New owner and shock settings for heavy rider?

[Osman.s]

Hello, I am new to this forum, i am new owner of a 2006 trx 400ex, i studied this forum before i even bought the bike you guys are great!,


So the things i have already added on, trx 450r front shocks, k&N filter, DG header and muffler, jet kit, powermadds, and new tires,

My question is what should i set my shocks too? I am a heavy rider 235lbs and my front 450r shocks are at regular settings, and my rear shock is a tightest setting. i didn't touch any of the valves or soft to hard just on the rear spring itself the metal rings are all the way down on the rear.

what should i do

I am a aggressive trail rider and hit the occasional jumps

[JOHNDOE83]

Stiffin em up and see what it does.

Then loosin em up and see what happens.

Then either leave em stiff, soft or adjust it somewhere in the middle depending on your results.

Ride it kinda hard and take a whole ride day to try and dial it in to your preference, trying different settings as you go.

I only weigh 155, so I set them as soft as they will go.

Hope it helps.

[big_poppa49]

I have an addition question to this. I, myself weigh about 240lbs and do the exact same type of riding (aggressive trail and some jumping).

BUT, how do you adjust the stock front and back shocks on 01' stockers? The front to me appears that you need a special tool. Do you? Or is there something else you can use? And what about the back?

Do you do it with the bike lifted off the ground or sitting just like it is?

Sorry, dont mean to hijack thread, I just have never adjusted the shocks from when I bought it new in 01'. Osman, after you get yours set, please post back on if you stiffened it or softened it. Thanks

[JOHNDOE83]

For the front, the way I do it is with channel locks, I grab it and spin it till its on hard soft or in the middle setting.

It will scar em up if you dont put tape on your channel locks.

For the back there is three adjustments, 1 is the weird looking threaded bolt looking things on the shock it self, then theres a screw flat head looking adjust on the top side of the shock and another one on the bottom by the shock linkage.

[JOHNDOE83]

to adjust the spring on the rear shock use a hammer and flat head screw driver, bang on the top ring till it loosens, then lossen or tightin the bottom ring to adjust the spring stiffer or softer.

it is easier with the atv slightly lifted on a jack.

[big_poppa49]

Originally posted by JOHNDOE83

theres a screw flat head looking adjust on the top side of the shock and another one on the bottom by the shock linkage.

What does what?

[JOHNDOE83]

the 2 screw head things on the rear shock?

I forget really...lol. one is for up one is for down and they adjust how fast it goes.....

best way to do it, like I said turn em all the way one way and push up and down on the shock, then turn it all the way the other way and push up and down.....see where that gets ya.

Then adjust it to push, where you think its good, then ride it and adjust it accordingly.