Seeking Plush Suspension for my '07 YZ450

[cardoc]

I absolutely LOVE my new YZ450 including the ultra smooth power delivery, the lightweight chasis and the easy starting. I ride off road - usually gnarly single track littered with rocks. I weigh over 210 (without gear), and I am trying to get my suspension super plush for off road. I have sent it out twice and had the springs replaced for my weight and had it revalved for off road, front and rear. It is still too harsh! I am getting jolted around and beat up on the trail. Can the closed chamber design of this system be made plush. I am told that the fork legs on this bike are "completly different" than the WR. I have ridden enough plush moto bikes converted to off road to believe it can be done!

What's the real deal?

[grayracer513]

The forks are the same as on the '07 WR, but not the earlier models. They can absolutely be made as plush as you might like, and a good revalve would do that for you. You'll also need springs better suited to your weight than the stockers. That in itself will make a considerable difference.

You might also want to try removing 5cc of oil at a time from the outer chamber of each fork, and fiddling with the clickers a little.

[SXP]

The forks are the same as on the '07 WR, but not the earlier models. They can absolutely be made as plush as you might like, and a good revalve would do that for you. You'll also need springs better suited to your weight than the stockers. That in itself will make a considerable difference.

You might also want to try removing 5cc of oil at a time from the outer chamber of each fork, and fiddling with the clickers a little.

Gray - The forks on the 07 (and 08 for that matter) WR are still the old style (2004 YZ??) non-twin chamber style. It's a sore issue with us 07 and later WR owners.

[Polar_Bus]

I absolutely LOVE my new YZ450 including the ultra smooth power delivery, the lightweight chasis and the easy starting. I ride off road - usually gnarly single track littered with rocks. I weigh over 210 (without gear), and I am trying to get my suspension super plush for off road. I have sent it out twice and had the springs replaced for my weight and had it revalved for off road, front and rear. It is still too harsh! I am getting jolted around and beat up on the trail. Can the closed chamber design of this system be made plush. I am told that the fork legs on this bike are "completly different" than the WR. I have ridden enough plush moto bikes converted to off road to believe it can be done!

What's the real deal?

I suggest to a lot of people, sometimes riders complaining of a suspension that's too "harsh" is actually your compression set to soft, allowing the suspension to travel too far up into it's stroke on smaller bumps. Before you condem your suspension as being too harsh, try firming up your compression clickers a couple clicks at a time, and go ride, see if you feel any better comfort and control..... (it won't cost you a dime to try this). Also keep in mind, new suspensions need some break in time, I have about 25 hours on my '07, and I am just now feeling things start to soften up a bit....

[grayracer513]

Gray - The forks on the 07 (and 08 for that matter) WR are still the old style (2004 YZ??) non-twin chamber style. It's a sore issue with us 07 and later WR owners.

This from the Yamaha web site for the '08 WR450:

Fully adjustable air-/oil-separate 48mm cartridge-type fork delivers precise, fade-free handling; fork protectors provide excellent tube protection.

Whether that's the new SSS fork, or the '05 YZ AOSS fork isn't clear.

You would know, being an owner, but I would have sworn that the '07 WR I saw on the floor a while back had the new fork. If I'm wrong, I apologize for misleading anyone.

[SXP]

This from the Yamaha web site for the '08 WR450:

Whether that's the new SSS fork, or the '05 YZ AOSS fork isn't clear.

You would know, being an owner, but I would have sworn that the '07 WR I saw on the floor a while back had the new fork. If I'm wrong, I apologize for misleading anyone.

I'm positive about the 07 as everything from changing oil to replacing seals is exactly the same as my 99 WR400s - been there done that. Also, the clickers are "conventional" - compression below and rebound on top. Yamaha's initial press release stated the 07s had the new YZ style twin chamber forks and that factored into a lot of peoples decision to put deposits down on the 07s - they were pissed when their bikes showed up with the older style forks.

I haven't heard anything on the WR side saying the 08 was any different, but then again no one has seen one as the bikes aren't available yet.

[cardoc]

I was told by the suspension builder that the WR and YZ forks are different. I have broke in the suspension and experimented with a multitude of clicker settings. The springs have been replaced to compensate for my weight, and the bottom line is, it's still too harsh. I do feel that it is just a valving issue and the guy I sent it to, just isn't getting it right. If I can be confident that "plushness" can be achieved, I guess I'll have to take the damn thing apart again, and pay to have someone else attempt to get it right. If anyone has achieved off road plushness (is that a word), let me know where it was done, and how their service was. Thanks again, and any other comments are welcome.

[kxman]

I was told by the suspension builder that the WR and YZ forks are different. I have broke in the suspension and experimented with a multitude of clicker settings. The springs have been replaced to compensate for my weight, and the bottom line is, it's still too harsh. I do feel that it is just a valving issue and the guy I sent it to, just isn't getting it right. If I can be confident that "plushness" can be achieved, I guess I'll have to take the damn thing apart again, and pay to have someone else attempt to get it right. If anyone has achieved off road plushness (is that a word), let me know where it was done, and how their service was. Thanks again, and any other comments are welcome.

Can you post the stack that is in there now? May be able to give some advise as to what to change if I know where it is at now. I revalved mine myself. It took 3 tries to get it where I wanted but I would rather do it myself. For one thing it is a learning experience. The big plus is I didn't have to ship it off. I would give you my stack but I am about 15 pounds lighter than you.

[runester]

No affiliation with anyone, I personally have rebuilt/revalved a few bikes, I used to use racetech parts but found MXTECH kind of by accident looking to lower my wifes RM125...racetech would only do "inhouse" lowering and not allow me access to parts so searching for a lowering kit I found MX-TECH and got o know a guy there Jeremy, a bit, I believe he is the owner. I personally only do business with them now. These guys REALLY have it together and thier prices a VERY fair...I am in L.A. and there are many Susp. tuners around and I have tried a few but MX-tech would be my choice if I were in a situation I couldnt get right. Give them a call and see what they have to say.

Rune

[Dr.Crankenstien]

No affiliation with anyone, I personally have rebuilt/revalved a few bikes, I used to use racetech parts but found MXTECH kind of by accident looking to lower my wifes RM125...racetech would only do "inhouse" lowering and not allow me access to parts so searching for a lowering kit I found MX-TECH and got o know a guy there Jeremy, a bit, I believe he is the owner. I personally only do business with them now. These guys REALLY have it together and thier prices a VERY fair...I am in L.A. and there are many Susp. tuners around and I have tried a few but MX-tech would be my choice if I were in a situation I couldnt get right. Give them a call and see what they have to say.

Rune

Rune,Did you have them do a 2007 yz450?How did it turn out?What there turn around time?

Thanks

Stein

[StPeters21]

I have an '06. I really didn't like the "new frame" I thought. Then I had my suspension re-valved by Pro-Action. It was much better, but still wasn't great. I called my tuner up and said it still wasn't very good. And off in the mail it went again.... Got it back and it was much better. Still had minimal complaints but much better. I called him up on Monday, last week, and told him some of my issues. Off in the mail it went again. I put it back on Friday AND......... WOW. Dude this bike rocks. Not only is it blazing fast now the suspension can haul my tall fat butt aroung. BTW, I'm 6'3" and 220... It didn't matter if i came up short or went lond on the triple. It soaked everything up. I really like the guy that I use. He rebuilt this bike 3 times for the first time charge.

Also I had an '04 that he re-built for me. It was like a lincoln right out of the box. Thats why I was blaming the alum frame!

I vote for a re-valve! Pick someone that will stand behind their work!

Chad

[StPeters21]

BTW, he always turned mine around in 1-2 days! If I sent on Tuesday, I got it back on Friday!!!!!!

[Justin89]

I have Enzo and i love it. You can try Eric Ducray of Nor Cal Race Tech. I have heard a lot of good things about him and I know everyone is going to him now. On my old crf 250 I had Race tech gold valves and they worked awesome on single track and trail stuff. Good luck!

[rtgincnm]

Can you post the stack that is in there now? May be able to give some advise as to what to change if I know where it is at now. I revalved mine myself. It took 3 tries to get it where I wanted but I would rather do it myself. For one thing it is a learning experience. The big plus is I didn't have to ship it off. I would give you my stack but I am about 15 pounds lighter than you.

KXMAN

I've got an '07 YZ450 and want to soften it up also. Can you give me hint on where to start? Just need to get a little less compression damping, clickers are most of the way out. It is a little ruf on sharp edge stuff. Hope to just focus on the base valve first. Don't need too much change, I am 6ft 1in and 200lbs with gear, ride desert and woods.

[runester]

Rune,Did you have them do a 2007 yz450?How did it turn out?What there turn around time?

Thanks

Stein

Stein,

No, I actually am still in the break-in on my 450 I only have about 20 hrs on it so far...as is I am O.K. w/it though the forks seem a little stiff, but thats a wait and see..., As for MX-TECH it seems to be hit and miss in that they are very busy...which one may construe as a good thing, I mostly do my own stuff though and on mine it is usually just waiting for delivery of parts, which as well is hit and miss, theyve been real quick and not so quick, so... As for Race tech I must admit that the gold valves can be consistantly "plush" by virtue of the gold valves because the architecture/design of the valves allow one to drill an oil outlet hole which allows the fork/shock oil to "tavel" and the bigger the hole the less constriction which = faster travel which would provide a very consistant compression allowance affect... the trick is acheiving the balance with rebound , of course your shim stack ties it all together ...many people have shyed away from gold valves because of this design, mx-tech being an example. I can say that MX-TECH has great prices and they have been around a long time, like racetech, but race tech is very expensive and I personally dont think they are worth what they chargeboth have good tech-support but I have found that Jeremy at MX is less proffesional but I mean that in a good way...like race tech is sort of "scripted" and MX is down to earth lets talk it through and no brush offs, I once called race tech and asked a couple of questions about a shim stack that I was putting together based on there formula and the tech support guy semed pretty lost to be honest or maybe he just didnt feel like working out my issue but whatever Jeremy at MX tech spent 30 min. w/ me even though he was busy. For me, that level of personal customer service is paramount and these guys arent just getting started...they are established.

Kinda long post I know, but information is power...

Rune

[Dr.Crankenstien]

Thank You for the info!