NEW 426

[stoner]

Hello to all,

I have been a reader of the forum for several months now.I am also the proud owner of a bone stock YZ426 2001.I have owned the bike for several months and have had limited time on it.I also own a 01 CR 125.I bought the YZ used from a friend who bought it in Canada and put 2 tanks of gas through it before he decided that it was to much bike for him.I am just starting to get back into the MX scene after a 15 year brake.Next weekend I am going to race in the local novice 125 class on the CR as I have gaied a bit of confidence on that machine but I have to admit that I am a bit intimidated by the violent hit.I am looking for some advice as to how to get used to the 426.I am a big guy 6'04" 225 pds and ride mostly in the sand pits behind my house.I find it extremly hard to turn it in the sand.I have set my sag at 100mm and run dunlop 756 tires with 12.5 psi (rear and 14psi in the front.I have pushed the stock handlebars quite a ways forward almost over the forks,but the front end is still washing out on me,any advice would be greatly appreciated.By the way any other Vermont thumpers out there???

[sfc_crash]

you can raise the fork tubes in the tripple clamps about 10mm, that might help ya a bit.

[gonzo]

I know what is like to be a bigger guy on a thumper. I am 6' 195. The bike is actually designed for someone around 170. But its still better than a 2-stroke. Anyway here in MI we have a ton of sand. Generally I will ride forward on tight corners but on bigger sweeper style corners I sit back and tall with sort of have a flat circle track feel. That over-correcting the whole way around sort of thing. Get over the bike but keep in down. Lay the bike under you and weight your outside foot. Basically I am doing a really big tail whip all away around the corner. Remember as well that the leg you stick out is only for leverage and not to catch you. Play with that a little until you find the sweet spot for sand but definatly sit back more. Also try slowing down the rebound in your shock and forks a couple of clicks. Only the rebound though, not the compression. That will keep you from bouncing out of the berm. And last but most important... Go as fast as you can when you to rail it. Gives you that sort of banking an f-14 or like you feel in the Gravitron at the fair. But you will stick to it if your body is in the right position.

[av8tor1]

Riding in the sand is a bear on thumper -period. The compresion braking buries the front wheel in the sand if you snap it closed. Try to keep on the gas.

According to the guys at RaceTech who set up my suspension, the bike is sprung for a 190 - 195 pound rider not 170 like the last guy wrote. I weigh 170 and had to drop the spring rates on both ends to get the bike set up correctly. You are lucky and should be sprung perfect.

The tip about dropping the forks is spot on. You can also increase your rear sag about 5mm. Every BITD, WORCS, GNCC, Hare and Hound guy tries to turn his bike into a "Chopper" for a sand race.

Keep the front end light, lean the bike into the turns and let that spinning gyroscope at the back of the bike keep you upright. A soft terrain tire really makes a difference in the sand.

[John_Lorenz]

My advise is this, through away 85% of what makes you ride the 125 good

and ride the 426 as a way different bike of course.

The 125 and 426 is like comparing apples to oranges, the 125 is going to in my opinion help you in cornering and all in all feel of a bike under you butt. But thats it

the handling charectoristics between the two are worlds apart.

A thumper needs to be made love to to work ?

Cornering take a higher line to the corner try to make the corner as straight as possible (Like Race Cars) the apex (Center of the corner) is the point to look at, so come up high to the apex and power through it with a slow but dilibrate rol of the throttle.

As your comfort level grows so will your speed in the turns.

Suspension is everything on the 426 also. I can go on butthere are plenty more people with help. Read through them and work out your own styl.

Plus when your racing go the the corners and watch the pro's go through them, learning by watch by doing you padwan learner

Good luck

[sirthumpalot]

I personally have found that trying to turn in soft dirt without being on the gas is really tough. But once you can convince yourself to hit the gas going into the turn (you don't have to open it up, just use enough to go the same speed or slightly accelerate) and then keep it on through the turn that it turns much better for me. If you're set up correctly then you might be able to incrase the throttle during the turn. Hope this helps. ?

[stoner]

Well Guys thanks for the advice,rode some yesterday afternoon and tried a little bit of all your suggestions.I gained alot of confidence and improved alot!I did not try dropping the forks down 10 mm yet but plan on doing that tonight.I appreciate the help.I did scare myself on one oof the jumps early on for some reason the bike jumped sideways on me in the air and I was not able to correct it but I was able to ride it out.I was riding on a sand practice track and by the end of my ride my buddies said my last 4 laps were smooth.I found that by staying on the gas I was pushing to the outside of the corners where there was more traction and really hooking up coming off the corners.Does anyone know why the bike may have kicked out sideways on me??? I am pretty sure that I hit the jump straight! Any input would be appreciated.I really appreciate the help!I hope that I can repay it someday.Thanks again.

[Fireballsocal]

Unless your hitting monster jumps, your front tire is to hard. I can guarentee it. I ride sand 90% of the time and can't set a bike up well for hardpack but I have the sand dialed in perfect. I run 8 psi front and rear. The low pressure helps the tire conform and grap a larger amount of sand. Your front tire washing out is mostly from the pressure being too high. Like some of these guys said, get up on the tank in the turns also. You want as much weight on the tire to make it stick and grab ahold of the sand, allowing the rear end to rotate around easily. I'm not one too weight the outside peg but it works for enough people that I would recommend it. I choose to go softer on my compression settings in the sand to keep the tires in contact with the sand as much as possible. Some people will tell you to go stiffer but the soft settings are what works for me.

As for the deflection you experienced on that jump, your suspension settings are off. I believe you need a few more clicks of rebound on the rear shock but I'm not too knowledgable on the suspension so lets see what the other guy's say.

[stoner]

Fireball do you think I need to have the suspension done?I weigh 220 I have set the suspension at 100mm sag and used MXA's suggested rear set up that goes like this:

HI-Compresion: 13/8 turns

Lo-Compression: 8 clicks out

Rebound: 12 clicks out

Does this sound appropriate?I ride mostly mx.I have been told that the 426 suspension is pretty close to state of the art box stock and that even guys my size can get away with just settings and not re-valving etc.If I need to get it done by one of the companys does anyone know roughly what it costs?And who would be the company to have do it?Any suggestions would be appreciated.

And oh yeah to all that have resonded so far thanks for all the help!

[John_Lorenz]

Stoner

Great Name by the way ?

Got MUNCHIES

Hey if anyone here ever tells you that getting your fruit of the looms filled from time to time will pass is full of it. Man if you riding hard you will scare yourself, Of course it dont happen to me

But I do agree with Fireball on the suspension, Best thing to do is just one maybe two clicks ata time on the settings, then try it.

Example only:

1 - 2 + or - cliks rebound then test see how that works

1 - 2 + or - decomp then test again...

Never make more then one adjustment on one setting at a time, concentrate on one only....

And write it down... keep track of what works and what dosnt

[ May 29, 2002: Message edited by: EgoAhole ]

[Shawn_Mc]

Im kind of surprised that Race Tech said your spring rates were ok. Enzo did my suspension and Ross said I needed stiffer springs and I was 195 at the time, but now im only 175 and havent changed a thing, and like it even better with the stiffer springs that is. Ive got a 5.6 on the rear and .47's in the front. Im betting the bike kicked sideways when you chopped the throttle prior to being totally off the ground.

At 225 lbs, your the second heavyist person ive heard/seen of on a 125 other than Marty Tripes!

I saw a guy out at Elsinore on a YZ125 that was 350 at least. Couldnt believe my eyes. When that dude threw a leg over that tiddler, I thought he was gonna squish it! He had about 4" of sag! Who in they're right minds, sets a 125 up for a guy that weighs 350+? ?

[98yz]

Check out www.gp-racing.com he has full sping rates for the 01 426 on there. My 01 is revalved and all by them and I am 6'2" 200, and they stayed with the same spring rates for MX riding. I am an Intermediate (b class) rider. I only run the sag at 95mm. Stay on the gas for sandy turns, dont let the engine braking drag the front end down.

[Hokie]

Originally posted by stoner:

Fireball do you think I need to have the suspension done?I weigh 220 I have set the suspension at 100mm sag and used MXA's suggested rear set up that goes like this:

HI-Compresion: 13/8 turns

Lo-Compression: 8 clicks out

Rebound: 12 clicks out

Does this sound appropriate?I ride mostly mx.I have been told that the 426 suspension is pretty close to state of the art box stock and that even guys my size can get away with just settings and not re-valving etc.If I need to get it done by one of the companys does anyone know roughly what it costs?And who would be the company to have do it?Any suggestions would be appreciated.

And oh yeah to all that have resonded so far thanks for all the help!

I weigh the same as you and had my suspension done by MX-Tech a few weeks ago. The stock spring rates are fine, the stock valving was not.

For the forks and shock it was around $600.00, well worth it in my opinion.

[98yz]

600.00 Geez man What all did you have done?

[Fireballsocal]

If you plan on serious racing and needed all that your bike can give you, I would say yes. Get the suspension done. If your gonna race for the fun of it and are not worried about coming in 2nd or 60th, Don't spend the cash. You can get a setting that will work well for you with just a little bit of experimentation. Like Ego said, write down your settings and maybe change your fork compression by one or two clicks then see how that handles. Concentrate on what the front tire is doing and if it helps, either stay there or try adjusting another click till you feel the fork compression is where you want it. Now go to the shock compression. Adjust till your comfortable and go to the rebound. It can take time but you will be much faster on a bike that you feel confidant on.

I really think you should go lower on your tire pressure first. After that, if you still feel uneasy on the bike, go to the fork then shock compression.