[bigkonarider]

Is it me- or do most all the top pro's have stiff suspension. I was watching sprung5 Again, & it doesn't seem to me like their suspension moves much at all.
I know Shaun Palmer liked his bike real firm{he did win Big Bear WC!}.. Is it faster to do that ,rather than having a big mush machine !?

 

[buildyourown]

I say the opposite. Most fast guys know how to ride "light" and since they aren't doing huge drops, they can run less sag.

 

[dropmachine]

In a chat with Mojo suspension, they said something to me that really stuck.

"Valentino Rossi's bike is fast. Its really uncomfortable, but its damn fast."

Then i thought about Doug Beatties bike here in ontario, and the fact that his is stiffer then all hell. He wins almost everything he races.

I am a puss. Soft and bouncey for me please.

 

[buildyourown]

I guess it does make some sense. If you can maintain traction, a stiffer setup would let you float over rough stuff better.
Though, why is the mojo kit for the boxxer so soft?

 

[dropmachine]

I dunno. I haven't gotten mine yet. But once its here, I will be asking them a billion questions on setup, so I should have an answer soon.

 

[Jeremy R]

Every racer is different. Some pros like a stiff bike, some don't.
Some pros are anal about their bike setup, and some of them just hop on and pin it, leaving all the techy stuff for us poor slobs.
I like my bike to be soft off the top for traction and then to really ramp up to keep it from diving or sagging too much. But each rider has different preferences and styles, and therefore they require different setups.

 

[Acadian]

I am a puss. Soft and bouncey for me please.

same here...

I recall this interview with Peaty where he said with the years his suspension got stiffer (personal preference).

 

[bigkonarider]

Thanks dudes.
Those WC courses are fast . I wish they were all like that.Faster you go-stiffer the suspension-that makes since.
Slow,Steep- E.Coast technical riding is primarily all i have rode really, & soft & mushy with sag works fine- except the occasional section where you can pin it at about 30+ mph starts to feel real noodly!!
Morzine looks to be a fast rippin course.No mush there.

 

[Zutroy]

Thanks dudes.
Those WC courses are fast . I wish they were all like that.Faster you go-stiffer the suspension-that makes since.
Slow,Steep- E.Coast technical riding is primarily all i have rode really, & soft & mushy with sag works fine- except the occasional section where you can pin it at about 30+ mph starts to feel real noodly!!
Morzine looks to be a fast rippin course.No mush there.

Yeah WC courses are fast, and they are really smooth, remember you don't have as many people on them as say a NORBA, and they don't have braking bumps in messed up places like you do on a NORBA course.

 

[Kevin]

Pros are better off with stiffer suspension because a bike with stiffer suspension responds better in the same way a hardtail with a rigid fork responds better then a full suspension bike. Pros are probably less bothered by the lack of softness in suspension because they absorb bumps more using their body in stead of letting the suspension do all the work. I guess Its called "being smooth" and its one of the reasons why Gracia has enough suspension riding a Gemini, smoothness...
Just my opinion anyways.

 

[Tootrikky]

NICO set-up his bike with 50% sag, as I remember reading somewhere, which would be considered soft (even with a super progressive rate). So I guess it's a matter of personal preference even among though Pro's.

 

[Wallstreetbiker]

Tomac rode/rides really soft as well. I remember him stating that you should run around 40% sag front and back, and we all know Johnny is the man...

 

[skyst3alth]

I always ride with it super stiff and firm.

Bikes on the other hand...

-Adam

 

[zedro]

geez, talk about making it tough for bike designers...

 

[jackalope]

^^
Please stop with the 'geez, talk about...blah, blah, blah...'
It bothers me...

 

[leprechaun]

The current treand among WC pros is on the stiffer side.Our boy Van Dine runs his bike on the stiff side,it's "Peaty is" syndrome though.
Pros Go fast,they need thier shiz stiffer.Good luck in mud with an overly stiff fork though.
In moto Those guys start at a specific setting for each track and adjust according to track changes.My point is that peeps shouldn't just 'go stiff' or make random choices like that.Susp should be set up according to your ability,the terrain,steepness,speed,etc.
I feel most peeps should start at 30% and go from there,and don't be afraid to try different setups,and try going back to square 1 occasionally to keep a grip on reality.
I had a buddy who was the DH dude in slc and bought a moto bike.He made all these tweeks thinking he knew whay he was doing.Then he set his bike back to stock settings and was astonished that he bike worked so well stock! Given moto bikes have very dialed stock,where 888's come stock with the dampers turned all the way in forcing you to set it yourself.My point is not to f be a follower and make choices based on your personal situation.

 

[ChrisKring]

I had a buddy who was the DH dude in slc and bought a moto bike.He made all these tweeks thinking he knew whay he was doing.Then he set his bike back to stock settings and was astonished that he bike worked so well stock! Given moto bikes have very dialed stock,where 888's come stock with the dampers turned all the way in forcing you to set it yourself.My point is not to f be a follower and make choices based on your personal situation.

Agreed, moto suspension is good from the factory. However, it is much better once it is tuned for you. The suspension on my YZ250F was set up by MCR a few weeks ago and it made a huge difference. Keep in mind though most MX bikes are dialed in for a 160 pound rider from the factory. We put heavier springs in and actually softened the damping. This was possible since the sag was set up properly. The issue with the early YZ250F was that the mid-speed stack does not match the low speed and high speed good. They made the suspension more linear.

On the original topic. Keep in mind how heavy Steve Peat is. He is a big boy and needs stiffer springs than most people. I like to run my boxxer softer with a higher oil height. Shawms March used to advocate that at his clinics. It seems to work well on the fork.

 

[zedro]

^^
Please stop with the 'geez, talk about...blah, blah, blah...'
It bothers me...

geez, talk about a jackass...

 

[seismic]

I guess the suspension setup varies depending on if it is a flat or very rough course.
I guess stiff suspension might be quite fast...but difficult to control !

 

[thaflyinfatman]

None of the fast guys I know (including a couple who raced the Worlds) run their suspension particularly stiff. Not rediculously soft either, but they use all their travel.