Bought a 01 warrior a few months ago and now I'm getting into jumping it. The guy I bought it from said the suspension was set up for a rider weighing 160-170 pounds. Sometimes when I jump, the bike bottoms out. I'm about 190-200 pounds and wanted to adjust the settings to handle my weight better, give me a better landing.

Before I went around screwing with the settings, just wanted to know the proper steps in adjusting the suspension. I know I need it to be stiffer, but should I mess with the pre-load settings as well? I'm not sure how all this works. The bike has the original suspension.

I would rather have the suspension stiffer than softer, it hurts to bottom out [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

Any advice would be welcomed, I'm new when it comes to messing with the suspension on my bike. Thanks

 

Or is this the type of thing I would be better off taking it to a shop to do? Anyone have any idea how much something like that would cost?

 

does it have stock shocks on it or aftermarket?

 

They are stock.

 

The front shocks are easy to stiffen up. Get a pair of channel lock pliers to fit around the collar on the bottom of the shock, get someone to lift the front end up or jack the front end up while you grip the collar and turn it with the pliers. If you look at the collar you can see 5 notches cut out in it, the highest one up being the stiffest and the lowest one being the softest. The rear shock is a little more inconvenient to adjust, but it's easier if you remove the battery and take the rear plastics off. There are 2 large nut rings at the bottom of the shock. Start out by loosening up the bottom one. It will probably be stuck pretty good, but a steel rod or bolt and a hammer work nicely to break it loose. After that's loose set the frame up on blocks so the rear wheels are off the ground, this will make the upper nut easier to turn. Tighten it up with a pair of channel locks, or whatever works for you. The best way to check the adjustment from my experience is to sit down on the seat, and measure or watch how much the grab bar sags from the weight. The setup that worked best for me was when it sagged about 2 inches when I sat on it. After you get the rear shock adjusted where you like it, tighten up the bottom ring nut up against the upper one and you're ready to go. It sounds like a lot from my directions, but it's not really that difficult. It also makes things go quicker and smoother if you have someone else to help you out with it. Hope that helps you out

 

Also, taking it to the shop for adjustment probably won't get the settings right where you want them anyways. Adjusting the shocks is not a science, so the shop wouldn't really be sure how to set it up best for you, the best way to find the right settings is trial and error.

 

Thanks man, I'll give that a try when i get some time. Doesn't sound all that difficult. I just don't want to adjust the shocks then go over a jump and kill myself. I guess I'll just do a trial and error.

Right now, I really like how the quad takes off and the angle it lands. I just needed it stiffened up a bit since sometimes i bottom out on big jumps. Thanks again....

 

Also on the rear shock , at the bottom should be a large flathead screw..it will click each time you move it...turn clockwise to stiffen ride and counter clockwise to loosen...tighten all the way<<<do not try to torque>>>>>then back out 12 clicks and that is normal riding conditions..

 

I agree, tighten up your spring, then tighen up your compression damping a little at a time. I f you dont know where it's set, you can always feel the clicks from stop to stop and spilt the difference, or follow the instructions above - he obviously knows how many clicks. the trick is DONT FORCE IT!
It is anything but an exact science - no magical formulas or tables, take a screwdriver and a hammer and dial it in....

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] have fun!