linkages, anyone?????

[boricua]

im hearing a lot about usin different linkages......
what is wrong with the stock one on the '00 400ex? i see that GT-thunder has some options there.....how much of a difference could there be from stock?
i dont ride track....mainly cross country, desert, yada-yada.

[JW450R1]

i have a dual linkage with elka rear shock on my450r.i think it made a huge difference in handling.i think the rear shock and linkage made more of a difference then any other up grade to my bike.i'm very happy with elka shocks and their linkage

[boricua]

can you describe the difference you felt? you say handling, how? did it give you more travel? do you ride MX or XC?

[JW450R1]

i ride mx.the difference between the stocker and aftermarket set up is night and day.the rear shock sucks up way more than stock.if it is over big jumps,whoops,and even just ruts and mess up in the track.when u are landing a jump,if u are not perfectly staright it willsuck-up the landing so u don't get twisted all up.it's really worth the money.

[boricua]

i ride in the desert, so XC would be the closest term to describe it i guess. how do they work for those riding conditions?

[JF400EX]

I used a GTThunder link on my '05 450R with stock shock for GNCC's and it made a huge difference! The back-end sat lower and was MUCH softer. The stock linkage had the quad feeling like a pogo-stick over the rough stuff and the link smoothed it right out. Granted, adding an aftermarket shock would be great too, but if you don't have the cash the link replacement for the 04/05 450R is a great way to improve that quad.

[roundsy]

JF, did you get just the link or did you get the stocks revalved too?

[boricua]

sounds good, but im not interested in lowering the ride height of the rear. does it lower it that much where you cant compensate with a sag adjustment?
and what does it do for shock valving? can i keep it the same?

the gt thunder rear linkage actually lowers the ride height to the right spot...at about 8 inches...the rear on the 400ex tends to buck...it packs up on whoops or will "over pre-load" on a jump face...for lack of a better way of dexcribing it. the gt thunder link almost completely elimnates that...

don't let the lower ride height fool ya, i thought i was fine in stock form...i am much more comfortable on it with the gt thunder link...the lower height is nice...i can't wait until fall when i do the suspension on my 450r...i planned on doing it before i even rode the 450...but i had a new bike sitting there asking to be ridden and not be without shocks...hehehe

the rear shock will need revalved to the new linkage and your weight

i ride tails...the linkage made it feel like a whole new bike...

[armysig]

Well, by the good word of this forum and other people I know. I went and had my suspension revalved and sprung by GT Thunder.

I was truely happy with how easy it was to view the GT thunder website and complete the worksheet for the rebuild on my shocks.

After talking with Laz once and sending him all the info he needed, my shocks couldn't be better!

I finally went out on a ride last night at the local track and I was amazed on how my quad handled. Everything was smooth and very easy on my quad. Every landing was perfect, every corner was smooth. When I got off my quad I couldn't believe what a difference it was from before.

I have yet to bottom out the quad, or have any kind of bucking or serious jarring from landings.


Height of my quad with no rider:

Front: 9 3/4 inches
Rear: 9 1/4 inches

Height of my quad with me on it (250lbs, 6'1" tall)

Front: 7 5/8th inches
Rear: 7 1/8th inches

The only thing I had to do was tune the compression and rebound on the shocks.

What Laz and GT Thunder did for me.

Revalve and spring front Elka shocks to my wieght, riding style and mesurements I sent.

Revalve and spring rear STOCK to my wieght, riding style and mesurements

The GT Thunder Linkage.

Again thanks Laz and GT Thunder. You guys have made my ride so much more fun for me

[boricua]

sweet man good input:macho