RUST magazine: RUST#37

Suspension tuning
STILLWELL’S
SUSPENSION SMARTS
#3 Bolt-on goodies and how they affect your suspension!
In this article we’ll take a deep dive into how bolt-on accessories can
influence the way your suspension works – in both good and bad
ways. These aftermarket products are typically designed with one
specific purpose in mind, however the effects of adding them to your
bike can produce suspension changes that require a bit of tuning.
Words: Alan Stillwell Images: KTM & Jon Bentman
STEERING STABILIZERS / DAMPERS
Steering stabilizers are
very popular, and have
been around for decades.
Stabilizers are designed to do
just that, stabilize the front
end when hitting obstacles, reducing
the tendency to yank the handlebars
out of your hands. They work by
applying damping when there is a
quick turning motion of the bars, such
as when you glance off a rock
Typically, there are two adjustments
on the damper, high-speed damping
and sweep. Sweep allows you to adjust
to a degree the turning radius the
damper is effective in. Some dampers
can dampen when turning the bars
back to center as well as offering a low
speed adjustment for damping.
Dampers do a great job of helping
the bike stay straight in rough terrain,
as dampening the turning creates a
stiff feel to the chassis and helps keep
the bike in line. Great for high-speed
terrain where one 60km/h rock hit can
toss the whole bike off line.
When you bolt a damper in place,
you are inadvertently affecting the
suspension as well, and you can use
this to your advantage. Try going softer
on your fork compression by 2-3 clicks
for really rocky/rooty/slick terrain
once you have your damper adjusted
to your liking. You will find that the
plushness factor increases, while the
damper takes on the task of holding the
chassis straight as you drive the front
end through repeated obstacles. You
might also be able to decrease rebound
damping, allowing the front end to
reset to the ground quicker.
In high speed conditions, the
damper can allow you to make the
bike even more stable by adding fork
compression, letting you hit obstacles
at a high speed. One interesting note,
w
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