This isn't my bike, but is very much like it and represents the typical modern dirt bike rear shock absorber.
Shocking, isn't it?
This weekend's Pachaug enduro loop rides are in the history books (since it's 5:17 pm on Sunday afternoon) and I had a pair of good rides.
Allow me to tell you about them.
Hmmmmmmmmm?
Saturday was the first time out on the revalved front forks and rear shock with the ol' CRF-450X9, the revalve getting done during this past week by Tom at Nasin Machine, and the bike definitely felt different as compared to the stock valving.
I asked for a valving setup that would work better at the slower speeds and sharp, rocky and tree-rooty bumps of the tighter sections of the Pachaug loop while not going so far on the soft side of things that the feel would be too soft on the faster sections that I really enjoy.
I have to say that that's pretty much what Tom delivered with the new settings.
First of all, Tom told me that the original settings of the fork and shock valving was obviously meant for a heavier rider and/or for terrain where you can get some speed up and hammer through the bumps and rough terrain, like somewhere out west in the open spaces of Baja.
Well, it sure felt like it since the original settings felt better the faster I went but would feel stiff on the slower sections, and what makes these sections slow is all of the sharp bumps you have to slow down for.
Well, I slow down, anyway.
With these new valving settings, the suspension basically feels similar to the stock settings with softer damping.
It seems that this softer damping is more in tune with my body weight of 150 pounds where the stock settings are probably meant for a rider at least 30 pounds more than me.
A few extra cheeseburgers in my stomach might have done it, no?
So, where the stock settings felt good hammering through the pine-needled whoop section, it now actually feels even better on that part of the Pachaug loop because the stock settings provided damping that was simply more than required for me and my pace and weight.
This was a pleasant surprise because I found myself going a bit faster here - automatically - since the bike simply felt better and easier to ride a bit faster through this fun section of trail.
Very nice, Bucky.
How does it work on the slower and rockier sections?
It feels, again, similar to the stock settings but with a bit less damping, giving a bit softer ride over the rocky, rooty, choppy stuff.
I wouldn't call it the perfect setup for this type of terrain because it's still stiffer than is ideal for the rocky shit, but is a bit better, and that was the goal:
A bit softer without going all the way to sit-down-on-the-seat-through-the-rocks soft and cushy, and where if I had that done, I fear things would feel too soft on the faster sections.
So, all-in-all, the new suspension settings feel like it was worth the work and money for this to be done, and Saturday's loop was very much a get-used-to-the-new-settings acclamation ride for me.
I felt pretty good while doing it, too, although the rear tire was pretty much toasted before the ride started, and after, it was really time for a replacement to be mounted.
That rear tire replacement came that evening in the form of a new Bridgestone M604, size 110/100-18, and today's ride was started on a brandy-new rear meat (slang for tire).
At the same time, I replaced six spokes on the rear wheel, not because they were broken but because the spoke nipples had seized to the threaded end of the spoke, making it impossible to turn the nipple and tighten the spoke tension.
There are still three that need to be replaced (wish I had taken a detailed count instead of just winging it when I ordered the spokes), but I'll get those done at the next rear tire change.
I should have known!
Old-timer dirt bike riders out there have read that line somewhere before, haven't you? ;)
With a fresh rear tire, the bike felt even better since rear traction allowed the kind of grip that allows proper weight transfer toward the rear of the bike under acceleration, something that not only feels good, but makes for a bike that handles as it is supposed to, Lenny.
With the new rear tire, the suspension felt even better on my second ride with it as I am starting to get a feel for how it works on the different sections of the Pachaug enduro loop.
Bump absorption on the sharp bumps is better, making not only for less jolts annoying me, but also for better front and rear traction.
The bike still feels best on sections where I can keep some speed up, but slower sections are at least better than before in most situations.
A good example of this is where there are burly-sized tree roots stretched across the trail from one side to the other with the trail on an incline and the dirt on the ground has been eroded (Egad! That bad word EROSION!) away after 40-ish years of riders enjoying themselves out there, exposing the roots and making for a kind of uphill staircase-type bump to contend with.
The suspension now gives less of a firm jolt and more of a cushion as the fork and shock can now move more when hitting these kinds of obstacles at speed, and the benefit is a better ride, more ease of keeping control of the bike, and better traction.
Sounds like a good thing, no?
Well, it is, Edwardo.
All-in-all, today's ride was very nice and quite enjoyable.
I felt a bit sore from the ride on Saturday, but that wasn't noticeable once on the go and I rode well, made some good moves, and had a heck of a time out there.
I blew the last rocky uphill climb while riding toward the finish of the loop (the same one that has proven more difficult on the CRF-450X9), but, that's what happens on that hill if I don't keep looking ahead and keep the throttle on, not stare at one part of the ground and roll the throttle off, loosing momentum.
That's called fucking it up.
Once I stopped, regrouped my thoughts, and got moving, I was able to continue in fine fashion.
The mileage was the same as yesterday's:
50 miles on the button.
Good stuff.
During this coming jerk week, I'm installing a new clutch cable since I realized on Saturday morning the original one is fraying down at the elbow where the cable turns a corner.
That's an easy fix and shows why eyeballing your bike while performing routine maintenance is a good thing, Zeek.
-John
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