OFFROAD SUSPENSION
SETUP GUIDE
Customer:
Bike:
www.teknikracing.com (02) 4732 2626
sales@teknikmotorsport.com
Fax: 02 8088 7117
4/5 Harford Street
Penrith NSW 2750
PO Box 833
ABOUT TEKNIK
Teknik Motorsport is a manufacturer and importer of motorcycle suspension products. We also have a workshop dedicated to
developing and testing new products. Teknik is a family owned Australian company that is enthusiastic about motorcycling and
is staffed by people who are passionate motorcyclists, and our products are manufactured in Australia wherever possible.
Teknik has been operating since 2001. We have been involved with Enduro legend Geoff Ballard, and the Ballards Yamaha
Offroad team from 2001 and Lyndon Heffernans Academy Of Off-Road Riding since 2003. We have also built the suspension
for the GHR Honda Off Road Team, in Enduro, off road and the Australian Safari, culminating with an outright win in the 2004
Safari.
In 2006 we ran two Kawasaki KX250Fs in our own MX Nationals Pro Lite MX team in conjunction with ADB magazine. A solid
success, and team rider Mike Phillips has since gone on to much higher success.
For 2007/2008 we went road racing, attending every round of the ARRC, supporting a number of privateer riders in the Supersport
class, and we performed major setup and development work for Craig McMartin on the 1098 and 1198 Ducati in Pro Twins.
Howd he go? Two more CHAMPIONSHIPS! Lap records at every track, and nearly 2 seconds off his PB around his home track
of Eastern Creek. Thats a win for Teknik and a win for you as all our development work from the track goes into your suspension.
All our parts and kits have been extensively tested in the field by both our own race team and riders we support.
Opening hours:
8:30am - 5:00pm AEST Monday - Friday
8:30am - 12:00pm AEST Saturday
Sunday - Closed
Unit 4, 5 Harford St, Penrith NSW 2750
www.teknikmotorsport.com
sales@teknikmotorsport.com
Ph: (02) 4732 2626 Fax: (02) 8088 7117
INTRODUCTION
Todays motorcycles are very advanced. Gone are the days of the owner having to finish the manufacturing. However, they are
not perfect, they never can be. The nice folks who build your bike dont know you. They dont know if you weigh 60 kilos or 120
kilos. They dont know whether you carry a bunch of gear. They dont know if you ride SX, or natural terrain MX, or enduros.
Getting your suspension dialled in for your riding style is one of your first priorities when you take your new bike out on the track.
However, it is an on-going process, and what worked today might not suit the next track conditions you encounter next week.
Therefore, you have to take on the role of test rider yourself and learn to identify problem areas. Never stop testing and thinking
about what your bike is doing. Read your owners manual too, its full of good stuff.
This booklet is full of practical information that can help people with both revalved or standard suspension, and has been
complied from archival material, conversations with race engineers, input from Suspension Tech NZ and our own ongoing
experience working with top riders throughout Australia.
The figures we have come up with have generally worked very well but individual riders may get better results with alternative
personalized settings. Our experience and personal education is ongoing and we hope these notes will assist in your set up,
speed and safety. We will continue to offer our on track service at selected meetings and continue to develop our settings to
the benefit of our clients.
When using this manual, it is intended that you start at the clickers section and work your way through. It is of little use making
suspension and geometry adjustments when you have no idea of the basics: where your clickers are, ride height, springs rate,
shock length. Remove the set-up sheet at the back of this manual and photocopy it. Keep the notes as a record for each track,
and to give you direction when reviewing settings. If you dont keep records, you will chase your tail all weekend.
To get started, Ive included a quote from Ross Maeda of Enzoracing in California. Ross has a way of making complex systems
seem simple
To understand how to start adjusting your suspension, you have to understand the basic components. Both the forks and shock
have two key elements: the spring and dampening.
The spring is load or position-sensitive, which basically means its job is to hold the riders weight.
The dampening -- which is what the clickers control -- is a speed-sensitive element.
The spring is really just a dumb piece of metal thats bending. Its like a trampoline, if you stand on a trampoline, it holds you up;
but if you jump on it, it goes down a lot deeper and throws up equally as high. If you just had a spring on a motorcycle -- and no
dampening -- it would be like a car going down the freeway without shocks; it would bounce up and down for miles.
Adding dampening to the suspension is like putting that trampoline in water. It will still support your weight, but you dont get
the springy, bouncing effect.
01
Ph (02) 4732 2626
Fax (02) 8088 7117
www.teknikracing.com
sales@teknikmotorsport.com
4/5 Harford St Penrith NSW 2750
CLICKERS
Note: All clicker settings are referred to from the fully hard (clockwise) position.
Often we call a client on Monday after a race to see how they
went. Occasionally were met with the response it was too
soft or it was to stiff. Our next question is always What
clicker position did you start out at and where did you end up?
Did your adjustments help? Sometimes the answer is:
I DIDNT TOUCH THEM, I LEFT THEM RIGHT WHERE YOU
PUT THEM.
Anyone who knows a suspension tuner will realise how
much this drives them nuts. Find your suspensions adjusters
(commonly called clickers), and adjust them yourself. One
adjustment at a time so you know what it is doing. Keep a note
of where you started form, so if you get lost you can go back.
Adjusters are like a tap, closing off the tap to restrict the flow of
oil and produce a firmer dampening character. When we turn
the adjuster we are not adjusting the valving! We are simply
changing the quantity of oil that bleeds past the valving. If you
have the wrong valving setting for your application, you will
not get an optimum set-up by just turning clickers, however
you can improve the motorcycle and make it the best it can
be. Likewise, even with a perfect shock specification, poor
clicker settings will ruin the whole farm.
Turn the adjusters clockwise, counting the clicks or turns. Be
gentle; dont keep turning the screw or knob once it stops.
Turn the adjusters back out to the original position. Write the
number of clicks or turns down on the set-up sheet.
If in doubt, 10C (compression) and 10R (rebound) is a good
place to start for forks with over 20 clicks total adjustment. 1
turns for those forks with no clicks. Units with less total clicks,
use a midway position.
FORKS:
Compression
(C): For Closed
Cartridge forks; Clicker
is at the top of the fork.
For Open Cartridge forks;
Adjuster is at the bottom of the fork,
sometimes covered by a rubber plug.
Rebound (R): For Closed Cartridge forks; Flat blade
screw at the base of the fork. For Open Cartridge forks;
screw is at the top of the fork.
For Shocks, again check they are in the suggested positions,
and if in doubt, 1 turn out HSC,10 LSC, 10 R are good places
to start for most dampers.
BASIC GEOMETRY
This can be broken down into sections.
Fork travel / length, usually left standard.
Fork height, the position of the fork in the triple clamps.
This can be measured in lines above the top triple clamps.
I personally prefer to measure length of fork between the
bottom of the lower triple clamp and the end of the fork tube.
This eliminates the question of do we measure from the front
of back of the clamps and gets you used to making small
changes, as one line on the clamps will often be 3mm
Triple clamp offset and rake, again usually left standard.
Rear shock length, including any raising spacers. A tremel
bar is perfect for this. Measure the shock out of the bike with a
spring on it to compress the internal top out spring
Linkage adjustments (or different length pull rods)
Swingarm length.
Tyre height if you use different profiles.
Ph (02) 4732 2626
Fax (02) 8088 7117
www.teknikracing.com
SHOCK:
Low Speed Compression (LSC): Flat blade
screwdriver fitting at the top of the shock.
High Speed Compression (HSC): Large hex nut at the
top of the shock (it moves independently of the low speed).
Some brands have clicks, others you need to count turns
Rebound (R): Flat blade screwdriver fitting at the
bottom of the shock
sales@teknikmotorsport.com
4/5 Harford St Penrith NSW 2750
02
SAG
Before you start making adjustments its best to know where you are starting from. First job is to check the suspension sag
settings. This will allow you to check if you have the right springs and get used to making some adjustments. The average
target weight for a full size motorcycle is a 75kg rider. Therefore, if that is how much you weigh, and if you have a MX or current
technology enduro bike, chances are the spring rates will at least be close for you. Of course, you will need to check and adjust
your sag to be sure.
There are however some exceptions. If you ride in sand or mud a lot, you might want to run heavier springs. Pro class riders on
four strokes will also go for stiffer rates, as will x-treme jumpers. Often, OEM springs will loose some free length over time, so
if you feel the motorcycle is not handling how it did, recheck the sag.
To start, raise the bike on a stand so both front and rear
wheels are off the ground, and wind the clickers all the way
to full soft so they dont interfere with the results.
Measure from the rear axle to any fixed point on the rear
side cover or muffler. You might find it easier to make a
mark with a felt tipped pen at a convenient number.
Well use 500mm as an example. You need to be quite
accurate as a few mm will make a difference.
Measure the forks using the same process.
Put the machine back down on the ground and have the
rider sit in their normal riding position.
Wearing riding gear is preferable but you can estimate
the measurement by adding 5mm to account for the extra
weight.
In our example the measurement is now 380mm, therefore
we have a ride height, or rider sag, of 120mm (500 minus
380).
Lastly we measure the height with no rider to determine
how much the machine sags under its own weight.
Our measurement is 480mm, so we have 20mm static
sag.
If the machine we are measuring is a motocross bike and
we require 100mm rider sag, we would need to wind a lot
more preload onto the rear spring to achieve this. However
as we only have 20mm static sag if we wind more preload
on we will have no static sag, so we need to go to a stiffer
spring. See the following tables for a general guideline.
If you have too much rider sag or too little, increase or decrease the amount of spring preload to get it closer.
Then if static sag is correct, Rider sag less than minimum spring is too firm (or if rider correct & static more than max)
Static sag correct, rider sag more than max spring is too soft (or if rider correct & static less than min)
03
Ph (02) 4732 2626
Fax (02) 8088 7117
www.teknikracing.com
sales@teknikmotorsport.com
4/5 Harford St Penrith NSW 2750
FORK SAG
125 / 250 / 450
MX & Enduro
with 300+mm
suspension travel
80 / 85cc
Mini MX
50 / 65cc
Mini MX
Static Sag
30 +/- 10 mm
15 +/- 5 mm
Rider Sag
50 +/- 10 mm
40 +/- 5 mm
SAG
KTM PDS
XR 250 / 400
/ 600 / 650,
KLX 250 / 300,
DR650
DRZ / KLX 400
15 +/- 5 mm
30 +/- 10 mm
30 +/- 10 mm
30 +/- 10 mm
30 +/- 5 mm
50 +/- 10 mm
50 +/- 10 mm
50 +/- 10 mm
Note:
1) Soft springs require more preload, hard springs less preload. Final selection is not only dependent on final figures but also
personal preference. Very often a firmer spring rate will be more complaint in the first part of the stroke because it requires a
lot less preload.
2) Excessive pre-load on overly soft front fork springs will cause harsh feel and poor mechanical grip.
3) Normal preload range is 3 - 14mm. Lighter springs require more preload, heavier springs require less.
4) For a given rider there will usually be 2 or perhaps 3 spring rates that could be used, depending on the track and personal
preference.
5) To minimize front fork stiction (commonly used term to describe the level of force needed to over come friction) it is very
important that axle pinch clamps are only tightened after the forks have been compressed several times to neutralize their
position. Failure to do so can sometimes result in substantial stiction.
REAR SAG
- Equates to normally 1/3rd of full stroke as a starting point
125 / 250 / 450
MX & Enduro
with 300+mm
suspension travel
80 / 85cc
Mini MX
50 / 65cc
Mini MX
KTM PDS
XR 250 / 400
/ 600 / 650,
KLX 250 / 300,
DR650
DRZ / KLX 400
Static Sag
30 +/- 8 mm
10 +/- 3 mm
10 +/- 5 mm
38 +/- 3 mm
25 +/- 5 mm
25 +/- 5 mm
Rider Sag
100 +8/- 3 mm
85 +/- 3 mm
65 +/- 5 mm
110 +8/-5 mm
85 +/- 3 mm
85 +/- 3 mm
Note:
1) The above settings are guidelines only, and some riders may have better feel and speed with alternative settings.
2) The PDS system is very sensitive to rear height changes. We suggest 105mm ride height to begin with, however 90 - 110mm
is a practical working range
3) Machines with less suspension travel like the Honda XR use 85mm rear ride height.
4) KTM 85s work best with near 100mm of rider sag.
5) Soft springs require more preload, hard springs less preload. Final selection is not only dependent on final figures but also
personal preference. Very often a firmer spring rate will be more complaint in the first part of the stroke because it requires a
lot less preload.
6) As with the forks there are usually 3 spring rates that can be used and still be correct. We suggest that you measure your
springs off the shock and then measure the installed length so you know the preload in mm. For example, if you are using a
90Nm shock spring but wish to fit a 95Nm spring, and you know that you are using 13mm of preload on the 90Nm spring then
a reduction of 1mm in spring preload to 12mm will get you a similar starting point to maintain geometry but the 95Nm will ramp
up more as you use more travel.
Ph (02) 4732 2626
Fax (02) 8088 7117
www.teknikracing.com
sales@teknikmotorsport.com
4/5 Harford St Penrith NSW 2750
04
FORK TUNING
SETTING THE COMPRESSION
SETTING THE REBOUND
1) The forks should react to all track variations. If the
forks seem harsh on small bumps or holes, soften the
compression (turn clicker out). If they arent, stiffen the
compression (turn clicker in) until they do feel harsh and
then turn back a click or two.
The rebound damping is responsible for the stability and
the cornering characteristics of the motorcycle.
1) Find a short sweeper. When the forks compress for
the turn, the speed at which the forks return is the energy
that pushes your front wheel into the ground. If the forks
rebound too quickly, the energy will be used up and the
bike will drift wide, or wash. If the rebound is too slow, the
bike will tuck under and turn too soon to the inside. Find
the appropriate balance for each track.
2) Now find the rough part of the track again. The forks
should bottom over the worst obstacle. If harsh bottoming
occurs, add oil in 5mm increments.
2) With the bike turning well, the wheel should return to
the ground quickly yet not deflect off berms or bounce off
jumps.
FORK OIL LEVEL
500
475
450
425
400
375
350
325
300
275
250
225
200
175
150
125
100
Force (N)
FORK
OIL
LEVEL
75
50
25
0
140
10
20
Stroke (mm)
150
160
30
170
40
180
50
60
70
190
200
210
80
90
220
230
100
240
110
120
130
Oil Level (mm)
Note: Oil height is measured from the top of the outer leg, with the top nut off, the
fork fully compressed and no preload washer or spring installed.
OIL LEVEL RAISED: Forks firmer towards the end of the stroke
OIL LEVEL LOWERED: Forks softer towards the end of the stroke
There are 2 forms of spring in every fork, the wire coil springs, and the air trapped in the fork above the oil. Both springs are
sensitive to their position in the stroke, but not to speed (the dampening character is sensitive to the speed the fork compresses
but not to position).
If you are using linear or straight wound springs, they will provide a linear progression in stiffness as the fork compresses. The
air spring or air gap character is not linear; as you can see from the graph below, it has little influence in the first 1/2 of the
stroke, but has a dramatic influence in the last 1/3. Too low and the fork will bottom too easily, too high and the fork will loose
its compliance in the last part of the stroke.
Twin chamber forks are also sensitive to oil height in a different way, the spring perch causes a secondary dampening effect
when it plunges into the oil, raising the oil height beings this secondary effect in sooner.
05
Ph (02) 4732 2626
Fax (02) 8088 7117
www.teknikracing.com
sales@teknikmotorsport.com
4/5 Harford St Penrith NSW 2750
FORK TUNING
FORK TROUBLESHOOTING
FRONT END FALLS INTO THE CURVES
(OVERSTEERING) ESPECIALLY IN SAND
Steep front fork angle. Front end too low in comparison
to rear end.
1) Increase the front fork compression damping.
CAN HANDLE THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF BUMPS BUT
FEELS HARD AFTER A FEW MORE BUMPS, FRONT
GRIP INSUFFICIENT IN ROUGH & BUMPY TURNS
Too much rebound damping.
1) Decrease the rebound damping.
2) Change to harder springs.
3) Lower fork leg approximately 5 mm in the triple clamp.
FRONT END REBOUND TOO FAST AFTER A BUMP,
FRONT WHEEL GRIP INSUFFICIENT IN BUMPY TURNS
FRONT END UNSTABLE DURING DECELERATION
Front fork angle too steep during braking. Front end too
low or rear end to high.
1) Increase the oil level in the front fork.
Not enough rebound damping, or too much spring
preload.
1) Increase the rebound damping.
2) Decease the spring preload.
2) Change to harder fork springs.
3) Increase the fork compression damping.
HEADSHAKE
FORK TRAVEL IS NOT USED TO ITS FULL
CAPACITY, HARSH FEELING, UNSATISFACTORY
FRONT WHEEL GRIP IN BUMPY TURNS
Too much or too little weight on the front wheel, springs
or dampening incorrect.
1) Be sure the fork is not abnormally soft or hard. If it is, go
through the steps above.
Suspension is too hard.
1) Decrease the fork compression damping.
2) Reduce the rebound dampening.
2) Change to softer springs.
3) Check the fork springs are correct for your weight.
4) Check the steering head bearings, be sure there is a slight
amount of preload on the bearings and they are well greased.
SUSPENSION BOTTOMING, BUT
CAN HANDLE SMALLER BUMPS
Damping force not progressive enough.
1) Increase oil level.
BIKE DOES NOT WANT TO TURN
Not enough weight on the front wheel
CAN HANDLE SMALLER BUMPS BUT IS TOO
HARD DURING THE LAST PART OF TRAVEL
1) Try increasing the rear shock preload. Dont go under
15mm of static sag.
Damping force is too progressive.
2) Slide the forks up in the triple clamps 5mm.
1) Decrease oil level.
3) If the rear is not too stiff try increasing the rear compression
dampening (low speed if you have a 2-way compression
adjuster).
FRONT END FEELS LOW, INITIALLY
FEELS SOFT, BUT IS NOT BOTTOMING
4) If you have no problem with headshake, try increasing the
forks rebound dampening two clicks at a time.
Too much spring preload, or too much compression
damping.
5) If you have no problem with the fork bottoming, try
decreasing the forks compression dampening 2 clicks at a
time.
1) Increase the oil level or change to softer springs.
2) Decrease the compression damping.
3) Decrease the spring preload.
4) Clean the oil seals and scrapers.
Ph (02) 4732 2626
Fax (02) 8088 7117
www.teknikracing.com
6) Are the forks centred in the axle, has this problem just
occurred after removing and refitting the forks?
7) If possible, reduce the amount of fork spring preload, or go
to a softer spring as a last resort.
sales@teknikmotorsport.com
4/5 Harford St Penrith NSW 2750
06
SHOCK TUNING
SETTING THE COMPRESSION
SETTING THE REBOUND
1) Find a corner with acceleration bumps on the exit. The
rear of the motorcycle should follow the ground. If the rear
end breaks up, soften the compression. (turn clicker out)
(If this fails, soften the rebound two clicks).
1) Find a relatively fast straight with braking bumps leading
into the entrance of a corner. Reduce (turn clicker out)
the rebound damping until the rear end begins to hop or
feel loose. Finally, increase (turn clicker in) the rebound
damping until the sensation goes away.
2) Find some rough sections, a large jump and a couple
of G-Outs. The shock should bottom on the roughest
section but it should not be a slamming sensation. Add
compression to fight bottoming (turn clicker in). But avoid
going to far as small bump ride will be sacrificed in the
trade. Remember the adjusters have a primary effect on
the low speed, so even a large change in setting may
only affect bottoming resistance slightly. Bottoming your
suspension is not necessarily a bad thing. You should
strive to bottom off the biggest bottoming load obstacle
on the track. If you dont, youre not getting maximum
plushness from your suspension.
2) Find a jump that tends to launch the motorcycle out.
The rear end should absorb and then smoothly lift the
motorcycle into the air. If the rear end bounces up, add
rebound (turn clicker in).
3) Find some large whoops. The motorcycle should track
straight through the whoops with the rear wheel extending
to the ground before the next impact. If it does not perform
as described as above, it is packing and the rebound
damping should be reduced! (turn clicker out).
(Please note the guide for sand set-up, as these rules
dont apply for sand).
TOO MUCH LOW SPEED REBOUND DAMPING
TOO LITTLE LOW SPEED REBOUND DAMPING
Rear end tends to wash out or slide-out on hard packed
sweeper turns with small bumps especially off-camber
washboard sections does not develop good braking
power.
The symptoms here are similar to the left; a tendency
to slide out on washboard turns and poor braking over
washboard sections, but the critical difference in this case
is that the back of the bike is bouncing up and down too
much.
Poor rear wheel hook up when accelerating over series of
small bumps or washboard sections.
In general, rear end seems to be well controlled in the
situations it is not oscillating up and down too much but it
just doesnt seem to develop good traction.
Not enough rebound damping causes too much kicking up,
especially noticeable when braking on downhill sections
with small bumps or over a washboard surface.
Note: All these problems arise because the excess
damping keeps the rear wheel from extending fast enough
to follow the low spots between the small bumps the result
is poor traction.
SHOCK TROUBLESHOOTING
REAR END DOES NOT HOOK UP
EXCESSIVE REAR END KICK UNDER POWER
1) Re-check the rear suspension sag. Not enough preload
can cause this.
1) Check for packing, which is identified by kick to side in
hard to loam conditions. If you observe packing, soften
rebound (turn clicker out). This cannot be avoided if you brake
improperly and lock the rear wheel up and/or pull in the clutch,
on the entrance to corners.
2) Reduce the rears rebound dampening, this allows the rear
wheel to get back on the ground faster and increase traction.
3) Check the rear axle position, if it has been moved all the
way rearward, then shorten or replace the chain.
4) Re-check your HSC adjuster if the problem is more
predominant on rocks and roots. Decrease (wind out) the
HSC adjuster.
CANT HANDLE THE WHOOPS
1) Try increasing the rear compression dampening, especially
high speed if you have it.
2) Often rear end kicking under power is bottoming; try going
stiffer on compression or increasing rear spring preload.
REAR END BOTTOMS OUT
1) Increase compression dampening.
2) Increase spring preload but dont go more than 5mm under
the recommended rider sag for your model.
3) Decrease rebound dampening.
2) Increase the rebound dampening but not so much that it
packs in repeated bumps.
07
Ph (02) 4732 2626
Fax (02) 8088 7117
www.teknikracing.com
sales@teknikmotorsport.com
4/5 Harford St Penrith NSW 2750
SUSPENSION SUMMARY
GOING TO DIFFERENT TRACKS
Keep a record of the different settings you used at each track. That way you can start at a point that worked well the previous
times. Remove the set-up sheet at the back of this manual and photocopy it.
The following are some tips that will help you set up for particular types of terrain.
Hard Pack to intermediate:
Set the compression softer (turn clicker out), both front and rear to help get maximum wheel contact and plushness.
Sand tracks: (Non-square edged bumps)
More low speed compression and rebound are necessary. Start by adding 1 - 2 clicks (turn clicker in) of rebound and as the
track gets rough, add 1 - 4 clicks (turn clicker in) of compression. Harshness is a result of packing in forks. Remember to add
compression (turn clicker in) to help keep the front end from packing. The rear suspension will exhibit packing by swapping.
To eliminate swapping, begin adding compression (turn clicker in) until the bike tracks straight, and then add rebound (turn
clicker in) to keep the rear following the terrain of each whoop. Dont be concerned if your clickers are nearly maxed out in sand
conditions. Unless of course you have had your bike revalved for sand.
Supercross: (G-load, curb hits)
G-loads produce slow piston speeds. This means that less dampening is produced by the shock and forks in a situation that
causes more of a bottoming load. To set your bike up for Supercross, adjust the compression stiffer (turn clicker in) on the
suspension (2 - 6 clicks), and in some circumstances raise oil level and/or change to stiffer springs.
DAMPENING SYSTEMS SUMMARY
Dampening Adjustment
Low Speed
Rebound Dampening
Best places on track for testing
Perfect When
Small bumps
Heavy enough to prevent rear end bouncing or
oscillation yet light enough to allow rear wheel
to extend. Fast enough to maintain good contact
with ground. Rear end tracks well on washboard
sweeps and off-camber washboard turns; brakes
well on washboard.
Sweeper turns over washboard sections
Off-camber washboard turns
Braking on washboard surfaces
High Speed
Rebound Dampening
Series of medium or large rolling type
bumps on high speed sections
Fast downhill sections with deep rolling
bumps
Small bumps and medium bumps
Deep rolling sand whoops
Low Speed
Compression Dampening
Washboard sections
Deep smooth gullies
High Speed
Compression Dampening
Big square edges bumps in fast sections
Big jumps
Heavy enough to prevent rear end kicking up, yet
light enough to prevent packing down on series of
bumps.
Heavy enough to prevent bottoming out on bumps
or rising sand whoops at the bottom of deep
smooth gullies, yet light enough to allow shock
to stroke smoothly on small bumps and avoid
skipping when braking on washboard surfaces.
Heavy enough to prevent excess bottoming out off
jumps or over large square edged bumps yet light
enough to stroke deeply to absorb these bumps
without harshness or rigidity.
WASHING & BIKE CARE
Wash your bike after every ride so you can inspect the fork chrome tubes for knicks or scratches that will lead to seal failure. For
upside down forks keep the chrome tubes free of dry mud that the dust scrapers will not be able to dislodge. After the wash, a
light coating of water dispersing oil (WD-40) will keep the seals and wipers lubricated. To maintain optimum performance, lever
the fork dust scraper down and clean the dust build up from around the seal and wiper. Then apply general purpose grease
lightly, and refit the wiper.
For the shock, lift the bump stop up periodically with a screwdriver and wash under the bump stop. This is a common area
where shock shaft corrosion starts. If the flap that protects the shock becomes damaged, replace it; or the roost off the rear
wheel will damage the shaft.
Ph (02) 4732 2626
Fax (02) 8088 7117
www.teknikracing.com
sales@teknikmotorsport.com
4/5 Harford St Penrith NSW 2750
08
SUSPENSION REFITTING
READ THIS BEFORE YOU REFIT YOUR FORK & SHOCK
FRONT SUSPENSION
Triple clamps: Wipe the clamps out with a solvent, they must be clean and oil free. Use a scotchbrite pad if you need to
remove any hard deposits. Feel the steering head bearings while you are at it do they move freely?
Axle: Check the axle for any nicks or burrs. NEVER HIT YOUR AXLE WITH ANYTHING HARDER THAN BRASS OR PLASTIC.
If your axle cannot centre in the axle foot, you will have a harsh feeling fork that you cannot remedy with clicker adjustment.
Install the forks and torque the triple clamps to manufacturers specification. Over tightening will cause binding in the upper
tubes.
Set the fork projection through the top clamps to the stock position. If you have a projection preference and have not
changed fork settings, set it to your previous figure.
Lubricate the axle with thin oil or WD40, run it through the feet and wheel bearings to ensure it is smooth. Install the wheel
and the axle, but leave the pinch bolts loose.
After all the other assembly work is done, drop the bike off the stand, hold the front brake and pump the forks several times,
to centre the axle and the fork legs. Tighten the pinch bolts while the bike is sitting on the ground. THIS STEP IS CRITICAL.
Look through the tuning notes and go ride.
After riding, raise the front wheel off the ground and release the air that builds up in the forks.
REAR SUSPENSION
Start tuning at standard ride height
Move the swing arm up and down to check for binding in the linkages.
Fit the shock, and torque the bolts to specifications.
Again, look at the tuning notes before riding.
On your first ride, start riding carefully. If you have had a major change to your suspension settings your bike will react differently
on the track and you may crash as a result.
09
Ph (02) 4732 2626
Fax (02) 8088 7117
www.teknikracing.com
sales@teknikmotorsport.com
4/5 Harford St Penrith NSW 2750
TEKNIK SUSPENSION SETTINGS
Date:
Event:
Session
Track Temp
Front Tyre PSI
Rear Tyre PSI
Bike
Gearing
Wheelbase
Fastest Time
Offset
Angle
Fork Type & #
HYD SPEC
Fork Height
Front
Compression
Rebound
Spring Rate
Preload (mm)
Oil Level (mm)
Top Out Spring
Shock Type & #
Link
HYD SPEC
Compression
(LS, HS)
Rear
Rebound
Spring Rate
Preload (mm)
Top Out Spring
Shock Length
Swing Arm
Length
Notes & Comments
Rider:
1
Bike:
3
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go to:
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Fork & Shock Sizes
(02) 4732 2626
Unit 4/5 Harford Street, PO Box 833, Penrith NSW 2750
Fax: 02 8088 7117
Email: sales@teknikmotorsport.com
