400EX ride height

[mthomas]

I ride 50/50 CC & moto-x and I want to improve the handling of my stock 400EX. I have plans to purchase +2 arms and new front shocks. I need some help in the area of ride height. I want to lower the ride height to make the bike handle better, but I want to have clearance for trail riding also. Any ideas?

[NacsMXer]

Looks like you need a ZPS or SSD shock setup. PEP, Axis, TCS, and Elka all offer this setup, but the Elkas will be the best bang for your buck. ;) The Self Sagging Device option on the Elkas lets you run the quad high or low depending on the conditions you ride in. I think youll be satisfied with any of these companies. The one thing is that the valving is different on a shock setup for Cross Country and a shock setup for MX. If you run a set of shocks set up for MX, you can still adjust the ride height higher for Cross Country but it will be one rough ride. Inversely, if you run the XC shocks on an MX track, you can adjust the ride height lower, but the quad will bottom out like mad on the big jumps. So I really do not suggest buying one set of shocks and using it for both racing events because one or the other will suffer. My advice is to look out for a set of used shocks for MX and another set for XC to try to save some cash. Another thing, running a +2 front end even with stock offset rims will be kinda sketchy in some tight woods. I run a +2 front end for MX, and its really tight for trails, especially with my +4 axle. +1 is what you want for XC. But to tell you the truth, MX and XC quad setups are quite different and are a lot more than just shocks. I think you need to pick one racing event or the other and set your quad up the right way. Either that or buy another quad :eek2: .

[mthomas]

I need to clarify my riding conditions. The 50% CC portion is more trail riding than CC racing. The 50% MX is beginner to intermediate. I was hoping that I could use the shocks you mentioned before, but just lighten up the compression for the trail riding conditions. I definitely see your point on the width for trail riding. Most of the places I trail ride have trail that were cut by stock width quads (400EX - 45.3" wide), so even at 47" wide (+1 arms), I might have clearance issues, especially in the tight woods. On average, what width do the pros run in CC racing? Thanks for your help.