I had a couple question that i hope i could have a couple answers to. I just got done rebuilding a 05 crf250r and i just wanted to know what kind of things could i put on it to have good control in the woods. Ive looked at steering dampeners but those things start at $400 and im not really looking to spend that much. Im 5'6'' and about 130 touching the ground is a problem i still have stock springs in the crf would changing the springs to a .38 and shocks to 4.7 make a big difference.


And another big heated debate is the kouba link or any lowering link for that matter woudl it really hurt my control immensly or would i feel a big difference. Im a big hare scrambler and ive rode bikes i could usually touch and it really helps in almost any situation. Im not looking to completely flat foot although that would be nice i just want to be able to set my feet down without having to find a rock or log. I just want to be comfortable. Thank you in advance.

Narrow bars for riding tight trails...anywhere from 27"-31"  depending on preference,  and shaving a seat is easy and free and will lower you enough to touch the ground easier.  There is a decent step by step in the "how-to" section.

did you have the sag adjusted? or suspension looked at?

i havnt really done any of that yet but with my weight and height alot of people say it would still be tall for me.

If you can't afford a steering damper, a little trick is to tighten your head nut to make the steering a little tighter and to give the feeling that it does have a steering damper.

I would definitely recommend getting the suspension setup better for your weight and riding level. Your spring rates look ok, although I would probably go one rate softer on the rear. Having the correct spring rates will likely help with the height of the the seat if you have your sag adjusted to the 100-105mm range currently. After going to a softer shock spring (compared to what you are running now), you should notice the seat being a little lower.

If you can afford it, I would look at having your suspension revalved for your weight and riding level. If you have the mechanical ability, you could revalve it yourself with the help of some people on here. I just revalved my suspension for my 05 crf450R for hare scramble type riding and can tell a big difference between the oem valving and what I have now.

Besides suspension work, fresh tires are the best things for control in the woods.

MXandSXracer21, on 27 March 2012 - 09:53 PM, said:

Softer spring don't make seat being a little lower. If the SAG is the same , seat height is the same.

Thank you for all your help but what does revalving do to the bike and if i got a valves myself how much would it cost to have them put in?

brandonbell, on 28 March 2012 - 02:30 PM, said:

they are talking about revalving the suspension, your best bet is to take it to a local suspension shop and have it revalved to your riding style and type of riding. It is the best mod you can do to an mx bike for the woods

don't overtighten the steering nut.. that just makes the bike handle like crap. i don't know who came up with that urban legend but it is just bad advice. A steering damper is nice but but NOT needed (have one on my 08 but  not my 04. no biggie). There are other things your better off spending money on.

If your racing harescrambles, there will be AT LEAST 2 or 3 suspension guys at your races that can redo your fork/shock valving for offroad (softer initial stage than mx valving). i'm betting that if you don't go with expensive gold valves (race tech-i have em but i have $). Just an inexpensive revlave will be the best thing you can do, as it will work for you ALL the time, every moment your on the bike. I wouldn't lower the bike.. as someone correctly stated earlier, going with softer springs but setting sag the same will have the bike sitting just as high as it did with stock springs. but it will often be LOWER in the stroke as your going along the trails, you also use LESS FORK OIL for offroad/enduro so that keeps the froks lower in the stroke too.

Tires for sure are important. nothing like nice sharp edges if you have nice terrain. im 5'7" or so and race srA class on a crf450 so i know the deal. only issue i have being "vertically challenged" is the LeMans start.. i use a 8" cut down milk crate as a step. Some BIG log crossings are easier for big guys but i wouldn't worry too much.

Thanks MELK

Im gonna probably have the honda shop up the road from me revalve the bike for me it sounds like it will help alot

I think tightening the steering nut to a point where it actually dampens your steering would be pretty bad on your bearings and will be no fun to replaced with an over torqued nut every time. Not to mention it won't do even a small fraction of what a dampener would do.

Re-valving your suspension would be the best decision you could make for that bike.

I also like my bars fairly high and forward but its just preference, makes me feel more in control when I'm standing.

you can get wider footpegs, they let you balance alot easier without feeling like your foot will slip off which helps with close calls like trees and rocks etc. Also when in doubt PIN IT lol!

I'm a little shorter than you.  I cut the seat foam down about 1" on my 2008 WR250f and it helped alot.  Lowering the suspension is "last resort" IMO but not out of the question.

The steering nut deal is actually something employed by the Pro Circuit team to get the steering damper feel. I tighten mine up to around a quarter-turn more than where I had it originally and it actually works really well for me.

+1 on a re-valve for an off-road set up.  My bike is currently in the shop getting off-road valving, springs for my weight, oil, seals and bushings.  I know its gonna make a 1000% difference in my confidence and riding ability!! I had an rmz450 and kxf250 last year and sold them and switched over to a crf250x and wow, what a difference overnight with just the stock suspension!!  I really became alot better rider  just because of the off-road set up as apposed to the mx set up my other bikes had.  I never knew a bike could feel so good and give me such confidence. So now that I know how huge suspension set up is for my riding capability and confidence, I took it to the most reputable suspension tuner in our area (Hyperformance Cycles).   A re-valve and the right spring rates will make all the difference in the world.  Now every new bike I get the 1st priority will be to get the suspension set up for my weight and terain and of course a good set of rubber is always mandatory!!

Best thing for control in the woods is practice, No point in wasting cash with valving or tuning if your just gona get arm pump in the first 5 mins and them be too tired to ride.. hours on your own bike will bring control..

Revalving means modifying the internals of the suspension to change how it reacts in certian situations.  This is usually done by changing out the shims which regulate the oil flow, making it flow more oil and seem softer (or less oil and stiffer).  Not too difficult if you are willing to do it, but not a job for a novice, either.

Paddy with power, on 03 April 2012 - 09:55 AM, said:

BUT if your suspension is not setup correctly for your weight and ability, you are probably wasting a ton of energy. Having a properly sprung bike will greatly reduce fatigue and help you ride the bike to its full potential.

slothinker, on 03 April 2012 - 11:45 AM, said:

Exactly! Think of riding a very rugged trail thats littered with rocks and stuff on a rigid mountain bike (no front or rear suspension), now think of riding the same trail with a full suspension mountain bike. You will become less tired on the full suspension bike than the rigid one, allowing you to ride a little harder and longer. Same principle with the suspension on our bikes. MX suspension is valved fairly stiff to ensure they dont bottom all the time on jumps and other obstacles. Riding MX suspension on trails with likely make you tired quicker since it is stiff and doesn't offer the small bump compliance like woods-tuned suspension does.