Race setup?

 


OK, I am watching videos on youtube to try to understand suspension
better. So I am wondering... We are racing Winchester SuperCross this
weekend.  Being a very short track with no fast straights, could I raise
the rideheight to 100 from the usual 104 she rides for MX? My thinking
here is it would make her turn better, my concern is the whoop sections.
Can I assume as long as we get pretty close on rebound and compression,
she should be ok? Maybe just come up two mm? We will have three laps
practice before the racing starts to "test" one setup. If we don't like
it we can always go back to stock.

There is also quick off the corner double, double she is going to look
at this week. Any reason to consider the ride height change in regurards
to short knife jumps?

Comments or reccomendations appreciated.

Winchester SuperCross under the lights Saturday for any locals who want
to come race or watch "The Mouse";) We do have a pretty good womens and
girls division there so come on down and get dirty with the kids;)


Thanks, Scotty

--
Rowdy Mouse Racing - We race for cheese!

 

3 laps isn't enough to make a big change.  You can also just add a
couple clicks to the shock compression.  It will help keep the rear
from squating so much and effectively make the bike turn better.
During the winter I run my suspension stiffer as traction allows me to
use the terrain to turn.  In summer, traction sucks and then I use the
brakes and throttle much more to turn.  I rarely get on a real MX
track these days, but I generally start with 4 clicks stiffer front
and rear.  I may slow up the shock rebound if it's a smooth track.

Try getting some video and watch the suspension action in different
parts of the track.  Slow motion is your friend and allows you to
really see what's going on.  She should lightly bottom out the
suspension on largest obstacle.  

Mike Baxter


On Fri, 4 Jun 2010 14:28:52 -0400, I am Tosk

 

mgb***@comcast.net says...

Thanks for the tips, I set it up the way you suggested and never got to
change the ride height. Once she tried the setup she loved it, and
demanded I didn't touch it. She came in third, her first podium of the
season. Two girls that were faster than Jessi at the beginning of the
season are now history. She beat them both soundly and twice today. She
got the second place girl in one moto and would have had second save a
nice pass by another girl halfway through the last lap. Everyone said
"this is a different rider than we saw a month ago". Yup, we have missed
a couple of races but I told her we would go back when we had something
for them;)

Scotty

--
Rowdy Mouse Racing - We race for cheese!

 

On Sun, 6 Jun 2010 01:39:51 -0400, I am Tosk


Awesome!!!!


OK, now you must start testing.  It's better now, but can it be even
better?????  Make only one small change at a time and have her try it.
Don't tell her what you did though.  The goal is for her to be able to
feel the change and decide if it's better.

So you increased the slow speed compression damping on the shock.  Go
two clicks stiffer and have her try a couple laps.  Keeps going 2
clicks at a time until she feels the difference and tells you it
better or worse.  Then go back to the starts point and go the other
direction (softer).  What you hope to find is that she figures out
what she likes and what changes she would like for different tracks.
It's a process and it takes time and plenty of practice and patience.
Mike Baxter

 

mgb***@comcast.net says...

Sounds great.. We got to the MX track today and got suited up, she got
in a half lap before the clouds opened up... We ended up packing up and
going home as soon as I put the MX setup back in. We will try Tuesday, I
have a short course worked up for us to do even more corner work. The
video of the weekend shows her turning great, wish she had let me raise
the rear rideheight, I think it would have been even better.

Next weekend is another night race on the Supercross track, we need
about 4-5 seconds a lap to get a win.. The way she is going and working
she may be able to do that within a few weeks. Hope the other girl isn't
getting much track time;)

--
Rowdy Mouse Racing - We race for cheese!