[Mr. Mohon]

Ok Im going to just come out and say it, Im NEW. So I need some help. When I bough my bike, the guy was telling me about something that he did to the suspension and was pointing under the rear shock. He kept saying that with it in (or possibly if I removed it) that when you get into a corner it will dive into the corner more aggressively.

[JimDirt]

Welcome to the site !!

What he is referring to is the Dogbone (the part that says Pro Circuit on it , that looks like a leg bone a dog would chew on) , usually they are longer than stock , what that does is help keep the rear up , by changing the arc of the linkage , giving more traction , and usually a plusher initial part of the the stroke ( when the shock first starts moving/squatting) , they usually help hold the bike in corners better , I have used them ( not the Pro Circuit one , but aftermarket dogbones) , they do help with some areas of handling issues , but not all , depending on your needs , but also depending on what bike it is on , will determine what it is being used to to remedy or alter , some are shorter than stock and some are longer ..... to notice what it does , you would better understand it by having a stock one installed , riding a specific track and get used to the bike and what it inherently does , then installing the aftermarket one , and ride the same track/conditions to actually feel the difference ....

It is basically one of those items that you don't notice what it does , till you ride the same bike without one , some people like what they change , some don't ..... they are not cheap ..... are they worth it ? , it depends ...... on one of my bikes , it was a game changer for the track (this was a Pro Moto Billet Adjustable Link) , the one I put on my trail bike helped because it lowered the bike significantly which made riding off road much easier (this one was a Kouba Link , which is specifically made to lower the bike and nothing else) when you need to dab your foot and the bike is not 12 ft in the air , , now on my new one , I have not felt the need for one yet .... , again , you need to ride a bike (preferably the same bike) without one , to notice what it does and decide if it is a improvement or not for your specific needs , they don't fix every suspension issue , but they do help sometimes .... but they are not a necessity usually , and as I mentioned
, they are spendy ....... Hope that helped .....

[Mr. Mohon]

Hi Jim,

Thank you for your reply with such detail. It is on a 2015 crf450r. I was kind of on the same train of though as you as I wouldn't really notice what it does because I don't have any reference. Im guessing that as it changes the geometry of the bike that it is also making the bike lower. To me it seams low compared to some friends bikes. Im thinking of going back to stock and riding it that way for a while and then maybe switching it back once I get more used to this bike. Any suggestion on how to go back to stock. Should I just order OEM parts or are there after market parts that will bring me back to the stock length. What would you suggest.

[JimDirt]

I would just look on EBay for a used one , keeps the cost down a lot and it will work just fine , at the most you might have to install new bearings in the one end , but then you would also have a comparison ...... but EBay would be much much cheaper than new ..... , just make sure to get one for your year , as they change lengths a lot for different years , which is why I mentioned it makes a difference what year it is , as they made links for specific changes for those years

[Back2-2]

It's a lowering link that many people install to lower the bike for people that want a lower the stance for a more secure footing.
If you drop the forks in the triple clamps to equal the lower rear you will be fine. You do lose a little ground clearance with the lowering link. But for most it is a acceptable trade for more secure footing.