KLX 250 Suspension settings

Sep 26, 2010
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Hi im new to here so please dont bite my head off if this has been asked before i did do a search.
Ive just bought a 2010 KLX 250 from Udon had it for a couple of weeks now when i bought it the suspension was very soft and it sunk a lot when i sat on it the manual says it is set from standard for a 65kg person (umm im nearer 105kg) the shop offered to adjust the spring first to get it a bit better i was wondering if anyone knows the suspension sag measurement for this (thought it might of been 2 or 3 inches from rear tyre to mudguard when you get on i presuming that tightening the spring should do it (with having to get it replaced) then maybe fine tune it with the other rebound damping settings . I had the luxury in the UK of having neil Hudson set up my old XR600 for me and it was very good .
Im not into doing big jumps and racing around everywhere but here in isan theres 100s of miles of red dirt tracks just to potter around on any help would be much appreciated got to take the bike back this week for its 1000km first service and the front fork seal is gone already :-(
 

rmbike

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Jun 28, 2010
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No spring preload on the forks and not sure whether there are any damping clickers, dont think so?

so for the front you could raise the oil height by no more than 1 cm

For the rear you can up the pre load and turn the compression clicker in.

Importantly you want to keep the front to rear balance, not one or the other a lot stiffer.

Other than that its stiffer springs all around, which i personally would do asap
if your going to keep the bike for any length of time.
 
May 6, 2009
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Measuring sag is very simple, and should be the first job whenever buying a new bike.
In addition to telling you if the measurement is right, it will also indicate whether you have got the correct springs installed for your weight.
On an MX bike it would be 90-100mm or about one third of the total shock travel. I do not know the shock travel for the 250 but it should be around 300mm and the same with the forks.
If this sag distance measures less than 95 mm the spring has too much preload and you need to take some off, if it’s the other way, more than 100mm, add some preload.
If you need to wind the spring adjuster up more than 2-3 full turns it is very likely that the spring is too soft for your weight. And I am sure at 105 kilograms on that 250 that the spring is not heavy enough.
If you do not have the correct spring for your body weight the suspension will never work correctly. The springs on both ends are the single most important part of suspension
The rear spring should have no more than about 10-12 mm of preload. (i.e. 2-3 full turns) Do exactly the same on the front, take sag measurements fully extended and with you sitting on the bike and you should have about one third of the fork travel compressed.
Once you get the right springs for your weight then set the preload (sag), you then can start on rebound and compression settings. If you are going to experiment with these settings you need to do them at small increments and only do one end at a time then test ride the bike through all types of surfaces.
Then adjust the other end and ride again to see if you can feel the difference and eventually find a sweet spot that suits your riding style. It needs to be done slowly and with patience and record every step so you know where you started and where you at with the last adjustment and you should be to go back to where the best settings were, if you get lost.
 
Sep 26, 2010
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thanks for your replies going to the shop tomorrow measured the sag and its 125mm with me on it so ill try a couple of turns on the spring first see how that pans out if not will have to look for some springs