I'd run thinner rather than thicker! That compression spike is awful on the front...thinner may make it a little less awful. The rebound will be quicker with thinner oil, but, that may not be a disagreeable change.

 

i think either I or nobrakes has a writeup on how to change your springs, with pictures. do some searching. I would say suspension is one of the most talked about aspects of the klx. There are atleast 2 major vendors, racetech and moto sport. They both have spring kits. John at moto sport will sell you everything you need based on terrain, weight, and riding style.

at the very least change your fork springs. there was youtube video that shows you how to set sag and preload. it is a 2 person job, requires a measuring tape, a screw driver and hammer.

 

Changing the oil will not change the valves. I was getting front wheel deflection. Hit a big bump (RR tracks) and the handlebars would want to turn one way or the other. OR the entire front of the bike would want to go sideways because the forks would not soak up the bump.

This is on an SF with 2x stiff as an S factory springs. New fork valves and it was a whole different bike.

All this from lack of oil flow under high speed compression of the forks.

David

 

Tweaking the oil weight may be like putting lipstick on a pig. Not much change. David is correct in that if there simply isn't enough flow rate through the valves, changing the viscosity isn't going to fix the problem. Pro-Action makes a nice valve, in addition to the RaceTech and Moto-Pro. I have no idea who's is best...I do know John at Moto-Pro seems VERY sharp, very helpful.

 

Actually I'm just too cheap (AKA Broke) but I do know that setting bikes up for your weight will improve handling. I'm set in my ways, and have learned to ride this way, so for me if it ain't broke, I ain't fixing it. But don't listen to me, these guys know what they are talking about.

 

Deej makes a good point. If you learn to adapt, you don't need to spend as much on mods. You'll be a better rider. Maybe that's how he afforded his nice new bike.

Deej - want to give this one a try in the whoops?


I love that bike!

 

Deej has a point. The stock settings are *really* poor for most any situation. After reading a zillion posts on how to set up the stock bike, I took a tape measure outside and went to work.

Front forks, all the way in, then 4-5 clicks out. Rear shock, I loosened the spring a bit to get the sag correct, and set the shock to 10 or 12 clicks out. It was a whole new bike after that, and I hadn't spent a penny extra to get it there.

Now I'm sure dumping hundreds into new springs and valves and what-not would improve the ride further, but it's a dual sport for crying out loud!!! If I wanted a full MX suspension, I'd have bought an MX bike.

 

rgoers, I think you and I have discussed this before, but here it goes again.

While I agree that no one has to spend more money on their KLX or any other bike for that matter to enjoy it somewhat, maybe the level of enjoyment is different for different riders. Yes, the KLX is a DS bike, but it's not a DS bike in the vein of the KLR or similar series, IMO. The KLX is actually based on a much more dirt worthy bike...KLX 300...whereas many DS bikes are comprised of serious compromises that really eat into the bike's dirt competence.

The fork and shock on a KLX are very decent, quality items. A little long-in-the-tooth compared to some of the newer USD forks rear shocks on the high dollar competition bikes available today but worlds ahead of most of the other true DS bikes out there. So while I agree with you that the KLX isn't an MX bike, I think it offers a great deal more than most of the DS bikes out there. Because of that, many will find a great deal of performance satisfaction from doing the many engine and suspension mods covered on this forum. To strictly dismiss the KLX as just another DS bike and therefore not really worthy of serious modding is missing a real opportunity to improve a very decent bike to a level of quite competent off road performance. For racing?...not IMO. For some serious off roading and something that will get you through some very gnarly terrain without beating you to death or worse?...very much so.

On your setting for the front forks, I'll mention this again. If I'm reading you correctly, you're actually increasing the compression damping on a fork that already has unacceptably harsh compression damping. If you're turning the compression adjuster all the way in...clockwise...that's full compression damping. Then if you're turning the adjuster out 4-5 clicks...counterclockwise...that's a lot of extra compression being introduced into the mix when you consider the stock recommendation is about 12 clicks out...counterclockwise.

I'm curious about your rear shock adjustment. There are both compression and rebound adjusters, so it's not clear which one you're referring to.

 

TNC is MUCH more qualified to talk suspension than I. He's right on with the KLX vs KLR...the KLX is MUCH more dirt-worthy. Lucky for me, I have a shock company in town that loves the KLR and I've got a FANTASTIC system on my KLR...better than the one on my KLX. However, I can certainly ride the KLX faster in difficult terrain.

It's all about what you have, what you want, and the resources you want to put in something. For me, the KLX was really, really tough to keep on line in the sometimes very loose rock hillclimbs we have out here...ProAction valving/springing made it like an entirely different bike. I keep up with my KTM and Honda buddies just fine, now. Before, there were climbs I was struggling on just to make it, much less make it quickly.

IF you do get the suspension setup as good as possible for your set of circumstances, it will be a much more enjoyable (and perhaps even safer) ride.

 

Yes on the front forks. They are so soft stock, that they compress quickly, but don't have the reserve to rebound. That leaves you with an almost fully compressed shock on the next bump... Setting them the way I have them absorbs really hard hits better and resets quickly enough for the next. You won't get the softest ride out of it, but it won't bottom as easy either. I personally like the feedback that a stiffer setup affords. Additionally, this eliminates the HORRIBLE dive problems encountered when slowing down and/or stopping at highway speeds.

I suppose it depends what type of terrain you ride as well. I'm riding rock-gardens... stuff as big as 10-12" diameter. I want to feel when I slip off a rock, so I can react appropriately. If I was riding slow rolling whoops, I might like a softer setup.

As for the rear shock setup, I'm sure I wrote it down somewhere, but I'd have to look for it... I don't remember what the sag and/or shock settings were exactly.

BTW - I'm really not disagreeing with you on any particular point. I have a limited budget that I have to live with, and so; expensive changes like having forks/shocks rebuilt are beyond the scope of what I'm willing to spend money on. I also think that one has to exhaust available options before diving into a spending spree. If someone complains about the setup, but never adjusts whats there, I don't see where sending parts out for a total rebuild makes any sense. I *did* do a lot of research before settling on the KLX. I knew it lacked in some departments, but I also knew there were many mods available to fix most of the shortcomings. Shocks were one of the things that I rarely saw people complain about when comparing the KLX to the other two 250 class DS makers out there.