Tech Tips: Setting Up And Adjusting A Motorcycle Shock Presented By Vital MX

In the most basic explanation your dirt bike suspension is
pretty straight forward. It simply goes up and down as it absorbs
the bumps and jumps, doing its best to minimize transferring the
jostling to your body while also keeping the tires in contact with
the ground. When you really dive in there's much more to it in
regards to the intricacies of of suspension. Compression, rebound,
adjustments, the amount of travel, and dealing with built up
pressure are just a few things that come to mind.
Riding a dirt bike that hasn't had its suspension set up for your
weight and/or riding preferences can be the difference
between a great ride and a miserable one-or more importantly a
podium finish and not even making it past qualifying. Many riders
think that it takes some kind of black magic sorcery to properly
adjust their dirt bike suspension. As this video from our friends
at Vital MX demonstrates, once you understand the basic
terms, functions, and how the different adjustments affect the
performance and handling it's really not that hard to dial in your
dirt bike.
In the video Michael Lindsay walks you through how compression and
rebound work in a dirt bike fork and explains where and
the different adjustment points are and how to adjust them. Michael
also discusses clicker settings, what they do, and when you should
make changes. He also addresses air pressure-yes even if you are
not running air spring forks your conventional forks can build up
air pressure and change how your suspension feels.
By watching this video, even if you have been riding and tinkering
with your dirt bike for quite some time you just might learn
something new or rediscover a fact you forgot about dirt bike
forks.