[motoboy277]

Hey guys im looking to race motocross this summer and from what i hear the best money you can spend for your bike is getting your forks and shocks revalved and respung. With that being said i want to get this done but i really don't know much about this topic. I am 23 years old 215 lbs and only riding motocross. My bike is a 2013 CRF250R. Please share any information you can on this topic! Some things i would like to know is what company to go with and pricing and what exactly to ask for. Just want to be as knowledgable as possible before dropping a big load of cash. Thanks

[JimDirt]

First off
Welcome to the site !!

Secondly , with your weight ,you are about 65 lbs too heavy for the stock springs , so worrying about valving is the least of your current worries , if the bike is not sprung for your weight/skill , your wasting money on valving and you may be quite happy with the stock valving if your a entry level rider as long as the bike is sprung properly


Re-springing and Re-Valving all depends on certain factors , first with your weight (your about my weight , aside from i am 55 and trying to get down to 190-200) , , i run 0.52*fork*/5.8*shock* in my 450R and am a bottom B high C rider , (i used to be fast but age and injuries slow you down) , this is around where you will end up (each company may suggest a slightly different rate depending on valving , skill level ,etc) , i am guessing you will end up between 0.49/5.7 - 0.52/6.2

The company depends on what you can afford and what your specifically looking for in ride/needs

If your a entry level rider , the springs are a must , and you can get by with the stock valving as the 13 had better valving than prior years , so it gives a decent ride compared to the prior years , you can experiment with oil levels as well as clicker adjustments and get decent results , but springs are a priority and i would not consider valving until its sprung correctly and ride it like that first before making decisions about valving

If your intermediate or faster , then valving is also a must along with springs , as the faster you are the less the stock valving will hold up under the more vigorous conditions a faster rider puts on his bike , things happen to quickly and the stock valving is made more for more the "Weekend Warrior" or a entry level rider ,than a "Racer" who is going to push the bike to its limits

All the suspension companies have their good and bad points , so saying so and so is the best is purely speculation and/or their own personal experience with each company , i personally do all my own suspension work so i use and like Race Tech , even if i was not doing my own (and on a budget) i would recommend them , they have excellent customer service their prices are usually lower than most of the "other" companies , and they stand behind their work and products , that said , there are lots of other "worthy" suspension companies out there , Factory Connection is another that comes to mind for quality and service and parts , again , this part is "my" opinion

The pricing may vary from a few hundred to several thousand , depending on what is actually done , there are lots of little trick items that do , and don't make a difference that can add up real fast when the final payment is made , again , some companies will say "you need this" or "you need that" , when in fact they are just trying to sell you more stuff that might or might not help , but will undoubtedly up the cost factor in their favor (RG3 comes to mind here)

What it all comes down to , is you being honest with the company , be honest about your skill level , if you tell them you are a B rider and they valve it as such and your actually a bottom C or D rider , you will be miserable and the bike will beat you to death more than it does now , this part is critical , tell them your "true" level and what your likes and dislikes about the stock suspension is , keep in mind that telling them your likes and dislikes is completely useless if you have not installed the proper springs for your weight and skill level FIRST , and ridden it and adjusted the clickers and oil level before saying a re-valve would benefit you (a lighter rider with a high skill level will usually require stiffer springs and valving more than a heavier rider with less skill)

What to ask is what they do for X cost , if its simple re-valve and springs and its $1000+ , look elsewhere , a simple but good setup should be in the $200 per end range , give or take , springs will be around $100 per end , give or take , so $600+/- is a good price without all the sometimes unnecessary bells and whistles , but the things needed to get the job done in a cost effective manor and still give you the ride you desire

The best advice i can give is go to lots of dirt bike forums (this one included) and read what peoples gripes and praises are for different companies , this will guide you in the right direction , and again , Baskin Robbins has 31 flavors because everyone likes something different , so just because 1 person had a good or bad experience does not mean that the norm , your mileage may vary , but again , there is no "go here and they are the best" , just be honest with yourself and to them about what your issues are (after re-springing and riding it and messing with the clickers to see what actually is better or worse , before shoveling out your hard earned money blindly)

There is no "dumb" question to ask them , if they want you to send your stuff in before they can tell you anything on cost (not exact but a close quote , with no additions done without prior approval from you , then keep shopping

Spring Rate Calculator

Race Tech:
http://racetech.com/ChooseVehicle.aspx

I can't find the other Spring Rate Calculators

Some Good Reading:
http://service.foxracingshox.com/powers ... _guide.htm

http://easterndirt.com/7/pages/suspension1.html

Hope that helped some