EBR Performance - Suspension Setup

Headshake is generally caused by an unbalanced chassis.  The most common problem is an incorrect sag setting.  Make sure the race sag is in range before making any major adjustments.  Too much compression dampening can cause the forks to deflect off of bumps as well. Soften the forks 1-2 clicks.  Also too much rebound can cause a "packing" situation where the damping holds the forks down in a stiffer part of the travel than is needed.  (Soften compression or speed up rebound if all other settings are correct)

Settings That Can Cause Headshake

Clamp torque

            Top- 14.5 ft/lbs  (Or Manufacturer Spec)  Bottom- 14 ft/lbs

Bleed forks

            Forks should have zero pressure at full extension  (bleed with wheel off ground)

Tire psi

            11 to 15 psi  (front and rear within 2 psi of each other)

Alignment

            Chain adjusters should be in the same position (rear wheel should be straight)

Sag

             65cc   75mm

             85cc   90- 94mm

            125-450cc   100-105mm  (105-110mm KTM)

Headshake under braking- increase sag to decrease weight on front

            Headshake under acceleration- decrease sag to transfer weight to front

Steering torque

Tighten steering so that front end does not fall to side when off of the ground.  (It should have slight resistance from stop to stop when the bars are tapped)

Fork height

Forks should be same height.  Fork height should be determined by the best compromise between quick steering straight-line stability. 

Lowering the forks in the clamps will improve the chassis stability but decrease its willingness to steer quickly.

Rebound speed

Start with fast rebound and slow if bouncing occurs after landing  (front and rear should rebound at equal speeds)

Compression balance

Front and rear compression should be equal.  (If one end compresses easier than the other, more weight will transfer to that end all of the time)