4 Ways to Improve Your Suspension for FREE!

Learn how to get the most out of your suspension with these 4 tips!

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@JeffWalker84

#Suspension #motocross #ktm

[JeffWalker]

I'm glad so many of you are enjoying this video and finding it useful! Let me know what tech video you'd like to see in the future

[CameronNiemela]

I don’t think I’ve seen anyone explain front end alignment as well as you did. I wish everyone knew how much of a game changer it is getting your forks dialed. Thanks for putting out great info Jeff!

[thedridge]

I love how Jeff says you’ll see the pros do this or that but is to humble to say that he in fact is a pro. You’re the man Jeff!

[davidsollenberger]

I’ve never seen the alignment broken down like that in my 30+ years of racing. Super informative! Appreciate it Jeff

[Papparratzi]

This old Old dog just learned some new tricks.
An engineer from Luxon also recommended to me using anti seize to lubricant the bolts to get a consistent torque. Keep in mind the bolts stretch after the first torque and will change tension each time they’re torqued and the factory torque specs are dry torque. If you’re using anti seize and use dry torque specs, you’re over torquing the bolts. In particular, the lower clamp will bind the internal bushing. The engineer recommended a lower torque on my Husky T clamps.

In my case, I think he recommended 9 wet lower and 12 wet upper.
It’s a good idea to find out if your torque specs are wet or dry. I suspect they’re dry.

Anyhow, I learned some very important things and I really appreciate your info and excellent editing.

[gregorgeiger]

Hey Jeff, after 20 years of wrenching on my own dirtbikes, i just learned a lot from your video. Thank you very much for this great and helpful content! Best regards from Germany 🇩🇪 ✌🏾

Possible Content for the next videos: 1. cleaning and oiling the air-filter perfect 😊 2. Right jetting on a 2stroke. 3. Not a tech tip, but how to warm up before training or racing

[honda]

Jeff.... this is truly one of your best videos, never seen suspension installment broken down in steps so easy to understand!

[LocalGarage]

Great video, but a couple things you might think through; If the rear suspension parts are not worn, the nuts and bolts clamp into the bearing spacers, which ride on the bearings. Whether you torque those with the bike on a stand or on the floor won't affect how the spacers and bearings act. KTM PDS shocks articulate on hiem joints versus roller bearings and they may benefit from being on the floor, but a linkage bike wont.
On the forks, I do 2 things different than you discussed. I learned that one can tighten the triple clamps on twisted forks pretty easily which throws everything else out of wack. To align the triple clamps with each other I remove one fork tube. On the other side I snug all 4 pinch bolts until the fork tube can't spin. this should align the clamps with each other. you'll know you got it right if you slide the other fork tube in and it slips right into the upper clamp. If the clamps are misaligned the lower clamp would not guide the fork perfectly into the upper clamp. So that procedure aligns the clamps. Next you need to align the lower lugs on the axle. Your technique should get you close. But a Motion Pro fork alignment tool will allow you to get it perfect. Also, once you use this tool one time, you'll know where the lug needs to be on the axle to have proper spacing and you can set it back to the same place time and again visually.

[justinelko]

I have 4 years of experience on working on aircraft and an extensive school on aircraft maintenance. Putting antiseize on the threads changes the torque that youre applying, so youre probably applying more torque than what the OE specification is.

[insertgoodname]

This video should have way more views. This is *the best* fork alignment vid on youtube.
I have an ebike with all the symptoms you described. My forks had a "crust" just how you described. Just aligned them and they have never felt this good. I thought I needed better forks. You saved me a fortune!

[saddlsor]

Very detailed how-to here; very well done Jeff.
While I'm no racer, and when I ride in the dirt my bike weighs twice what y'all ride (1250 GSA), it's worth noting that the same principles apply to street bikes.
Sag, alignment, lube and torque.
Won't make us "faster", but doing all these the right way sure do help to keep from wearing out parts, and can add to a smoother ride as well.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and your experience.

[WestBoundaryPhotography]

Like the technique for alignment quite effective, plus very good idea for lock tight on the stem pitch bolt. A couple things to consider, after the top stem nut is tighten to preload the bearings to what feels good, always use a dead blow mallet and tap the upper triple at the fork leg to destress the upper triple it will move down slightly on the fork legs. this helps maintain the proper flex profile and alignment of the upper to the forks. one other thing if you use anti-seize or grease on the bolts the torque spec changes some. MFG torque spec is for the bolt dry, not a greased/anti-seized (wet) one. What happens is with it greased/anti-seized and torqued the factory spec is that it actually increases the tension on the bolt creates more clamping force, like torquing them dry to a much hight number. Thus deforming the fork tube some. which no one wants. The grease/anti-seize reduces the friction at the bolt head flange and between the threads, With a greased/anti-seized bolt the torque can be lowered by 20-30% because of this reduction in friction during torquing, and still keep the same tension and clamping force with the same flex profile of the triple and forks as when torquing to the MFG spec with everything dry.

[ryanbisi]

I think a proper “Race bike prep” video could be super useful for people to have a checklist on what the pros make sure is dialed in before a race

[tndeere]

Great Job!! At age 57 I've been a life long rider and thats the best info i have seen on suspension alignment. Very detailed. Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[korabeats_]

Just greased the whole back end of my bike today with the maxima waterproof grease. Stuff sticks so well! Tore apart the linkage, took the swingarm off, wheel bearings, bushing/sleeves, needle bearings, etc. Good clean on all of it, but I did torque everything on that stand. Glad I watched this! Will be loosening it all up again tomorrow and torquing it on the ground.

[endurofurry]

I worked for a KTM service dealer for a year to learn all the tips and tricks to make me a better personal mechanic. (pretty sucky year but I did learn a lot) not 1 time had they ever told me about the front end axel alinement... makes a lot of sense. will be doing it this way going foward.

[trevorallison]

Dude, this is honestly a game changer. Hoping for more tech videos like this in the future!

[THAxBLiNt]

Before this video my front suspension must have been so out of whack, I had no idea about any of this stuff! I now re-align my front end if I have any sort of tip over at the track. The tip about the setting the fork height with front axle being able to slide freely is absolutely gold!

[cucumberlumber]

Dude ive been riding for 25 years and I learned more about front end setup in your youtube video than all my years on a bike. Do more of these tech talk videos!

[SlowRider]

I was skeptical at first about the rear end tightening sequence, but it seemed to work. I have been doing the front end alignment like this for years on all of my bikes. Great tutorial video!