rgoers - it compresses at a rate but it lowers alot. To explain beating my back... its a ****ty ride. I feel every damn bump it hits.... i only have 200 miles on it... unless the shock came bad from the factory, i assume my weight is to much for the spring so it just drives the force into the shock, vs. if i had a stiffer spring... it would take some load and so would the shock...????

 

I emailed the eBay seller about that spring, to see which rate I should get, and the response was, "I'm not sure if that spring will fit your bike; buy at your own risk." Yeah that was real helpful.

So are we sure it'll fit?

Rob

 

You should be able to test if you're too heavy for the spring by doing the sag measurements. The spring is basically the only thing in play when setting sag. If you sit on it and you can't adjust the shock nut enough to get reasonable sag measurement, then the spring is too soft (as apposed to saying "you're too heavy") If you have to move the nuts to the end of their range to get your sag set correctly, then again, the spring is too soft. You should be able to set the sag and be somewhere mid-range with the adjusting nut.

It sounds to me that it's a problem with the shock though. Someone on the ADV Rider forum mentioned a front shock they had on their KLX where the damping adjustment didn't do anything. They ended up re-valving it... It's not impossible to have an issue with the shock or the damping valve not working. If your shock is providing zero damping, that would transfer all the bump feedback directly to your back.

Mine has a very plush feel. If I plop down hard on my seat, it slowly compresses... very cushy, not harsh. If I jump up, it slowly rises. If I jump up and down on it, it resists my jumping... softening the effect noticeably. Yours should feel the same... If it's beating up your back, something is definitely wrong.

I would set sag first, before spending any money, and go from there... depending on what the sag settings tell you.

 

I Agree.

If sag is correct, I am going to go the other direction and say that you have the compression clickers set too high (Too Stiff). That would transfer the bumps into your back.

 

hey guys - i emailed those sellers to on ebay and they wouldnt tell me ****.... never even replied. tonight, i just loosened the lock nut and tightened the lower nut towards the floor. Is there a special tool for that? I used a dead blow and a screw driver (real classy). It worked but it did mark up the spring and the washer.

Tonight is much stiffer and sags less, however, i did not spend the time to set it to the exact height as I started at 1030PM east coast time and i got a ride setup at 6 am. It definetely does not bottom out and slowly compresses and slowly rises. I probably drove the nut 50% towards the ground or better on the thread. It was about 75% of the thread towards the seat before i startedl I ride on real rocky roads too.

I did not do the front end yet. but that has not bothered me yet.

 

If I remember correctly, the manual for my 09 klx says the springs are designed for a 165 lb rider.

I emailed the ebay seller to ask which spring his calculator suggests for my 220 lb body.

 

let me tell you guys, i hit that bike hard this weekend and the rear end was so much better after I cranked down on her... i will measure the sag next weekend but it felt like a new machine with a simple adjustment, i could only assume a better spring would do more. Need to adjust front end too. Rather sink money into big bore and new carb before springs both front & back

 

I would do the suspension first (and I am). I upgraded my fork springs to 0.48kg (stock is 0.43) and it made a HUGE difference. I'm 170 lbs in regular clothes and the stock fork springs are pathetic.

With the help of a friend, we set the sag in back, which meant cranking down on the preload quite a bit, and upping the compression a bit too. I think I'm seven clicks off of full stiff and it's like a different bike now. With all that done, I'm saving up for a few more odds and ends (better lighting) and then will dive into the big bore project later in the year.

Rob

 

RobG did you do the springs yourself?

Yeah big bore is a must. Drove my old mans 2012 KTM 500 Enduro... that bike is a beast, almost to much for heavy trails.... i'd like to get the power inbetween the KLX250 and the KTM 500... thinking 351 kit is the way to go with a new carb of course.

 

No, I had a local shop put 'em in for me... $40 because I brought the tubes to them. There's supposedly a special wrench you need to get a nut out that holes things in place (under the caps) so I figured screw it, and this way everything was done right.

I did the forks on my DR650, but they're a much older/simpler design and were pretty easy.

Rob