Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127813
·SHOOTOUl CR2S0R YS. 10050 YS. RM250 YS. SX250 YS. YZ250 We left the shock's rebound at the stock setting of 15. As far as ride height, Suzuki recommends 95-98mm of sag. We also lowered the oil level in the fork by IOmm (measured from the top). At these settings, the Suzuki has a much more level and b~anced feeling. You don't want the forks to be too soft on the Suzuki, as this will drop the fork into the middle of the stroke (the harsh spot) and raise the back end, giving the Suzuki that "stinkbug" look, resulting in a rear end that kicks. "By making the front stiffer, this was the trick for the RM," Ward said. "This also helped the back end." The KTM's suspension comes set up a little on the soft side, especially for Ward. At Carlsbad, he ran maximum compression on the KTM Magnum 50mm forks, with the stock .45 springs, but still felt it wasn't enough. Everyone else felt comfortable going in just two clicks from the standard #6 position. He did leave the rebound at the standard (7) setting, as did everyone else. In the back, the changes weren't as drastic. The rebound stayed the same for everyone at the standard #18 position, while the most anyone went up on the compression was three clicks, from the standard 18 out. At Perris, we stuck with the standard .45 forks springs and oil level, but everyone increased damping even further by at least one or two clicks on compression (at both ends), and, again, no one changed any rebound settings from standard. When It came to the CR's suspension, Honda's Eric Crlppa wasn't too busy, as the bike's suspension Is nearly spot-on rIght out of the crate•. The rear ride height for the KTM is anywhere from 98-102mm. The Yamaha, too, comes stock a little soft up front even though Yamaha went with stiffer springs for '97. The standard damping setting for both compression and rebound for the inverted Kayaba shock is 10 clicks out. Most riders went in at least two clicks on the compression for the best setting with the stock .43 springs. Rebound was eventually le.ft at the stock setting. In the back, everyone was happy with the Yamaha's stock compressi~n (#12) and rebound (#10) settings on the shock. Yamaha recommends the ride height measured at 95mm of sag. Once dialed, we came to the conclusion that the Honda and Kawasaki have the best "ll-around suspensions of the group. The Kawasaki .has a slightly more cushy feel than the Honda, but the Honda just feels more stable overall and takes the least number of adjustments from track to track. As Ward put it, "This was the only bike (the Honda) that, if I had to race today (right out of the crate), it would be ready to be hammered hard. This bike is ready to race off the showroom floor." However, not all agreed. "I liked the KX's suspension better (than the Honda's)," ·said our intermediate rider, who .liked the Kawasaki's more plush feeling. The KTM worked exceptionally well on the faster (and rougher) tracks, like Carlsbad. Its overall plush suspension had our less-experienced riders speaking highly of the KTM. However, we had mixed reviews about its forks. Some liked the' KTM's Magnums while others felt they were too harsh. "The forks are just too soft for a pro," Ward said. "(But) with some heavier springs, I think they would work a lot better." Hardly anyone complained of the KTM's Ohlins shock, except for Ward who thought the back end felt harsh at high speed - "wasn't as plush as the KX," he said. . The Suzuki is a lot more sensitive from track to track than any of the other bikes. The faster the track, combine.