh ile a thicker c rossover wi ll delay the stiffening
support of che high-speed stack, making it softer.
A good rule of thumb is chat che crossover d iameter
sho uld be larger than or equal to rhe d iameter of the clam ping
shim . This helps main tai n the crossover gap.
O n dirt bike shock com pression sracks, ir is no r uncommo n
to use three-stage valving stacks. Note chat genera lly the mo re
stages there are the more progressive the curve will be. The overall
suspension stiffness, however, still depends on the stiffness of
the specific stack. In other words, a three-stage stack could end
up either stiffer o r softer, o r mo re o r less progressive, than a
two-stage stack, depending on the exact shim sizes. How many
crossover shim )
low-speed
stack
high-speed
stack
clamping shim
two-stage
flat piston
no preload
tapered high-speed stack
3.46 This valving style is commonly seen in dirt bikes where the velocity range is
much higher than for street bikes. Landing off jumps as well as rocks and roots can
cause particularly high shaft veloc~ies.
stages work bes r is determined solely by resting. T har being said ,
d irr bikes generally use mo re srages rhan pavement bikes.
Preloaded Stacks
T here are siruarions where additional low-speed dam pin g
is desired bur wi tho ut the additio n o f m o re high-speed
damping. Su perm om is an excellent a pplicatio n fo r this type
o f damping- it requ ires p irch co ntrol because o f irs lo n g
travel and heavy braking. This means co ntrolling rhe fro nr-ro-
back m ovem en t experienced du ring braki ng and acceleration .
If, wi rh a no n-p reloaded stack, t he stiffness of the stack was
increased eno ugh ro control rhe pirch (a relative ly low-speed
phe no meno n), the ride over squ are-edged bumps would be
q uite harsh .
Refer ro Figure 3.47 ro see char preloading can be
accomplished a number o f ways. The first illustration shows
rhe use of a flar pisron with a " ho op shim ." T h is is a large
inner-diam eter shim. T he "n esting shim" is thinner and fits
inside rhe h oop shim . The difference in thickness o f rhe hoop
and nesti ng shims provide p reload fo r the resr of rhe working
shims. By varying the thickness of the n esting shim as well as
the sti ffness of the resr o f the working shims, the shape of the
dampin g curve ca n be conrrolled nicely.
A nother m etho d of preloading is "stepping" rhe face of
rhe piston to create a "recessed " piston. The step is like a packer
in rhe piston face. If the step is .2 mm deep and the shim stack
is bolted direcrly o n ro it, the preload w ill b e .2 mm .
I nstead of stepping the face of the pisto n , a taper can be
m achined as we ll. This will prod uce simi lar results as the rwo
previous methods.
Race Tech's G2-R Gold Valves provide a mo re ad vanced
version of preloading, thanks ro the add itio n of res rrictor
stacks . (See Figu re 3 .48.) The G2-R star ts wirh a stepped
p isto n with large por ts, and rhen the restricror srack goes
against the pisto n face ro contro l preload . In fact, the preload
ca n be reduced to zero o r even "freeload ed."
T he res tricro r srack ca n also be cha n ged in diam eter
to increm e nta lly restri c t the p isto n por r size. If you're
t hinking rhar I've been say ing " b igger is better" through
rh e co urse o f thi s b oo k , you're rig h t-b ur there a re a lso
t im es w he n this isn'r th e case. In supercross, fo r in sta nce,
o ne of the key requ irements is bo tto m ing resis tan ce,

3.47 (l eft) Two methods lo create preload are shown.

The first is through the use of a large inner-diameter
"hoop" shim. The "nesting" shim rns into the hoop shim
inner diameter and is thinner. The difference between the
thicknesses is the preload. The second method steps the
piston face itsett. Avariation of this is an actual taper on
nesting
the piston face.
shi m

single-stage single-stage
flat piston recessed piston 3.48 (Below) The G2-RValve is extremely flexible.
hoop shim preload preloaded It can be preloaded, freeloaded, restricted incrementally.
This adds some complexity but offers the highest degree
tapered stack tapered stack
of tunability.

restricted unrestricted
port port

restrictor
stack

G2-R G2-R G2-R

two-stage single-stage single-stage
recessed piston recessed piston recessed piston
preloaded zero preload freeload
very restricted port size restricted port size unrestricted port size
tapered high speed stack tapered high speed stack tapered high speed stack

73
because supercross la ndi ngs are typ ica lly rh e h ighest
veloci ties reco rded in a ll of moro rcycled o m . T he key
po in t is, w hen shaping a da m p ing c u rve yo u wan r ro
c rea te rhe best p rogressio n , no r rhe mos r a nd nor rhe
leasr. In ge ne ral I like ro use jus r e no u gh co m pressio n
damping and progressio n ro do rhe jo b (resis t bo rroming,
co n rro l di ve, a nd so o n) a nd no mo re.
Freeloaded Stacks
A freeload ed srack is o ne rhar starts wirh a s mall-diameter
shim against rhe pisto n face. T his shim does no r cover rhe
feed ports in rhe piston and therefore presen ts an open orifice
ro rhe o ncoming flow. I r is rhe mosr progressive sryle o f
da mping outside of a fixed o rifice.
T his sryle of srack has bee n tried a n u mber o f times
over rhe years (including by myself fo r qu ire an extensive
period ). In my experie nce, ir never works. Ir exhibi ts the same
d rawbacks as o ri flce-sry le damping, namely, ir's mushy and
harsh . Ir also has rhe added challenge of sealing rhe pisro n off
o n rhe rebound stroke.
Straight versus Tapered Stacks
O ne questio n rha r co mes u p commo n ly in rhe Race Tech
Suspensio n Se minars is, "Why use a tapered srack instead o f
a srraighr o ne?" I r is a widely held belief rhat rhe tapered stack
is mo re p rogressive rhan rhe srraigh r o ne. T h is is no r rrue in
the deflectio n (velocity) ran ge these stacks actually see. T hey
are bo th linear stacks, meani ng rhar o nce rhey o pen , rhey
increase stiffness ar a consranr slo pe.
Many ru ners m istakenly add t h icker o r more shims
"deeper" in rhe srack in an arrempr to create a more progressive
high-speed respo nse. T his a rrempr is furi le as rh is is nor how
rhese stacks work: rhey are linear. Increasi ng rhe stiffness
deeper into rhe srack or higher in rhe srack makes rhe enri re
srack stiffer.
single bend axis
is prone to
permanent distortion
single-stage single-stage
flat piston flat piston
gap shim "freeloaded " no preload
tapered stack straight stack
3.49 A "freeloaded stack" has clearance between the 3.50 Contrary to popular belief the tapered stack is not progressive. Its advantage is that it has multiple bending
first working shim and the piston. I have never seen axes that assist in smoothing the abrupt bend of a straight stack thereby resisting permanent distortion (creasing).
this work. It is similar to orifice style damping. It also provides more clearance from the base plate.
74
So w hy tapered stacks? Sim ple- this helps prevent
rhe permane nt d istortio n of rhe sh ims (Figure 3.50). On a
srraighr stack all rhe shims open rhe same amou nt and rhey
all bend o n rh e cla m ping shim , so rhe srress is co ncenrrared
ar rhe bending poi nt. Wirh a tapered stack rhe working shim s
bend ar m ultiple poin ts (on each p receding s him ), spread ing
o ur rhe stress. Tapered stacks also have more cleara nce to
o pen before they hi r rhe base plare (thick was her).
Thin Shims versus Thick Shims
H ave you ever wondered why s hock manufacturers use large
n u mbers o f rhin shims aga inst rhe pisto n face instead of a
smaller number o f thicker shims? T here is mo re than o ne
way to create rhe desired stiffness of a valving srack, afrer all.
So metim es fi ftee n . 15 mm thick shims are used instead of a
lesser num ber of th icker shims-why?
No, ir's nor progressiveness, or rhar rhey had a bunch of
extras lyi ng around . T he answer is permanent d istortion. If
yo u srack u p a rhin shim a nd a rhick o ne made o ur o f identical
materials, clamp them in a vise in rhe midd le and starr bend ing
borh of rhem ar rhe same rime, you will no rice rhar the rh icker
sh im permanen dy distorts before the th inner o ne.
The reason is rhar as rhe shims are bending, rhe mo lecules
o n rhe rop are being srrerched w hile rhe o nes on rhe bottom are
being compressed (see Figure 3.51). In rhe m iddle is a "neutral
axis" where there is no st ress. The further away fro m rhe
neutral axis, the mo re stress on the mo lecu les. The mo lecules
furthest from the neu tral axis are working the hard est. T h is
m eans chat a thicker shim , with mo lecu les further away fro m
the neutral ax is, will d istort with less defl ectio n .
So where are the ch inner shims used ? Typ ica lly they
are fo und in the low-speed stack o f a rwo-stage stack. T hey
are used in rhar co n rexr because rhe shims in rhe low-speed
stack have to bend fu rther rhan rhe high-speed srack by the
th ickness of the crossover.
multiple bend axes
resist permanent
distortion
I
single-stage
flat piston
no preload
tapered stack
 3.51 When a beam attached to a wall is loaded, it bends.
The material on the top surface are being stretched apart
while the material on the bottom is being compressed.
There is an axis right in the middle that has no stress at
all called the neutral axis. The further away the material is
tension from the neutral axis, the more it is stressed.

So the next q uestio n is how d oes the stiffness va ry with
t h ickness? The stiffness is proportio nal to the thickness
cubed , but keep in mind chis is o nly valid for s him s of
the same d iam eter a nd material. Refer to the chart below
for guidance.
W hat this m eans is it takes eight . I Omm thick shims to
equal the sti ffn ess of o ne .20mm chick sh im. This can co me
in qu ite handy when compari ng valvi ng stack stiffness, o r
if you fi nd a valving stack with shims cha t a re permanen tly
distorted . If they are distorted and the rider liked it w hen it
was just revalved , yo u can calcu late ano ther stack wi th the
equ ivalent stiffness o f the o riginal stack but m ade out o f
chinner shims and , quite possib ly, eliminate the p ro blem.
Rebound Separator Valves
O ne of the prob lems wirh a standard low-speed rebound
adj uster is chat it flows in both directio n s. W hen it is sec
p erfeccly fo r rebou nd , iccan be way coo mushy o n compressio n
and , in certain conditio n s, bo ttom easily. W hen it is nice
Shim Stiffness to Thickness
Coefficient for a fixed OD
and firm o n com pressio n , it is way too slow o n rebo und,
cau sing packing and loss of tractio n . The solutio n is to create
asymm etric (differe nt in each directio n) damping.
This ca n b e d o ne in m any ways. I first ob served it o n '8 1
H o nda CR250s and 480s with Sh owa shocks. Showa ch anged
the location o f the asymmetric va lve to the inside of the shock
shaft shor tly thereafter. O h lins has had a valve attached to the
end of their sh ock shafts for a number o f yea rs as well.
In 2004 , Terry Hay (yes, the sam e Au ssie with the PDS
Telescopic Needle) created a versio n of chis concept chat could
b e incorpo rated o n a stock shock. H e ca lled it a Rebound
Separato r Va lve (RSV) . le was built in to a replacem ent shock
shaft nut. See Figure 3.52 .
Here's how it works. Starting o n the reb ound stroke
there is a check valve that o pens up causing the rebound
to fu nctio n norma lly, wi th the tapered adju ster need le
co ntrolling the flo w. O n com pressio n th e check valve shuts
and the ad justable rebo und circu it is fed with a b leed ho le
specifically sized for the applicatio n thereby giving it m o re
low-speed com pressio n d amping. The m odificatio n improves
tractio n and feel as well as bottom ing resistance. Race Tech
has utilized Reb o und Separator Valves w ith im pressive
feedback in all genres.

t t3 II Other Valving Styles

There are a number of o ther styles of valving system s. Am o ng
0.10 0.001 1
these are b all bearings covering piston ports chat are p reload ed
0.15 0.0034 3.4 b y coil springs. T hese springs ca n be varied in both rate and
11 - Stiffness Coefficient length to create the desired damping cu rve. T h is system has
0.20 0.008 8
oc - is proportional to b een employed by Works Performance Shocks fo r years with
0.25 0.0156 15.6 great commercial success.
t - Thickness of Shim E mulators u se coil springs preloading a valve piston . As
0.30 0.027 27
m e ntioned previo usly, the valve spring stiffness, preload , and

75
 the ugly truth comes out:
for simplicity, we have ignored
that oil flows BOTH WAYS the solution is the rebound
through low-speed orifices on sepa rator valve that creates
compression and rebound strokes asymmetric fl ow in the
rebound ci rcuit

check valve open,

flows freely on
rebou nd stroke

check valve closed on

compression stroke

shock shaft

Compression Rebound
3.52 The Rebound Separator Valve solves the problem of an open bleed that flows in both directions. The RSV creates asymmetric flow using a check valve.

bleed size can be changed ro con tro l ch e shape o f che d am pin g
curve q u ite nicely.
T he re are leaf spring syscems and even sys tems chacchange
che o il viscosiry wich a m agn etic field. T here are also systems
chat u se o n ly electro- magnetism and no fluid. T hese have
p o ten tial fo r regenerative features by captu ring che en ergy and
recharging batteries. These last two m ethod s seem p romising
as we m ove fo rward into p rogram m ab le valving systems.
The lesson here is chat I d on't care how yo u create che
d am pi ng cu rve; all I ca re abo ut is w hat che cu rve is. If ball
b earings a nd coil springs wo rk, chen chey work. T here are
m any, m any ways to create a da m p ing curve.

76
Chapter 4
Friction
F riccio n is che resiscance char o n e objecc encouncers when
sliding over ano cher. The amounc offriccio n is dependenc
o n rhe macerials char are in concacc w ich each ocher, che
no rmal force, and whecher chere is movemenc or nor. Friccion
cums kinecic energy inco hear.
Ic is my o pinion char frictio n is che firsc area char should
be addressed before an y o cher suspension cu ning o r secup is
d o ne. Measure scacic sag and che "sciccion zone" co gee clues as
co che severicy of che p rob lem and wo rk co minimize friccio n
before moving on co springs and damping.
T he main chi ng co remember abouc fricci on is:
" friccio n ... bad " .
STATIC FRICTION
Sciccion , o r scacic friccio n, refers co rhe fricci o n presenc when
rhere is no movemenc becween che surfaces. Sraric friccion is
d ependen c o n cwo ch ings. The firsc fac co r is che coefficienc
o f friccio n µ, which is dependenc on macerials, cemperacure,
surface finish , and so o n. T he seco nd facco r is che force
perpend icular co che surfaces ac che co ncacc poinc, referred
co as che "normal force" [F"0 ,m) . The fo rmula is Ffr;co;on =
µ X F nornul"
Yo u may have reacced co che face char che surface area
in concacc is no r in che fo rm u la. In mosc cases fric cion is
complecely independenc of surface area. There are excepcio n s
co ch is; mosc significanc is rubber o n che road , possibly because
che macerial squishes in co surface irregularicies.
There is a lmosc always a layer o f "scuff" b ecween che cwo
surfaces, and ic has a big effecc o n fri ccio n. The scuff can be
composed of many chi ngs: oi l, grease, mo iscure, oxides, ere. If
there's a chin layer o f grease o n che surfaces, it can cut friccio n
tenfold in comparison co completely clean . If the scu ff is
4.1 Surface roughness has an effect on friction but not
as much as you might think. It is believed that this has
something to do w~h the number of contact points even
on a "smooth" surface.
77
 4.2 In this example the block is resting statically on a
horizontal surface. The normal force is equal lo the weight
of the block. When a side load is applied there is an
equal frictional resisting force created. As the side load is
increased so does the frictional force up lo a maximum
value of the coefficient of friction limes the normal force.
Al this value ii breaks loose and goes into dynamic
friction, which is typically slightly less than the maximum
static value.

completely removed, friction forces can be huge, and the two
surfaces can seize together completely.
Just to be clear, the frictional force does no t exist until
the side load is applied. The more th e side load , the greater
the friction, until the maximum frictiona l force has been
exceeded and you get m ove ment.
If we have a block sitting o n a horizontal surface, the
weigh t is pushing down vertically. In this case the normal
force is equal to the weight. If we apply a sid e load parallel to
the surface [F,;d), this load will cause the block to move if it is
greater than the maximum avai lable fri ctional force.
No movemenc if: F sidc < F rrictionmu
Movemenc if: F sidc > Ffric1io n nl:lx
z W it h this d rawing we introduce the co ncept of vectors.
0
t; T he vectors are the arrows representing the fo rces. Vectors
a:
LI..
have both magnitude and direction- the size of the force
(magnitude) is represented by the length of the arrow (d oub le
the force = d o uble the length o f the arrow).
One of the great things a bout vectors is that we can add
them together o r break them a part. T h is allows u s to solve
complicated things easily. The rule is that if we have two
vectors and we want to see what their combi ned effect is, we
simply place the tail of the second vector o n the tip o f the first
vector. T he combined effect of both vecto rs is represe nted by
a new vector starting at the tail of the first vector and end ing
at the tip o f th e seco nd. This is called the resultant vector.
This technique can b e d one with any number of vectors
added to each other. It is often used for breakin g forces apart
into perpendicular comp onen ts, as we will do in a m ome n t.
Now, let's go b ack to our example . If the b lock is on a n
incline (see Figure 4.4) and we have no o ther external forces,
the normal fo rce is not equal to the weight. The no rmal
fo rce is the component o f force pushing perpendicu lar to the
surface . In the graphic you can see the weight is still vertical,
but we h ave broken it up into two parts and replaced it with
two fo rces. The first is the compo nent pushing the block
down the hill (F down •h< hH1), and the second is the component
pushing it into th e hill (F p«pcnJ;culu •o •h c h;ll).

addition of vectors breaking vectors apart

vecto r B

vector A

A+B=C C=A+B
4.3 R>rces can be represented by vectors that have both magnitude and direction. Vectors can be added together or broken apart into any direction that would help our analysis.

78

Fweight perpendicular to hill
Fhiclion = µ X Fnorm al
T he no rmal fo rce is eq ual to the co mponen t of the force
pushi ng it into the hill (note that it is less than the weight). The
same calculatio ns regarding m ovement still apply. In this case
the side load that could cause m ovement is the component o f
the weight parallel to the surface (F wdgh• down•hch ill) .
Fork Dynamics
Ler's look at what happens in a telescopic fro nt fork w hen the
wheel hits a bump. Upon contact, the fo rce is directed radially
from the p oint o f comact to the ax le. (See Figure 4. 5.)
We ca n now break this force into two co mpo n em s: o ne
that compresses the fo rk and o n e that tries to bend it in ha lf.
T h e compo nen t tha t tri es to bend it in ha lf increases the
n o rm al force o n the fo rk b u shings and th erefore increases
fri ction that inhibits move men t. The co mact actually
d oes bend the tubes, particu larly w he re it has the most
leverage-right below the triple clamp. Keep in mind that
this b ending is tempo ra ry, as t he tub e sp rings back w hen the
load is removed . W ith upside-down forks, th is m ean s the
inner (upper) bush ing must go th rough a kink jus t below
the triple clamp. T his can ca use severe binding and excessive
wear on the inside of th e o uter tube .
On severe hits, particularly o n dirt bikes, the fric tio nal
force can be greater than the d amping and the sp ring fo rces
combined . If you are testing to eliminate a harsh fo rk actio n ,
look at frictio n first. Pay particular arrenrio n to the sliding
surface o n the inside o f the o uter fo rk tu be. If the hard
a nodizi ng is wo rn through , this may be the source o f your
harshness. If you d o n't take care of it, yo u'll never get the
p erformance you are looking fo r. We' ll explain m o re o n hard
anodizi ng in a mo m ent.
FORK SLIDING BUSHINGS
In the beginning fo rk sliders were made of aluminum
a nd co ntacted the hard-chromed fo rk tubes directly. This
4.4 When the block rests on a hill, the nonnal force
decreases. The weight of the block creates a force
tending to push the block down the hill. The value of
the forces can be calculated by "breaking the force into
components• using the concept of vectors. The steeper
the slope, the more the downward force and the less the
nonnal force. Additionally this decrease in nonnal force
lowers the friction available to resist movement.
configuration didn't wear well no r was it very slippery. Next
bronze bushings were introduced , and th ese problems were
improved somewhat. Modern fo rk bushings are made of steel,
coated with bro nze, and then coated with Teflon" (DuPont's
version o f po lytetrafluo roethy lene o r PT FE)-more o n
Tefl o n in a mo ment. These provide a dramatic improvement
in bo th frictio n and wear. T he bro nze layer is a built-in safety
designed to provide an adequate surface when th e Teflon wears
through . The biggest reaso n th ey need to be replaced is they
get imbedded with metal shavings and o ther comaminams.
O ther causes of damage are: disasse m b ly, d em ed sliders, and
rarely, pure wear.
DYNAMIC FRICTION
Once the static fri ctio n b etween two compo nents is
overcome and they begin to slide, we en ter the wo rld of
d ynamic fric tio n. Let's look at an example of static versus
d ynamic frictio n. You a re on an icy street and there is a Ii ttle
o ld lady in a ' 62 Cadi llac rig ht next to you. Of course you
want to impress her, so when the light turns g reen , you nail
the th rottle. The little o ld lad y p ulls away fro m you like you
a re standing still. This is becau se you broke static fric t ion
a nd lost tractio n by going in to d ynamic fri ctio n.
So which is greater- static o r dy namic friction? All
things being eq ual, static frictio n is greater. " Hooked up"
is grea ter than " broken loose." And in general greater slip
ve loc ity will decrease the fri ction slightly. T h is is the reaso n
that w hen yo u pus h o n your fo rks, it is harder to start you r
fo rk wbes com pressing than to keep them co mpressing.
The exceptio ns to this general rule are again tires, especially
ce rtain compo unds, where a little slip can acw a lly create
more frictio n than hoo ked up but only a little.
Some people think that if you want to go fast o n an
o ff-road m o to rcycle, higher revs and throwing a lot o f dirt
are the way to go . This is o ften no t the case. Fo r example,
79

Jean M ichele Bayle, at the 1996 U.S.G. P. at G len Helen, won
the race with a flat front tire. He hau led arou nd the corners
a nd only threw up a tiny roost. Everyone chasing him was
z th rowing up roost that was literally knocking spectators over.
0
~ J MB pulled away a seco nd a lap with a flat front tire, and he
a:
..... looked like he was our for a Sunday ride.
We're often foo led in motocross because we've got knobby
tires digging into the d irt. Most road racers know that when
they are just barely spinning is actua lly when they have the
most traction. W hen they're spinning a !o r, they're no r going
as fas t as they co uld (and it's pretty hard o n tires too).
T his is very noticeable in racing shifter karts. Lee
attended Yamah a's press introduction for its o n- and off- road
racing reams in 2002, a nd everyone tried their hands at go-
kart racing. Ir was fascinating to watch t he pro supercrossers
powersliding through the turns bur always being one to t hree
seco nds a lap slower rhan the factory kart racers. The kart pros
knew rh ar roo much slid ing- tho ugh very cool looking-
a lways cost mo re ri me than keeping the tires hooked up and
propelling rhem forward.
COATINGS
H ard anodizing is a coating rhar is applied ro aluminum and
is quire different than color anodizing. H ard anodizing makes
the surface dramatically ha rder, more durable, and more
80
4.5 When a front wheel hits a bump with the brake off,
the force goes radially to the front axle al an angle as
shown. This force can be broken up into components:
first is a component that tends to compress the fork and
second a force that tries to bend it in half. The fork bends
mostly just below the triple clamp where there is the most
leverage. This creates a temporary "kink" that the upper
fork bushing has a hard time getting through, causing
binding and excessive wear.
sli ppery. Ir is com mo nly used o n aluminum fo rk sliders and
shock bodies and is fairly inexpensive.
The quali ty of the hard anodizing ca n be qui re varied.
The less expensive methods can wear o ur fairly easily. Once
rhe coating is gone, the soft aluminum is exposed and the
fo rk has much grea rer fricrio n.
Let's go back to the upside-down forks with the kink in
rhem. W ith rhe forks disassembled, inspect rhe cond ition of
the anodizing o n the inside of the o uter fo rk rubes. Take a n
inspection mirro r and a fl ashlight o r a bore scope and inspect
fo r wear right where rhe lower triple clamp wo uld be. Using
an inspection mirror is a must: if you don't use an inspectio n
mirro r and just look down the rube, you w ill likely see only
reflectio ns and you'll miss the wear. If the anodizing is worn
rh rough bur t hey're nor too bad, rhe rubes ca n be stripped,
hard anodized again, and polished.
Exotic coatings like titani um nitride and DLC (Diamo nd
Like Carbon) can further decrease frictio n. T itanium nitride
is nor used much anymore because DLC is slipperier and
more durab le. These coatings can get pret ty expensive (DLC
fo r a pair of rubes is in the $600- $800 range), bur if you are
looking for the edge, go for it.
An im portant rip o n DLC coatings is tha t the newer the
fo rks are the better. T his is because rhe fo rk rubes have to be
unscrewed from the fork bottoms, coated, and screwed back
o n. If you've got old for k bottoms, you can gall and destroy a
perfeccly good sec of fo rk borcoms by caking th em apart. T he
o lder they are the more chance of damage.
Teflo n has been used in many fo rms with good success.
T his dry film lubricant can reduce fri ctio n d ram atically.
Teflon can be fur ther combined with o ther fricti o n reducers
like mo lybdenum disulfide (moly) . le can be combined with
o ther materials to bo nd it co su rfaces. Ni-Tef( nicke!Teflon) is
another coating with good resulcs. T he challenge ofall Teflon-
based coatings is that they have a tendency co wear o u t with
use. Boch Teflon and moly have been added co suspension
fluids wi th limited success over the years. One prob lem is that
they have a tendency co settle co the bottom of the fork when
no t in use, just like non-stick cookware at ho me.
POLISHING
Surface roughness has an effect o n fri ction, though it is
smaller th an most people might chink. Doubli ng the surface
rough ness might cause only a few percent change in fr iction.
T his doesn't mean surface roughness d oesn't matter- it does,
a nd effo rts to reduce frictio n can really pay off.
T his is particula rly true on o lder right-side- u p dam pi ng
rod fo rks; both the o uter slider and rhe inside of rhe ch rome
cu be are eligible. Ar Race Tech we have a small-bo re engine
ho ne (nor a ball ho ne) rhar we wrap wirh 500-grir sandpaper
a nd run with a drill moto r to polish.
Polishing the inside of a cartridge tube is pretty simple.
Ger a %-inch (I Omm) stee l rod ar your local hardware store.
Take a hacksaw and cur an axial slot in the end of rhe rod.
Next prepa re strips of cloth abo ut 25mm (I inch) wide. Put
one of them in rhe sloe and wrap up eno ugh layers so rhar
when you stick ir into rhe rube it has some co mpressio n o n
ir. Put rhe rod in a hand d rill . Wee rhe clo th and apply some
automo tive po lishing co mpo und. Po lish until you see rhe
fi nish you're loo king fo r.
SURFACE TREATMENT
T here are surface rrearmenrs available today rhac are
considered ro be "best kept secrets" by many race reams.
T hey go way beyond simple polishing. My favo rite is fro m a
company called WPC Treatment. WPC is nor a coati ng, iris
a treatment rhac enhances rhe surface ro reduce frictio n and
strengthen parts. Ir is widely used o n engi ne parts, including
p isto ns, cranks, gearboxes, and all parts of rhe drive rrai n. We
use ir in suspensio n compo nents, particularly fo rks where
fric tio n can be a large part of rhe coral fo rce.
The WPC process fi res ultra-fine particles coward the
surface of a p roduct at very high speeds. T he resul ting thermal
discharge permanently changes the surface, strengthen ing
structure and creati ng a harder more durable part. Materials
like Teflo n can o ften be added and subsequencly imbedded in
rhe surface for further frictio n reduc tion. I use this treatment
in rhe engines of my record-se tting Bo nneville land-speed
racing motorcycles with great success.
As I mentioned earlier, rhe main thing to know about
fri ction is: frictio n ... bad! As far as suspension com ponents
are co ncerned, rhe less fricti o n you have o n slid ing surfaces,
rhe better the suspension wo rks. Look for any clues to
excessive fric tio n (check th e scictio n zone in the sp rings
chapter) and do your best to eliminate the cause. Mose of
this chapter has been discussing fro nt telescopic forks, as they
have much greater problems with frictio n than rhe rear, bur
attention ro rhe free o peration of rhe linkage, swingarm, and
shock can pay large dividends in performance as well. See rhe
troub leshooting sectio ns o n sticky fo rks and sticky shocks fo r
more ideas for frictio n reductio n.
Ir is interesting ro no te rhar there have been rimes
we have removed a lot of friction from a set of fo rks and
as a resulr, they starred ro bo rcom. As you might g uess, rhe
solu tion was not to add the fr ictio n back in! We added stiffer
springs, mo re co mpression damping, higher o il level, and
so o n until the boccomi ng was eliminated and the ride was
dramatica lly better.
Materials and lubricants affect both static and dynamic
frictio n ro different degrees. I highly reco mmend using the
finest suspensio n fluids available as they can make a significant
reductio n in friction for a no minal cosr.
Ar rhe rime of chis writing, I have nor seen afrerm arker
fo rk seals char outperform the o riginal equipment. They are
either stickier or they leak-or both- bur some are pre tty
close ro OEM in performance. Also you should pre-lube you r
seals wirh a high-end seal grease like Ultra Slick Grease. In a
pinch you can use fo rk flui d, bur rhe seal grease lases lo nger.
Ir is my o pinio n char frictio n reductio n is a n area rhar
wi ll dramatically improve in rh e com ing years. Remember-
reduce frictio n first, then go ro springs, then damping.
81
Chapter 5
Geometry
W hen we as riders talk abo u t handling, wha t we're
really talki ng abo u t is a fee ling t hat comes from
a comb inatio n o f chassis geo metry, chassis rigidity,
engine characteristics (power, width o f powerband, and
flywheel inertia) , mass distribution (center of gravity
both ho rizontally and vertically), mass centralization, tire
characteristics, ergonomics (handlebar, seat, and fo o tpeg
locatio n), and suspension . These quantities interact and
overlap. It can get very con fu sing, however, because a
cha nge in fl ywheel inertia, for in stance, can fee l very similar
self-correcting torque
self-correcting torque (M) = L x F
82
to a change in compression damping. To understand this a
li t tle better, let's take a close r look at a majo r compone nt-
chassis geo metry.
Geometry refers to the physical relatio nshi ps of the
chassis compo nents. So me of the many facto rs are the
wheelbase, wheel diameter, rake (steering head angle) , fork
offset, swingarm angle, countershaft locatio n, sprocket sizes,
center of g ravity loca tio n, and so on. Fro m these we ca n
calculate bo ch fronc and rear t rail , anti-squat angle, and anti-
squat percentage.
5.1 A caster has a vertical pivoting axis. This means the
amount the wheel follows behind the axis is a direct
measurement of trail. This trail creates a se~-correcting
torque when the wheel is out of alignment.
 Ir is worth repeating rhar geometry and suspensio n setup
are interdependent. In o ther word s, they work together as
o ne affects rhe o ther.
TRAIL
T he big d addy o f all geometry numbers is front-end trail.
Ground rrail is rhe distance from rhe center of rhe tire co ntact
parch to rhe point w here rhe steering axis intersects wi rh rhe
ground . Ir is measured along the ground. In o ther words, it is
the amount the contact patch "trails" the steering axis.
Let's look at a caster o n a grocery shopp ing cart as in
Figure 5. 1. In this case rhe rotating axis is vertical and rhe
rearward offset is a direct measurement of trail. If rhe w heel
ge ts o u r of line, there is a torque that self-centers the wheel.
Grou nd trail o n a suspended fro nt end is most commo nly
measured with rhe suspensio n fully extended .
W ith a telescopic fron t end mo un ted at an angle, it
becomes a bit mo re co mplicated (Figure 5.2) . T he fact that
the steering axis is at an angle creates trail even with no offset.
Rake, also known as caster angle, is defined as rhe angle of rhe
steering axis fro m vertical. Offset is the distance perpendicu lar
to the stee ring axis rhe fro nt ax le leads the steering axis. Testing
has shown that with typical rake angles o f 23 to 28 degrees
o r mo re, zero offset actually creates too much trail. Forward
o ffset (from now o n sim ply called offset) is added in rhe tri ple
clam ps a nd front ax le to d ecrease rhe trai l (Fig ure 5.3).
T he more crail a bike has, che greacer che self-ce ncering
effecc of che front w heel. This gives the bike more stab il ity,
but it's hard er to turn che bars. W ithin a usable range, more
trail generally provides more grip (traction) when cornering.
Most people have chis concep c backwards, thinking more
zero offset trail
zero offset at the triple clamp and
axle create excessive trail, resulting
in stable, but very heavy steering
offset means a longer wheelbase and therefore more stabili ty.
While rhe wheelbase does grow with increased o ffset, rhe trail
actually decreases a nd therefore stability decreases.
If rhe rake is increased, so is rhe grou nd tra il (Figure
5.4). Con versely, if rhe rake is decreased, the grou nd trail
is d ecreased. T his decrease in rake and trail also occurs
d ynamica lly (when the bike is being ridden) whenever rhe
fro nt end dives, such as du ring braking.
All rhar is necessary to calculate grou nd trail is three
th ings: rake, w heel diameter, and total o ffset (triple cla mp
offset + ax le offset). T here is a free spreadsheet trai l calculator
o n www.racerech.com in rhe Seminar Student Downloads
section. Keep in mind that when any of these parameters are
changed, it affects o ther geo metry numbers. For example,
chan ging rhe fro nt wheel d iameter will change both rake and
trail as well as rhe center of gravity, swingarm angle, and rear
anti-squat, amo ng other things .
If you start measuring wheel diameters, you will fi nd
that tires wirh the exact same size markings will be different
d iameters, so metimes dramatically so. T h is means chan ging
tires, par ticularly changing brands of tires, can have a
significa nt effect o n handli ng.
Ir sho uld be noted char, as o f chis p rinting, m osrsupermoto
bikes have terrible grou nd trail numbers. T his requires rhe
rider to "back it in." When I first measured Micky D ymo nd's
KTM back in 2006 and saw ground t rai l numbers of92 mm ,
I immediately started making triple clamps to correcc it. He
went o n to win the Nacional C ham pionship and the Pi kes
Peak H ill C limb. Next we worked with Darry l Arkins and
Benny Carlso n on the works Aprilia Team with similar resu !rs.
An imp roveme n t of one to o ne and one-half seco nds per lap
excessive
trail
5.2 ~ the wheel is placed right on the steering axis with
no offset and a positive rake is added, it creates too
much trail.
83
 5.3 Trail (or ground traiQ is the distance the center of
the front wheel contact patch trails the steering axis
measured along the ground. An increase in offset moves
the contact patch forward, decreasing trail.

steering axis

ground trail
the distance between the center of
the contact patch and the steering
axis measured along the ground
ground trail

center of
contact patch
moves forward

more trail
means more stability and more
force is required to turn the bars
less trail I
means less stability and less I I
force is required to turn the bars I I
less trail

~I
o n a 45-seco nd lap cime crack is no c u nco mmo n , even fo r
riders of chis caliber! Riders o f lesser skill q u ice o fce n see chree
co four seco nds per lap. T his is a very big d eal.
REAL TRAIL
We have b een calking abo u c ground crail. Bu r che re is a bercer
way co measure crail-rea l crai l (Figure 5 .5).
T rail is a measurement of rhe length o f rhe lever a rm
char provides rhe self-ce ntering torque o n rhe fro nt wh ee l.
Torque is simply a ro tationa l force around an axis. To rque =
fo rce x lever arm length (the perpend icular d istance rhe
fo rce is applied fro m the rorari ng axis). T he key wo rd here
is perpend icula r. Grou nd trail is measu red a lo ng rhe gro u nd,
no r perpendicular ro rhe steering axis. Real crail, o n rhe ocher
hand , is rhe discance fro m rhe steering axis co rh e cen ter o f rhe
rire co ntact p arch measu red p erpendicu lar co rhe steering ax is.
T his is a m uch beccer merhod . T har being said , grou nd rrail
can be valuab le as a co m p arison merho d if w heel d iameter

84
 5.4 When the rake is increased, the trail increases.

steering axis

rake
the angle between the
steering axis and vertical
some manufacturers
measure this from ho rizontal

more rake
means more trail because
the steering axis is further
ahead of the contact patch

a nd rake are held consranc. This concept of rea l trail was first
introduced to me by Tony Foale, a highly respected frame
designer, autho r, and engineer. He also d oes an in-depth
analysis of anti-squat (covered brie fl y lacer on in chis chapter)
in his boo k Motorrycle Handling and Chassis Design.
Trail is most common ly measured with rhe suspension
fu lly extended, bur when the motorcycle is being ridden, trail
is consrandy c hanging. T his is due ro both the movement
I~
of rhe suspension co mponencs and rhe c hanging terrain. For
example, when a dirt bike is being ridden in sand at slow
speed, rhe wheel is pushing sand in fronc of it (Figure 5.6).
The effect is char rhe center of the tire contact parch is moved
forwa rd and rhe trail is dramatically decreased. In fact, ir can
easily produce negative trail, which is dynamica lly unstab le.
This explains why you feel so uncoord inated at slow speeds in
sand (yes, it's really the bi ke, nor you ). O nce rhe bike gets up

85

real trail
the perpendicular distance
between the steering axis and
the center of the contact patch-
NOT measured along the ground
co speed it gees "o n cop" of che sand, che contact patch moves
backward , and everything feels stable again .
If we look at a supercross rider in a washboard whoop
section (whoops chat are close together), you can imagine it
is impo rtant co gee "on cop" of the whoops . If the rider slows
down enough and lees the fro nt wheel dro p down into the
bumps, the tire contact pa cch moves fo rward and the crail
goes negative (Figure 5.7).
W ith chis in mind, you can understand che impo rta nce
o f hicring che bump scraighc o n, wi ch che wheel square co che
bump-if you d o n't, look o ut! le is a cough techniqu e co learn
o r teach, but che fas ter che rider goes, the easier it gees. A
wo rd of caution here: the answer is not, "Just pin it, Billy!"
If you've seen a cop rider like James Stewart go throug h a
washboard whoop sectio n, you've seen chis in action .
Something else co keep in mind is chat suspensio n
setup has a huge effect o n t rai l when riding. Ifrwo identical
bikes a re sec with th e same initial (extended) crail and o ne
has a sofcer sec of fo rk springs o r even less preload, it will
have less ra ke a nd cra il when in use (d ynamically) . This is
because rhe forks will co mpress more-particula rly when
gecrin g o n rh e brakes going into cums.
REAR WHEEL TRAIL
Rear wheel trail is rhe perpendicular distance from rhe steering
ax is to rhe center of rhe rear wheel contact parch. In rhe past
most people have referred to wheelbase alone, again measured
a lo ng the ground o r mo re common ly fro m rhe centers of
rhe fro nt and rear axles. T he longer rhe rear w heel trail rhe
86
5.5 A far better way lo measure trail is "real" trail. Trail
gives us an indication of the length of the lever arm of
the self-centering torque. Bui the length of the lever arm
of a torque should be measured perpendicular lo the
rotating axis. Real trail is measured perpendicular to the
steering axis.
slower rhe rear end "comes around," giving mo re straight-line
stability ar the expense of turning slower.
ANTI-SQUAT
O n the rear, swingarm angle and chain forces co mbine co
cause stiffening o r so ften ing of che effective rear spring rare
during acceleratio n or deceleratio n. This effective stiffening
is ca lled anti-squat as it " ho lds up" the rear end of the
m otorcycle during accelera tion, keeping it fro m squatting. Ir
is a tra nsient (temporary) effect linked to acceleratio n, and
the effect increases with greater accele ratio n. The co mplete
analysis can get quire invo lved, so in the scope of chis book
we will provide a simplified overview.
To begin lee's look at how a moto rcycle is drive n
fo rward. Power is applied co t he ground a t the rear t ire. T he
rear tire is co nnected to the chassis th roug h the rear axle and
t he chain. Forward d rive is transmitted co the c hassis by th e
rear axle d irectly in a straight line co the swingarm pivot
(nor in a stra ight ho rizonta l line). T he swingarm pivot is the
point at which chis fo rce is applied, meani ng char rhe angle
of rhe swi ngarm where iris attached to rhe frame determines
rhe direction of chis force.
Now we need to step back and loo k at a lirrle physics.
When we apply a force to a body, rhe body reacts based o n the
mass of rhe body, rhe point of application, and rhe size and
direction o f rhe fo rce in relation co che body's center of gravity.
If che fo rce is applied in direct line with rhe CG (center of
gravity) there wil l be no rotatio nal force (torque) applied
(Figure 5.8). If the force line does nor go direcrly thro ugh the

steering axis
CG, a rotating torq ue is generated (Figure 5.9). In addirio n,
rhe force can be ap plied anywhere alo ng the fo rce li ne, and rhe
body will react exactly the same way.
Imagine we hold rhe sprung mass of the motorcycle
and rider at the CG. If the swingarm slo pe is posit ive (the
5.6 When going slowly in sand, the sand gels pushed up
ahead of the wheel. The center of the contact patch moves
forward. This decreases trail to the point of becoming
negative and unstable.
5.7 Letting the front wheel drop into supercross whoops
causes the contact patch lo move forward, decreasing
trail, quije often lo negative.
cou nrershafr is above the rear axle), the swingarm fo rce will
rend to li ft rhe sprung mass. If this li ne of force d oes not go
through the CG, it wi ll also create torque.
Now ler's add the chain (Figu re 5. 10). I r can o nly pull
o n rhe counrershafr sprocket. If rhe chain slo pes down fro m
87
 // 5.8 When a force is applied to a body inline with the CG,
the body displaces with no rotation.

force applied inline center of

gravity (CG)
with center of gravity
causes linear displacement,
i.e. no rotation

/
/
/
/

the cou ntershafr sprocket to t he rear sprocket, it will tend to
pu ll the sprung CG d own, making it softer. If no t a ligned
with the CG, it will rotate the sprung mass as well . All this
constantly changes, of course, as the rear suspensio n m oves.
W ith some mathematical analysis we can figure our
the effect of each of these compo nents o n the chassis
independently, bur what a pain!
Fortunately there is a simpler way to analyze the rear end
a nti-squat graphically (refer to Figure 5. 11 ). Force vectors
o n rigid bodies are sliding vectors. T his means we ca n apply
both these forces anywhere alo ng their lines of action. This
means if we ca n locate the intersection point of the swingarm
axis and the c hain axis, we can apply bo th of these fo rces
there. This intersectio n point is called the instantaneo us force
center (IFC). To be clear, it is the po int at which we ca n
combine the two fo rces and represent them with o ne force
(resultant force) that has the sa me effect o n the chassis as the
two individual fo rces.
Now lee's reattach the rear wheel to the motorcycle. We
know the force comes in via the rear tire's contact patch with
force applied offset to the
center of gravity displaces
AND rotates due to
torque (M) = (F x L)
the ground and goes through the IFC. This gives us two
po ints to draw the line.
The angle of this force line fro m the center of the co ntact
patch through the IFC fro m horizon cal is called the an ti-squat
angle. It is the exact same angle we would have calculated as
the resultant force of the chain and swingarm had we not do ne
a graphical analysis. T his makes the analysis much simpler
because we know chat the resulcanc horizontal com ponent of
the force is the driving fo rce at the rear tire contact parch . If we
also know che angle, we can calculate the vertical com ponent
wi th trigonometry (F vert = Fd riv. .in g x cos (anti-squat angle]). We
know the point of applicatio n is the IFC, so the rest of the
ana lysis practically d oes itself (just kidding).
Referring to Figure 5.1 2, you can see the anti-squat angle
changes wit h swingarm angle. If the line of force through
the IFC goes through the combined CG, it will no t create a
rotating to rque, but the vertical compo nent will tend to life the
m otorcycle. If the line passes below the combined CG, no t only
will it lift the mo to rcycle, effectively making the suspensio n
stiffer, it will also create a to rque that rotates the chassis
backward {cou nterclockwise viewed fro m the right) , loading the
rear suspension. This torque is counterclockwise, so it will tend
to compress the rear suspensio n, effectively making it softer.
To clarify, chis torque counteracts some of the life. As lo ng
/
as the anti-squat angle is positive, it will still life the motorcycle
/
/

/
/
but not as much as if it were going thro ugh the CG. In this
case the combined lifting and rotation tend co cancel each
o cher somewhat-as long as che lifting is g reater (the anti-
squac ang le is positive) , there is still a nee anti-sq uat effect.
Notice chat as the suspension compresses fu rther, the anti-
squac angle gees smaller. As lo ng as che anti-squat angle is still
positive, the nee fo rces will continue co ho ld up the motorcycle
during accele ratio n, though to a lesser degree.
H ere's when we need to make some assump tions so chis
/
/
doesn't gee hai ry (is it too lace?). Lee's assume 50/50 weight
/
/ distribu tio n. Lee's also assume the height of che co mbined
/
/
CG {center of gravi ty) of che sprung mass of che bike and
rider is ha lf rhe wheelbase. These assumptions are pretty
5.9 When a force is applied in a line that does not go through the CG, the body not close to reality for many motorcycles and will help simplify
only displaces, it also rotates. rhe calcula tio ns.

88

W hat we need to figure out is h ow large the forces a re,
realizing that they vary dependent o n ho w hard the bike
accelerates. A modern 1OOOcc sportbike has enough power
and tires are good enough to accelerate at l g-the acceleration
o f gravity. Yes, I realize gravity is a vertical accele ration and
5.10 When the motorcycle accelerates, the sprung mass
is being pushed by the swingarm and at the same time
pulled back by the chain. Both these forces can be broken
into vertical and horizontal components. The sum of the
horizontal forces is the force of acceleration.
5.11 The instantaneous force center or IFC is located
where the axes of the swingarm and the chain intersect.
The anti-squat angle goes from the center of the rear
contact patch and goes through the IFC. The greater the
angle, the greater the anti-squat.
this is a ho rizon tal acceleration , but this will help simplify
things as well.
Recall Newton's Second Law of Motion, F = m a o r force
equals mass ti mes accele ratio n . The m ass being accelerated
is the co mbined sprung mass of the bike and the ride r.
89
5.12 As the suspension goes through the travel, the amount of anti-squat decreases.
W hen che bike is ac resc chis co mbined sp rung m ass is being
acceleraced by gravicy vercically downward. In o rder co
accelerace ho rizon cally, chis same m ass muse have a ho rizo n ca l
force applied .
Because we locaced che CG ac 50 percent o f che wheelbase
bo ch horizon rally and vercically, ch is means when we accelerate at
l g, the fro nt wheel will jusc barely lift off the ground . See Figu re
5.15 . H ere's why: when che bike accelerates, it wanes co rotate
coun cerclockwise arou nd che rear tire concacc patch, tending co
cau se a wheelie. In other wo rds there is a corque or moment
(force x lever arm) around the con cacc pacch equal co che force
d ue to horizontal acceleracion cimes che heighc of che CG. On
che ocher hand che clockwise corque thac cends co keep it o n che
ground is equal co che weighc (suspended mass cimes acceleracio n
of gravicy which is vercical) cimes half che wheelbase.
Because che heighc o f che CG is equal co half che wheelbase,
che lever arms are che same lengch . And because ch e vercical
acceleration of gravi cy is equal co the l g ho r izon cal acceleratio n
we have chosen, bo ch o f th ese corques are equal. Ifwe acceleraced
90
any harder, che fro nt end wou ld lift o ff the ground and wheelie
over. T h is is because the ho rizon ta l fo rce would become greater
chan che weighc chereby increasing che coun cerclockwise co rque
co an amo unt g reacer chan che clockwise corque.
W h en the fra nc wh eel lifcs, che rear suspensio n mus e
hold up all che weigh c of che bike and rider inscead of jusc
half. If we wane ch e suspensio n co be indepe ndent o f chis load
cransfer, che an ci-squac force fro m the swingarm and chain
muse be equal co che added vertical load. T his m ea ns che
u pward vercical com po nent m ust equal half the horizo ntal
fo rce due co che accelera cio n of che bike.
If the anci-squac line goes through the CG o f the sprung
m ass o f che bike and rider, che upward anci-squac force will
equal che ho rizontal driving force. This is twice as much as we
need co isolace che anci-sq uac force. We call chis che 200-percenc
anci-squac line. To make a 100-percenc anci-squac line, we m ust
draw a line with half the slope (na e half the angle). T his will
give us half che vertical fo rce, which is exactly what we need fo r
the rear suspensio n co move freely wich ou c lifring or squateing.
 force from
rear wheel

5.13 If the anti-squat line goes through the CG, ~will lift as much as ~ pushes forward. This undesirable scenario is avoided by the manufacturers.

5.14 When the anti-squat angle is below the CG, the vertical lifting component decreases.

91
 To graph this we draw a vertical line th rough the fro nt
axle. The 200-percent anti-squat line wilt in tersect this line at
twice the height o f the CG. T he 100-percent anti-squat line
will intersect it at the height o f the CG and a 0 -pe rcen t anti-
squat line intersects it at the grou nd . See Figure 5.16.
As you can imagine, the anti-squat an gle and percen tage
changes constan tly as the suspension m oves and as the rider
sits, stands, hangs off, or tucks. T he m ore suspensio n travel, the
m ore the change. So the next question is: what anti-squat is
b est? If there is way too much anti-squat (200 percent o r so), the

F1 =F2
L1= L2=~
lhltllot•.

5.15 We have arbitrarily (and realistically) chosen the CG location of half the wheelbase high and in the middle of the wheelbase. If we accelerate at 1g, the front wheel will just
begin lo lift off the ground transfering all the front wheel load onto the rear suspension. To separate the driving forces from the suspension we need to support this extra load
with anti-squat force.

I
I
I
I

/ 1I
:/
I

~
· ~
combined rider
and motorcycle
center of gravity

100% anti-squat

0% anti-squat

negative anti-squat

5.16 If the anti-squat line passes through the CG, it will have twice as much anti-squat as we need so we call this 200-percenl anti-squat. The 100-percenl line would have
half the slope. For the 50/50 weight distribution scenario we have chosen, the 100-percent line would intersect a vertical line coming up from the front axle al the CG height.

92
suspension can actually top out under acceleration. !fir does, it
no longer has the abili ty to fo llow the ground, and the resul t is a
loss of tractio n and a stiff ride. On a dirt bike the ab iii ty to stiffen
the rear suspension with the th rottle has a couple benefits. T he
first is when landing a jump, and the second is getting lift o n the
takeoff of jum ps for clearing doubles, and other big o bstacles. In
order for this to occur with any significance, the anti-squat must
be 100 percent or more.
T he downside to anti-squat above 100 percent o n a dirt
bike comes when accelerati ng over small square-edge bum ps,
particularly when exiting a turn . T his anti-squat d y namic
can add co nsiderab ly to the harsh fee li ng that these types of
bumps naturally create.
When anti-squat is less than zero, the forces tend to pu ll
the wheel off the ground. T his situation is rare for street bikes
as swingarm angles rarely go past ho riw ntal, bu t it is not that
uncommon fo r dirt bikes because they have lots of travel.
When the anti-squat percen tage is less than 100 but
above zero rhe sprung mass is not fully su pported and the
rear end will squat some. T he lower the percentage, the more
it will sq uat during acceleration. This sq uatting action creates
counterclockwise rotationa l mome ntum and wi ll use up more
travel leaving less travel available to handle rhe bum ps.
Remember that the an ti-squat percentage is more
important wirh bikes that can accelerate harder, specifically
the bikes with hig her "powe r-to-the-ground-ro-weighr-ratio"
like liter road race bikes. T here is a distinct advan tage to
anti-squat percentages slightly above 100 percen t: when the
throttle is o pened on a liter spo rtbike, the mo mentary push
against the ground can actually increase tractio n. Too hard a
push, however, causes rhe CG ro move upward, pu lli ng rhe
tire away from the grou nd and ultimately decreasing traction
moments thereafter. This means rhar both too little and
particularly too much anti-squat can decrease traction.
T he critical areas for anti-squat are acceleration during
corneri ng, when accelerating from a dead stop, accelerating ou t
of turns on a di rt bike, and on jum ps and whoop sectio ns.
When a manufacturer designs a bike, ir attem pts ro
minimize the change in anti-squat throughout rhe suspension
travel. This is rhe reason coun tershaft sprockets are so close
to the swingarm pivot. O n the tun ing end, we need ro know
what things change anti-squat and which way we need to go.
GEOMETRY MEASUREMENT
T here is an old saying rhar says you can never get where you
want to go u ntil you know where you are. This maxim ho lds
true for tun ing as well: you can't achieve the resu lts you're after
until you have an accurate assessmen t o f your starring point.
In our o pinio n, rhe most soph isticated system for
chassis measu reme nt our tod ay is GMO Compurrack
(www.gmdcompurrack.com). I r is a precise optica l device
rhat nor only measu res geometry bur a lso al ignment,
includ ing twists and offsets. I r is used by many factories for
rhei r race reams as we ll as fo r research and development.
The GMO Com putrack Network specializes in measuring,
straigh tening, and o ptimizing (serti ng up the geometry) of
all types of mo torcycles. T his is a really good place to start,
as a tape measu re and protracto r just do n't cut it when it's
time to tune. If you use the complete services offered by the
GMO Computrack network, it wi ll use its sizeab le database
of knowledge to get you where you want ro go.
Do not get thrown off if a tuner uses grou nd trail and
swingarm angle o nly. Keep in mind that, when com paring
app les to apples, these are valid tuning parameters. However,
when compa ring different machines, they do lose some of
their validity.
GEOMETRY TUNING
If you wan t ro tune on your own, it is still viral to know
yo ur starting point and make known, incremental changes.
Also bear in mind that it is impossible to change o ne thing
wi tho ut affecting o ther aspects of the suspensio n o r geometry.
A suspensio n setu p change can have a very similar result ro a
geometry change. The results obtained by changing the fork
preload cou ld be very similar to those you get by altering rhe
fron t e nd ride height (repositio ning rhe tubes up or down in
the triple clamps).
To Increase Front End Trail
• Adj ustable fork bo rroms -move the axle back
• Triple clamp offset (adjustable or fixed) - decrease offset
(move rhe fo rk rubes back) , 2mm increments
• Larger front tire outer diameter
• Raise rhe front end by sliding rhe fo rk rubes down in rhe
triple clamps o r increasing fork spring preload (less fro nt
end sag) (increases rake), 5m m increments
• Lower rhe rear end with shock length, rear wheel outer
diameter, o r running more rear sag (increases rake)
5mm increments
To Increase Rear Anti-Squat
• Raise rhe rear end (increase the swingarm a ngle) with
adjustable rear shocks or frame ride height adjusters, o r
lengthen the shock internally
• Sma ller countershaft sprocket-note that th is can also
affect the swingarm length
• Larger rear sprocker-nore rhar rhis can also affect rhe
swingarm length
• Raise swingarm pivot in rhe frame o n models wirh
available inserts (2006-09 GSX-R l 000, ere.)
• Shorten effecti ve swingarm length by shortening rhe chain
o r with gearing a nd rhe cha in adjuster
• Lower rhe CG by getting in a ruck
• Move CG fo rward by sirring furt her fo rward o n sear
• Raise rhe front end ride height (nor preferred as this has
more effect o n rake and trai l)
• Sma ller rear tire outer diamerer-rho ug h rhis generally
makes on ly a very, very small difference
93
 A few things to keep in mind: First, m ore is no t necessarily
better. Second , when in doubt consult w ith the p ros. Third ,
just because everyone else is d oin g it d oesn't m ean it's the best.
Fourth , just because everyone else is d o ing it doesn't mea n it's
wrong. See the troubleshooting chapter fo r gu idance.
WEIGHT BIAS
Weight b ias refers to the amount of fo rce o n each o f the tires
either laden (rider o n board) o r un laden , no rmally disp layed as
a fro nt-to-rear percentage o r ratio . For exam ple, 48/52 wou ld
mean 48 percent o n the fro nt and 52 percent o n the rear. T he
amo unt of tractio n available is direccly related to the am ount
o f force between the tires and the ground . (See the Tractio n
Control appendix.)
Most m odern sporcbikes have a slig ht front end weight
bias, 5 1 o r 52 p erce nt. W hen a 7 4 kg ( 162 lb) rider is put
o n board , it becom es very close to 50/50. Mose m odern
dirt bikes h ave slightly less fro nt end weig ht bias, 48 to 50
p ercent. When the rider is pu t o n board (stand ing o n the
p egs), the sh ift is also rearwa rd so chat fro nt end bias dips to
44 to 4 6 percent with a 74kg rider. T his means chat, for both
sport and m otocross bikes, m o re of the rid er's weight is o n
the rear wheel- heavier riders wi ll au tom atically have a mo re
rearward weig ht bias than lighter o nes.
The m ost effective way to shift th e weight bias is with
rear axle positio n. The further the axle is m oved back, the
m ore load is shifted to the fro nt. M oving the rider position is
also effect ive. O n a road race bike a few layers o f padding o n
the back of the seat/rear tail section ca n shift the rider fo rward
significa ntly. O n a dire bike the rider has m uch mo re roo m to
m ove a bout, and the habit of choosing a seating locatio n has a
huge effect o n potential lap times. Most riders, particularly as
they gee o lder, have a habit of s itting coo far back. A ste pped
seat can help remind a rider to sit fo rward.
Many things have been said about methods of "weighting
the fron t end." Lowering the front is probably the m ost commo n
and , while it is true chat a change d oes occur, the change is
miniscule. I know, I know, you've tried it and it wo rks! You can
feel more fo rce on your palms. I wou ld invite you co use an
accurate scale or load cell and check o ut the actual d ifference
yourself. Another common step taken is lowering the bars:
again, the difference is slight. T he reason you feel it m o re is your
upper body is rotated forward and you are su pporting m ore of
the weight o n your hands. Granted , there is a tiny change, but
you haven't significandy shifted your weight fo rward.
Awareness o f the effect o f we ight bias can be part o f a
successful se tup, and understanding what chan ges are effective
ca n save a lo t o f time.

SOMETIMES VELCRO IS THE ANSWER

n 19961 participated in the 54th running of the famous 24 Hours of Montjuich endurance road race at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain. Our team,
I which was made up entirely of motorcycle journalists, had four riders ranging from 5 feet, 5 inches to 6 feet, 3 inches. This created both an ergonomic
and weight distribution problem as there was no seat setup that worked for all of us. Our effective but not-so-elegant solution was to add adjustable
foam layers connected with hook-and-loop fasteners and secured with duct tape. This allowed quick changes to compensate for my short T-Rex
arms as well as the orangutan arms of my German teammate. When the checkered flag fell, our team finished 7th overall and 2nd in our class of 750
Supersport, just ahead of 250GP front-runner Carlos Cardus' team on a factory Ducati superbike. Viva la Velcro! - Lee Parks

94
Chapter 6
Troubleshooting and Testing
I n this section of the boo k we have compiled a list of commo n
problems riders have with their suspensio n. T hese may be
encountered o n the dirt, street, o r track. To help understa nd
rhe issues we have included diag rams rhar sym bo lize our
best effort to replicate th ree-dimensio nal movement in rwo-
dimensional space. T here are three parts to the troubleshooting
section: first is a quick pictorial overview of ideal suspension
ve rsus real-world expectations give n current tech no logy,
seco nd a simple description of what happens ar rhe extremes
of possible suspensio n setup, and third the co mmo n prob lems
associated with forks and shocks o n bikes.
When going throug h possible solu tio ns, rhey are listed
in o rder of easiest or mo re likely and go toward less likely. Fo r
example it might list an external adjuster change before a n
internal valvi ng change. Ir's a lo r easier to change an adjuster
than revalve internally th ough rhe internal change might be
far more likely.
The Testing Procedure seer.ion (page I 06) is presented after
rheTroubleshooring Scenarios. Ir is perhaps rhe most impo rtant
part of this book. If you have a good testing procedure, you will
Ideal
Reality
The ideal ride has perfect wheel contact on both the front and the back of the bump while the sprung mass maintains a perfectly level path. The best real, world suspension
isn1 qu~e there, but this is the goal.
be able to co me up with good settings even as your depth of
knowledge grows.
Use rhe illustrations and information as a guide to fi ne-
runing yo ur suspension and make sure to use the Testing
Fo rm o n page 25 1 to keep track of your results. Using this
guide wi ll reduce the guesswork o f achieving a perfect ride
and help make suspensio n troubleshooting eas ier and fun.
DAMPING EXTREMES
1. Too Much Rebound Damp ing (Pack ing)
T he suspensio n is held down in rhe stroke because it
canno t rebound fast enough and each bump causes
additio nal compressio n. T he ride becomes harsh because
roo much fo rce is needed ro initiate more movement.
T his also causes a loss of tractio n because of tire deflection.
2. Too Little Rebound Damp ing (Pogoing)
In this scenario rhe suspension does no t co ntrol the
sto red- up spring energy, which causes a pogo stick- like
effect. The uncontrolled vertical movement can rake rhe
wheel off the ground a nd cause a loss of tractio n.
loom•~
never moves
95
 excess rebound dampillg compression travel is lost,
resists extension, and requires excessive
wheels lose traction force to initiate movement

Extreme 1:Too much rebound damping

inadequate rebound damping

does not control stored spring
energy, causing sprung
mass to rise too quickly

Extreme 2:Too little rebound damping

transmits too much bump

energy to the chassis, which
(!I
pulls the wheel off the ground
z
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ci:
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::::>
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a:
..... Extreme 3:Too much compression damping

~tom'~--­
- ~---
fails to manage
bump energy,
wheel deflects

Extreme 4:Too little compression damping

96
3. Too Much Compression Damping (Harshness) D . Spring race coo sofc
Here che suspension causes che wheel co deflecc o ff che E. Noc enough preload
bump on impacc because chere is coo much res iscance F. Dire in valving, b roken valve, benc shim , burr o n
co movemenc. This makes fo r a very harsh ride. che piscon/shim
4. Too Little Compression Damping (Bottoming) G . Cartridge rod bushing worn o uc (cypical problem
T he wheel moves pasc che cresc of che bump du ring wich p re- 1996 KYB)
compression and is no c able co follow che backside of H . Comp ressio n valve 0-ring broken, especially if
che bump, causi ng a loss of craccio n. le fee ls mushy and jusc rebui lc
can boccom easily. I. Cartrid ge rod no c attached to cap- b roken o r
unscrewed-oops
TROUBLESHOOTING SCENARIOS 2. Too Stiff-De.fleets, Harsh, Nervous, Twitchy
Forks Ask quescio n: Everywhere o r j usc o n square edges?
1. Bottoms- Too Soft, Mushy (Jusc square-edged: see B and C)
Ask quescio ns: A. Too much co mpressio n damping ad juscmenc-
I . Whac kind of co ndicio ns? (G-oucs, landing o n high-speed and/or low-speed
ju m ps, fa ce of jumps, ecc.) We are decerm ining B. Too much co mpressio n damping internally-
whe cher che velocicy is low o r high. change high-speed first, then low-speed
2. Does ic feel good ocherwise? (If yes, go co A) C. Spring rate coo sciff
3. Does ic feel coo sofc everywhere? (If yes, skip A, D . Too much low-speed rebound damping-packing
go co Band C) E. O il level too high
A. Oil level low-raise oil level- affeccs moscly che F. See # 9 (sticky fo rks)
lase YJ o f era vel 3. Poor Traction
B. Noc eno ugh low-speed compression d am ping A. Poo r cire cype/com pound
C. Noc eno ugh h igh-speed co mpressio n d amping B. Too much tire pressure

suspension
bottoms

overshoots crest
of bum p

Front 1: Front bottoms, mushy

steering feels twitchy

when tire loses traction

Front 2: Front loo stiff

97
 C. T ire pressure way too low A. Tire p ro files too flat o r too wide, rim too wide
0. Too much low-speed rebou nd d amping B. R iding Positio n- no t enough weight o n the
E. Too much low-speed co mpressio n d amping fro nt end
F. Not eno ugh low-speed rebound damping I. Seat too low
G. Not enough low-speed compression d am ping 2. Bars too hig h
H . Not eno ugh weight o n the front end C. R iding Style (no r every thing is the bike!)
1. Swingarm too short 1. Rider d oesn't understand rhe concept
2. Rear ax le moved up too fa r of countersteering
3. Seat too far back 2. Noc weighting che front end
4. Bars too high o r too far back 3. Elbow down riding style-wron g fo r dirt
I. See # 5 (pu shes, no t enough trail) 4. Elbow up riding style-wrong for pave ment
4. Doesn't Turn 5. Sitting too far back, no r weigh ting the front
Note: This may be the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed end-wro ng fo r dire and pavement
fork symptom. ft is quite often more a geometry issue than a 6. Rider ce nterline to ou tside of bike cencerl ine-
suspension issue though these overlap. Ninety-nine percent of wrong fo r pavement
the time the tuner/rider drops the front end (raises the fork 7. Steering wich both arm s-wron g for pavement
tubes in the triple clamps) in an attempt to cure this. His (steering should be done with inside arm o nly)
thinking is typically one of two things: either he's trying to 8. Noc looking through turn
"weight the front end" or he is trying to decrease trail Does 9. Riding two-u p-passenger nor leaning with
dropping the front end weight the front end? Yes, but not so the bike
much as you'd notice it. This is a common misconception. 10. Riding two-u p-no r enough weight o n che
A s to decreasing the trail-the reason you'd want to decrease fro n t, too much o n che rear
trail is because it is too difficult to turn the bars. If there is 11. Luggage added to che rear
a lack of traction, you'd want to go the other way--increase 0 . W heelbase too lo ng
the trail. Along with an increase in trail generally comes an 5. Pushes (easy to turn the bars but the bike doesn't turn,
increase in traction (grip). So, begin by asking the question: Low traction), Steering Feels Loose, Power Steering
Do che bars cum easily or is ic hard to turn the bars? (flat track term), Chatters When Entering a Turn, R uns
Ifi e is easy to cum the bars start with #3 (poor tractio n) , Wide Mid-Corner and Exit, Tucks (turns too quickly--
then # 5 (pushes) this is not enough trail but not as severe as Pushing)
If ie is hard to turn the bars go to #6 Note: this is usually a chassis geometry problem-not
(excessive fo rce req uired) enough trail
(!I
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..... tucking is when the bike
CD
::::> steers too sharply with
0
cc very little stee ring input
I-

Front 5.1: Front tucks

actual path of front wheel travel

Front 5.2: Front pushes

98
 A. Fron t end rides too low in comparison to the rear
B. Raise the fron t e nd (slid e fork tubes down in
triple clamps)
C. Lower the rear end
D. Fork spring rate too soft
E. Not enough fork spring preload
F. Low-speed rebou nd too high, causing packing
G. Not enough low-speed co mpression d am ping
H . I ncrease low-speed compression d amping
adjustmen t or valvi ng stack stiffness
I. Go to a single-stage valving stack instead of two-
srage-d irt
J. An y thi ng that makes the rear hig her than th e fro n t
6. Takes excessive fo rce to turn the b a rs, p lenty of
traction, doesn't complete the tttrn
Note: this is a chassis geometry problem-too much trail
A. Front end rides high dynamically in com pariso n to
the rear
B. Lower the fron t end (slide the fork tubes u p in t he
triple clamps)
C. Too much fo rk spri ng p reload
D. Spring rate too stiff
E. Rear ride heigh t too low
F. Ai r pu m p-replace fork seals
G. Anythi ng that makes rhe rear lower rhan rhe front
H. Too much low-speed co mpressio n damping
I. Bars too narrow, uncomforcable bend
J. See #9 (sticky forks)
~ -------------
steering tracks but
requires excessive effort
Front 6: Front high effort to tum the bars
Front 7: Front excessive dive
7. Dives under B raking-(steady state)
A. Wi th telescopic fo r ks it should! Linkage-type front
ends may no t d ive o r may even rise.
B. O n b raking, the total dive is controlled by
spring fo rces only (rate, preload and air slightly),
no t dam ping.
C. Fo rk angle too Aat (cho p pered ), too m uch rake
D . Fo rk springs too soft
Note: Damping affects the rate ofdive and "overshoot" but
does not affect the front ride height after any appreciable
length oftime.
E. Too much rear ride heigh t
1. Ride heigh t adjuster too h igh
2. Rear preload excessive
8. Feels Loose
A. Not enough low-speed rebound damping
B. Not enough h igh-speed rebound d am ping-big
b u mps o nly
C. Nor enough compression d amping
D . Spring rate too soft
E. Steering bearings loose o r worn
F. Swingarm pivot or linkage bearings loose or worn
G. Tire pressu re too low or way too high
H. Fo rk Aex, chassis Aex, swingarm Aex
I. Worn-ou t fl uid
J. Damping rod bush in gs worn out (pre- 1996 KYB
cartridge type fo rks)
K. Worn-out rebound piston ring-very rare
99
 intended path
of travel

Front 8: Front feels vague

9. Sticky Fo1·ks N. Misaligned fo rk cube height

A. Misaligned fo rk tubes when viewed from the 0. Fo rks not b roken in- (twi n-chamber)
fro n t (sp layed ouc o r wedged in)-ax le clam p no c P. Bushings damaged fro m dent or wo rn out
centered (most common) Q. Metal imbedded in bushi ngs
B. T riple clamps bent I. Preload washers no c located properly-USO fo rks
C. Bene fork rubes 2. Aluminum preload washers
D. Bene axle 3. Scee! spring spacer d ireccly o n aluminum cap
E. Den ted sliders 4. Bottom-out system needs chamfering-
F. Upside-d own forks with poor bushing design p re- 1995 KYB cartridge forks
G. Outer cube anodizing worn through 5. Fork caps "shedding" o n installatio n- burr
Cl H . Ai r pump- replace seals, particu larly ac che lower o n thread
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triple clamp R. Cartridge rod bushing coo right
I- I. Seals no t b ro ken in o r poor design (afrermarkec) S. Spring guid e rubbing o n inner diameter of spring/
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J. Seals no t lubricated incorrect manufacturing o r guide growing from
Cl K. Poo r q uality o il soaking in solvent-US O fo rks
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L. Poo rly d esigned fo rk brace or fork brace T. Fo rk spring outer diameter too large-spring o uter
§::c adj uscment- righc side up fo rks diameter grows du ring compressio n a nd can bi nd
ffi
..... M. T riple clamp coo eigh t-USO (upside-d own) for ks o n inner d iameter of fork tube
CD
::::>
0
cc
I-

feels harsh due to

Front 9: Front sticky forks

100
10. Headshakes- (fast side-to-side movement ofthe bars)
A. C hassis not straight- twisted or o ffse t
B. M isalignment o f wheels-chain adjuster marks are off
C. Fork flex, chassis flex , swingarm flex
D. Worn-out o r loose steering bearing or
binding dragging
E. Not enough trail- not en ough self-centeri ng effect
F. Too much trail- returns past center then re-correc ts
the o ther way quickly
G. Oil level too high (stree t)-head shakes
du ring braki ng
H . Botto m -out m echa nism too lo ng o r too abrupt
(street)- h eadshakes during h eavy braking
I. Not eno ug h low-speed rebound damping
J. Too much rebound dampi ng
K. Too much high-speed com pressio n dampi ng-
deflects o n bum ps
L. T ire pressure roo h igh o r too low
M. Poo r tire co mpound o r type
N. T ire not mo unted p roperly o n rim , bent rim , or
cord n o t straigh t
0 . W heel out of ba lan ce-bent rim
P. Brake rotor bent-head shakes during braking
Q. Fork m o unted fairi ng not aerodynam ically balanced
R. Any type of aerodynam ic imbalance
S. Anyth ing that makes the fro nt end lower than the
rear decreases trail
T. Too much steering swing inertia
U. See # 9 (sticky fo rks)
V. Additio nal solutio ns
l . Steering damper-Scott's Performan ce has an
excellent damper
2 . Tighten steering b earings so that they drag
slighrly-poo r man's steering d amper
11. Chatters (Patters)-(ttp and down wheel movement)
Note: This can be a vibrations/harmonics problem where
the excitation (input) frequency matches the natural
frequency ofthe suspended system. ft is often confused with,
and can cause, headsha ke.
A. See #5 (pushes, no t eno ugh trail)
B. Not eno ugh rebound damping
C. Not enough compression d amping
D . C han ge spring rates stiffer or softer to change
natural frequency-start with stiffer
E. Too much compressio n damping
F. Too much rebo und d amping
G . Ti re pressure-too much o r too little
H. Ti re design

[ headshake can be either self-energizing ... )

[ a stable oscillation ... J

[ or self-damping )

Front 10: Front head shake

101
 --~~--~~-------...;.;-~-=-~~------:-

--~--------- ---.. 2... oftmUoo J

actual path of travel

-------- ---
--
---- ...............................
.......
.....
........

Front 11 : Front chatter

I.C hassis/swingarm flex C. Too much preload

J.Preload change-changes ce nrer of pressure height D. Too much low-speed compressio n damping
K. See #9 (sticky forks) E. Too much low-speed rebound damping
12. Bottnces off the Grottnd onfttmp Landings F. Way too so ft and botto ms severely
A. Botto m s severely, loads the frame, and recoi ls G. See #9 (sticky forks)
(see # 1, bottoms) 14. Leaky Seals
B. Noc enough high-speed rebou nd dam ping A. O ld seals
C. Noc e nough low-speed rebound damping B. Nicks in cube
13. Deflects on Sqttare-Edged Bttmps, Roots, Rocks, C. Worn bushings
Expansion joints, Sqttare Holes, "Botts' Dots" D. Bent cube
A. Too much high-speed compression damping- E. Improper installatio n
eicher valving stack or piston o rifice restrictio n F. Fo rk cube too smoo th
B. Spring race too stiff G. Excessive brake dust (sintered metallic pads)

k5;;1
Front 12: Front bounces on landings

102
 actual path of travel

--- ---
---- .....................
.......
...... ......
......

Front 13: Front deflects on bumps

15. Front Tire Wear-Road Race Kicks #2-Too Sofr

A. T ire edge tear Severe Bottom ing (see #2, boccoms)
I. Im proper tire pressure 2. Bottoms
2. See #5-chassis geometry issue, nor eno ugh trai l A. Nor enough low-speed co mpression damping
B. T ire center wear B. Nor enough high-speed com pression damping
I. Too much ti re pressure (landing o n jumps)
2. Front end chatter C. Sp ring rate too sofr
3. Tire ou t of balance D. Too m uch static sag
4. Excessively stiff forks E. Worn piston ring 0 - ring, piston ring, or body
5. Im properly adjusted steering bearings F. Suspension fluid worn out or poor quality (fades
6. No r eno ugh turns o n your way to work o r when shock hears up due ro low viscosity index)
exhibitio n of speed-too much drag racing o n G. Shafr seal b low n
the way to the pub. H . Nor enough nitrogen pressu re, cavitation
I. Blown bladder (usually caused by blown
Shocks shaft sea l)
I. Kicks J. Bent or distorted va lving shims
Note: This is the most commonly misdiagnosed symptom 3. Swaps-Dirt
on a dirt bike. This symptom is umally diagnosed as not Ask q uestio ns:
enough rebound damping, however it is usually caused by I . Does it fee l harsh/deflect? Too Stiff
one oftwo things: 1) it's way too stiffor 2) it's way too soft. 2. Does it botto m out easily? Too Sofr
Kicks# I-Too Stiff 3. O ne bump or into a series of whoops? If it is
I. Too much high-speed compressio n dam ping on a series of whoops, it could be a rebo und
2. Spring rare too sciff problem. Too much rebound damping (packing
3. Way too much low-speed compression damping especia lly o n a series of whoops) or too li ttle
4. Too much rebou nd damping (nor too little) high-speed rebou nd damping (u ncontrolled
5. Linkage bearings bad, right, dry rebo und o n a series of whoops).
6. Too high tire pressure A. Too m uch high-speed compression damping-
7. Way too much preload deflecring, no r botto ming
8. See #8 (sricky shock) B. Nor enough low-speed rebound damping-loose

103
 excess compression damping
means the wheel can't move

Rear 1: Rear kicks

spri ng or damping is too soft

causing bottoming and kicking

Rear 2: Rear bottoms

Rear 3: Rear swaps

C. Not enough high-speed rebou nd dam ping- loose B. Too much low-speed compression damping
o n whoop section C. Not enough low-speed rebound damping
D. Spring rate too stiff-deflects (much too little)
E. Spring rate too soft-mushy/botto ms D. Not enough low-speed compression damping
F. Bottoming severely E. Too m uch tire p ressu re
G. See #8 (sticky shock) F. Poor tire rype/compound
4. Feels Loose/Shock Pttmps G. Tire worn ou t
A. Not enough low-speed rebound damping H. Shoc k heim bearings worn out {loose)
B. Not enough high-speed rebound dam ping I. Linkage bearings wo rn ou t {loose)
C. Not e nough low-speed co mpression damping J. Spring rate too stiff
D. Sp ring rate too soft K. Not enough swingarm angle- not enough anti-squat
E. Too li crle preload L. Too much swingarm angle-too much anti-squat
5. Poor Traction M. Too much preload
A. Too much low-speed rebou nd damping N. Too much rear ride height {adjuster too high)
(main cause) 0. See #8 (s ticky shock)

104
 ------------- ____ .- .... .... - -C ~

Rear 4: Rear feels loose

wheel follo ws surface

poor
but with uneven pressure
acceleration
at contact patch

·- ·-
Rear 5: Rear poor traction

6. Squats on Acceleration E. See Forks #9 (sticky forks) and Shock #8 (sticky

A. Too li ttle swingarm angle-not enough anci-sq uat
B. Spring too soft
C. Not e nough preload (too much static sag)
D. Coun cershaft sprocket too big-not enough
a nti-squat
E. Rear sprocket too small-not enough anti-squat
F. Compression damping too soft-changes rate of
squat, not final amount of squat
7. Not Tracking
A. Too much low-speed rebou nd damping-
poor tractio n
B. Too much high-speed com pressio n dampi ng-
deflecci ng on square-edged bumps
C. Too much low-speed co mpressio n da mping-
skating, poor traction
D. Misaligned chassis
shock, front and rear)
8. Sticky Shock
A. Linkage not maintained
B. Swingarm bearings not maintained
C. Shoc k eyelet bearings not lubed
D. Floating brake rod or backing place no t lu bed-
common on vintage bikes wich fl oati ng rear brake
E. Missing or improper bearing spacers
F. Bene shock shaft-usua lly caused by mo unting
bo lt or clevis installed backwards
9. Blown Shock Bladder
A. Oil leak-shaft sea l blown- caused by nicked or
pitted shaft, hard-chrome worn through, o ld or
worn-ou t sea l
B. Improperly rebuil t shock recencly finished wich
way too liccle oil

105
 Rear 6: Rear squats
rear feels vague,
loose, wanders
Rear 7: Rear not tracking
TESTING PROCEDURE
Becau se of rhe number of va riables involved in suspension
setup and the unique preferences o f each rider, there is no
o ne perfect setup for everyone. This is part of w hy resting is
so critica l. I f you fo llow rhis procedu re exactly and always use
the resting log sh eet in the appendix, you can m ake significant
improvemen ts in your bike's suspension.
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~
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T he more detailed you are, the easier it will be to predict
I- futu re needs when you switch locales. Rem em ber that proper
C
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(!I
z tea m. The be tter you r rapport and communicatio n , the more
§::c effective you w ill be. If you are in the unfo rtunate si tuation
o f havi ng to be both rider and tuner, go thro ugh the same
ffi
..... process and d o your bes t to keep an open mind .
CD
::::> H ere is a key question: w hen making a change does the
0
cc r ider feel the cha nge o r the percentage change? In other words
I-
if yo u m ake a .5 kg/mm spring rate cha nge is that a lo t or a
little? T h e correct answer to this questio n is viral for proper
susp ensio n tuning whether it is spring, damping, or fo r that
matter, friction. The answe r is the rider feels the percentage
change, no t the change itself. If the original spring rate was
5 kg/ mm then a .5 change would be 10 percent- this is
no ticeable. If the o riginal sp ring rate was l 5 kg/ mm a .5 change
would o nly be about a 3 percent change, which m ay not be
no ticeable at all. Studies have show n that the smallest change
most humans can feel is I 0 percent. I have found that so me
riders can feel as sm all as a 5 percen t change. T he po int is yo u
n eed to make a big eno ugh c hange fo r riders to be able to tell.
Too sma ll a percentage change is worthless and confusing.
106
There is an o ld rule o f thumb that says that with proper
setup you should bottom o nce a lap. I disagree st rongly. Let's
say your bike is set up perfectly fo r your local m o tocross
track and now you go to a no ther track that's significantly
smoother. T he rule wou ld have you softening the suspensio n
to the poin t o f being mushy, perhaps even uncontro llable,
wi th big pitch changes fo re and aft. On the other hand som e
riders prefer a setup where the rear bottom s gently so mewhat
regu larly-5 to 10 times a lap. T h e key word here is gently.
Normally I like to give the rider some cushion and not let it
go m etal to m etal ever.
As far as road raci ng is concerned, it is quite commo n to
u se up m ost of the fork travel du ring b raki ng, bur I suggest
yo u sho u ld never bo ttom o ur m etal to m etal and never
rem ove the bottom -ou r d evice. If you do there is no room fo r
error, with the possibility oflosi ng the fro n t end. T he rear, o n
the other hand, b arely moves in relatio nship to the fro nt. A
properly set up rear end wi ll no t co m e close to using all the
travel o n most tracks.
1. Before leaving for the track, record the initial settings
o n the resting log.
2. Starr wirh spring rares from rhe Race Tech website's
product o r Digital Valving Search. C heck and set sraric
sag, free sag, and check your sriction zone. Remove
excess frictio n before doing any testing.
3. On the way to the track, or befo re , if possible, go over
the testing procedure with the rider.
4. Ir is often helpfu l to u se last year's bike
fo r comparison.
5. O nce at the t rack have the rider d o at least two
10-minu te wa rm-u p sessions witho ut caring abo ut
suspensio n actio n. H ave fun a nd get loose.
6. For d irt riding wait un til the track is worth y of
testing. If the track is no t very rough, it doesn't make
sense to test. If the rider wan ts to ride while the
t rack is still smooth that's O K, just do n't make an y
suspensio n decisio ns.
7. O nce the track is ready ask the rider to d o two or three
laps, focusing on using the exact same lines every time
and concentrati ng o n the suspensio n actio n. Instruct
the rider to ride cautiously, at 90 percent, not 100
perce nt. (Road racers should use tire warmers.)
8. Record the rider's initial feed back about what t he bike
is do ing o n the testing log. Ask h im to decide wh ich
end o f the bike is worse and start wo rking on that end .
9. Make o ne change at a time. T his a universal testing ru le
that most tuners know-and most tuners break.
10 . Do not tell the rider w hat changes you are making.
If you do, you can rest assured that it will affect
the results.
11. Make big external changes firs t. Try to b racket the
p roblem with external adj usters, but bear in mind that
some adjusters do n't make much d ifference (particularly
most original eq uipment shock co mpression adjusters).
12. Record all changes and com men ts o n the testing log in
che appendix. You do noc have co reco rd all che settin gs
at this poi n t, just the changes. Lap times can be helpfu l
for fine tu ning, but do not rely o n lap times, as too
man y factors affect them , including traffic and track
cond itions. Bo th MX and road race tracks can change
dramatically d u ring the d ay, including wind cond itions
a nd track tem peratu re. Be aware o f rider's energy level.
13. Have t he rider test for two to three laps with each
change, and no mo re. A ny longer than this and the
rider will start to make th in gs up.
14. Watch the bi ke o n the track, taking note of the relative
movemen t of the wheel and the chassis. T he wheel
shou ld move u p a nd dow n fa irly qu ickly and the chassis
shou ld stay fa irly even. You may take the side pa nels off
o n dirt bi kes to see suspe nsion action better. On d irt
bi kes look for excessive roost: lots o f roost can eq ua l a
lack of traction. Listen to the engine particularly as the
rider goes over bumps. A mo re even rpm usually means
less defl ectio n.
15. W hen the rider comes in , ask, "H ow was it?" Let
him know it might be better in o ne area and worse in
another. Let him know the chan ge mig ht not be big
eno ugh to tell. Avoid "leading q uestions" that might
p rompt an inaccu rate respo nse.
16. If you would li ke to use a checklist to pro mpt the rider,
yo u ca n use so mething like th is fo r d irt:
H ow was it o n :
• Botto ming?
• Square-ed ge bumps?
• Plushness?
• Tractio n?
• Tracking straight?
• Feeling of con trol?
17. Get feed back on the symptoms, not the cause. If the
rider tells you what it is do ing and then tells you the
cause, po litely ask him why he thin ks it need s that
change. W hat is it doi ng? W here?
18. If the rider could n't tell, go back to the previous setting.
(Sometimes the problem is very obvious when you go
back to the previous set ting.)
19. Do you r best co fi gure out the shaft velocity a t w hich
the p rob lem occu rs. Is it h igh-speed or low-speed?
When maki ng valving changes, change t hat part of
the damping curve. (A ShockClock o r other d ata
acquisitio n system can be helpful here .)
20. Dou ble check the rid er's feedback by using an earlier
setting to see if the feedbac k is consisten t. Do n't tell the
rider what you are doing.
2 1. O n the last test o f the day, use the o riginal settings
(from t he beginning of the day) co double check you r
work. This o ne takes cou rage.
Note: Take everything with a grain of salt. Don't believe
your eyes or your ears. Be willing to be wrong. Have fan!
107
Chapter 7
Tools and Equipment
for Suspension Service
T here is an o ld saying: the tools make rhe mechanic.
Whi le rh is is nor entirely co rrect, t here is someth ing
to this concept. W ithou t the proper tools, equipment,
wo rkspace, and so on, eve n rhe best suspensio n technicians
will be lim ited in rhe quality and swiftness of their wo rk.
Using rhe proper tools is essential to success for suspensio n
jobs, ensuring rhar rhe job gets done correctly and without
any undue damage ro rhe mo torcycle o r compo nen ts being
serviced. If you plan o n being a professional suspensio n
This K&L scissor jack (shown with optional post adapters) is useful for heavier, flat
bottom vehicles like ATVs and many street bikes.
This front stand lifts the bike by the steering stem, allowing the forks to be serviced.
108
service technician or tu ner, having rhe proper too ls will be
critical for profirab iliry.
The starring point is your workspace, whether it is your
garage floor, a trailer/ truck for mobile operations, o r a fu ll-o n
worksho p. You wi ll need a well-lit, properly-ventilated, clean
area with a flo o r rhar can support fu ll-size motorcycles and/
o r ATVs o n stands or lifts with room left over ro store units
in progress. No matter what you do, there will be occasio ns
when you will be waiting o n parts.
Ser up your work area wirh shelving to store parts, jobs
in progress, and so fo rth. You will need cabi nets for chem ical
sto rage, an o il d isposa l drum, parts washi ng machine, a ir
compressor/air lines, dri ll press, and, of course, a sturdy wo rk
bench built ro rhe correct height fo r you to work comfortably.
As you will be wo rking with oil and chemicals, a metal o r
lam ina re bench top is strongly recommended .
These icems can be sourced locally from hardware and
tool stores fo r the most pare. You can also build or purchase
large pieces such as benches, cabinets, and so o n based upo n
your budget, needs, and the level of professio nalism you w ish
to convey.
Now that your work area is prepared , you will need to
d isassemble some vehicles. Street and dirt motorcycles will
req uire special stands; ATVs are a li ttle easier to deal with as
they are more stable. If you will be working primarily on ATVs,
you d o n't need much in the way of special stands. If, however,
This hydraulic lift is a bit quicker and more stable than the scissor jack shown, but it
takes up a little more floor space.
you wou ld like to be ab le to have both fron t and rear shocks
o ff the uni t at o nce, so me sort of a stand will be required.
Di rt bikes are relatively easy to wo rk with as they are fai rly
lig htwe ig ht. T here are a variety of sta nds on the market that
work well , or you cou ld build som ething basic o n your own
fai rly easily. Make su re your dirt bike stand wi ll carry the bike
high enough and well-balanced eno ugh to remove the fro nt
and rear suspensio n simultaneously.
Street bikes are a little mo re challenging. T hey are
heavier and often have easily d amaged painted body panels
in the way. A fro nt wheel chock such as the Condo r Pit Stop
fro m Lee Parks Design is indispensable fo r setting sag as well
as fo r steadying the bike while working o n it. Suppo rting the
rea r end is fa irly straightforward , wi th a n um ber of op tio ns
such as stands fro m Pit Bu ll, K&L, and ochers. A cen ter jack
can be used in conju nctio n to raise the front end- the K&L
MC450 is the industry standard . A n o ptio n fo r lifting o nly
the fro nt end for fo rk removal is a front end stand .
O u r favo rite stand fo r suspe nsion service is the K&L
MC360 li fe, which hangs the bike with both wheels off the
grou nd for front and rear service and allows the bike co be
This Park Tool Vise was originally made for working on bicycles but can be used on
forks as well. A bench-mount base is available for a bit more stability.
moved around o n wheels even when it is half taken apart.
Sport and touring bike owners tend to be very co ncerned
about scratches and other d amage-one d ropped D ucati
o r Gold Wi ng ca n bu rn up the profits of severa l suspensio n
jobs, not to mention the cost in customer relatio ns. Using
q uality equipmen t will help keep the bike upright, off the
floo r, and easy to work o n, as well as con veying a high level
of professio nalism .
N ow that you have removed the suspension com ponents
fro m the bike, it's time to get to wo rk imp roving their
performance. Good quali ty basic hand cools such as sockets,
wrenches, and screwdrivers are of cou rse req uired. C heap
im po rted coo ls can rou nd off o r leave ugly marks o n fas teners
that many owners sim ply won't tolerate. Six-poin t sockets
and wre nches will help ensure easy removal witho ut broken
cools -it ca n take surprising effort to crack loose a facro ry-
installed fastene r the flrst time. (And d o n't fo rget that torque
wrench fo r reassembly.)
H igher quali ty ratchets will have fln er ratcheting ac tio n,
making it easier to work in right places. Anod ized fo rk caps
made of soft aluminum may require large, special wrenches
with un ique sizes o r shapes to remove chem witho ut damage,
like chose in the Race Tech TFCW li ne. A specia l spring
compressor (such as the TFSC series) may be required fo r
street bike forks, and almost always for shock abso rbers (TSSC
series). T hese are very critical tools: damage fro m fl ying
components- or, worse yer, personal injury- ca n resulr fro m
impro per spring removal or insrallatio n. Li ke our mo ms used
to say, "Ir's all fun and games until someone loses an eye!"
-I
You will want a quality bench vise to ho ld components 0
and special vise jaws designed for suspensio n work. Race Tech
....
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TMVJ 065 vise jaws flr d irectly into Craftsman, brand vises z
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(and others). T hey are aluminum and have a V-cut t hat ho lds m
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rounded co mpo nents securely, plus they include special pins c:
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to facilitate T FSH shaft ho ld ing tools. W hen worki ng with s:
m
suspensio n compo nents, you are constantly ho ldi ng, looseni ng, z
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o r tightening vario us shafts, fro m fo rk cartridges to shock 0
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shafts-ho ld ing chem securely witho ut damage is essential. Cl)
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bu sh ings. This can result in lost damp ing and fl uid leaks, not C5
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also freesta nding and bench-mounted stands that wi ll ho ld ::lO
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a fork or shock from Park Tool. T hese stands can be used as m
a workstatio n, as they allow the co mpo nen ts to be ro tated,
inverted , and so o n while they are clamped in the ho lde r.
These uni ts are not as sturdy as a bench vise, bu t they are a
bit mo re versatile.
T he cartridge forks found on many stree t bikes, mini
bikes, and o lder MX models may requ ire a TFCH -series
cartridge ho ld ing tool. This tool keeps the cartridge fro m
sp inning during d isassembly a nd reassembly. T his style of
fo rk may also need a TFBT-series bleedi ng tool for bleeding
the cartridge upo n assembly. T he tool attaches to the rebou nd
109
 Nitrogen hose: This high-pressure hose worl<s between the TSNR 01 Nitrogen
Regulator and TSNG 02 Nitrogen Gauge. Finger-tight fittings are quick and easy.

A nitrogen regulator provides output pressure to 300 psi.

A shock nitrogen charging tool easily reaches hard-to-get-to recessed valve stems
without an extension. Valve core plunger is located on the top for easy use.

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cc rod so rhar ir can be srroked rhrough irs en tire rravel ro purge
w
en a ll rhe air fro m rhe carrridge. Ir also aids in spring insrallario n Series Seal drivers: Split design for both conventional and upside-down forl<s.
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c;; by allowing rhe rebou nd rod robe pulled ou r pasr rhe spring
zw ro be rearrached ro rhe fork cap.
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::::>
en rhan volume for accu racy. Remember rhar fo rk oil level sers
cc
~ rhe air space in rhe fo rk (rhe secondary spring effecr), and is
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a n excellent runing variable. T he TFOL 02 Fo rk O il Tool is
in a class by irself. T here are orher models on rhe marker char
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5 are less expensive, bur rhey seem ro requ ire rhree hands ro
53' opera re. Twin-chamber fo rks requi re rh e use of a G raduated
c
:l Cylinder (TFGC 500) ro measure rhe volume as rhere is no Pro oil level tool: Collapsible lube to set oil level. Easy, two-handed use!
~ practical way ro use a Fork O il Level Tool. Of course, you
0
0 musr have a n assorrment of fo rk seal drivers like rhose in rhe
.....
TFS D series. A good seal driver will be of a splir design, so ir push of a burro n over nighr. H o r soapy warer-b lasr cab inets
will work o n inverred forks. Ir sho uld also be hefry in o rder ro do a g rear job o n muddy parrs as well. Safery-Klee n has a fu ll
drive rhe seal properly, and co ncentric ro ensure a n accu rare assorrme n r for your selecrion.
fir ar rhe seal and into rhe seal caviry. Shock service will require a nitrogen charging srario n
Parr clea ning is a critical parr of suspensio n work. In rhe consisring of a nitrogen horde (ava ilab le fro m your local
o ld d ays solvent was rhe way ro go, bur rod ay wirh new laws welding supply ho use) equipped wirh a regu laror such as rhe
ro pro recr borh us a nd rhe enviro nment, and new techno logy, TSNR 01, T SNH 48 hose, TSNG 02 gauge, and a TSNN
rhings have changed. U lrrasonic wash srario ns are rop of rhe 0 1 need le. If you plan o n servicing KTM products wirh WP
line. They d o an amazing job o n some nasry parrs. T here are Suspension, a TSNC 02 charging roo l will save you hundreds
a lso "vaporless" parrs washers rhar clean rhemselves wirh a over rhe OEM rool.

110
Nitrogen needle: Designed for gas-charged shocks with se~-sealing-type
rubber valves.

A reservoir cap removal tool screws onto the Schrader valve to facilitate removal of
the bladder cap.

A shock clip tool removes shock retaining clips.

A WP n~rogen charging tool clamps onto the reservoir of all WP shocks with
a reservoir.

-I
0

Ocher shock-servicing muses are a reservoir cap puller

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such as rhe TSCT 01. T his rool wi ll pull our rhe reservoir z
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cap wirhou r damaging rhe un ir or abusing you r fingers. m
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Shock sea l head circlip removal frusrrar ion can be avoided c:
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wi rh a TSCP 0 I clip cool. Insra lling sea l heads can be a s:
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headache as rhey wanr ro cock sideways-the TSSS series z
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TSPS-series needle pin rool is needed ro exrracr a nd Series Seal head selling tool: allows easy removal and installation of most shock z
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brands of shoc ks have a dusr cap rhar is rhreaded- Cl)
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remove rhe cap wirhour damaging it. Ohlins shocks a nd Don'r forger to record all you r setti ngs. Provide a copy m
forks will require my riad special cools char va ry wirh rhe of rhese setrings co your cuscomer while saving o ne for you r
ap plication. Oh lins cools are ava ilab le through select records co refer co later as needed.
O hli ns distrib urors. If you are going co be testing on a regular basis, you may
Afrer you have com pleted your suspensio n work, it will wish co consider investing in the ShockClock. It will provide
be necessary co dial in rhe preload, ser rhe sag, and adjusr you wi th d ata, details, and informatio n rhar even rhe besr resr
the clickers. A Race Tech Sag Masrer TSSM 0 I will make rider cannot convey, in addition co quanrifying or disputing
sho re work of sag setting and the TSPA 0 I Shock Preload rhe rider's feedback. It is o ne of the mosr efficient, affo rdable
Adjusting Tool will aid in reaching preload collars. Fo r data acquisi tio n cools availab le.
adju sti ng clickers buried underneath handlebars, rhe TFCA This overview will get you started by providing rhe
01 is inva luab le. essentials needed. T he re are many more cools you may need

111
 o r want to own as rime goes on based o n your business as
wel l as the types of jobs you encounter. You ca n never have
too many tools, o nly too few! Build your toolbox as your
budget, work, and needs dictate. Take care o f your too ls by
keeping them o rganized, clean, away from hammers as much
as possible, and especia lly away from friends who want ro
borrow and nor return them .
See rhe co m plete listing of suspension tools at
racerec h.com and refer back to this chapter as you go th rough
rhe service d epartment section o f rhe boo k. T he beginning o f
each process includes a list of the tools need ed ro complete Sag Master: Used to measure static "race" sag. Sag is read directly-no
each job. more subtracting!

T Series Shock metering needle pin spanners can be used to remove the
compression needle from the shock body on KTM WP PDS shocks.

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helps them dig in so that they don't pop out during use. the shop.

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A shock preload adjusting tool can be used aggressively on preload adjusting collars without damaging them.

112
Chapter 8
Suspension Service
Department
TOOLS, TIME, AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS
Suspensio n ser vice jo bs vary in th eir degree of difficulty
as we ll as t heir too l a nd skill requ irements . Sp ecia l too ls
will be needed often , so you w ill wa nt to b e p re p ared
ah ead o f time-this wi ll ensure yo u don't have to stop
in t he middle of yo ur work to fi nd these item s. Always
h ave access to a quality service m anua l for procedu res,
wear specificatio n s, torqu e values, and details specific to
the m od el you are wo r king o n. This sectio n is designed
to be a genera l guide fo r each major type of suspension
system u sed on today's (a n d yesterday's) m oto rcycles,
but it ca nn o t cover t he nuances of each specific fo r k and
shock ever made .
T he photos included with each h ow-to project will help
you to be p repared and know in general what to expect as
you begin th e service/installation job. Time and difficu lty
will vary based upon rhe mod el of m otorcycle combined w ith
your personal mechanical apti tude- the ratings provided are
intended only as a guideline. Remember chat quality coo ls
make a significant difference, so d o n't skimp, as it cou ld
cost you in the lo ng run. Special tool requirements are to be
expected, so p lan ahead. If you are going to be removing and
replacing suspension componen ts fro m the bike, make sure
you have the appropriate stands to support the bike while
you work.
You will also need expendables such as spray chemicals
and proper waste oil storage and d isposal capab ili ty. Always
wear safety glasses and have a first aid kit readily availab le. Be
mindful of the environment w hile you are working.
Skill Levels (indicated by number of wrenches)
• # 1 Basic: Minimal special skills or cools required. A
service m anual fo r the bike, this book, and product
installation instructions will be needed , combined with
basic mechanical skills and background.
• # 2 Intermediate: So me special skills and cools wi ll be
requi red. A service manual fo r the bike, this book, and
p roduct installation instructions will be needed. You
w ill also need to be comfortable working w ith new or
unfamiliar procedures withou t intimidation. Assistance
may be requ ired on your first attempt.
• #3 Advanced: Specia l skills, procedures, and cools will be
required. Training and/or assistance from an experienced
individual is recommended on at least rhe fi rst attempt.
There is greater po tential for personal injury, so use
caution wh en working.
Time Commitments
• A Level: Minimal time required: 2 to 3 hours with
experience, 3 co 6 ho urs first attempt.
• B Level: Moderate ri me requ ired: 4 to 5 hours with
experience, 5 to 8 ho urs firs t attempt.
• C Level: Major rime required : 5 ro 6 ho urs with
experience, 6 to 9 ho urs first attempt.
Tools
Basic hand cools; digital calipers , tape m easure , 8- l 9 mm
co mbination wrenches, 6- I 4mm !I.I'' drive sockers/raccher,
I 0- 19 mm Ya" drive sockers/raccher, 22/24/27 mm Yi" d rive
sockets/ ratch et, 4- I Omm Allen sockets, long 6/8/!0 mm
AJlen sockets, 17I 19122124 co mbina tion Allen socket, small/
medium/large straight sloe screwdrivers, #2/3 Phillips-head
screwdrivers, pliers, snap ring pliers, side cutters, fi le, hammer,
punch, impact wrench , tubing cutter
Special Tools
See Tools Section ofeach project introduction for details.
Equipment
Bike stand s/jacks, etc . (see tools section for details)
Expendables
Spray solvent (brake/contact cleaner, etc) , spray o il (WD-40,
Bel Ray 6- 1, o r similar), grease, suspensio n o ils in assorted
viscosities, ch read locker (high stren gth Loctite), spray polish,
sho p towels, sandpaper assortm ent (280-400 gr it), place g lass,
sho p roll (500 grit), steel wool, Scotchbrite pad s, waste oi l/
chemical storage.
113
 PROJECT 1
Damping Rod Forks

0 Skill Level: ' fj Tools: Basic Tools, Fork Seal Driver (TFSD series),
Oil Level Setting Tool (TFOL 02), Damping
Rod Holder Tool (OEM), Bike Stand/Jack
, " t~ Time: A
···-~

D am ping rod fo rks are used o n lace model as well as vintage screec and d irt bikes. This is the simplest fo rk design, requiring
a m inimum of special tools and skills. Da mper rod fork s a re conve ntional sryle (shiny cube on top), are easy to work o n,
and can be improved dramatically with Gold Valve Camidge Emulators. Generally the biggest challenge with th is sryle of fork
can be re moving the botto m bole-an impact wrench is a m use. So me models will require snap ring pliers co remove the seal
retaining circlip, and vintage models may require so me d amping rod machining when Emu lators are installed.
Service Tip: If the bottom bolt spins around but won't come out, try puffing the chrome tube out hard while running the impact
wrench. Yo u can also try putting the fork main spring back in and pushing against the chrome tube, otherwise y ou will have to obtain
a damping rod holding tool or make one yourself.

Disassembly

Clamp the fork tube in a vise with soft jaws specifically designed to hold fork tubes. Loosen the cap with a socket and ratchet, making sure to press down during the last few
threads to prevent stripping or uncontrolled release. Note: some models like Honda Gls have extreme amounts of preload, which can be dangerous released without control.

114
If the foril cap is stuck, ~ is often helpful to shock the
thread. Hammer on the foril cap with a properly sized
socket lo help break the thread loose. If you use this
method, be aware you can damage both the socket as
well as marring the cap. Make certain you are wearing
safely glasses before considering this option. In many
cases you can put a few sheets of paper or a rag between
the socket and the cap to protect ~. Note: the socket
doesn't have to fit the hex.

To measure the amount of preload on damping rod forils,

rest the foril cap on the end of the spacer or spring and
measure from the lop of the foril tube lo the sealing
lip (the surface that would contact the foril tube when
lightened) on the cap. This is a direct measurement of
preload unless the thread on the cap is hilling the thread
on the foril lube.

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Remove the parts from the foril lube. In this case we c:

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remove a washer, spacer, another washer, and the m
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115
 Remove the seal dip with a dip tool or small screwdriver.

Loosen the compression bolt with an impact driver while

pulling on the upper Jori< leg to keep it from spinning. Hii
continues to spin, you can reinstall the Jori< spring, spacer,
and cap, then compress the fork. tt it still continues to spin,
you may have to make a holding tool for the damping rod.

~
zw Hthe compression bolt is stuck, hammer on the
:ii: compression bolt with a property sized socket to help
~

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w
break the thread loose. Again, ij you do this be aware
you can damage both the socket and the bolt. Wear
c
w safety glasses.
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116
Remove the compression bolt.

Pour out the fluid and dispose of ~ properly.

en
Slide hammer out the fork seals and bushings by c:
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vigorously extending the fork tube. Make sure the fork m
slider is firmly clamped in the vise. Make sure it is
z
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clamped on a strong area of the leg. i5
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117
 Remove the damping rod and top-out spring by inverting
the fork tube.

Remove the bottom-out cone from the slider. It is located

on the damping rod, so it may be in the bottom of the
fork tube.

~
zw Remove the outer bushing and seals from the tube.
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118
Remove the inner bushing from the fork tube by spreading
the bushing with your thumbnails. It may be easier to
spread the bushing with a thin-blade screwdriver, but be
careful not to damage it.

Inspect the Teflon bushing surfaces for embedded

material and wear as well as possible damage done
during disassembly. ~the bushings have worn-out
Teflon, check the lower fork leg for dents as these are
the main cause of this kind of wear. ~ there are dents,
the lubes may be able to be repaired by a competent
professional. otherwise the fork slider will need to be
replaced. If there is embedded material, find the source
before continuing. Inset: Here is an example of a new
bushing next to an extremely worn-out bushing.

(I)

Inspect the fork tubes for pits. Minor pits can be polished c:
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out with 500-grit sandpaper. Major dings require m
z
tube replacement. (I)

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119
 Hyou are installing Race Tech Gold Valve Cartridge
Emulators, drill out the damping rod compression holes as
described in your specific instruction sheet. Notice drilled
damping rod next to the stock one on the right. Be sure lo
chamfer and deburr the holes.

Reassembly
Install a new inner bushing.

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120
Install the bottoming cone onto the damper rod.

Install the inner fork tube into the outer fork tube.

en
Tighten the damping rod bold to the manufacturer's specs.
~the damping rod spins, install the spring and cap and
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compress the spring. ~this doesn't work, you might have
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to use or even make a damping rod holding tool. i5
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121
 Install the outer bushing and seal washer with a
seal driver.

Grease the seal. Normally we recommend seal

replacement whenever the forb are serviced.

1-
zw Slide the seal on the fork tube using a comer of a heavy
:Ii: gauge plastic bag (see inset) to protect the seal from
I-

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being damaged by the end of the fork tube. Pull the bag
taught to ease installation.
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122
Install the seal into the slider with a seal driver.

Install the dust seal with the seal driver. On some models,
the retaining clip goes on before the dust seal.

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123
 Drop in the Gold Valve Cartridge Emulator. Notice different
types of Emulators on the left that cover a wide range
of fork types and diameters. Check to make sure the
Emulator is seated property and in the proper direction.
Many of the Emulator adapters for vintage models have a
piston ring built into them to dramatically improve sealing
and performance.

Drop in the spring, washer, spacer, and washer. Set the

cap on the washer.

~
zw Check the preload by measuring the distance from the lop
:ii: of the fork tube to the sealing lip on the cap. The sealing
~

~
w
lip is the portion of the cap that will contact the lop of
the tube when the cap is lightened. In this example we
c
w measure 38mm of preload w~h the existing spacer length.
u For this particular bike and rider we need 1Omm, so we
>
a: will shorten the existing spacer 28mm.
w
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124
Cut the spacer to provide the correct preload. Make sure
the spacer is cut squarely and deburred. tt an Emulator
is installed, this will procedure will compensate for its
height Inset: Re-measure the preload lo check your work

Remove the spring and spacers. Pour in the fluid.

(/)

Bleed the fork by stroking the tube. Make sure there is an

c:
(/)

excess amount of fluid in the fork.

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125
 Adjust the lube extension on the oil sucker tool lo equal
the dimension of the target oil level.

Hyou are using an Emulator, install it before selling

the oil level. Collapse the tori< all the way and suck out
the excess oil.

~
zw Install the tori< cap and use a torque wrench to tighten it
:Ii: to manufacturer's specs.
~

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c
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126
 PROJECT 2
Standard Cartridge Forks
with Gold Valve Installation

0 ~ Tools: Basic Tools, Fork Cap Socket (TFCW Series),

Skill Level: ' '
t.J Fork Spring Compressor (TFSC Series)
for street bikes, Cartridge Holding Tool
Time: B
(TFCH Series), Fork Seal Bag (TFSB), Shaft
Holding Tools if Revalving (TFSH Series),
Fork Seal Driver (TFSD Series), Cartridge
Bleed Tools (TFBT Series), Oil Level Setting
Tool (TFOL 02), Bike Stand/Jack

S tandard cartridge fo rks are fo und o n most lace model sporcb ikes, some cruisers and tou rers, m ini MX bikes, and posc-
vin cage MX bikes from the lace 1980s co lace 1990s. T h ese can be conventional or inverted (shiny cube o n bottom).
T his sophisticated for k design requi res some special cools co work o n. Care m ust be taken during service co avoid damage to
expensive internal components and co ensure proper operation when com pleted. Mose sporcbikes have substantial installed
spring preload, so be careful of sharp spring spacers under pressure so chat you do not inj ure your hands or fi ngers! Use a fork
spring compressor on chose models for ease and safery.
Service Tip: Inverted-style forks require that the seals cross over sharp edges at the bushing grooves on the fork tube, which can easily
rttin a new seal. Use a heavy gauge ( 4mm) plastic bag over the sharp edges or a thin piece ofplastic wrapped inside the seals as you slide
them over the groove. And always grease the seal lips.'

Disassembly
Back off the rebound adjuster with a screwdriver.

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127
 Hammer on the fork cap with a property sized socket to
help break the threads loose. This is not required but is
quite effective for stubborn fork caps.

Remove the cap. On right-side-up forks keep significant

downward force to control the cap in case it has an
external top-out spring with lots of preload. Big touring
and sport touring bikes typically have this issue. (Be sure
to whistle while you work.)

~
zw Clamp the fork spring compressor in a vise. Mount the
::ii: fork in the fork spring compressor. Screw the thumb
~

~
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screw into the holes in the spacer.

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128
Compress the fork spring by tightening the compressor.
Stop tightening when the tool hns the top of the
tube or earlier ~you have dearance or you will start
destroying things.

Insert the holding tool. You may have to pull up on the cap
to get the tool in.

(I)

Break the jam nut loose while holding the in place wnh a c:
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second wrench. m
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129
 Remove the forl< cap.

Thread on the bleeding tool, pull up, and remove the clip.

~
zw Release the preload.
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130
Remove the forl< spring compressor.

Remove the bleeding tool, washer, spring spacer, and

forl< spring.

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Dump out the old oil. c:
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131
 Remove the cartridge Allen bolt while pulling on
the cartridge. Inset: Hholding the cartridge by hand
doesn't work, use the Race Tech Cartridge Holding Tool.

Remove the cartridge.

1-
zw Remove the upper tori< leg. The model shown has
~ two outer bushings and slides off easily. Most models
I-
CC
(particularly before 2003) have an inner bushing on the
~
w inner fork tube and must be "slide-hammered" off. If the
c
w outer fork tube does not slide off easily, remove the dust
u seal and clip then slide-hammer it apart. There are some
>
cc models that are notorious for coming apart wijh difficulty.
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It is often helpful to heat the seal/bushing area wijh a heat
z
0 gun before slide-hammering it apart.
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(/)

132
Inspect the inner lube for ptts or imperfections.

Remove the dust seal on the upper fork leg wtth a

wood chisel.

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Remove the seal dip. c
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133
 On this style of fork with two outer bushings, the seal
remains in the outer tube and must be pried out. Remove
the seal and washer by prying it out with a wide tool
to spread out the load. Be very careful not to damage
the fork tube. You may need to pad the edge with a
folded-up rag.

Remove the rebound adjusting rod from the cartridge.

1-
zw Clamp the cartridge assembly in the shaft holding tool and
~ unscrew the compression base valve. Some models are
I-
CC
held in with a clip. In this case push the base valve in far
~
w enough to expose the clip and remove it with a clip tool.
0
w Then remove the compression assembly.
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134
tt the compression valve is stuck, heal the end of the
cartridge al the compression valve w~h the propane torch
or gently shock the threads w~h a hammer by lapping on
the outside of cartridge at threads. tt you lap on the thread
be sure to hold the cartridge lube flat on the anvil surface
of the vise. H~ the hammer squarely so as not to dent the
tube. Only h~ the cartridge tube on the very end where
the thread is.

Clamp the compression base valve in a vise w~ soft

jaws. On models that have the end of the valving shaft
peened, file the end of the compression shaft down lo the
surface of the nut.

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Remove the compression nul c
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135
 Remove the compression valving stack from the holder
using a welding rod or a heavy wire. Notice this •special
tool" has a hook so that the valving stack is captive
for deaning.

Clean the valving stack with contact deaner.

.....
z
w Clean the center of the valving bolt with compressed air to
:Ii:
..... remove filings and other debris.

~
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136
Clean out any debris in the stacking and on the shaft.

Chamfer/deburr the end of the cartridge bolt shaft slightly.

en
Finish both piston faces by sanding on 600-grit sandpaper
over a plate glass base for a smooth and flat surface.
,,c:enm
Caution: sometimes the valving pistons are not intended
z
en
to be flat all the way across. Refer to the valving section 0
z
for preloaded piston types. On this type, do not surface the en
m
preloaded side of the piston. ::ll
<
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137
 Hyou are installing a Gold Valve, follow the instructions
with the kit. Install the new valving stack and use Loctite
on the piston assembly nut (inset). Make sure the check
valve is free before tightening the nul

Check for compression check-plate freedom!

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w Torque the compression valving stack.
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fw
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138
Heal the seal head to aid disassembly ff needed.

Or with a hammer, tap the seal head threads lo help jar

them loose. Sometimes the thread is "staked", in other
words there are punch marks in the threaded area to
insure they don't come apart. Hthis is the case, drill out
the punch marks but only to the depth of the outer lube.
Do not drill all the way through the seal head.

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To access the rebound valving on models with peened-on c:
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bottom-out pistons, remove the cartridge seal head. To m
support the cartridge so that it won't crush in the shaft
z
en
holding tool, temporarily reinstall the compression base i5
z
valve in the cartridge. Clamp the cartridge tube at the en
m
compression valve assembly in the shaft holding tool. Next, :J:J
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using the cartridge holding tool, unscrew the cartridge seal c=;
m
head assembly. Hi is stuck, use heat or tap the thread. c
m
Note: Many models do not have a peened-on bottom-out
piston. On this type you can simply slide out the damping
rod assembly without having to remove the seal head.
=:~
3:
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139
 File the peening on the rebound valve.

Remove the rebound nut.

140
 Surface the base plate to make sure ~·s flat. Again, use
sandpaper on a plate glass surface. Use 280-320-grit for
this steel base plate.

Surface the rebound piston next.

1-
zw
Reassembly
~ Follow the instructions for the Rebound Gold Valve if you
l-
a: are installing one. Install the rebound assembly.
~
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142
 Make sure the thread is clean and Loctite the rebound
cartridge seal head.

Insert the rod into the cartridge.

Tighten the seal head.

144
Use a small drop of Loctne on the thread (if n is the
threaded type). Install the compression base valve
assembly into the cartridge.

Tighlen the compression valve assembly.

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Temporarily install the preload spacer and fork cap. c:

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Back out the preload adjuster all the way and measure m
relaxed set length. Refer lo the spring preload section in
z
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Chapter 2- Springs i5
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145
 Measure the free length of the spring. Calculate the
relaxed preload by subtracting the relaxed set length from
the free length of the spring.

Optionally on this model you can line up one end of the

spring with the spring seat and measure the relaxed
spring preload directly as shown. Cul the preload spacer
to set the proper preload. See setting preload section in
the Springs Chapter.

.....
z
w Grease the fork seal.
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.....
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146
Install the wiper and seal onto the lube. Use a 4mil thick
plastic bag on the end of the tube to protect the seal. On
models with an inner forll bushing groove pull the bag taut
to aid in protection.

Install the seal washer and ciip.

(/)

Slide the outer tube over the inner tube.

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147
 Install the seal by driving it with a seal driver.

Install the seal clip and then seat the seal clip with
a screwdriver.

~
zw Install the wiper with the seal driver.
:Ii:
~

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148
 Torque the compression bolt to manufacturer's specs.
Hthe cartridge spins, use a TFCH-Series cartridge
holding tool (inset).

Add the proper suspension fluid.

Tip: You can prime and speed up bleeding the cartridge by

putting your hand over the top of the tube at full extension,
then compressing the fork. The pressure will force oil
into the cartridge. Then stroke the damping rod until the
cartridge is bled.

There are two types of forks: those with and without

a bleed hole in the inner tube. This hole equalizes the
oil level in the area between the inner and outer tube.
Forks without this hole must be extended all the way to
evacuate this area before setting the oil level. It's good to
notice which type you have before assembly.

150
Drop in the rebound adjusting rod. Collapse the outer fork
tube. Set the oil level by sucking out extra oil wtth the
TFOL oil level tool.

Collapse the outer fork tube. Set the oil level by sucking
out extra oil wtth the TFOL oil level tool.

(/)

Add the spring, spacer, and spacer washer. Screw the

proper TFBT bleeding tool onto the damping rod thread.
,,c:m
(/)

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151
 Clamp the tori< spring compressor in a vise. Put the
fork assembly into tt. Gently tighten the thumb screw
into the hole in the spacer. Compress the spring with
the compressor enough to allow inserting the cup tool.
Note: You may have to pull up slightly on the damping
rod to get the cup in. Do not use an impact on the spring
compressor and be sure to stop tightening when it is
fully compressed.

Set the adjuster screw. There are three types. The first two
are the most common on street bikes. On these two types
the cap must be screwed on the proper amount. One style
has an adjuster screw that will stop as tt is screwed in and
the other will keep going and eventually fall out- along
with the tiny detent ball and spring. Identify which type
you have-first unscrew the adjuster all the way. ~ you
screw tt in more than seven turns (28 clicks) and tt hasn't
stopped you probably have the kind that comes apart. If
this is the case, stop, back out the screw all the way, and
screw tt in four turns (20 clicks). On the type that stops,
screw tt in until it stops and back ~ out 2 clicks. Most dirt
bikes (and a few street bikes) are the third type. This type
is made so all you need to do is back out the rebound
adjuster all the way and screw the cap on until it stops.

!z
w Use Loctite on the damping rod thread.
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152
Screw down the cap on the damping rod until ~ is just
snug. On the first two types, the rebound needle is now
touching the seat. Tighten the jam nut up against the cap
w~ your fingers. Hold the cap so that ~ doesn't tum.
Now back out the adjuster screw 'h tum so that ~ is no
longer seated.

Tighten the jam nut to manufacturer's specs.

(/)

Tighten the fork cap. The torque on the cap is usually

very low (around 10 lbs-ft. or 14 Nm). Consutt
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z
manufacturer's specs. (/)

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153
Precisely align the sticker.

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Make another goofy pose when someone has a camera. (Notice the form though.)

155
 PROJECT 3
Twin-Chamber Forks
~ Tools: Basic Tools, Fork Cap Wrench (TFCW)
0 Skill Level: ' ' ' W Twin Champer Tool (TFCT Series), Damper
Rod Holder (TFHP), Fork Seal Bag (TFSB),
Time: C Shaft Holding Tools if Re-valving (TFSH
Series), Fork Seal Driver (TFSD Series),
Graduated Cylinder (TFGC), Nitrogen Station
for Bladder Forks (see tools section),
Bike Stand/Jack

T win-chamber forks are used o n late model MX bikes. No t always an inverted d esign , these fo rks may also have nitrogen
bladders instead o f pressure springs. T hey req uire some special too ls and p rocedures. G reat care must be taken on some
mo dels because o f the sharp ed ges and thread s at the base o f the damping rod cha t can damage car trid ge seals, resulting in lost
d amping.
Service Tip: Wh en replacing only the fork seals (no re-valving), the inn er chamber d oes not need to be disturbed or drained. Jfyou
do so, check far a foll cartridge with the cartridge out ofth e fork, push the damping rod in, and watch to see that it re-extends folly on
its own. Also make sure that no fluid leaks out around the shaft seal. Be mindfu l ofbushing grooves when installing fork seals.

Disassembly
Loosen the compression valve assembly with a fork cap
wrench. It is located on the inside of the outer hex. It may
require a special wrench or socket.

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156
Loosen the tori< cap w~h the tori< cap wrench but do not
remove ~ completely.

Pour out the oil and dispose of properly.

(/)

Loosen the damping rod bolt at the bottom of the fork.

When damping on the for1<. bottom. select the strongest
,,c:m
(/)

location. Never damp on brake arms or smaller tabs.

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(/)

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157
 Compress the outer tube and insert a holding clip tool
on the damping rod. Our new clips are made of special
plastic, so there is no chance of marring the damping rod.

Loosen the jam nut.

.....
z
w Remove the damping rod bolt. Tip: On Showas with a
:Ii: D-shaped rebound adjuster rod, hold the rebound adjuster
.....
~
w
in a fixed position with a screwdriver while you unscrew
the boll. This will keep the aluminum D-shaped rod from
c
w rounding out if the adjusting screw is corroded and light.
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158
This is a close-up of 0-shaped rod.

Remove the 0-shaped rebound adjuster rod.

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Compress the fork and remove the dip tool. c:

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159
 Remove the cartridge.

Inspect the cartridge for damage such as dents, wear, etc.

!z
w Check for evidence of good seals. Compress the cartridge
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.....
a:;
all the way, and it should return to the fully extended
position by itself. If it doesn't, the internal oil level may be
fw low, possibly caused by leaking shaft or reservoir seals. If
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w it is a 05 YZ, it will not return all the way as the pressure
u spring is too short from the factory. Also it may not extend
>
a:; all the way if there is only slightly too much friction.
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160
 Slide hammer the fork seal and bushings out forcefully.

Tip: heal the seaVbushing area if the tubes don't come

apart easily. On certain models, most notably KYB 46mm
upside-down forl<s this is a good idea before slide
hammering is done.

1-
zw Some forks may suffer damage to the Teflon bushings
~ during disassembly (as shown). This is common on 46mm
I-
CC
KYBs. It's good to have extra bushings on hand.
~
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162
Another way to remove the seal wnh a minimal chance of
damage to the bushings is to completely fill the fork wnh
used "work" oil, invert n, remove the wiper and dip, and
put n into a hydraulic press to force the seal out.

Remove the inner fork bushing by opening up the bushing

using your fingernails inserted into the gap. ~ the bushing
is too stiff, use a screwdriver.

en
Remove the bushings and the seal washer. c:
en
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163
 Hyou're not replacing seals (though it's always
recommended), use boxing tape to cover the sharp edge
of the bushing groove during removal.

Inspect the bushings for damage, including worn-down

Teflon or embedded material.

!z
w Inspect the tori< tube for pits, dings, and straightness.
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near-sighted person.
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164
Inspect the condition of the hard anodizing, looking for
wear inside the outer fork lube with an inspection mirror
and flashlight.

Gently hold the cartridge assembly in a vise and unscrew

the compression assembly.

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Compress the damping rod lo lilt the c:
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compression assembly. m
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165
 Remove the compression assembly.

Empty the oil from the cartridge.

1-
z File the peening from the lop of the compression shaft
"'
~
I- down lo the nut surface ff there is any.
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0

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166
Remove the compression valving nut.

Remove the compression valving assembly. It is helpful

to use a welding rod bent into a special tool or a
small screwdriver.

(/)

Chamfer the end of the compression valving shaft w~h a c:

(/)
-0
fine, flat file. m
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167
 r; .. . Blow out the center of the shaft wnh compressed air to

~
1
remove filings.
~· t

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F1 . ~

J\ F -'
--
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t'
. ,
J

J ,,,._,,
Hyou are replacing the pressure spring or reservoir
piston seal, you must disassemble the reservoir. While
maintaining pressure on the spring and reservoir piston,
clamp the shaft holding tool on the shaft. Remove the
compression valving holder by unscrewing n.

1-
zw Disassemble the reservoir and pressure spring shaft.
:Ii:
..... Inspect them for wear. Some models wnh aluminum

~
w
shafts have severe wear problems. Inspect the seals and
remove the clip. Note: The necked-down area bleeds the
c
w cartridge during assembly.
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168
Add a small drop of red Loctrte to the compression valving
holder thread.

Install the pressure spring, reservoir piston, and

compression valving holder. Tighten the compression
valving holder wrth a shaft holding tool. Use an adjustable
wrench to apply addrtional leverage.

(I)

Wash the compression valving stack in contact cleaner. c:

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m
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169
 Surface the piston on 320-grit or finer sandpaper on a piece of plate glass. Before

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Halfway through, showing uneven surface. Complete

170
 COMPRESSION PISTON ASSEMBLY

Stock compression stack components laid out in order.

G2-R compression Gold Valve with restrictor valving stack. G2-R piston showing refill ports on the side and the recess on the
compression face for creating preload and restriction.

Race Tech G2-R Gold Valve compared to

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the stock piston. c:
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~

171
 Surface the base plate.

Install the stock compression stack or the Race Tech

G2-R stack.

~
zw Apply a small drop of Loct~e to the compression valving
:Ii: shaft nul
~

~
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c
w
u
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a:
w
(/)

z
0
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Cl..
(/)
::::>
(/)

172
 SETTING PROPER STACK HEIGHT
Set the proper total stack height so that the nut gets full engagement and doesn't run out of thread.

Incorrect stack height on a G2-R Correct stack height

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m
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m
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Stock piston incorrect Stock piston correct

173
 Check to make sure the check valve is free.

Torque the compression valving shaft nut. (stock/G2-R)

1-
zw Continue disassembling the cartridge. Remove the
~ damping rod jam nut.
l-
a:
~
w
0
w
u
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a:
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(/)

z
0
<n
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Cl..
(/)
:I
(/)

174
On Showas with 12mm shafts, the trailing edge of the
last thread on the damping rod is razor sharp. This edge
can easily tear the shaft seal. Carefully dress ii up with a
fine file.

Pack the thread with grease lo help them gel through the
seal during removal from the cartridge.

en
Push the damping rod out through the seal. c:
en
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m
z
en
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z
en
m
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c=;
m
c
m

=:~
3:
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~

175
 Put the rebound rod in the shaft holding tool and remove
the peening by filing ~ down to the nut face.

Remove the rebound valving nut.

!z
w Remove the rebound valving assembly.
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.....
a:;
fw
Cl
w
u
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w
en
z
0
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;:)
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176
Chamfer the rebound valving shaft lightly. Use a wire
wheel on the shaft end to smooth n.

Blow out the center of the shaft wijh compressed air.

(/)

Inspect the rebound rod for pns, excessive wear, bends,

c:
(/)

worn-through anodizing, and so on.

-a
m
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(/)

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(/)
m
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c=;
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=:~
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177
 REBOUND VALVING STACK

Rebound stack exploded view.

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0

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Every valve has two distinct sides. The piston on the left is showing the recessed side. This is the mid-valve/check valve side. The piston on the right is showing
the flat side, which is the rebound valving side.

178
----~-~--.., Surface the rebound piston on 320-grit sandpaper on a
piece of plate glass.

Use a fingernail to remove any embedded material.

en
Clean the rebound valving stack. c
en
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m
z
en
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z
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m
~
c=;
m
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179
 Inspect each shim for deformation.

Assembly
Install the mid-valve or check valve on the valving holder.
The mid-valve consists of a cupped washer, sleeve, check
spring, and mid-valve stack. A check valve consists of a
cupped washer, sleeve, check spring, and check plate.

~
zw
:Ii: Install the rebound piston with the recessed side down.
~

~
w
c
w
u
>
a:
w
(/)

z
0
c;;
zw
Cl..
(/)
::::>
(/)

180
Install the rebound valving.

Make sure the valving stack height is correct. This means

the nut has full engagement but doesn't run out of thread
onto straight shaft. Refer to picture on page 173.

(/)

Apply a small drop of Loct~e to the rebound valving nut.

,,c:m
(/)

z
(/)

0
z
(/)
m
:a
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m
c
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::
=:
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m
~

181
 Make sure the mid-valve/check valve is free lo move up
and down.

Torque the rebound valving nut

z~
w Fully pack the rebound rod thread with grease. Remove
:Ii: excess grease.
~

~
w
c
w
u
>
a:
w
(/)

z
0
<n
z
w
Cl..
(/)
::::>
(/)

182
Insert the rebound rod into the cartridge.

Quickly push the end of the damping rod through the seal
using a T-handle.

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c:
Fill with fluid about 1OOmm (4j from the top. Cl)
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m
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c=;
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183
 Bleed the cartridge by pumping the rod in and out of the
cartridge. Make sure you stroke it slowly on compression
to avoid causing cavitation.

Replace the damping rod jam nut (see page 174) and set
the oil level with a fork oil level tool.

~
zw This amount of oil is actually too much oil. The excess will
:Ii: be removed further in the procedure.
~

~
w
c
w
u
>
a:
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(/)

z
0
<n
z
w
Cl..
(/)
::::>
(/)

184
Insert the compression valve assembly.

Push down on the compression assembly and tighten. This

will take a b~ of force because there is excess oil and you
are compressing the pressure spring. Install the jam nut
on the rebound rod.

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Set oil volume by compressing the cartridge all the way. c:

Cl)
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The reservoir piston will move up until the piston no longer m
seals on the shaft where the "necked-down" portion of
z
Cl)

the shaft is. This is called the "assembly groove" on figure i5

z
3.32. Extra oil will go past the reservoir piston. Cl)
m
~
c=;
m
c
m

=:~
3:
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~

185
 Note: Some of the excess oil may drip out of the vent
holes as the damping rod is compressed and excess oil is
forr;ed out through the assembly groove.

Release pressure-make sure the rod extends completely.

!z
w Pour out excess oil.
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.....
a:;
fw
Cl
w
u
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a:;
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en
z
0
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c:\.
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;:)
en

186
Grease the fork seal and wiper.

Use the comer of a heavy gauge plastic bag and place n

on the end of the fork tube. This will protect the seal from
the sharp edges of the inner bushing groove.

(/)

Slide on seal and wiper over plastic bag. Pulling the bag
taut will further smooth the sharp edges, preventing
.,,mc:
(/)

damage. The seal and wiper are directional, so make sure

z
(/)

they are on the right way wnh the dual-lipped part of the i5
z
seal facing away from the fork bottom and toward the (/)
m
outer fork tube. ::J:I
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c=;
m
c
m

=:~
:!:
m
~

187
 Install the seal washer and outer bushing. There is usually
a sharp and a rounded edge on the washer. I like to put
the sharp edge toward the bushing. Sometimes the seal
washer is more elaborate than a plain washer. If it is a
machined part, make sure it goes on in the right direction.

Install the inner bushing into its groove.

!z
w Install the outer bushing with the seal driver. You will be
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.....
a:;
hitting on the seal washer, and it will drive in the bushing.

fw
Cl
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u
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a:;
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z
0
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;:)
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188
Install the oil seal with the seal driver.

Install the clip.

(I)
c:
Seat the clip in the groove with the clip tool or a (I)
-0
small screwdriver. m
z
(I)

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(I)
m
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189
Slide the spring onto the cartridge and insert it into the
fork tube.

The next step in measuring the preload is to gently

rest the cartridge on the spring. Make a reference
measurement between the end of the bottomed-<iut fork
tube and any easily identified edge on the cartridge.
(Ex: 105mm) This measurement will be drawn in when the
bottom bolt is installed by the amount of the preload.

en
Compress the spring and insert the clip tool. c:
en
-0
m
z
en
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m
:J:J
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c=;
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c
m

=:~
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191
 Put a drop of Loctite on the damping rod thread.

Screw on the rebound adjuster bolt. Use a screwdriver

to hold the adjuster screw in position while turning the
adjuster boll This protects the 0-shape rod as we did
during disassembly.

1-
zw Tighten the jam nut.
:Ii:
I-

~
w
c
w
u
>
a:
w
(/)

z
0
c;;
zw
Cl..
(/)
::::>
(/)

192
Compress the fork and remove the clip tool.

Put a drop of Locttte on the adjuster bolt.

(/)

Tighten the rebound adjuster bolt wtth a torque wrench to

manufacturer's spec.
,,c:m
(/)

z
(/)

0
z
(/)
m
:a
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c
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::
=:
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193
 The last step in measuring preload. Now that we have
tightened the cartridge, the spring is compressed to
the set length. Re-measure the reference distance
(ex: 99mm). Kwe subtract this from the first
reference measurement, this gives us the preload
(ex: 105mm - 99mm = Smm of preload. We can also
calculate the set length as ij is the free length minus the
=
preload (493mm - Smm 487mm set length).

Continuing the assembly, measure oil volume wijh a

graduated cylinder. For these for1<s we cannot measure
the oil height, so volume is the only option. Do not use a
large-diameter measuring device or one that is tapered as
they are not as accurate as needed.

~
zw Pour oil into the open tori< tube. Let the graduated cylinder
:Ii: drain completely.
~

~
w
c
w
u
>
a:
w
(/)

z
0
<n
z
w
Cl..
(/)
::::>
(/)

194
Tighten the for1< cap. Set the compression adjuster by counting clicks or turns outward (counterclockwise)
from all the way in. Be careful to just gently bottom the needle in its seat as ~ is
easy to damage the tapered needle.

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m
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0
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m
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....
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Set the rebound adjuster located on the bottom of the fork leg. Again zero is fully Let us not forget the essential last step. Install the protective sticker. Be sure orient
clockwise (all the way in.) the sticker as to properly locate the bleed screws on the for1< cap.

195
 PROJECT 4
Emulsion Shocks

0 Skill Level: ' ~ Tools: Basic Tools, Shock Spring Compressor

W (TFSC series), Pin Spanners (TMPS series)
for some models, Shaft Holders (TFSH if
removing shaft from eyelet clevis), Seal
Head Tools (TSSS series), Clip Tool (TSCP),
Seal Head Bullet (TSSB), Nitrogen Station
(see tools section), Bike Stand/Jack

E m ulsion shocks are found o n all rypes of motorcycles and ATVs, dirt a nd srreec. T hey are rypical o n mosc vincage models
as well as many modern bikes. This mosc basic shock design is fa irly scraighcfo rward co work o n, wich no pisco n o r bladder
co separace che o il and ni croge n.
Service Tip: Inspect the bushings at the mounting eyelets carefully. Rubber b11shings degenerate over time, resulting in a loose feel
to the rider. Needle or spherical bearings can do this too. They can also seize up, cattSing binding and resulting in a harsh feel to the
rider. Don't overlook them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _ , . . . . . , . . . . , Remove the spring and depressurize the shock using the

Shock Nitrogen Needle tool. It is also common lo use a
Schrader (lire) valve.

...z
I.LI

...
:ii:

~
I.LI
c
I.LI
~ Unscrew and remove the seal head assembly with a RT
>
a: Pin Spanner. Some models will have a hex instead of
I.LI pin holes. Some models have a pressed on cap and a
en
z seal head held in with a clip as is shown in the reservoir
0
Ci) shock section.
z
I.LI
a..
en
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en

196
Remove the shaft assembly.

Dump out the oil.

en
c:
Clean everything, replace seals if needed, and refill the en
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shock body with oil. m
z
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z
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m
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c=;
m
c
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=:
3:
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197
 Adjust the lube extension on the Race Tech Pro Fork Oil
Level Tool to the required oil level.

Set the oil level. This is critical as there must be more

air space than the volume the shock shaft displaces
(see Figure 3.34).

1-
zw Insert the shaft assembly into the shock body.
:=::
I-

~
w
c
w
u
>
a:
w
(/)

z
0
<n
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w
Cl..
(/)
::::>
(/)

198
Tighten the seal head with Race Tech Pin Spanner.

Pressurize the shock with the nitrogen needle.

(I)

Compress and make sure the shaft extends completely. c:

(I)
"ti
Nole: Make sure emulsion shocks are mounted body up. m
z
(I)

i5
z
(I)
m
~
c=;
m
c
m

=:~
3:
m
~

199
 PROJECT 5
Reservoir Shocks

0 ~ Tools: Basic Tools, Shock Spring Compressor

Skill Level: ' '
W (TSSC series) on most models, Pin Spanners
(TMPS series) for some models, Reservoir
Time: B Cap Puller (TSCT 01 ), Shaft Holders (TFSH)
if removing shaft from eyelet clevis, Seal
Head Tools (TSSS series), Clip Tool (TSCP),
Seal Bullet (TSSB), Nitrogen Station (see
tools section), Bike Stand/Jack

R eservoi r shocks are modern, h igh-performance designs used on all types of motorcycles and ATVs, bo th dirt and street.
These shocks may o r may not have an external reservoir. They may use either a bladder or a floating piston or even a
diaphragm to separate the oil and nitrogen.
Service Tip: Aluminum-bodied shocks can suffer wear to the hard anodizing, resulting in oil contamination and body wear. Some
aluminum body shocks come without any anodizing. Ifthe oil is inky and black, carefully insp ect the anodizing. In many cases they can
be re-hard-anodized. Be sure to check hoses and fittings on remote reservoir models when inspecting for wear and damage.

Disassembly

!z
w
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CC
if
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c
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Cl)
z
0

~
w
~
Cl)
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Cl)

Place the end of the shock body in a vise, using Race Tech Aluminum Vise Jaws, or secure using the shock eyelet without special vise jaws. Be careful not to crush the shock
body. Hint Check clicker positions on dampers and note settings.

200
Remove the spring with a Race Tech Shock Spring
Compressor or remove the spring by unscrewing the
preload collars with an RT Shock Preload Adjusting Tool.
For street bikes and shocks with high spring rates
(1 Okg/mm or more), use TSSC 02 Spring Compressor.

Remove the spring retaining clip with the Race Tech Shock
Clip Pick Tool. There are other styles of retaining clips
as well.

(I)

Remove the spring and collar. c:

(I)
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m
z
(I)

i5
z
(I)
m
~
c=;
m
c
m

=:~
3:
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201
 Compress the shock and make sure it returns completely.
tt not, then there may be a blown shaft seal, a bad bladder,
a low-pressure bladder, or an improperly located piston
(on piston style shocks).

Remove the nitrogen pressure from the reservoir

and remove the valve with a valve core removal tool.
Sometimes a Nitrogen Needle Tool is required instead of
a valve core tool. In this case the Nitrogen Needle Tool is
inserted into the opening to bleed out the pressure.

!z
w Depress the reservoir cap using a socket and a hammer.
::E
.....
a:;
Many VZs can use a TSRC 01 Reservoir Cap Setting Tool
to protect the Schrader Valve. On some models the cap is
fw threaded on instead of being held in with a clip. Unscrew
Cl
w this type.
u
>
a:;
w
en
z
0
~
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Q,.
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;:)
en

202
Remove the reservoir dip with the dip tool.

Remove the reservoir cap with the Race Tech Reservoir

Cap Removal Tool. Make sure the tool is screwed on all
the way. (Alternatively you could use compressed air to
blow the cap off.) For WP shocks with a threaded cap, use
a pin spanner.

Cl)

Remove the shock body cap with a sharp wood chisel. c:

Cl)
"ti
Some models screw on, so don't get too excited with the m
chisel unless you are sure. Note: Most Showa, KYBs, and
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Oh/ins are pressed on. Penske, Works Performance, and i5

z
early Oh/ins are screwed on. Cl)
m
~
c=;
m
c
m

=:~
3:
m
~

203
 Compress the seal head to expose the circlip with the
Race Tech Shock Seal Head Setting Tool. Some early
WPs have a cirdip underneath the seal head as do
some Yamaha shocks. The WPs are easier as the top
piece screws on. The Yamaha has a clip on the top and
sandwiches the seal head assembly between it and the
bottom one.

Remove the seal head circlip with the clip tool. For shocks
with a threaded seal head cap, use a pin spanner.

1-
zw Remove the shaft assembly from the shock body by
:Ii: tapping with a plastic mallet. ~ it is stubborn, you can
I-

~
w
clamp the clevis in the vise and tap downward on
the body.
c
w
u
>
a:
w
(/)

z
0
<n
z
w
Cl..
(/)
::::>
(/)

204
Empty oil from the nitrogen reservoir and the shock body.

Remove peening with a flat bastard file (I just like saying

flat bastard). File the outer diameter of the peened area
down to the root of the thread. On Showas it is critical
not to grind off the top flat as it holds in the rebound
mechanism. Most KYBs can be ground flat.

en
Remove the shock shaft nut. .,,mc:en
z
en
i5
z
en
m
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<
c=;
m
c
m

=:~
3:
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~

205
 Remove the valving stack.

Chamfer the end of the shock shaft.

1-
zw
~
I-
CC
~
w
0
w
u
>
cc
w
(/)

z
0
<n
z
w
Cl..
(/)
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(/)

206
Blow out the center of the shaft to remove any particles.

Note the correctly dressed shaft end. Beeeeeeeaut~ul!

(/)

Remove the seal head, body cap, bottom-out bumper,

and retaining cup. Some models have slightly
,,c:m
(/)

z
different hardware. (/)

0
z
(/)
m
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::
=:
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207
 Behold the Shock Shaft Hall of Shame. From top to bottom: Bent shaft caused by ramming after linkage bolt came out; vise grips are not for holding the shaft end; and two
examples of worn-through hard chrome from extreme use. Hint: don't take off shock mud flaps.

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LU

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::::>
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Note: A bottom-out bumper is a consumable item-only the one on the right is still usable. Always inspect your bumper and replace it if necessary.

208
Polish the shaft with 500- or 600-grit sandpaper.

Hthe seal is being replaced, begin by removing the

top-out spring from the seal head (for shocks that have
one.)

(/)

Remove the top-out bumper with a clip tool. c:

(/)
-0
m
z
(/)

i5
z
(/)
m
::J:I
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c=;
m
c
m

=:~
:!:
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~

209
 Remove the top-out bumper. Nole: Some models do not
have these pieces.

Remove the shock shaft oil seal.

~
zw Remove the dust seal. Note the notch in the vise jaws. ~
~ you hold the seal head w~h the top surface below the top
~
cc of the vise jaws, you can pry on the edge of the jaws.
~
w
0
w
u
>
cc
w
en
z
0
<n
z
w
Cl..
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:I
en

210
Inspect the shaft bushing and seal head 0-ring. Replace them ff they are damaged or worn. Bushing drivers are available.

en
c
en
~
m
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0
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m
:::D
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0
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0
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:!$

This photo shows an exploded view of the seal head before assembly. Note the direction of the seal and other components.

211
 Reassembly
Install the dust seat on the head with an appropriately
sized socket.

Grease the seal with Race Tech Ultra Slick Grease.

~
zw
~ Reinstall the seal head with the Shock Seal "Bullet" Tool.
~
cc
~
w
c
w
u
>
cc
w
(/)

z
0
<n
z
w
Cl..
(/)
:I
(/)

212
Clean the valving assembly in contact cleaner.

Surface the base plate on 220-280-grit sandpaper on a

piece of plate glass.

(/)

Inspect the valving stack for any warped, dished, or

creased shims.
,,c:m
(/)

z
(/)

0
z
(/)
m
:a
<
C'i
m
c
m
::
=:
~
m
~

213
 Install the compression valving stack.

Surface the piston on both sides. Inset: Note that the

compression side of the piston is the one on the right.
It has larger ports and larger diameter shims than the
rebound side. Most, ff not all, pistons are directional.

1-
zw Install the piston and rebound valving. Use a Race
:Ii: Tech Gold Valve (inset) for improved damping action
I-

~
w
and tunability.
c
w
u
>
a:
w
en
z
0
c;;
zw
Cl..
en
:::>
en

214
Surface the rebound top plate and install it on the shaft.

Use Loctite on the shaft nut.

Cl)

Check for proper stack height with the shaft nut and add c:
Cl)
"'ti
an additional spacer (inset) if needed. Torque the shaft nut. m
The rebound base plate should cover the step at the end
z
Cl)

of the thread. The nut must have full engagement and not i5
z
run out of thread onto the straight shaft. Cl)
m
~
c=;
m
c
m

=:~
3:
m
~

215
 Pour Race Tech Ultra Slick Suspension Fluid into the
reservoir first.

Reinstall the valve core and bladder onto the reservoir cap.

!z
w Make sure there is enough oil so that when the bladder
::E
.....
a:;
goes into the reservoir ~ overflows.

fw
Cl
w
u
>
a:;
w
en
z
0
~
w
c:\.
en
;:)
en

216
Push down on the bladder cap until the circlip groove
is exposed.

Reinstall the reservoir clip in the groove.

en
Use the reservoir cap tool to seat the reservoir cap on the
c:
en
clip. This can also be done wtthout the cap tool by using
-a
m
compressed air. ~you use this method, gently bring up the
z
en
pressure and make sure the clip is property located. Use i5
z
compressed air to pressurize the reservoir to 20-40 psi to en
m
over expand the bladder. :J:I
<
c=;
m
c
m

=:~
:!:
m
~

217
 Fill the shock body with oil up lo about 50mm (2") from
the top.

Install the shaft assembly into the shock body.

~
zw Top off the fluid to within 1Omm of the lop of shock body.
~
~
a:
~
w
Q
w
u
>
a:
w
(/)

z
0
<n
z
w
Cl..
(/)
:::i
(/)

218
Pull up very slowly and then push down firmly until no more bubbles show up on Tip: Use a plastic mallet for shocks with extremely high compression damping lo
the compression stroke. ~ you pull up too quickly, the fluid will cavitate and you will open the valving stack and allow any trapped air past the piston.
not remove the bubbles. Make ~ look like you are really working hard-even if no
one is watching.

Cl)
c:
..,,
Cl)

m
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Cl)
0
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Cl)
m
:::c
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0
m
0
m
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s:
m
:!$

Once it's bled, extend the shock and top ii off with fluid. Note: Make sure the low-speed rebound inlet port stays submerged at all times to avoid introducing air bubbles.

219
 Push in the seal head with the seal head setting tool until
the 0-ring seals.

Once the 0-ring seals, depressurize the reservoir

bladder while keeping downward force on the seal head.
The volume displaced by the seal head will cause the
overextended bladder to collapse back to its normal
relaxed shape.

Push down the seal head until the circlip groove

is exposed. An alternative to this method is to use a
vacuum fill tool (TSVM 01). If used properly this will do an
excellent job of removing trapped air and even some of
the air that is in suspension in the fluid. With a vacuum
filling tool the shock can be assembled dry. Be sure
to follow the instructions carefully to trap the correct
nitrogen volume.

220
Install the cirdip carefully into the seat.

Gently pressurize the reservoir and make sure the seal

head and cirdip are properly seated. This method will also
work for most piston reservoirs. Two-piece and threaded
seal heads require positioning the piston before installing
the seal head.

en
Tap in the shock body cap. Note: The drain hole should be c:
en
"'ti
aligned with the shock body eyelet so that ii will be al the m
lowest point when installed on the bike. Threaded-in seal
z
en
heads should be torqued properly. i5
z
en
m
~
c=;
m
c
m

=:~
3:
m
~

221
 Compress the shock while depressurizing the bladder.

Fill up with nitrogen using the Pro Shock Nitrogen Gauge.

!z
w Bleed the shock to the proper pressure.
::E
.....
a:;
fw
Cl
w
u
>
a:;
w
en
z
0
~
w
Q,.
en
;:)
en

222
Stroke the shock shaft. The shock shaft should extend all
the way. ~ ndoes not, the shock is probably underfilled or
the shaft is bent Check the body and shaft as well. Stroke
the shock to feel for proper function and smoothness.

~the seal head does not displace fluid as nis installed

nwill not compress the bladder the proper amount (or
locate the reservoir piston properly). In these cases the
bladder pressure should be reset to 4-Spsi before the seal
head is installed. When in doubt, ask a pro.

Measure the free length of the spring.

(I)

Install the spring, retaining ring, and circlip. c

(I)
"ti
m
z
(I)

i5
z
(I)
m
~
c=;
m
c
m

=:~
3:
m
~

223
 Adjust the collars to the desired set length for
proper preload.

Tighten the lock ring wtth the shock preload adjuster

tool. Grease the preload collar thread before installing
the spring.

!z
w Line up the eyelets top to bottom. Make sure the adjusters
::E
.....
a:;
are aligned correctly. Usually compression and rebound
are on the same side but not always. Sometimes the shaft
fw clevis has cutouts for linkage clearance. This is important.
Cl
w
u
>
a:;
w
en
z
0
~
w
Q..
en
;:)
en

224
Adjust compression (high-speed adjustment shown) and rebound clickers. Normally zero is all the way in and clicks or turns are counted as the adjuster is
unscrewed (counterclockwise).

Cl)
c:
..,,
Cl)

m
z
Cl)
0
z
Cl)
m
:::c
<
0
m
0
m
;g
:::c
-I
s:
m
:!i

Chicks dig stickers.

225
 PROJECT 6
WP Progressive Damping System Shock

0 Skill Level: ' ' ' fj Tools: Basic Tools, Shock Spring Compressor
(TFSC series) on most models, Pin
Spanners (TMPS series), Shaft Holders
B't~.~. Time: C
~~.· (TFSH if removing shaft from eyelet clevis),
Seal Head Tools (TSSS series), Clip Tool
(TSCP), Seal Head Bullet (TSSB), Nitrogen
Station (see tools section), Bike Stand/Jack

P rogressive da mp ing system (P DS) shocks are o ffe red by WP a nd O hlins, genera lly o n off-road m od els as well as snow
m achines. T hey are unique in that th e damping increases as the shock com presses. To acco mplish th is they have some ex tra
interna l compo ne nts. Gene ral servicing procedures a re the same as reservoi r shocks unless you a re pla nn ing to remove o r c ha nge
the co m p ressio n needle. We w ill show only the th ings th at a re unique ab out this d esign.
Service Tip: ft is not necessary to remove the compression needle unless you intend to replace it with an upgraded high-
performance unit.

Disassembly

...z
LU

...:::!:
a:
~
LU
c
LU
~

>
a:
LU
en
z
0
(ii
z
LU
"-
en
::::>
en

WP PDS shaft (right) ver.rns conventional shaft (left). Notice how the PDS shaft utilizes dual pistons.

226
Note shaft inner diameter size of the POS shock. This
needle will plug the shalt as n is approaching bottom.

This is a POS valving layout.

en
When reassembling the valving assembly, position the
spacer so that the feed ports on the sleeve are aligned
.,,mc:en
wnh the ports on the shaft while the shaft nut is torqued.
z
en
i5
z
en
m
:g
<
c=;
m
c
m

=:~
3:
m
~

227
 tt charging the telescopic needle, use one of the RT TSST
Series tools. There are three sizes.

This is the stock metering needle assembly.

.....
z
w This is the Race Tech Telescopic Needle. Apply thread
:Ii:
..... locking compound on the retaining collar and a small

~
w
amount of Race Tech Ultra Slick Grease on the Bellville
washer during installation. The grease temporarily sticks
c
w the washer lo the end of the needle.
u
>
a:
w
en
z
0
<n
z
w
Cl..
en
::::>
en

228
Insert the needle assembly into the tool.

Insert the tool w~h the needle assembly into the shock.
Tighten the needle assembly to specffication.

Cl)

Remove the reservoir cap with the Race Tech Pin Spanner. c:
Cl)

m
Use the largest pins that will into the pin holes. "ti
m
z
Cl)
i5
z
Cl)
m
~
c=;
m
c
m

=:~
3:
m
~

229
 To remove the piston from the reservoir there are two
options. Option one: remove the piston by pushing a
small screwdriver through the bleed port at the top of
the reservoir. Option two: remove the piston with the WP
special tool that threads into the piston.

Reassembly
After reinstalling the bleed port screw, make a sleeve
tool by cutting a piece of .12mm (.005") shim stock and
wrapping it around the inside of the reservoir. This is
because there is a threaded area with a lip that will tend
to catch the piston band, keeping it from slipping into
the reservoir. Pour the proper suspension fluid into the
reservoir until it is full. ij the piston is being replaced with
a RT Bladder Conversion, the shim stock is not necessary.

!z
w
:IE Install the reservoir piston using your new sleeve tool.
.....
a:; Instead of making a sleeve tool you could try holding the
fw piston ring into the groove with a bit of heavy grease.
Cl
w
u
>
a:;
w
en
z
0
~
w
Q..
en
::l
en

230
Push the piston down until the piston band engages
the reservoir.

Bleed all the air from the reservoir. Invert the shock and
push the reservoir piston into the body. Trapped air will be
pushed out. Be sure to collect and re-use this new oil.

Cl)
c:
Pour oil into the body with the reservoir positioned below
the shock body, as shown.
..,,
Cl)

m
z
Cl)
0
z
Cl)
m
::J:I
<
c:;
m
Cl
m
~
....
::J:I

3::
m
~

231
 Fill the shock body with oil to a height of 40mm (1W).

Lightly grease the 0-ring and install the reservoir cap.

~
zw With the Allen bolt loosely installed, attach the Race Tech
~ WP Nitrogen Charging Tool. Push down on the tool as you
~
cc tighten the holding clamp.
~
w
c
w
u
>
cc
w
(/)

z
0
c;;
zw
Cl..
(/)
:I
(/)

232
Charge the reservoir with nitrogen lo approximately
50 psi. Tighten the Allen bolt.

Rll the shock body with oil to about 40mm (1W) from
the top.

(/)

Insert the shaft assembly into the shock body.

,,c:m
(/)

z
(/)

0
z
(/)
m
:a
<
C'i
m
c
m
::
=:
~
m
~

233
 Rapidly and forcefully compress the shock shall

23

Tip: When installing a heavy compression damping stack,

tap the end of the shock clevis to open the compression
valve to allow trapped air past the piston.

1-
zw Top off the oil.
:Ii:
I-

~
w
c
w
u
>
a:
w
(/)

z
0
<n
z
w
Cl..
(/)
::::>
(/)

234
Install the seal head with the Shock Seal Head Setting Tool
(TSSS 02) until it can no longer go in. Maintain downward
force on the tool while simultaneously releasing nitrogen
pressure from the reservoir.

Install the retaining clip.

en
Pressurize the shock lo the manufacturer's specification.
c:
en
-0
m
z
en
i5
z
en
m
:J:I
<
c=;
m
c
m

=:~
:!:
m
~

235
 Tighten the Allen bolt with the knob on the tool.

Install the end cap by tapping it with a soft-faced hammer.

The drain holes should be aligned with the shock body
eyelet so that it will be at the lowest point when installed
on the bike.

1-
zw There are two alternatives to using the Race Tech or
~ original equipment WP Shock Charging Tool. The first
l-
a: is the SPNV 0512 Nitrogen Valve Bolt. It replaces the
~
w stock Allen screw (left) and is charged with a Nitrogen
c
w Needle (shown). Second is a SWBL Series shock bladder
u conversion kit with a reservoir cap that uses a Schrader
>
a: valve (right).
w
(/)

z
0
(ii
zw
Cl..
(/)
:I
(/)

236
These two photos show the piston displacement prior to and after the seal head installation. Notice that in this case the displacement of the seal head into the shock locates
the piston in the reservoir automatically.

en
c:
en
~
m
z
en
0
z
en
m
=
<
0
m
0
m
~
=
-I
s:
m
:!i

Verify the piston height after the seal head has been installed.

237
 Appendix 1
LOWERING
Lowering can be required fora n umber ofreasons: co uching rhe
ground, w heelie conrro l (such as in drag racing), convening a
bike fro m o ne genre ro anorher (M X to fl ar rrack, supermoto,
o r road race) , and geomerry cha nges are rhe main o nes.
In so me cases lowering is as simple as rh e ad di rio n o f
special spacers in borh rhe fo rks and shock. I n orher cases iris
quire invo lved , including changing o r modify ing springs and
cusro m machin ing.
Suspensio n lowering can be do ne o n all rebu ildab le
suspensio n-some models have suspensio n rhar is nor
reb uildable. T his is more of a problem wirh rhe rear suspensio n
com po nenrs, rhough some fo rks have sealed carrridges.
In some cases rhe solurion o n rhe rear is ro build sho rrer
custo m shocks wirh less rravel. Lowering rhe suspension can
also be d o ne in rernally using spacers. U lrimarely, lowering
a bike means sho rrening rhe shoc k and fo rks. Lo wering is
reversible, so if you don'r li ke ir, you can always rerurn to rhe
stoc k heigh r.
In general when lo wering a mororcycle, borh rhe fro nr
and rear end sho uld be lowered rhe sa me amo unr. G.M. D.
Compurrack is a good resource ro check for proper geo merry.
As an added benefit, c hassis alignmen t is measured at the
same ri me.
If rhe bike is bei ng lowered so rha r rhe rider ca n touch
rhe ground, I normally recommend lowering 25 mm ( I inch)
to begin wirh. Riders are co nsranrly surprised how much of
a difference rhis amounr makes. T he reaso n o nly 25 mm is
reco mmended is rhar rhe loss o f ground clearance, cornering
cleara nce, and suspensio n rravel (rhe abili ry to deal wi rh bumps
and ho les) becomes mo re of a p rob lem rhe lower yo u go.
However, if rhe rider is wi ll ing to deal wi rh rhose
sho rrco mings, bikes can be lowered significa nrly mo re. T he
absolure limir to loweri ng is rhe o riginal bo rro m-o u r poinr.
Keep in m ind rhar rhe more a bike is lowered , rhe mo re likely
new sp rings will be req uired (mo re o n rhis in a momen r).
Some srreer mod els are already lowered. On rhese
models furrher lowering sho uld be co nsidered carefu lly
be fo re proceeding, as ground and cornering clearance is a
bigge r issue.
Ler me make rhis nex r po inr in rhe srro ngesr rerms I
can: I do not recommend lowering links! T hey d o no rhing to
decrease rhe rravel , meaning rhar rhe rire can borrom ou r
c><
z
rh rough rhe fender. This has che po renrial to stop rhe rear
.....
a.. wheel fro m rurning a nd , if rhis hap pens, ir can cause a crash.
~ Lowering lin ks can somerimes be used if rhe shock rravel
is shorrened rhe app ropriare amo unr w irh exrernal rravel
limi rers. H owever if rhe shock has ro be raken aparr, rhe
lowering ca n be d o ne inside rhe shock wirho u r rhe added
expense of rhe lowering link.
238
Keep in mind rhar shorrening rhe shock by 5mm does nor
lower rhe rear end 5mm. T h is is because of rhe leverage ratio of
rhe linkage o r geomerry o f rhe shock mo unring. In general, mosr
modern d irr bikes have an inirial leverage rario ranging from 3 .1
ro 4.0. Wirh a 3. 1 leverage ratio, a 3mm spacer wou ld lower rhe
rearend 3 .1 rimes rhe spacer lengrh, o r 9.3m m arrhe w heel. This
relarionsh ip is impo rranr in making rhe proper lengrh spacer.
O ne easy way ro measu re required shock spacer lengrh
is as fo llows: remove rhe spring and slide rhe borrom-ou r
bumper u p all rhe way unril ir conracrs rhe shock body end
cap. Then compress rhe rear wheel ro creare rhe desired
lowering amo unr- rhis will move rhe bo rrom-our b umper.
You can rhen measure rhe required lengrh o f rhe inrernal
spacer: as ir is rhe disrance rhe bumper has moved. The
spacer is rhen insralled inrernally berween rhe rop-our plare
and rhe seal head. T he spacer sho uld be made in suc h a way
as ro allow o il fl ow ro rhe low-speed rebound adjusrer. Race
Tech produces spacers in 2 and 3 mm inc remenrs rhar can be
scacked in I mm incremen rs. If you'd rarher d o ir yourself, a
single, solid spacer can be machined.
Sha rrer springs may be required for rhe reduced lengrh
o f rhe forks and shock. For example, if rhe fo rk d oes no r have
a spring spacer o r the shock preload collars ca nnot be backed
o ff far enough ro creare rhe pro per preload, you're go ing ro
need new springs.
If rhe rider wanrs ro have the srock spring force, rhe
spring rare must be increased. Here's how to cak ulare the ra re
required: rake rhe original correcr spring rare ri mes the o riginal
n avel divided by che new travel. k2 = k, x (d ,ld 2) T he "co rrect"
spring race is affected by personal preference, and many rid ers
prefer che decrease in borro ming resistance.
Keep in mind char che co m pressio n da mping's
concriburio n ro borroming resistance will be d im inished wirh
d ecreased rravel. This means rha r mo re compressio n dam ping
is required ro resisr bo rroming, bur rhis will result in a harsher
ride. Once again, rhis is affecred by rider p reference, as many
riders do n'r wa nr ir harsher. On rear shock srreer app licatio ns,
lowering 25 mm may no r cause much of a n issue as bo rro ming
resisrance is rarely a p rob lem .
F45 0 Moro Conversio ns (con vening a morocross bike
inro a road race bike) require bo rh lowe ring and bortom ing
poi nr chan ges.This means rhe botro m-ou rbu mper issho rrened
and moved as well. T he spring rares are rad ically changed and
the geomerry is se t up, so th is is a job fo r experrs.
Anorher solutio n for gaining inseam clearance is
sho rrening and /or re-con to u ring rhe sea r. This can be d o ne fo r
di rr bikes as well as srreet bikes. Sear re-con rouring is relarively
inexpensive as well. The widch of the sear is also imporranr:
rhe wider rhe seat, the harder it is to touch the ground. If
altering the seat does the trick, it might be the best so lution .
 Appendix 3
GLOSSARY
an o dizing
A coaring on alumi n um. Tr can be cosmeric in naru re, as
wirh color anodizing, or it can b e funcrio nal as wirh hard
anod izing.
anti-high side device
A long, so ft, to p-o ur spring used in road race shock ab sorbers
insread of a top-our bumper. Developed by Oh lins.
anti-dive system
A mechanical o r hydraulic device inrended to decrease rhe
amo unr the front end dives u nder braking . T he hyd raulic
rypes vary in des ign bu r all increase rhe compression damping
when rhe brakes are applied. M ose are acruared by rhe brakin g
force o n the wheel cylinders or the hyd raulic pressu re in rhe
b rake li nes. Q ui te co mm o n o n large b ikes in the 1980s, they
are now rare because they create even more harshness on the
M square-edge b u mps. As o f this printi ng ch is rype of system is
c><
z
still used on Gold W ings.
LU
Q..
~ axle offset
T he distance between the cen terl ine o f the fork ru be and the
center o f the front axle perpendicular to the cen ter line on
o ffse t axle forks (mostly used on di rt bi kes).
240
b ase plate
A thick was her o r plate that the valving sh im s resr o n.
b ase valve
T he compressio n valve assem bly o n carrrid ge fo rks o r older
sryle twin-rube shocks.
bladder
A flexible mem brane separating rhe suspensio n fluid fro m
rhe n irrogen in a shock a bsorber. Allows the shock to be
p ressu rized to elimin are caviratio n.
bladder reservoir
A sryle of reservoir where rhe fluid and rhe nitrogen are
separared by a flexible membrane.
bleed (or bypass)
A free- flow o rifice ch at allows fl uid to pass easi ly ar low fl ow
races. le is usu ally rhe lowest speed circuit.
bottom-out bumper
A rubber o r urethane bumper com monly used in shocks to
cushio n rhe shock when ir uses u p all rhe travel on compression.
This functio ns as a second spring in parallel wi th the main
spring and adds ro the total spring fo rce. Typically m ad e our of
rubber o r urethane, rhey are prone to break down after awhile
and should be rep laced .
bottoming
Using up the tota l avai lable t ravel of the suspensio n system .
bottoming cone
A hydraulic device designed to give additional damping
resistance when the fork o r shock reaches bottoming.
cartridge fork
A more sophisticated type of fo rk than a damping rod
fo rk. It utilizes p istons wi th shims that bend to create
compression and rebou nd d amping. The basic design a llows
the manu fact urer to p rod uce a less progressive damping
curve than a da mping rod fork. Nore: Som e cartridge fo rks
with poorly designed valvi ng crea te very sim ilar curves to
damping rod forks.
cavitation
Cavitatio n is th e format io n of vapo r bubbles in a fl owing
liq uid caused by a decrease in pressure (spec ifica lly in
an area w here the p ressure of th e liquid fa lls below its
vapor pressure) . T hi s is the sam e phe no meno n as bo ilin g
however not du e ro the addi tio n of heat but to a decrease
in pressu re. Cavitatio n creates loss of both co mpression
and rebo und d amping.
center of gravity
T he locatio n at which the entire mass of an object can be
rep resented by a single force acting o n that point.
check valve
A o ne-way valve that easily o pens in one d irection and shu ts
off co mpletely in the other d irectio n.
clamping shim
T he last shim in a valving stack, farthest away from the piston
a nd closest to the base plate. All the other shims must bend
o n the clamping shim.
clickers
External d amping adjusters. These usually co ntrol low-
speed rebound damping o r low-speed compressio n damping
o n fo rks. On shocks the clickers usually co ntrol low-speed
rebo und and hig h-speed compressio n damping. Man y
bikes have no clickers. Nore : So me clickers d o n't clic k so
yo u wo uld count "rums" instead. Unless o th erwise marked ,
m ost adju sters create maximu m d amping when t hey are
screwed all the way " in" (clockwise), and therefore cou nted
as clicks (usually quarter rurns) "out" (counter clockwise
from all the way in).
compression
Suspensio n movement when rhe wheel hits a bump and
comp resses. Also known as the bump stroke.
compression bolt assembly
The co mplete compression valve assembly. Also known as the
base valve in a cartridge fork.
compression damping (aka bump o r jounce damping)
Dampi ng created o n the co mpressio n stroke as the suspensio n
is collapsing. Because damping is sensi tive to velocity, the
terms low-speed compressio n damping and hig h-speed
compression d amping are often used.
crossover shim
The small diameter shim in a two-stage va lving stack th at
separates the low-speed stack from the high-speed stack.
cylinder valve
An additio nal compressio n dam ping circui t located at the top
of the cartridge o n som e 1998 through 2004 KYB dirt bike
fo rks (most no tably o n YZs and C R1 25).
DLC
See diamo nd like carbon
damper
See shock absorber
damping
(a.k.a. dampening which the purists don't li ke to use as it
also means to make so mething wet.) Fluid resistance to
m ovement. T he force is created as o il passes thro ugh holes o r
other types of valving systems. The amo unt of damping force
is dependent on the particular valving configu ratio n and the
viscosity of fluid used. Key po ints: T he amount of damping
created is determined by the speed at which the suspensio n is
co mp ressing or extending. Damping cums mechanical energy
into hear.
damping circuit
A physica l pach for suspensio n flu id char creates resista nce.
T here may be fi ve o r more compressio n circuits a nd chree
o r m o re rebou nd circuits in a shock o r cartridge fo rk.
T he effect of each circui t genera lly overlaps, crea ting
m assive flexibili ty, whil e sometimes ma king for comp lex
adju stments, as well.
damping piston
The va lve that che shims are stacked o n . le is sealed o n ics
o u ter diameter with a pi sto n ring or o- ring. T he piston
ring is usua lly made of a Tefl o n compos ite if th e pisto n
is s liding in a cha mbe r (as w ich a shock o r che rebou nd
pisto n o n a cartridge fo rk). On a compressio n pisto n o n a
ca rtridge fo rk ic is stationa ry and th erefore is sea led with
an o-ring.
241
 damping rod fork
A simple type of fo rk that utilizes a rube with ho les in it to
create co mpressio n and rebound d amping. T he basic nature
o f creati ng damping by shoving fluid th rough ho les produces
a damping cu rve that is excessively progressive, resulting in
ha rshness and bo tto ming.
DeCarbon shock
A high-pressure mo no rube shock absorber invented by
C hristian Bo urcier de Carbo n in 1953. Ir uses a floating
piston to separa te the o il from a high-pressure gas (usually
nitrogen) to minimize cavita tio n during hig h-velocity
suspensio n movement. This term has loosely been referred
to any shock with a piston or memb rane that separates the
o il fro m the gas.
Delta Valve
An afrermarker fo rk valve from Race Tech that has externally
adjustable low-speed and high-speed compressio n dampi ng,
used primarily o n d irt bikes.
diamond like carbon
An im pressively hard surface coating wich an extremely low
coefficie nt of fri ctio n. Commo nly used o n fo rk cubes and
shock shafts.
diving
T he phenomenon of che front forks compressing during
braking. Many linkage-type alcernacive front ends control
dive mechanically. The ce rm usually implies excessive diving.
dual-rate
Typ ically refers to a spring char has closely wound evenly
spaced coils, as well as evenly spaced, wider-gapped coils. As
che spring compresses, che eight coils contact each ocher and
are "blocked our," thus reducing the effective number of coils
a nd creating a stiffe r rare. T his results in one spring with two
rares. Dual rate spring setup can also be created by stacking
springs and contro lling the crossover.
dynamic friction
Friction where there is move ment between che surfaces.
Emulator
See Gold Valve Camidge Emulator.
M emulsion
c><
z
A mixcure of o il and air. Emulsion shocks d o not have a
.....
a..
membrane o r piston between che fl uid and che nitrogen .
~ T hey a re less expensive to produce chan a rese rvoir shock.
T hey a re expected co foa m up and create consiscenc dampi ng.
T hese a re nor hig h-performance shocks.
242
fork bushing
A low frictio n, load-bearing sleeve. Modern fo rk bushings
consist of a steel band wi th a coating of bronze and a layer
ofTe flo n bo nded o n it. Most fo rks require two per leg. Early
telescopic fo rks did not have these bushings and therefo re
suffered fro m even mo re friction than current designs.
free length
The length of a spring full y ex tended (nor mo unted o n the
shock o r in the forks, with no load o n the spring).
free sag
aka bike sag, unladen sag- T he amo unt the bike settles under
its own weight (with no rider). If static sag is correct and there
is too much free sag, che spring is too stiff (nor too soft).
friction
Mechanical sliding resistance. Frictio n turns kinetic energy
into heat. Its magnitude is calculated using the fo rmula:
F = u x F., where:
F - Frictio nal force.
u - Coefficient of frictio n. (This depends on which
ma terials are in co ntact wi th each o ther. Fo r example,
rubber o n steel will have a higher coefficient than steel
o n steel.)
F" - Normal force (the force perpendicular ro the
surfaces in contact).
Gold Valve
Replacem ent high-perfo rmance pistons for shocks and fo rks.
Made by Race Tech.
Gold Valve Cartridge Emulator
An afcermarker valve made by Race Tech used in a damping
rod fo rk th at creates the compression d amping cu rve o f a
cartridge fork. A.K.A. Emulator.
hard anodizing
An elect ro-chemical process that deposits a very hard layer
of aluminum oxide o n an aluminum surface. T he layer
bu ilds u p as much as it penetrates. T herefore a .002" coating
penetrates .00 I" and builds up .00 l''. Ir can be ap plied in a
lim ited number of colo rs as well.
harshness
An uncomfortable jolt char occurs o n th e comp ressio n stroke.
It can be caused by many d ifferent factors, including too
much hig h-speed co mpressio n dam ping, too much fricti o n,
too much low-speed rebound damping causi ng packing, too
high of a spring race, too much preload, binding from thi ngs
like bent fork rubes, excess ive friction, poor suspensio n fluid,
and poo r suspension linkage bearings. I r can also be caused
by excessive bottoming.
headshake
An u n nerving phenomenon where the fo rks oscillate back
and forth rapid ly and sometimes violen tly. Ir can be caused by
various facto rs, includi ng a frame that is ou t of alignment or
twisted, too li ttle "trail", u nderdam ped rebou nd , overdamped
high-speed compression, anything that causes a bind, chassis
flex, and swingarm fl ex.
high-speed compression clamping
Compression dam ping created by fast vertical wheel
movements. This occurs when hitting anything that has a
square edge, such as pot holes, expansion jo ints, Bots Dots,
some railroad crossings, or braking bumps particularly when
the vehicle is travel ing at h igh-speed.
high-speed rebo und damping
Rebou nd damping that occurs when t he vertical wheel
movements are fas t. Since the fo rce that extends the suspension
is primarily due to the spring, high-speed rebound occurs
whe n there are large wheel movements. H igh-speed rebound
is ofren produced when hitting big dips or gullies at speed .
Of course, chain forces and the terrain will affect th e rate of
extension as well, so it is not solely determined by the amo u nt
of travel used.
inner bushin g
Also known as an RU bushing (as well as many other names),
it fits onto the inner chrome fork tube and has Teflon o n the
o u ter su rface.
kicking
Serious harshness t hat actually throws t he wheel off the
ground . T h is can occu r when hitting squ are edge b um ps
like pot ho les or large expansion jo ints. Any of the factors
that cause harshness can also cause kicking, b u t it is generally
caused by too much high-speed compression damping a nd/
o r fr iction o r severe bottomi ng.
leverage ratio
The mechanical adva ntage of the wheel on th e shock. It
is the ra tio of the trave l of t he wheel to the t ravel of the
shock. It is also the ra t io of the force on t he s hoc k to t he
force o n the w heel. T he hig her th e leverage the less t he
shock moves fo r a g iven wheel travel. T h is requires h igher
dam ping and spring ra tes. (NOTE : Ir can also be defined
as the opposite, i.e. as th e ra t io of rhe travel of th e shock
to t he t ravel o f the wheel.)
leverage ratio curve
The plot of how the leverage changes through the travel
o f the rear wheel. T his change is caused by the mechanical
linkage. Normally the leverage decreases as mo re travel is used
u p, creating more resistance due to the shock spring and the
shock dam ping.
linear
Straig ht line (no t necessarily flat).
low-speed co mpression damping
Compressio n damping that occurs when the vertical wheel
movements are slow, such as when going throug h a dip
or gully or on the fo rks d u ring braki ng particularly at low
vehicle speeds.
low-speed rebound damping
Rebou nd d am ping that occurs w hen the vertical wheel
movements are slow. Because the fo rce that extend s the
suspensio n is primarily due to the spring, low-speed rebou nd
occurs when there are small w heel movements.
mid-valve
An add itional compression circuit placed where the
rebound check valve is usually located . Often used in dirt
bike applications. If overdone it can add harsh ness and
cavi ta ti on.
nitro gen
A n inert gas used to pressu rize shock absorbe rs to hel p
eli m inate cav itation. A rgo n o r any inert gas could a lso
be used.
norma l force
T he force perpendicu lar to the surface.
oil level
A way to measure the amou nt of oil in a for k leg as opposed
to measuring volume. T he oi l level affects the force created
by air pressure as the fork compresses. The o il level is the
distance from the top of the fork tube down to the top of the
oil with the fork completely collapsed and usually with the
sp rings removed.
outer bushing
Also known as a DU b ushi ng (as well as many other
names), it fi ts onto th e o u te r fo r k tube and has Teflon on
its inner surface.
offset
A distance between two centerlines, typically referring to
triple clam p or axle offset. Total Offset is the combinatio n of
Triple C lamp Offset and Axle Offset.
~
offset forks -a
m
A n ex te rna l fork d esign where th e ax le is off set from t he z
c
ce nterl ine of t he fo rk. T h is is most comm o n ly used o n ><
w
di rt bikes .
243
 orifice
A ho le co mmonly used as a bleed in shocks and carrridge
forks. Ir is generally rhe majo r source of damping in damping
rod sryle forks. Orifices creare velociry-squared sryle force vs.
velociry curves. In orher words, when rhe velociry is doub led
rhe damping fo rce increases wirh rhe square of rhe velociry
(ar a rare of four times). T his is rhe most progressive rype of
damping fou nd in srandard shocks and forks.
packing
W hen hirring a series of bumps rhe wheel exrends roo slowly
afrer being compressed rhar ir d oes nor reru rn complerely
when rhe nexr bump is encounrered. Ir is caused by excessive
low-speed rebound damping.
piston reservoir
A sryle of reservoir where the fluid and rhe nitrogen are
separared by a floaring pisro n.
piston ring
A sealing ring o n a shock pisron or a carrridge fo rk rebound
piston. Usually made of a Teflo n composite o r a Teflon-coated
steel band. le seals because of the pressure behind ic similar ro
che pisron ring in a moror.
piston ring energizer o-ring
T he a-ring undernearh rhe pisron ring rhar provides an inirial
load agai nst che inner wa ll of che shock body.
piston rod (Aka damping rod or rebou nd rod)
T he rod in a cartridge fork char attaches co che fork cap and
usually also carries che rebound pisro n.
po going
Unco ntrolled rebounding.
preload
T he cerm preload has cwo meanings (length and force). In che
mo torcycle industry ir usually refers ro preload length.
preload adjuster
A method of externally adjusting che preload. These can be
ramped, threaded o r hydrau lic. H ydrau lic preload adjusters
o n shocks allow remote ad justment o f che preload. Nore:
When rhe preload adju sters are backed off all che way,
chey do nor necessarily have zero preload. Wich forks in
M parricu lar there is usually some preload at the minimum
c><
z
external preload setting.
.....
a..
~ preload fo rce
T he amount of force on the spring when it is at its preload
length.
244
preload length
The amounr a spring is compressed from full exrensio n when
installed wi rh rhe fork o r shock fu lly extended.
preload spacer
Material used ro ser rhe preload in a fork. Thin-wall sreel
o r aluminum cubing is commonly used. Man y afrermarket
spring companies use PVC as spacer material, which works
fine if the ends are finis hed flat and a steel washer is used o n
bo ch ends of the spacer.
progressive
Usua lly refers to spring rares, leverage ratio curves o r damping
curves. As trave l o r velociry is increased, rhe resulcanr force
increases slowly ac flrsr and more rapidly as ir goes up.
race sag
See sea cic sag.
rake
The angle of che steering axis from vertical, measured in
degrees. For a given offset, there is mo re trai l if rhere is mo re
rake. (NOTE: Some manufacturers [KTM] measure rake
from ho riw ncal.)
real trail (also see trail)
The self-srraighrening characrerisric builr into fronr-end
geomerry. le is rhe perpendicular distance between che
sreering axis and the center of che poinr of conracc of che
fronr wheel wich rhe gro und . T his method is far superior ro
standard "Ground Trail" or "Trai l". Trail is usua lly measured
in millimeters.
rebound
Suspension movemenr when che wheel ex tends. Also known
as tension.
rebound damping
Damping created o n rhe rebound stro ke as che suspension is
extending. Because damping is sensitive ro velociry, che terms
low-speed rebo und and high-speed rebound are ofren used.
rebound rod
Aka damping rod in a carcridge fork.
rebound
Suspension movement when che wheel excends. Also known
as tension.
rebound damping
Damping created o n che rebound stro ke as che suspensio n is
extending. Since damping is sensitive co velociry, che terms
low-speed rebo und and high-speed rebound are ofren used.
reservoir
A ca nister o r portio n of a shock abso rber with a membrane
o r piston separating the fluid fro m a compressible gas.
Usually fi lled with high-pressure nitrogen. This allows for
displacement of the fluid by the shock shaft because oil is
incompressible.
revalving
C hanging the internal valves that create d am ping.
rising rate
Usually refers to a leverage ratio c urve. T he leverage of t he
wheel o n the s hock decreases as the wheel goes through
its travel.
sag
See static sag.
set length
The length of the spring installed in th e fo rks o r o n the shock
with the shock fully extended . Free length minus preload
equals set length.
shim (Aka valving s him )
A thin washer mad e o ut o f spring steel used in a d amper
to create hyd ra ulic resista nce. It is typically s tac ked up in
combination with other shim s o f vario us thickness and
d ia me ters on a damping pisto n to create the req u ired
damping curve.
shock absorber
A hydro-mechanical device that uses a fluid to create resistance .
Key point: The damping fo rce is sensitive to velocity. T he
kinetic energy is co nverted to heat.
shock body
T he o uter cyl inder of the d amping unit. Usually made of
aluminum o r steel.
shock bumper
A mechanical cushio n made o ut o f rubber o r uretha ne,
designed to give additio nal spring-type resistance when the
fork or shock reaches bottoming.
shock linkage
A series of mechanical levers designed to change the leverage
the wheel has o n the shock as it goes through its travel.
shock shaft
T he main shaft in a shock absorber. The valving is o n one
end and the eyelet is attached to the o ther. It is typically hard
ch rome plated fo r durability.
single stage
A single stage valving stack co nsists of a single contin uo us
straig ht or tapered stack and an end o n the clamping shim .
spring
A mechanica l device that sto res energy as it is displaced. It
usually is in the form of a coil design but so metimes is a leaf
design. C h rom e silico n steel is typically used, but titanium
and carbon fiber have been used as well. Ai r can also be
used as a spring. Key po int: Sp rings are position sensitive
and store energy.
springrate
T he stiffness of the spring (see also dual rate, linear and
progressive). It is the slope o f the load deflection curve.
K =_FI D
K - Average Spring Rate (measured in kilograms/
millimeter or pou nds/inch)
_F - C hange in Force (in newtons, kilograms o r
po unds) between two measurement points.
_ D - C hange in Displacement (in m illimeters o r
inches) between two measure ment po ints.
sprung weight (aka sprung mass)
T he weight of the motorcycle above the spring. It includes part
of the spring weight.
static friction (aka stiction)
Friction where there is no movem en t between the surfaces.
Static fricti o n is typically higher than dynamic fri ctio n though
slight slippage can have the greatest frictio n.
static sag
T he amount the bike settles vertically wi th the geared up
rider on board in the riding position.
stiction
See static fric tion.
straight stack
In this type of valving stack a ll s hims are the same diameter
until the crossover or clamping shim , which is smaller in
diameter.
stressed member
A part in a system that bears the load. T his term is commonly
~
used when referring to an engine that is a structural load- -a
m
bearing pare of the chassis as in most D ucatis. z
c
><
w
245
 suspension fluid
Used inside a shock absorber for two purposes: ro crea re
damping when fo rced rh rough orifices o r valving, and
ro lubrica re. Viscosiry and viscosiry index are im porranr
quanriries. Key poinr: Oil is inco mpressible (nor exacrly, bur
close enough for our d iscussio ns).
swapping (Aka pogoing)
A disconcerring phenomeno n where rhe rea r end of rhe
bike oscillares back and fo rrh wirh large a mplirude. Ir can
be caused by a number of non-suspension related causes,
such as a fl exib le chassis o r swingarm , low rire pressure,
and misaligned chassis or wheels. Excessive high-speed
compressio n o r spring rate, o r exrremely underdamped
rebound cou ld also be the cause.
tapered stack
T he valving shims gradually decrease in diamerer as rheir
posirion gers farther away from the piston face. T his is
primarily designed ro reduce the chance of rh e shims
becoming permanently d istorted o r creased.
Teflon•
From DuPont (polyrerraflu oroerhylene or PTFE), a low-
fricrion, dry-film lubricanr.
three stage
T his valving stack is similar ro rhe two-stage srack bur has
two crossover shims, resulring in a low-speed, mid-speed and
a high-speed stack.
titanium nitride
An exrremely hard coaring comm o nly used to create long-
weari ng rool bits, applied m icro ns rhick to hard chrome
fo rk rubes and shock shafrs to lower fr icrion . Ir does nor
ad here to alum in um.
top-out bumper
A rubber or urethane bum per commonly used in shocks to
cushio n the shock when ir becomes fully extended.
top-out spring
A coi l sp ring co mmo nly used in for ks and some shocks (see
a nri-hig h side device) to cushio n rhe fork when it becomes
fully exrended.
M top-out valve
c><
z
A hydrau lic top-ou r device.
.....
a..
~ of the low-speed and rhe high-speed stacks.
246
topping out
When rhe fo rks or shock ex rend ro rhe limirs of rravel. T his
can occur when rhe wheel gers airbo rne, bur ir can also
happen during accelera tio n or in a series of turns when rhe
bike is fli p ped from side to side. Ir can also be caused by
roo much preload on rhe spring. T his can happen when rhe
spring used is too sofr and rherefore requires excessive preload
to ger rhe correcr sag. Too much rebound d amping can mask
rhe problem .
trail (aka ground trail) (see real trail)
The self-srraighrening characteristic builr into fronr-e nd
geometry. Ir is the distance between two specific po inrs.
One poi nt is rhe intersecrio n of an imaginary line exrending
t hrough the centerline of rhe sreering stem and the grou nd .
The second point is rh e center of rhe poinr of conracr of
t he fro nr wheel wirh the ground. Trail is usually measured
in mi llimerers.
triple clamp offset
The distance between rhe cenrerline of rhe sreering srem and
rhe fronr axle perpendicular ro rhe sreering axis. T he mo re
offser rhar is used, rhe less resulring trail will be fo r a given
fo rk geometry. I r's usually measured in millimeters.
triple rate
See dual rate. Same concep t as dual rate but with three races.
The th ree distinct races are usually achieved by stacki ng three
separate springs on top of each other.
twin chamber
A carrridge fo rk design where the cartrid ge is inverted and
separated fro m the rest of a fo rk utilizing a spring-loaded,
p iston-type reservoir manu factured by Showa. T he term is
also loosely used to cover o the r brand of spring pressurized o r
air pressurized bladder forks.
twin tube shock
A sryle of shock th at is very similar in design to a cartridge
fo rk. The air space is located between the shock body and the
ou tside of the cartridge. Ir is the most common rype of shock
in use in automobiles today.
two stage
This valving stack has a "crossover shim" in it. T he crossover
shim is a small d iameter shim upon which the low-speed
shims bend. T his allows the low-speed stack to open until the
fluid flow increases eno ugh rhar it hi ts the high-speed stack.
When this occurs, rhe total stack stiffness is the combi natio n
unladen sag
Sec free sag.

unsprung weight aka unsprung mass

The weight of the chassis that must go up and dow n with
rhe wheels as it co mpresses and extends. Th is includes
everything below the springs, such as the wheels, axle,
brakes, pa rt of the spring, and a portio n o f the sw ingarm.
The swingarm is mo re effectively measured as the rotational
mass mo ment of inertia with respect to the swingarm pivot
instead of the unsprung mass.

valving
Th e mechanica l hardware that c reates d a mping. T his ca n
be a comb ina ti o n of ho les, po rts, shims, springs, check
va lves, etc.

valving stack
A set of shims. Some exa mples of valving stacks are
compression and rebound stacks. These may have subsets like
low-speed compress io n, mid-speed compression, high-speed
compressio n, low-speed rebo und, and high-speed rebo und.
T he configuratio n may be single stage, rwo stage, three srage,
etc., and may be tapered o r st raight.

viscosity
A fluids resistance ro fl ow o r mo re precisely ir's resistance ro
shear. H ow thick the o il is. Ir must be measured at a specific
temperature because the thickness is sensitive to temperature.
The rest equi pment contains a specific volume of o il and
is held at a specific re mperacure. le is chen a llowed to flow
ch rough a specific size o rifice and rimed. T he lo nger it rakes,
che thicker the o il. SAE 20, SAE 30, etc., refer to a range, nor
a specific viscosity.

viscosity index (Vl)

A number that indicaces how much a fluid thins o ur as ic
heats up. A higher number means the viscosity is mo re
cemperature-srab le. A mineral base fluid typically has a V1 of
100. Fork fluid is usually around this number as wel l. High
quality suspensio n fluids fo r rear shocks have a VI of 200 o r
can be in excess of 400.

weight bias
Typically fro nc to rear weight bias. Ca n be laden o r unladen
(rider o n or off) . The percen cage of fro nc wheel weigh r to rear
wheel weighc. T here is also a sprung weight bias char is used
co calculate dynamic response of veh icles.

247
 Appendix 4

RACE TECH MOTORCYCLE SUSPENSION BIBLE TESTING LOG

DATE TRACK

BIKE CONDITIONS

RIDER WEATHER

WEIGHT/SKILL TEMPERATURE

TUNER ALTITUDE

FRONT
TEST 1 TEST2 TEST 3 TEST 4 TESTS

Spring Rate (kg/mm-n/mm-lbs/in)

Preload (mm)

Free Sag (mm)

Static Sag (mm)

Stiction Zone (mm)

Oil BrandNiscosily

Oil Level (mm)

Low-Comp Adj (dicks-turns)

Hi-Comp Adj (clicks-turns)

Rebound Adj (clicks-turns)

Fork Height Adj + I - (mm)

Tire Brand //Model

Tire Size

Tire Pressure (cold I hot ps~

LAP TIMES

~
><
~
..... RIDER COMMENTS
a..
~

248
RACE TECH MOTORCYCLE SUSPENSION BIBLE TESTING LOG

DATE TRACK

BIKE CONDITIONS

RIDER WEATHER

WEIGHT/SKILL TEMPERATURE

TUNER ALTITUDE

REAR
TEST 1 TEST2 TEST 3 TEST 4 TESTS

Spring Rate (kg/mm-n/mm-lbs/in)

Preload (mm)

Free Sag (mm)

Static Sag (mm)

Stiction Zone (mm)

Oil BrandNiscosily

Oil Level (mm)

Low-Comp Adj (dicks-turns)

Hi-Comp Adj (clicks-turns)

Rebound Adj (clicks-turns)

Fork Height Adj + I - (mm)

Tire Brand //Model

Tire Size

Tire Pressure (cold I hot ps~

LAP TIMES

RIDER COMMENTS

249
 Appendix 5

RACE TECH TOOL LIST

Item Number Description
TCPN 4301 SWINGARM PIVOT NUT TOOL 4301
TFBT 02S FORK BLEED TOOL SET
TFBT 1010 FORK BLEED 10x1.0 & 10x1.25
TFBT 1010 FORK BLEED 10x1.0 & 10x1.25
TFBT 1212 FORK BLEED 12x1.0 & 12x1.25
TFCA 01 FORK CLICKER TOOL - THIN
TFCA 02 FORK COMPRESSION SOCKET - R6
TFCH 01 FORK CARTRIDGE HOLDING TOOL 01
TFCH 03 FORK CARTRIDGE HOLDING TOOL 03
TFCH 04 FORK CARTRIDGE HOLDING TOOL 06 R6
TFCH 06 FORK CARTRIDGE TOOL - BPF 33/35mm
TFCT 35 FORK TWIN-CHAMBER TOOL 35mm KYB
TFCW 02 FORK CAP WRENCH WP 48 - 4 PIN
TFCW 243241 H FORK CAP WRENCH 24/32/41mm HEX
TFCW 4549 FORK CAP WRENCH 45/49 OCTAGON
TFCW 4650 FORK CAP WRENCH 46/50 OCTAGON
TFCW 50H FORK CAP WRENCH 50mm HEX WP
TFGC500 GRADUATED CYLINDER 500cc
TFHD 1724 HEX AXLE WRENCH 17,19,22,24mm
TFHP 01 FORK ROD HOLDING CLIP 10/12/12.5
TFOL 02 FORK OIL LEVEL TOOL-PRO
TFPA 14 FORK PRELOAD SOCKET 14mm
TFPA 17 FORK PRELOAD SOCKET 17mm
TFPC 2328 REBOUND P-RING COMPRESSOR-WP 23/28
TFSB 01 FORK SEAL INSTALLATION BAGS (5)
TFSC 01 FORK SPRING COMPRESSOR PORTABLE
TFSC 02 FORK SPRING COMPRESSOR FOOT OPERATED
TFSCA01 FORK SPRING COMPRESSOR ADAPTER H-D
TFSD 30 FORK SEAL DRIVER 30mm
TFSD 33 FORK SEAL DRIVER 33mm
TFSD35 FORK SEAL DRIVER 35mm
TFSD 37 FORK SEAL DRIVER 36/37mm
TFSD 39 FORK SEAL DRIVER 38/39mm
TFSD 41 FORK SEAL DRIVER 40/41mm
TFSD 43 FORK SEAL DRIVER 43mm

,.., TFSD 46 FORK SEAL DRIVER 45/46mm

c><
z
TFSD48 FORK SEAL DRIVER 47/48mm
.....
a..
TFSD 50 FORK SEAL DRIVER 49/50mm
~ TFSH 10 SHAFT HOLD TOOL 10,12,12.5,14
TFSH 14 SHAFT HOLDING TOOL 14,16,18mm
TFSH 20 SHAFT HOLDING TOOL 20,24,29mm
TFSH 32 SHAFT HOLDING TOOL 32,35mm

250
Item Number Description
TFSH S500 SHAFT HOLD TOOL 1/2"
TITT01 FORK TUBE DISASSEMBLY TOOL
TMDB 08 DEBURRING TOOL
TMPS 01 PIN SPANNER4.0 & 4.5mm
TMPS 02 PIN SPANNER5.0 & 5.5mm
TMPS P01P SPANNER PINS 4.0 & 4.5 PAIR
TMPS P02P SPANNERPINS 5.0 & 5.5 PAIR
TMVJ 065 VISE JAW SET
TSBD SET BUSH DRIVER SET 12.5,14,16,18
TSCA01 SHK COMP ADJ SOCKET YZ
TSCA 19 SHK COMP ADJ SOCKET 19mm
TSCA21 SHK COMPADJ SOCKET 21 mm
TSCA 24 SHK COMPADJ SOCKET 24mm
TSCP 01 SHOCK CLIP PICK TOOL
TSCT 01 RESERVOIR CAP REMOVAL TOOL
TSNC 02 NITROGEN CHARGING TOOL - WP
TSNG 02 SHOCK NITROGEN GAUGE-PRO
TSNH 48 NITROGEN HOSE 48" -HI PRESSURE
TSNN01 SHOCK NITROGEN NEEDLE
TSNR01 SHOCK NITROGEN REGULATOR
TSPA 01 SHOCK PRELOADADJUSTING TOOL
TSPS 1524 SHOCK NEEDLE TOOL-WP PDS 1.5x24d
TSPS T1524 SHOCK NEEDLETOOL-PDSPRO 1.5x24d
TSPS T16530 SHOCK NEEDLE TOOL-PDS PRO 1.6x30d
TSPS T20 SHOCK NEEDLE TOOL-PDS PRO 20-2009
TSRC 01 SHOCK RES CAP SETIINGTOOL YZ
TSSB 125 SHOCK SEAL BULLET 12.5x10mm
TSSB 14 SHOCK SEAL BULLET TOOL 14x12mm
TSSB 16 SHOCK SEAL BULLET TOOL 16x12mm
TSSB 18 SHOCK SEAL BULLET TOOL 18x16mm
TSSB 1812 SHOCK SEAL BULLET TOOL 18x12mm
TSSC 01 SHOCK SPRING COMPRESSOR-LEVER TYPE
TSSC 02 SHOCK SPRING COMPRESSOR-SCREW TYPE
TSSM01 SAGMASTER TOOL
TSSS 01 SHOCK SEAL HEAD SET TOOL 40-50mm
TSSS 01S SHOCK SEAL SET TOOL 40-50mm SHORT
TSSS 02 SHOCK SEAL HEAD SET TOOL WP 50mm
~
"ti
m
TSSS 03 SHOCK SEAL HEAD SET TOOL 33-36mm z
0

TSVM 01 SHOCK VACUUM FILL TOOL

x
(J1

TTHS 02 T-HANDLE SET 8,10,12,14,17mm

TTHS 03 T-HANDLE SET8,10,12,13,14,17mm
TTHS 13 T-HANDLE 13mm ONLY

251
Appendix 6

RESOURCES
Race Tech
G.M.D. Computrack www.racerech.com
www.gmd-computrack.com suspensio n components, valving kics, cools, sem inars
chassis geometry and alignment
Roehrig
lntercomp www.roehrigengi neering.com
www.incercomp-racing.co m shock dynos
spring cescers
Scotts Performance
K &L Supply www.scorcsperformance.com
www.klsupply.com steering dampers
lifcs, scands, rools - dealers only
Tony Foale
Lee Parks Design www.ronyfoale.com
www.leeparksdesign.com chassis design
bike stands, gloves and accessories
Total Control
Ohlins Suspension www.rocalconcrolcraining.nec
www.ohlins.com Lee Parks' Toca! Contro l Riding Courses
suspension components
WP Suspension
Penske www.wpsuspension .com
www.penskeshocks.com suspensio n produces
suspens ion co mpo nents
WPC Treatment Co, Inc.
Pit Bull www. wpccrea cm en r.com
www.pic-bull.com frictio n reduction surface treatment
stands

252
Index

24 H ours of Montjuich, 94 Dymond, M icky, 83 geometry

dynamic fr ictio n, 78-80 measurement, 93
acceleratio n, 89 dyna mic geometry, 19 tuning, 93-94
additive d amping, 7 1-72 dynamic ride height, 19 GM O Com putrack, 93
air gold valve, 68, 72-73
as a spring level, 14 emulato r, 44, 46-47, 72 cartridge emulator, 35, 11 4, 120,
as an o il level, 14 emulsion, 62 124, 138
air springs, 6 shocks, 6 1, 196-225 fo rk, 43-45
anti-squat, 86-93 energy, 8, 26 installation, 127-155
Aprilia Team, 83 external top-out spring, 24 kits, 6 1
Atkins, Darryl, 83 graduated cyli nder, 11 0
fad e, 70 ground trail, 84
Bayle, Jean Michele, 80 Foale, Tony, 85
bench vise, I 09 force, 79-80 harshness, 97
bleeding cool, I 09-110 rotation, 88 H ay, Terry, 68
bottoming, 97 vecto rs, 78 head setting cool, 111
fo rce-defle ctio n curve, I 0
Carlson, Benny, 83 forks in ternal top-out spring, 24
cartridge fork mid-valves, 50-56 bounces, I 02 Internatio nal Organization fo r
cartridge ho lding tool, I 09 chatte rs, 98-99, 101- 102 Standardization (ISO), 26
cavitation, 57- 6 1, 70 deflects, I 02
clip tool, 111 designs, 6 1 jack, 108
coatings, 80-8 1 dives under breaking, 99 James, Jam ie, 45
compressio n damping, 35-36, 43 doesn't turn, 98
curves, 40 dynamics, 79 K&L, 109
force, 71 feels loose, 99 Kawasaki , 61
testing, 36-37 fro nt tire wear, 103 KTM, 60, 66, 83
too little, 97 gold valve kits, 64 KYB, 70
too much , 97 headshakes, I 0 I
compression valve, 48 leaky seals, I 02 lowering, 238
compressio n velocity, 27 loose steering, 98-99
Condor, 2 1, I 09 oil level, 110 Marzocchi, 61
Craftsman, 109 poor tractio n, 97-98 mechanical springs, 6
power steering, 98-99 metering needle, 68, 112
damping, 26, 28 pushes, 98-99 mid-valve compo nents, 55-58
curve, 29, 45, 70 runs wide, 98-99 mid-valve comp ression stroke, 56-57
extremes, 95-97 sliding bushings, 79 Moto G u zzi, 30
force, 8 soft, 97 Motorcycle Handling and Chassis
measuring, 28-32 spring compressor, 11 2 Design, 85
velocity, 29 sticky, 100 multi-stage damping, SO
damping rod stiff, 97
anatomy, 37 troubleshooting, 97- 103 needle pin tool, 111
compression stroke, 38-40 tucks, 98-99 nitrogen charging
fo rks (orifice d amping) , 37, 39, wo n't turn well, 99 station, 11 0
11 4-126 free sag, 2 1-22 tool, 11 0-111
rebound stro ke, 40-4 1 freeloaded stacks, 7 4 nitrogen
DeCarbon reservoir shocks, 62 friction fo rce, 8 gauge, 11 0
DeCarbon, Dr. C hristian Bo ucier, 63 front end trail, increase, 93 needle, 111
dive , 36 regu lator, 110
drivers, 110

253
 O hlins, 63, 66, 226 sag, 22, 25 steering dam per, 63, 65
tools, 111 measurements, 2 1 Stewart, James, 86
oil level tool, 110 setting, 23 stitctio n zo ne, 22-23
oil viscosity, 26 straight stacks, 7 4
orifice damping, see damping rod, Sag Master, I 11-11 2 surface
forks Saybolr Universal Seconds (SUS) , 26 roughness, 77
orifice style valving, 7 1 Saybolr, Edward , 26 treatment, 8 1
0-ring, 70 Scott's, 65 suspension
screwdrivers, I 09 oil, 26-28
packing, 95 Seconds Saybolr Universal (SSU), 26 sag, 18- 19
Park Tool, I 09 sel f-correc ting torque, 82 Suzuki, 61, 64
parts cleaner, 11 0 shocks swingarm length, 239
peak rebound velocity, 31 adjusters, 62
pin spanner, 111-112 blown shock bladder, I 05 rape red stacks, 7 4
piston valving style, 71- 74 bottoms, 103 telescopic needle, 69
Pit Bull, 109 clip tool, 111 resting procedure, I 06-107
plushness, 32 design , 6 1- 66 thick shims, 74- 75
pogoing, 95 dynos, 30 thin shims, 74- 75
polishing, 81 feels loose, 104 through-shaft shocks, 62, 66
position, 26 kicks, 103 trac tion, 32
position-se nsitive damping system, not tracking, I 05 trail, 83-84, 86-87
66-69 poor traction, I 04 troubleshoo ting, 97- 105
preload , 18-20, 22, 25 preload testi ng tool, I 11 forks, 97-103
external opt-o ut, 23 squats on acceleration, I 05 shocks, 103- 105
inte rnal opt-o ut, 23 sticky, I 05 ru ck, 98
relaxed, 24 swaps dirt, 103- 104 twin-chamber
setting, 23- 24 treatment, 68 design , 60
tool, 11 2 valving components, 64 fo rks, 57-6 1, 156- 195
preloaded stacks, 73-74 ShockClock, 19, 30 , 111 twin- tube shocks, 6 1
pressurized forks, 57-6 1 Showa,58-59,6 1, 70 two-stage valving, 72-73
progressive, 41 -43 SI System , 26
damping system shocks, 226- 237 single-style valving, 7 1 unsprung mass, 6-7
shock springs, 68 sockets, 109
push, 98 solid-piston shocks, 62-66 valving styles, 71-76
springs veloci ry, 2 6
rake, 85 compresso r, 109 viscosity index, 27-28
ratchets, 109 design, 14- 16
reactive spring series, 24 displacement, 9 weight bias, 94
real trail, 84-86 fo rce, 7, 9, 13, 17 WP, 60, 65, 68, 226
rear anti-squat, increase, 93-94 manufacture, 14- 16 WPC,8 1
rear wheel trail , 86 preload , 16-19 wrenches, 109
rebound adjusters, 65 rate9- 12, 15
rebound damping, 32-34, 47, 50, 96 measu ring, 15- 16 Yamaha, 30, 6 1, 80
adjuster, 30 test, 16-17
testing, 34-35 spru ng mass, 6-7, 95 zero offset trail, 83
too little, 95 stack height, setting proper, 173
too much, 95 stacking springs, 12-14
rebound gold valves, 56 standard cartridge forks, 49-50,
><
UJ rebound separa tor valve, 75-76 52-55, 127
c
:!!: rebound stroke, 42 stands, I 08- 109
rebound valve, 48 static friction, 77-79
reservoir cap remover tool, 111 static sag, measu ring, 20-2 1

254

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Fi rst published in 20 10 by Moto rbooks, an imprint of M BI
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Copyright © 2010 by Paul Thede and Lee Parks

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Motorcycle
Suspension Bible

ASED ON THE WILDLY

B popular Race Tech Suspension
Seminars taught by Paul Thede
around the world, this step-by-step
SUSPENSION guide shows riders how to make
BASICS
their bikes handle like the pro's.
SPRINGS
Thede gives the lowdown on all types
of suspension, including cartridge
DAMPING
and non-cartridge forks as well
as dual-chamber and nitrogen-
FRICTION
charged shocks. The three forces of
suspension, testing procedures, even
GEOMETRY
the black arts of chassis geometry:
Thede explains it all. The book
TROUBLESHOOTING provides step -by-step photos of suspension
ANO TESTING

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TOOLS ANO EQUIPMENT
FOR SUSPENSION
detailed troubleshooting guide for dirt, street,
SERVICE
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SUSPENSION SERVICE Bible provides a solution to virtually any
DEPARTMENT

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