[firegugg]

Ive read/ heard that most bikes are set up for 180 lb riders out of the factory. One, is that true and two, what were the stock rebound/ dampener settings. I am 5'10 180lbs, desert/ trail riding. My 450 X feels pretty tall, probably because I just bought it from a dude who weighs approx 250+ lbs. I know I need to take out some preload on the shock but I dont wanna go too far.

[JimDirt]

Welcome to the site !!

Do you know what springs are in the bike for sure ?? , if it was sprung for a 250 lbs guy , it will be tough for it to feel comfortable for you at 180

Have you checked the sag settings ?? , this will tell you if the springs are too stiff or not , the stock springs will be about right for someone from about 165 to 185

The stock settings are:
FORKS:
Compression: 14 clicks out from full in
Rebound: 7 clicks out from full in

SHOCK:
Spring Length:10.18 inches (258.5mm)
Sag: 100 - 110mm
High Speed Compression Adjustor:(the adjuster that looks like a nut surrounding the low speed compression adjuster that is a flat screwdriver slot on the reservoir tank) 3/4" - 1 1/4" Turns out from full in (the adjustment will vary depending on riding conditions)
Low Speed Compression Adjuster: 10 clicks out from full in
Rebound Adjuster:(bottom of shock on the clevis , its on the same side as the other adjusters) 11 - 14 clicks out from full in

***Only slightly seat each adjuster when turning in , if you really snug it down you can damage the adjuster***


You can compensate for the high feeling by going with the 110 sag and RAISING your fork tubes 2mm in the clamps , this will keep the bike balanced front to rear but slightly lower the bike to give you better footing

You can also get a Kouba Link (this is only after making sure you have the proper springs for your weight) , and RAISE the forks 4mm to 6mm in the clamps depending on which Link size you get , the 1.75 link **what i have on my 06** lowers the bike 1 3/4" , and you go 6mm up in the clamps , that along with a cut down seat foam makes riding a bit less challenging when needing to put your foot down in precarious situations , (you think the X is tall , try riding a KTM , they are about a inch or more taller than a X)

Hope that helps !!

[firegugg]

Thanks for the reply JimDirt,

I havnt checked the sag yet, i had my eye on the bike for about a week, talk to the previous owner Ijust had to sell my prior bike in order to get the funds for the X.

I did see the pretension was about as far as it could go ( rear shock) so when I sat on it it barely moved but even that with that setting and I could still tippy toe both feet I knew i could adjust for more.

It does have a kouba link, CRF3 (.75") I'll have to look at the triple clamp and see if they raised the forks, should that be 4mm with the .75" link?

My riding is all over the place from sandy wash areas to hard pac. If youre familiar with Dove Springs, Jawbone Canyon or Gorman. So i think a middle of the road damper/ rebound setting would be optimal for me, im not doing any jumps so leaning towards the softer range I think would be best but ive never had a bike i could dial in like this one.

[JimDirt]

Yes the .75 would be about 4mm , i used to ride that area when i was younger (in my teens and early 20's) , and where i ride here in Idaho (i have lived here since 1989 from So.Cal (actually Sunland/Tujunga area)and our riding is very similar , you can go softer on the compression clickers (lo speed shock and on the forks) , maybe go 14-16 for a softer ride

It also sounds from your description that the original owner did not set the sag at all , or did not change the springs and tried to compensate by tightening the adjuster ring all the way down , the bike would ride like crap with that setup , so definitely get the sag set and go from there , getting it to the measurement shown should get you in the ballpark , and will tell you if your spring is correct for your weight , then you can adjust/fine tune the sag from there , a softer ride will definitely be noticeable with the spring adjusted correctly , but do that before messing with the clickers

If you want to go further and re-valve , i can help you with that as well , (if your mechanically able/willing to take on the re-valve re-spring challenge on your own) , also adjusting oil height in the forks can help with the feel (this should be done at fork service time)

From the sounds of the settings , i would go thru the bike from back to front and make sure everything is adjusted properly and not worn out , i would also check the valves (you did not mention how much time the bike had on it) , if you don't already have one i suggest a Factory Honda Service Manual , it will walk you thru step by step ANY thing you need to do to your bike from oil change to suspension service to complete bike rebuild

http://www.crfsonly.com/catalog/product ... ts_id/3226

Any more questions , just ask !!

[firegugg]

Thanks again, Yes I,m very mechanicly inclined i have just never done the fork job before. I imagine that with the manual it shouldnt be an issue.

I do have a question though. I bought the bike and the prior owner said that a fork job would be due soon. He had the seals and oil, which was 10W. Everything ive read in the manual indicates 5W. What would the difference be or should i just go get 5W?

[JimDirt]

Refer to my answer below

http://www.crfsonly.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=40781

[firegugg]

Okay came home to adjust my sag and noticed the rear spring says Factory Connection on it and its bright yellow, looks like it might be aftermarket. I noticed this after i took out almost all of the pre-tension on the spring and it still wont sag like i think it should. (I didn't have an extra helper so i was just getting 'ish' then finalize when I had help) Still its only sagging approx 1.5 inches... ish.

Is that spring aftermarket?

[JimDirt]

Well its definitely stiffer , what you need to do is set the adjuster ring like i mentioned in the link to my post , then measure the sag , (free sag and rider sag) , this will tell you how much the spring is off , you will have to get the correct spring rate before you can set anything correctly , i would guess if the rear spring is too stiff then the fork springs will be as well

Go here and follow the links to get the correct rate you need , you enter your bike and it will take you to a page where it shows what the stock spring rates are ,right under where it says FORK SPRINGS you click on "Calculate Spring Rates and list available springs", then you check the marks for each section ,like type of riding , skill level and your weight , and it will tell you what spring you need

http://racetech.com/ChooseVehicle.aspx

You can then either buy them from Race Tech your local suspension shop , or buy them HERE , or buy them from EBay , installing them is not that hard , the shock is really easy , the forks need to be partially disassembled , but you dont have to drain the oil (i can walk you thru a trick so you dont have to drain them)

[firegugg]

Thanks Jimdirt,

I already checked out racetech, 114 for the 5.5 spring. This is all garage stuff and it is rideable, before i buy anything im going to go for a ride and see how it is. Ive been lookingat videos and reading how tos on the springs, honda is great about it in the owners manual and the forrk dampers in the service manual. Seems easy enough.

[JimDirt]

As far as the bike goes , i think you will love it , i have had my 06 since new in 05 (i got the first 06 in my area) , i love the bike , lately i have been mainly riding my 02 450R , but i have been riding the MX track , but i am 55 so i just do laps to keep in shape , or right now , to get BACK into shape lol , , but for trail riding , the X is hard to beat for a 4 stroke , aside from Stainless Steel Intake valves , my 06 engine is stock , and it will do anything i need it to , you can check my bikes out in my Garage and see what mods i have done to them , to give you ideas of what things to try with it

[firegugg]

After I adjusted some/ most of the preload I can get one foot down comepletely so Im happy. I came from and learned on a YZ 125 and I just outgrew the bike but ill be happy to not have to hit hillclimbs 3rd gear PINNED on the 2 smoker. I took the X out for a spin around the neighborhood and loved the smooth throttle and acceleration curve of a 4 stroke. Thanks again for all the help and advice