Hello all.
. I recently bought a brand new d' tracker 250 here in Thailand.i haven't broken it in yet.only on 600km,and iv'e noticed the rear shock is working at full tilt,even bottoming out(I am 90kg).so I went to the kawa dealer where I bought the bike and asked if they could check and adjust the settings for me."NO" came the firm reply. So I went to a reputable big bike shop nearby.They checked it out and adjusted it front and rear as much as they could.but it wasn't really much different.
They told the stock suspension just isn't up to the job and the only answer is an ohlins rear shock and ohlins fork springs(stiffer than stock)and a heavier weight oil.cost 24,000 tbh.
Can it really be a bike designed to take up to 180kg bottoms out with a 90kg rider?
Is this normal for this bike?
all suggestions and opinions ate welcome,
Thanks in advance
. Than

 

I don't have an answer, but don't dispair, there are several people here who have done suspension rebuild/modification and set up. I'm sure you will get some good advice.

I know here in the US it is possible to send suspension out and have it done, performing near on par with the high dollar shocks. I also know there are some threads here and in other forums that give the method for adjustment of damping and also setting up sag.

A quick conversion for those English measure people, showed you weigh around 198 lb. I am fairly certain your fork and shock springs are too soft for best performance, those are relatively low cost to swap out on the shock, more work cost on the front. Still all being less cost than the Ohlins shock alone.

So sit back and wait for those in the know.

 

Thanks for a quick reply klx678,
. Iv'e had the sag adjusted as best they could.comp and dampening too.they guy who checked it is only 65kg and it was still a little soft even for him.
I bought this bike over a crf250l because the suspension was supposed to be a lot better than the Honda!
other than that I love it.
and I'll be de restricting it as soon as it's broken in

 

Like I said, hang on, others will be posting I'm sure. TNC has done suspension work on his KLX as have others.

 

The stock suspension is for about a 150-160 lb rider. You'll see big improvements with heavier springs designed for your weight.

See the FAQ link in my sig line? Go there and look around for Sag adjustment and TNC's link.

 

Look for suspension shops in Thailand, someone should be able to spring your shock for your weight. No you don't need Ohlins.

 

Ok,iv'e checked how my tea shock was set by the bike shop in town
. Static sag is 5mm
. Rider sag is 58mm
The rings on the shock body are almost at the bottom of the thread.should I be moving these upwards? I don't want to move them unnecessarily as I don't have the correct tool for this..
There is only 42mm of travel before it bottoms out.

 

I'm assuming you have 9" of travel (229 mm)

Rider sag should be about 1/3 of this (76 mm).

Static sag should be about 10% of travel (23 mm).

What is your total travel? 58 + 42 mm = 100 mm. This doesn't sound right.

It does sound like the preload is set too high (rings screwed down too far). Lube the threads, loosen the top retainer ring, then the lower ring. Use a brass drift, or large flat blade screwdriver.

I think you'll find when rider sag is between 69 to 80 mm (30 to 35% of full travel for 229 of travel), static sag will be less than 20-25 mm. This means you're spring is too soft. If static sag is 20-25 mm, you have the correct spring. Work on damping adjustments.


From my entry in the FAQs:

Adjust Your Sag

The KLX handles well right out of the box, but anybody over 135 pounds will find it too soft in the front and too stiff in the rear. To get the suspension correct for your weight and riding style, you'll have to measure and adjust both Sag and Dampening. Sag is determined by preload and spring rate, which primarily affect how your suspension handles the big stuff, whereas dampening primarily affects how it handles the small stuff. But there is considerable overlap, and when they work together properly, you get both comfort and control over a wide range of riding conditions. You’ll be better able to adjust your suspension correctly if you first understand how it was designed to operate and can identify symptoms of incorrect operation. So checkout... Suspension Basics before you jump into the sag adjustments. It's also recommended that you.. Service Your Swingarm before adjusting the suspension. Once you've got sag correct, continue with... Adjust Your Dampening
Sag Adjustments

Rider sag, also called "race" sag, is the amount the bike sags under its weight and yours during static conditions from its fully extended (topped out, no load) position. If your Rider sag is correct, your suspension is in the middle of its range, where it can handle the widest range of riding conditions without topping or bottoming out. Most suspension experts recommend a race sag equal to 1/3 the bikes travel. On the KLX-300, that's about 3-5/8 inch, or 92 mm. Most KLXers will therefore find that a static sag somewhere between 90-100 mm translates to the correct preload for dynamic conditions. Bike sag, also called "free" sag, is the distance the suspension sags without a rider, from its fully extended position. Once you get your Rider sag correct, Bike sag will tell you whether or not you have the correct spring for your riding weight. So always check Bike sag after you set your Race sag, because the preload adjustment affects both.





STEP 1 => MEASURE ZERO SAG...

Put your bike on a stand
Measure vertical distance from axle to fender.
Record this value as M0... ________



STEP 2 => MEASURE RIDER SAG...

Take your bike off the stand
Put on your riding gear
Take a standing position
Measure vertical distance from axle to fender
Record this value as M1... ________
Subtract M1 from M0... ________

This is your RIDER SAG. If it's between 90 and 100mm, skip to Step 4. If it's not, continue with Step 3...



STEP 3 => ADJUST PRELOAD...

Put your bike on a stand
Lubricate threads on shock body
If rider sag is less than 90 mm...
Move rings up shock body (ccw)
If more than 100 mm
Move rings down shock body (cw)

Repeat Steps 2 & 3 until you've got 90-100mm, then continue with Step 4...



STEP 4 => MEASURE BIKE SAG...

With your rider sag now correct
Measure vertical distance from axle to fender
Record this value as M2... ________
Subtract M2 from M0... ________

This is your BIKE SAG, and if it's between 25 and 35mm, your preload and spring rate are correct. This is cool, very cool. Take a test ride, then... Adjust Your Dampening

If you can't get rider and bike sag correct, you've got the wrong spring. Goto Install the Correct Spring to fix this problem, then repeat steps 1-4...


Install the Correct Rear Spring
The KLX handles well right out of the box, but anybody over 135 pounds will find it too soft in the front, and anybody under 185 pounds will find it too stiff in the rear. And the best way to determine the correct spring for your weight and riding style is to measure and adjust Sag. Once you've got sag correct, then you can fine tune your KLX with... Dampening Adjustments
OK, so you measured and adjusted your sag, but couldn't get correct values for both rider sag and bike sag, so chances are good that you've got the wrong spring for your riding weight. Let's take a closer look at this problem...

Scenario #1 => You adjusted the shock preload for the correct Rider Sag, then measured a Bike Sag of less than 25mm. This means your spring is too soft for your riding weight. Yeah, it sounds backwards, but here's what happened: to get your Rider (Race) Sag correct, you set the preload higher than it would have been with the correct (stiffer) spring. So the bike sags less than the recommended value under its own weight.
Scenario #2 => You adjusted the shock preload for the correct Rider Sag, then measured a Bike Sag of more than 35mm. This means your spring is too stiff for your riding weight. Here's what happened: to get your race sag correct, you set the preload lower than it would have been with the correct (softer) spring. So the bike sags more than the recommended value under its own weight.
And here's the fix for either case => goto... RaceTech.com and checkout the recommended spring rates for your bike, riding style and riding weight. Buy the spring and install it, then recheck your Rider and Bike sag, and adjust as necessary. Here's how to get that new spring installed...

Remove the swingarm with Service Your Swingarm
Remove the lower shock mounting bolt
Swing the shock toward the rear of the bike
[or remove side panels, seat & upper mounting
bolt, then remove the shock from the bike]
Lubricate the threads on the shock body
Loosen the preload adjusting rings
Move both to the top of the shock body
Remove the lower retaining cup
(don't scratch the shaft!)
Pull the old spring off & install the new one
Put everything back together again
Re-adjust your preload with Sag Adjustments
Fine tune with Dampening Adjustments

 

Thanks a lot idridr,
iv'e now got static sag at 24mm and rider sag is 76mm.
but it just feels too soft and spongy for my weight.and that's without a 43kg gf on the back.And the front end nosedives with moderate front braking.
. Suspension shops in this part of the country are pretty much non existent for a rebuild,so I think I'll have to go with the ohlins treatment,front and rear.
24,000 tbh free fitting.Not cheap but hopefully worth it.
Thanks for all replies

 

Ok my static sag is now 24mm and rider sag at 76mm.but somehow it just feels too soft and spongy for my weight.front end nosedives under moderate braking.sometimes I have a 43kg gf on the back as well.
There are no suspension shops in this part of the country so I'll have to go with the ohlins treatment front and rear.24,000tbh free fitting.not cheap,but hopefully worth it.
Thanks for all the replies.