Linkage or no Linkage

[SwampThing]

I was wanting to know what you'll think about this.I'm building a 400EX based quad and need a long travel rear.What do you'll think about going with a no-link long travel rear or a long travel shock with long link?Which is going to give the most travel and work the best?Thanks for any help with this.

[PEPwalshZ440]

no-link definetly if you can.
Mike

[SwampThing]

Thats what I was thinking.I should get more travel with the no-link setup.
Hey Mike I see you got some JRD stuff.I was thing about going with his arms.So how do you like what you got?Hows it holding up?
Perry

[boogiechile]

the no link is my pick but you have to get the shock dialed in just right. It is critical to have the right tender spring and crossover point to get the nolink plush. When right, it is better than a link setup in my opinion. It is easy to get 13 inches of travel with a long rear shock (17.5 inches) without going to high on the motion ratio.

[SwampThing]

Thanks for the input guys.
Boogiechile hows thats mo-jammer doin.

[boogiechile]

Originally posted by SwampThing
Thanks for the input guys.
Boogiechile hows thats mo-jammer doin.

It's finally finished. Check out the last album called Super Mojave finally finished at the link below. I haven't gotten much time on it yet, just got it broke in, but it feels real good so far. By the way that no link on it has a 1.5 inch frame to ground clearance when fully compressed and over 14 inches of travel.


Greene Streak Racing Projects (http://www.picturetrail.com/mojaveaddict)

[Tommy 17]

if it were me i'd put on a crf450 or cr500 linkage... they are much better then the no link, more travel, smoother ride, etc...


almost every pro calibar 250r u see has a 500 linkage on it besides the lonestar bikes... they still use no link...


i've rode both and the 500 linkage was smoother then the no linkage...


plus if u ever watch a 500 linkage bike u can come up short on a double just like a bike... u can fly threw the whoops like a bike... etc... a no link can't do that...

[boogiechile]

the link system allows the travel to be softer at first and then get harder as it goes up, providing more bottoming resistance the further up the travel it gets. That is definately a good thing and it makes a shock that is not just right seem good. The trade off is in travel and traction. The nolink will typically have more travel and it can be made to take a short landing just like a linkage but the key to the no link is in the shock setup for it. If you do not want to spend time fooling around with getting the shock dialed in with the right springs and dampening then the link may be a better choice. I have ridden both and prefer my no link, it handles the corners better for some reason and soaks up big landings but is a little rougher feeling doing it. As Tommy said, the link is smoother and I do not think you can ever get the no link as smooth as a link. But I am not looking for smooth, I want the best handling. If you have a chance to ride a good no link setup like a Roll 250r, then that would be best to do before you jump into it because some people like it and some don't. Problem is that I don't think anyone has a good no link for a 400ex do they? If so I would like to see some picks of it.

I wish i had some time to see if I could develope a good no link for a 400 that used the stock upper rear shock mount so it would be easy to change over. One thing to keep in mind is that a quad with more travel in the frt than the rear will never handle as well as one with more rear travel than frt. When you put a long travel frt on and it gets good, it would be MUCH better if you had a long travel rear with as much or more travel than the frt.