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rear suspension

14K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  tomatocity 
#1 ·
was wondering how to stiffen the rear suspension on my 2004 KLR ? and what air pressure should be in the front forks ? i checked and there want ant pressure. thanks Butch
 
#2 ·
See the manual and crank up the damper on the rear. The book will also give you some specs on the forks. If you don't own a Clymer manual you should get one.
 
#3 ·
Rear Shock

There are five Compression settings. The adjustment bolt can be found on the leftside top of the shock. You need a 3/8" ratchet, 12mm socket, 6" extention. Always rotate the bolt clockwise. The setting can vary per preference, style and load.

There are four Rebound settings. The adjustments can be found on the rightside bottom of the shock covered by a small piece of plastic. The usual settings are either #2 or #3.


Forks

Do yourself a favor and purchase MotoWizard Preload Adjusters. The drain the fork oil and refill with ATF to a level of 170cm from the top of the fork tube. The preload adjusters make a big difference when setting up your KLR. You can adjust them by stopping, loosen(uncompress) or tighten(compress) the adjuster til you find what is good for you. You can make these simple adjustments before and after going off-road.
Do a search on the forums and you will find many opinions and they are all correct, for the author. Read and experiment is my suggestion.

Hope this helps.
 
#5 ·
What kind of setting would I want my rear suspension having my weight 171lbs (78kilos)
+ 2 21L Hardcases filled and napsack on the back? Let's say an extra 100lbs (44kilos)
It's set as it came "stock".

Wondering if I should tighten it for rigidity to counter the weight or like PSI in the tires loosen it for more bounce?
 
#6 ·
O Kuick, as someone who waited WAY too long to adjust their rear suspension, I would say just play around with it and see what works best for you. If you have the tools it takes about 2 mins to change. Try the different settings and see what you like.
 
#7 ·
Progressive fork springs are $80 and you can change them the same time as you're changing fork oil.. They'll make a world of differnce as far as reducing dive while still soaking up small bumps.

I'm fat, and I ride hard, so I went with a Moab rear shock and it was worth every cent!! The folks there are wonderful, too!!!

DO NOT buy a Progressive Suspension Rear Shock! They're way oversprung and under dampened.. If you're kicking around an aftermarket rear shock, save a few more months and spend the extra $150 on a Moab, Works Performance, etc. that's custom made for your weight and riding style.

If you're set on a Progressive rear shock, buy the one I have laying on the floor of my garage.. Tis a hunk of poo..
 
#10 ·
can someone chime in here. I get the socket on the bolt but It doesn't seem to want to move and before I really muscle it, I want to be sure muscling it isn't going to cause something to snap or bust. right now I see a "1" on both side of the adjuster bolt.

I located the bottom adjustment and made that w/o issue.

Anyone? Please!
 
#11 ·
It is best to rotate the shock adjustment bolt clockwise. If it feels too tight you might shoot a little WD-40 on the bolt.

Caution: when you adjust past the 5 setting it will Bang or Bop or Pow and return to the 1 setting. This makes a LOUD spring noise and can be scary the first time.
 
#13 ·
thanks, I got it. I just figured why not, it's a klr. Learn. Gave it a bit and wah-lah, it moved. Twisted it a bit. All good, thanks for the response. Can't believe how easy this thing is to work on.
Another thing is to have little or no weight on the KLR when adjusting the rear shock.

Definitely easy to work on though helps a lot if you know what to expect.
 
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