I just want info on who has what and what works. Do I need long travel kit or could i just do extended w/stock shock. +1, +2, Houser, Roll design, Hydrodynamics, help me make a good decision thanks. I mainly cruise the des looking for jumps and hill climbs. plan on hitting the dunes soon.

 

If you are a desert rider, look at the pics from the big desert endurance races like Baja and Vegas to Reno, and see what the top teams are running. I would probably pick Roll myself. (Desert and MX setups are different, so don't end up with an MX setup my mistake.)

My solution was to just run rims/tires that are wider and have a greater offset. I am running ITP Holeshot XC tires on ITP Baja rims. Makes the quad +3" in back and +2" in front. Still wide enough for some added stability, but not so wide that I regret it when I head down a tight wash!

 

My biggest concern was not to set it up like a race or track quad but to be able to handle the woops and get bigger air. I am not sure what I need to do that. Is the +1 or +2 just for stability or is there other advantages or disadvantages? What do I do with the rear after such a mod? Do I make it longer or just wider? Or both?

 

I put WorksPerformance shocks on my 400EX, many years ago. Again, I kept the stock a-arms/axle, and did the rims/tires thing. It is absolutely the best whoop eating machine I have ever ridden!!! I can just power through and float through anything. I use to do some freestyle jumping with it as well, and it lands like it is on pillows.

My 450R suspension is still stock. A while back, it began to bug me that it doesn't handle the whoops as well as the 400 (the ride is considerably more harsh), so I made a mental note to work on tuning the suspension...but never did do anything about it. My buddies have sent their stock 450R shocks into Works and had them resprung and revalved, and they all rave about them!

As far as widening, it helps stability in those long sweeping high speed turns, and makes for more stable landings off of jumps.

I like a short swingarm. It gives better traction (more weight over the rear wheels), and the R isn't wheelie happy the way it is, so I have stuck with the stock setup. Again, my buddies who dune a lot, have gone with longer swingarms.