MXA TECH SPEC: HOW TO FIX YOUR BIKE’S HANDLING IN 15 MINUTES

[Scoob]

I feel like I've been under a rock in finding some of this stuff. Figure may be common knowledge to some of you motoheads, but things I'd like to try as I get back into things and for when I am tinkering on the bikes. I'll never remember where I saw it, so I am putting it here for future reference...

I know I always seem to run my forks high in the clamps, but not sure really why I did. Probably had more to do with me being of around 5'7" stature and every millimeter I could find was worth it I suppose.... Now I know if I run them high and have a little headshake, I may want to consider lowering them. Definitely when going 4th or 5th gear tapped at the dunes. A bad place/time to get headshake...

MXA TECH SPEC: HOW TO FIX YOUR BIKE’S HANDLING IN 15 MINUTES

 

[MarctheSharc]

Dude - in the Dunes

Forks all the way flush
Rebound set 4 clicks from full in - both ends
Rear axle - all the way back - run the sloppiest chain you have.
Sag set at 105mm or more.
Her pantyhose over the air filter

Party time !
Do you run a scoop style rear ?

You could probably take off the front brake too....

 

[Scoob]

Dude - in the Dunes

Forks all the way flush
Rebound set 4 clicks from full in - both ends
Rear axle - all the way back - run the sloppiest chain you have.
Sag set at 105mm or more.
Her pantyhose over the air filter

Party time !
Do you run a scoop style rear ?

You could probably take off the front brake too....

Best I do for the dunes typically is run the filter skin and a 8 paddle tire. I tend to stiffer the compression a little and might richen the main jet as well. Have a lot of fun finding jumps.... Definitely a wide open deal almost constantly. Go through a tank in 30 minutes or so... I usually try to rebuild the top end after I get back...

Duffed it hard on a jump last I rode them (Silver Lake Sand Dunes annual trip around 4th of July weekend) in 2019 hitting a jump 4th gear tapped (tried 5th gear, but too tall with 14 tooth counter sprocket I was running locally) and I hit a kicker at top which panic rev wasn't enough to bring the front end up enough to not land on front wheel... It was like slow motion as I watched the bars rip my hands off the grips and swap side to side a couple of times... Everything sped back up once I slammed the ground (would think sand would be softer landing than it was...lol) and rag dolled down the hill a little bit. Guy asking me if I was OK as I stood up and I had to give him the "wait a second" finger as I tried to put air back into my lungs.... I was deep black and blue from knee up to top of hip from that one... That was actually the last time I have ridden...so it's been a minute.

There were kids up there on 450's running 12 tooth counter sprockets. I am going to move to the 13 tooth on mine up there and here this year, but 12 tooth seemed a bit extreme. I may also change the rear sprocket when I head up there this year as well. The best bikes up there were my 450 and KX500 I had for a short time. Could actually do wheelies on them in the sand...lol. Good times. I will make some of the adjustments you mention above though just for that tiny bit extra.

I love the dunes on the bike. Gonna hate it when I do something like my wife did with her 4 wheeler and trade it in on a truck or some other 4wd vehicle. Used to see a lot of cool rides up there, but local government limiting things, so not as cool as it used to be. UTVs are the craze these days....