Adventure motorcycle suspension can seem like black magic. What do all those clickers actually do? What is SAG? How do preload, compression damping, rebound damping, and spring rate affect the way your ADV motorcycle handles?
In this episode of Moto Adventure Unscripted, Drew and Mark break down adventure motorcycle suspension from the ground up and explain what riders actually need to know before spending money on suspension upgrades.
We start with the basics: what suspension is supposed to do, the difference between springs and damping, and how preload affects your motorcycle when you add a rider, passenger, or luggage. Drew and Mark explain SAG, static sag, rider sag, spring rate, compression damping, rebound damping, and suspension clickers in plain English.
From there, they tackle some of the most common ADV suspension problems and questions:
How to establish your motorcycle's factory suspension settings
How to tell when you actually need a different spring rate
Why adding more preload isn't always the answer
Why motorcycles dive under braking
Why suspension can feel harsh on gravel and rough terrain
How to adjust compression and rebound damping
Why you shouldn't simply copy someone else's suspension settings
When stock suspension is good enough—and when you've actually outgrown it
How often ADV motorcycle suspension needs to be serviced
The goal isn't to turn you into a suspension tuner. It's to help you understand what your motorcycle is doing, make sensible adjustments, and know when it's actually time to spend money.SUBSCRIBER SEGMENT
The subscriber hour goes deeper into suspension types, linkage and PDS systems, fork oil weight and oil height, high- and low-speed damping, valving and revalving, cartridge kits, shock upgrades, suspension servicing, and when it's worth sending your suspension to a professional tuner.
Two hours of suspension nerdiness, commercial-free for subscribers.
The ride doesn't end when the episode does. Subscribers get ad-free listening and access to the Bonus Loop, our exclusive extended discussion recorded after the main show wraps up. If you enjoy the podcast, come along for a few extra miles.
https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/motoadvr/subscribe
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