Ask the Editors: How Important Are Suspension Travel Numbers?
Interesting question and the short answer is absolutely. When we head to our local dealership sales-floors or browse the product brochures of an ATV we’re ogling, what we’re actually looking at is the end result of countless engineering hours so as to create a finished product that will perform as well as possible in the greatest number of conditions. In other words, those suspension travel numbers you see printed on an ATV’s spec sheet didn’t happen by sheer chance, they were deliberate choices designed to offer optimal handling against such factors as the vehicle’s frame geometry, weight and engine output.
This is why it can get dangerous in a hurry when backyard engineers decide to make swaps for components that fall outside of the OEM spec. In the case of suspension, more isn’t always better. The reason for this? Too much travel in the rear places a majority of the rider and vehicle’s weight on the front of the machine. Without front springs strong enough to compensate, handling in turns and bump absorption become compromised.
Conversely, placing too much front travel on a vehicle has the opposite effect on handling; whereby front tire traction is diminished and a majority of the rider & vehicle weight is forced to the rear. Not only would this result in the tendency for the front end to wheelie when moving, the rear shock would be hopelessly overpowered upon acceleration when the laws of physics push weight to the rear naturally.
In short, don’t place too much importance on these numbers when browsing spec sheets, they exist for a reason and that reason is handling balance. The only time they need to be taken very seriously would be if you ever felt the desire to modify them in some way.
