[Jrhughes]

Greetings,
First post. My '05 CRF450x runs great, but is bone stock as to suspension, which I now want to begin to bring into proper setup for me. I am really hoping for major improvement, at least in the whoops. I ride primarily desert/enduro/trail, I am 6' 2" and weight 275 lbs excluding riding gear. I am an adv. Interm C/B rider, and the bike has aftermarket high capacity fuel tank. After a few hours online, I am initially thinking of Factory Connection AAl-0063 (6.3 kg/mm) for shock, and perhaps LSA-050 (0.50 kg/mm) for forks. Thoughts, comments, suggestions requested.
Thanks,
John

[JimDirt]

The shock spring is closer to what you need , but you need a much stiffer fork spring , you are going to be hard pressed to find a spring over 0.52 (what i run on my 06 450X and i am 210 without gear) , what you need is a 0.59 for the forks , and FC only makes a 0.52 as do most manufacturers , you can sort of make up for rate by going stiffer on the compression valving , though its not a perfect solution , you may need to get custom wound springs , Diverse makes a 0.54 , which would be closer to what you need http://www.diverse-mfg.com/motocrosssprings.html , but optimally for you would be 0.59 / 6.7

[Jrhughes]

Thank you, JimDirt,
I have decided to have both front/rear serviced/rebuilt/revalved professionally. I am confident to handle the R&R of the springs myself, but the full tear down, inspection, revalve, reassembly seems well over my head. Is this best done by a semi-local suspension tuner, or shipped off to a specialty shop? How to select reputable professional? I noticed some of the posts in the "garage" forum have included copies of detailed invoices from big name vendors (which may imply mail-order type operation?).
Thanks,
John

[Jrhughes]

Hey All,
I forgot to mention I plan to do the suspension work in connection with installing Kouba 4 lowering link (1.75 inches), so will need to address lowering front end to keep her handling right. This seems likely may require internal fork solution of some sort, as just raising them in the clamps seems likely to be inadequate? I need to be able to kick my old leg up and over her hind end with confidence.
Thanks,
John

[MattBennett23]

When I redid the suspension on my 250X (as soon as I bought it), I went to a local place. I read around on some local forums and found out who people nearby were using. I felt like it would be better to go with local guys who ride the same stuff I do and know the local terrain and conditions. I'm sure the national suspension shops do great, but they probably set up for their local conditions, or have a regional set up that they blanket use for an area (Cali, midwest, east coast, etc). Another thing to consider is what the shop specializes in. Some places are better at setting up a bike for motocross, while others are better for off road. Some places do both well. Its a good idea to look into this, whether you decide to go national or local.

Another big advantage of going local is the labor. If you want to, you can usually just drop the whole bike off, rather than take the time and hassle to remove the suspension and put it back on when it comes back. Also there are no shipping charges. Also nice if you are having other work done on the bike by them while it is in the shop.

I ended up using a local place here in Michigan (Tech-Care Suspension). They asked me height, weight, riding level, types of riding I normally do, even favorite local trails I ride, etc... While it was there I also had the suspension lowered (since I am 5'6") and had a dual sport kit from Sicass Racing installed.

Bottom line, dropped off my bike, got the proper springs, got it revalved, got it lowered, and got a dual sport kit installed. Went to pick it up and they had me sit on it and set the sag for me and made sure I was comfy and pleased with the work. You cant get that sending your suspension components off somewhere... I've never had a better suspended bike, more custom fit to me. I was instantly comfy on the bike, and have never ridden one that works better for my local conditions. They set it up perfectly. I didn't even feel the need to change a clicker when I got it back. Couldn't be happier. Another advantage is if I needed to speak with someone about the work, had setup questions, or even just needed a few new stickers when I got a new front fender, they are right there locally.

The way I see it, local guys will be able to set you up better for local conditions. Any suspension shop should be full of guys that ride, and they will be riding the same trails as you and will know the best way to set it up. Just my 2 cents... Plus I like to try to keep my money local when I can.

P.S. At 6'2" why are you lowering the bike?? I lowered mine 2" because I am short (5'6" with a 27" inseam). I think you would feel very cramped lowering the bike at all. These bikes are designed for an "average" rider (about 5'10" and 160-180 lbs). Lowering the bike at all with your size I think might be a mistake. Most taller riders try lowered pegs, taller bars, and possibly bar risers. I think lowering the bike is heading in the wrong direction for you.

BUT, bike set up is a personal thing, and you may have your reasons. If you do want to do it, I would talk to the suspension shop you use about lowering the bike with the suspension rather than the lowering link. It may cost more, but I think youd be happier in the end. This is the route I took, and I couldnt be happier. Bike is well balanced front to back now and being able to solidly plant a foot when needed makes me much more comfortable on the bike. Every person my height who has ridden it, has asked me where I got it done because they wanted to do the same thing. Only downside is that you lose a little ground clearance but I have never found this to be an issue.

[Jrhughes]

Hey Matt,
Thanks for your input and perspective. The reason I want to lower the bike is that it is high in the tail, making it difficult to throw me old short leg over her. My inseam is just under 30", while I have the torso length of a tall guy. I am now thinking I may just ignore the Kouba link and have everything adjusted via suspension tuning (springs, revalve, etc). Looking for a solid shop in N Cal to set me up for off road desert/enduro. Can hardly wait to experience what I have read described as "plush", as that is about the opposite of my experience with whoop de doos to date!
Thanks,
John Hughes

[JimDirt]

I use a Kouba #4(1.75) on my 06 450X , what you will end up with is 80mm of race sag (because of the way the link works) , and you need to RAISE your fork tubes in the clamps 6mm from the top of the tube itself

Do this by removing the front wheel , then sliding one of the tubes up , so 6mm of tube is exposed , then slide the other tube to 6mm , then slide the axle in , if the axle does not slide in and out freely without lifting it or lowering it to align it with the hole on the opposite tube , if it does not line up/slide free , then slightly loosen the second tube you moved , and wriggle it either up or down slightly until the axle slides in without any restrictions , when you get that set , then torque the tubes as per the manual (22Nm for the top and 20Nm for the bottom pinch bolts)

This will ensure your forks are aligned up and down to eliminate any suspension bind

You don't need to have any internal lowering if you use the link and set the forks as i mentioned , i re-valve my own bikes , and i can tell you from experience (i have a 32 inseam and am 5'10"), no matter your height , if you have short legs , you need to be able to set them on the ground from time to time , the link will help with this greatly , and that you will love riding the bike with the link , especially if you do any side hill trails or switchbacks where you need strategic foot placement , the difference is night and day , i also slightly cut my seat , making it into a sort of Step Seat , where the rear is normal height , but the front is about 1" lower right above the footpegs where you will normally sit , in the 2nd pic you can see the fork tubes up in the clamps