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I'm a novice when it comes to dirt bikes and especially maintenance and I need some help. I just bought a 2006 CRF250X from my buddy. Everything looks to be stock and he confirmed it although he is the 2nd owner (I am the 3rd). I am 5'7" and only about 145 pounds (no gear). I want to get the suspension right and since I'm new, I'd like to for it to be set up in a forgiving way. I ride both desert (CA City) and MX (my son has a 150R). I downloaded the manual and tried to figure out all the suspension stuff (sag, preload, race sag, etc). It's all confusing, but I think I somewhat understand what it all means. So, based on the manual, I did some tweaking and here's where I am:

Shock length is 10.4" (stock is 10.02 and that's where it was before I started tweaking it). the manual said I could go up to 10.4" which I did by changing the length of the springs using the upper spring rings that hold the top of the shock in place.

Race sag: 5" (difference between bike on stand vs. me on the bike on the ground with full gear on)

Static sag: 2.5" (difference between bike on the ground vs. bike on the stand)

Now, the manual says Race sag range should be 3.5" to 4.3". As you can see, I'm 0.7" over the max (at 5.0").
The manual also says that static sag should only be 1". As you can see, I'm +1.5" over that (at 2.5")

Is this set up OK or should I move the shock back to 10,0" and then recheck everything? To be honest, I'm trying to get a little more lower on the rear so I can at least touch the ground with the balls of my feet vs. tip toe only on 1 foot.

Again, I'm a novice so take it easy on me

Welcome to the site !!

What you want to do is set the spring length to what it says in the manual (this is with the bike wheels/weight off the ground on a stand or crate , not the kickstand) , you loosen the top lock ring on the shock and then either by grabbing the spring from below by reaching in from the rear and grab the shock spring with both hands and try to turn it , or , if it won't move , then by using the punch you used to loosen the lock ring , to tap the bottom collar to turn it to get the desired number by either tightening or loosening the spring , probably a full turn or so depending on how far it is off , 1 full turn is about 1/2" of length ...... then measure the sag/distance from the center of the axle or a stable focus point that will not change , so when you make a measurement it is always from the exact 2 points that are as vertical as possible (axle to fender) , this is with the bike on the stand .... write that number down , if you are using a actual sag scale , you want that number to be 0 (zero) , then remove the bike from the stand/crate so both wheels are on the ground , then if you can , to be more accurate , have someone help you hold the bike level from the rear left side ....get on the bike wearing your riding gear , if you ride off road , and use a backpack , then wear it as well , basically boots , helmet and if used , a backpack , the pants/jersey/gloves are insignificant for measuring purposes , you can just wear your jeans/t-shirt ..... then sit on the bike in the natural sitting position , in other words when you stand on the bike and sit down , it is where you sit on the bike naturally (with both feet on the pegs which is why it is best to have someone help stabilize the bike) , when you are where you would normally sit , basically it should be in the low spot of the seat , then bounce on the bike a few times so settle the suspension ..... then sit there not moving ...

Now have your helper measure the sag number , write it down , what it should work out to is 4 inches/100mm from your original measurement ... you need to get this number established no matter what , now get off the bike , and measure the "free sag" , this is the bike standing on its own weight but without you on it , bounce the bike a few times by pushing down on the seat enough to make the bike squat , then release , do this a couple times .... now measure the sag again , this is the free sag ....

For spring length you should be between 9.6 and 10.2 inches in length

The free sag should be around 1/2" to 1 inch (about 30-40mm) , if it is not then you need a stiffer or softer spring depending on which direction it goes .... you can set your sag anywhere between 100-110mm , but you have to have the base settings first or it won't be right , so no matter what , you have to have 100mm as a set sag to start , then you will know if it is sprung for your weight or not ...

So to answer your questions , yes , you should readjust the spring to the standard setting and recheck the sag , you need this for a baseline , as all other measurements depend on this being set correct to the manufacturers specs , that will tell you if your good with the springs that are on it regardless if they are stock or not ..... so what you are trying to do , is set it to what the manual recommends , then get on the bike and measure , then get off and measure , if you don't fall within those limits with it at those settings , then you need a different rate spring ... , a little trick you can do if you are getting different readings each time , is to spray WD-40 on the shock shaft near where it goes into the shock body as well as the forks tubes right by the seal .... this will help eliminate any stiction ...

Thank you, JimDirt.

One quick question before I set the Shock back to 10". What if, after I set the spring back to 10", the static sag (the difference between the bike being on the stand and the bike being off of the stand on the ground without me) is greater than 1"?

In other words, not taking the rider into consideration at all, do I continue to play around with the spring length until I get the static sag in the 1" or less window (vs. the 2.5" it is showing now)?

You only adjust the sag IF when setting it up initially to the 9.6-10.2 settings and you fall between the 30-40mm of free sag and roundabout 100mm/4" of rider sag , if you do not then you need a stiffer or lighter spring depending on which way you are off ... if you have less than 30mm then you need a lighter spring , if you have more than 40mm then you need a stiffer spring , the numbers tell you where you need to be .... if you do fall between those numbers , then you can adjust the sag to your liking for best feel/control of the bike between 100mm to 110mm ...

For example , I weigh 190 give or take 1 lbs. now , my 2020 450R is stock springs , my sag settings initially were not within the numbers as I weighed about 210 , but I knew I was making a conscious effort of losing weight and was going to be within the desired weight , so I put off getting the correct springs , so I lost the weight within about 4 months , and I was good to go .... I now have my sag set at 108 , my bike handles great and is balanced front to rear (important) , if I was back where I was last fall , when I was 210 , I needed 1 rate stiffer fork and shock spring because I could not get the sag to fall within the guidelines .... So that is what you need to do , is follow the manual settings , if you can get the desired 30-40mm and 100mm while staying within the 9.6-10.2 spring length , you are good to go ... otherwise you need stiffer or lighter springs ... follow ???

There are no go between's or work arounds , either you are within the parameters or you are not and need springs to compensate for the difference

Springs are for rider weight , and a little bit skill (A Pro for example that weighed 180 would use the spring rate for someone who is 210 because they are faster and hit stuff at greater speed and jump farther so they need the stiffer rate regardless of their actual weight) the purpose of correct spring rate is to keep the suspension working correctly while you are riding , when the rider weighs too much for the springs , the bike will sag farther into the stroke

The stroke is the travel from full topped out to fully compressed , the valving is designed to work within those perimeters at specific points in the stroke , so when the suspension is part way thru the stroke , that part of the valving for the mid stroke is opening and working , then as it goes past that , the compression shims open more and allow the suspension to compress more , while still being compliant .... then the rebound valving opens when you reach the end of the stroke or when the terrain designates it to return , which determines when the suspension returns to fully extended ... if you are too heavy for the springs you are already down into the stroke , so when you hit a dip or bump the suspension is already past the point it needs to be to hold the bike up in that part of the stroke , so you "Blow Thru the stack" , so then you get harshness or worse , crash , because you are past the part in the stroke you needed to be and the rebound valving is now trying to return the forks/shock to topped out because you have used up the available compression dampening , so you get bucked around or off ..... this is why spring rate and sag is so important , it sets the bike up so you are where you need to be in the stroke for the suspension to properly absorb the terrain , when it needs to absorb it , giving you a more comfortable , and more importantly safer ride ....

When you are lighter than the spring is meant for , then the bike will be like a pogo stick and beat you to death , along with being unsafe , as it will be much harder to control , so again , if you can't get the sag to be where it should be according to the manual within the parameters noted , then you need springs . whether too light or too heavy does not matter except for the actual rate of the spring needed , but if you are not in the "target weight" then you will need springs , if you are a fast rider , or the faster or more aggressively you ride just trail riding , it is more noticeable than when casually putting on a trail doing 5mph , if you trail ride aggressively enough , you will have issues without the correct springs ... the track will be even more critical and less forgiving if the bike is not set up correctly ....

Thanks! This is really helpful. I’m going to set the springs back to the range you mention and see if I can get the sags within range. I’ll report back after.

No problem ... Glad to help ... report back and see where you are at ...