Interessting to get informations like this, but I always recommend to everybody change whatever is possible to be changed. BUT always mark or write down what you have changed, step by step and not everything at once, and between the changes ride several minutes or hours on a course you know, so you recognize every single change and its influence. Yes, it takes time, but every Pro does the same, and you learn more about biking and the possibilties you were given.
Cool that you mention old school Malcolm Smith! I like your exaggeration of the Harley with forks way out in front. I ride tight single track and found my front wheel "seemed" to be too light going up long slippery uphills (could be my riding position!) I dropped the front end by lowering the triple clamp on the forks, about a half inch and it seems to have helped with stability. I am a very average (and old!) rider, don't ride very fast, but like to have quicker response around the trees, etc. Thanks for your expertise!
Good info Mike. I'd like to see a follow up on the rear end and how sag numbers and clickers effect the handling to get more forward drive when rolling on the gas.
@@keithncollins I struggle with the same, even after slowing rear rebound. Feels fine for a couple whoops but if there are more than 3 or 4 in a row I end up getting bucked. Probably a skill problem. 🤪
Just got my GET SX1 installed on my 450RL today and it made the bike so much more fun to ride in map 1, and so much easier for my dad to ride in map 2. Great purchase along with the Graves Exhaust
My suspension guy suggests only bleeding forks when the bike is on a stand and never bleed the forks when your sitting on the bike or compressing the forks there is a good chance you will create a negative air pressure situation
Always helpful to learn from someone with more experience. I have engine and suspension knowledge from drag racing but not much of that applies to my bike
Air expands as it increases in temperature. Air expanding in a closed space produces pressure. It's as simple as that. That pressure will certainly affect the forks performance. It's increasing the preload essentially.
Best instructions I’ve seen on TH-cam for suspension and performance. Your parts supplies and customer service is also the best I’ve come across. You are my “go-to” for all things off road. Happy Trails Mike.
@@TACOMOTOCO I plan on adjusting my forks out to the end and see if it helps me on the tight single track in east tn! New rider so any bit of help I can get ill take
Ha, which year, bike, and you say ktm, this is a Husqvrana? My 2021 husky 350 was standard 3 lines down. Husqvarna and ktm have different chassis settings.
Every new bike I buy, I always whip out the manual and ensure that every system is set to spec. I read every day on my Forums of questions that could be answered if the idiot would just read their manual or get a repair manual.
What you say about idle is true on 4 strokes. Most KTM 350's have an idle higher than 2100 rpm. That sounds to high for our ears but it is correct and avoids that hated cut outs. On a two stroke you want the idle as low as possible, even so low that the engine dies from time to time.
On the topic of pinch flats - the friction that is the primary cause a pinch flat is "inside" the tube, not outside. So greasing the outside won't completely solve the problem of pinch flats... Take your fingers and press a tube together and you will see it has alot of friction internally. I run old honda atv flat proof. I primarily use this to lubricate the inside of the tube. I use camel talcum powder between the tube and the tire. I use a slippery flat-proof inside the tube.
Good observations. Our practice of a liquid puncture sealant inside the tube and a silicone lube on the outside has all but eliminated pinch flats for our riders and costumers
@@TACOMOTOCO My opinion here - you don't need to lube the outside of the tube with silicone. Multiple reasons not to do this... One thing to note is that baby powder is no longer talcum powder - it causes cancer if inhaled. One needs to buy a specific "tire talc" for something that "works" for this application - just google it to find some. I would never silicone or grease up inside my tire.. Never. Ever... The primary reason your customers are avoiding pinch flats is the flat proof that you have added inside the tube... I say this as a very retired Expert (A) off road rider who used to plow through rock gardens at very high speed like they weren't there. No pinch flats with a "slippy" flat proof. I do bend front axles though.... ;-)
@@TACOMOTOCO I use "tire talc" instead for lubricating the inside the tire (and on the tube prior to installation). This is true talcum power and is made specifically for this application. Baby power is no longer "talcum powder" as it was found to cause lung cancer. It is now corn starch and doesn't work for tire mounting...
@@jeffdunham9981 next year we have a video series coming on tires and inflation / fill systems, and one of the tests we've lined up is some lab testing of pinch-flat prevention methodologies. Stay tuned!
hi there, i'm 5'4" short, i ricochetted on my last ride with te250 after the seat ejected me landing with arm and now, I have a fractured wrist. would having a handle bar riser will have a difference. im still a new rider, 2 years riding and it is less often. less skilled and experience so to speak.
You state that the change in stability when dropping the forks in the triple clamps is due to increase in wheelbase - this is a minor factor and minute. You are changing the steering head angle by lowering the front relative to the back - this is the dominant factor. There is no wrong setting or right setting for this. Some guys like a really stable bike and don't mind brake sliding around turns. Others like a sharp turning bike and don't mind giving up some high speed stability. The other thing that can be done is to change the rear sag slightly - this has same effect of changing fork height in the triple clamp. But a rider shouldn't go wild if they have linkage suspension - changing the sag puts you into a different position in your linkage ratio - e.g. stiffer part of it as you go into travel. I would go 10mm either way depending on speed of the trail and terrain - but generally tried to stay at 100mm. The other thing that is done to modify wheelbase to make it quicker steering is to pull a link from the chain to pull the rear wheel forward. Reverse is true if you have "room" to add a link to the chain... (add an additional master link - or if you want to be save use a chain link press).
great insights that complement the wheel base factor. maybe one of our math geek friends will compute the precise effect (length difference) of wheel base for each triple clamp/fork ring choice. 😂 th-cam.com/video/0ktQMnSGJpM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=7sGhUAT8iJ1fTIns
@BushmanCanuck sometimes you have room and other times their isn't room. By room I mean space between the front of the tire and the swingarm and the space needed between the sprocket and the chain guide....
@@gracehannnah google app store is a Link to a pdf about the app. Self explaining if it is for you or not. Sorry, but it is not a replacement for a hard wire one. It's more a tool for quick check, they claim to +/-10 rpm different to a normal. But it depends on sound, less background sound more exact rpm. They write, please read carefully if the App is for you. You can see what it can and can't do. The PDF is interesting and the Company to. I hope it helps.
just like u dont need that ecu. u simply dont need the rest either. u think u do, but u dont. want and missuse are two total different things tho. but ignorance is bliss. watching this and thinking ur woke all the sudden...and still voting and jabbing? :) LOL, its not bliss. ud be taken advantage of and to stay poor and limited. some fundamental things u need to before even have a thought of springs or ecu's
When I got my bike I tried a ride at each line. I could feel the difference and I’m a goon rider. Pushed all the way up it turns nice with a fatty tire on it. (Forest riding). With them dropped down to the first line it would turn slow and I’d go wide on tight turns.
@lostinpa-dadenduro7555 tiny changes to the suspension can play a large roll in the handling and ride characteristics of a bike. Surprising how much difference a small change can make 👌🏽
The wheelbase length, while changing by doing this, isn’t really the geometry number to focus on. Trail is. Tiny difference in trail measurements can have drastic effects on bike handling, especially when carrying loads.
This is packed with so many great tips. One of the best videos I have ever watched. Thanks
Interessting to get informations like this, but I always recommend to everybody change whatever is possible to be changed. BUT always mark or write down what you have changed, step by step and not everything at once, and between the changes ride several minutes or hours on a course you know, so you recognize every single change and its influence. Yes, it takes time, but every Pro does the same, and you learn more about biking and the possibilties you were given.
Cool that you mention old school Malcolm Smith! I like your exaggeration of the Harley with forks way out in front. I ride tight single track and found my front wheel "seemed" to be too light going up long slippery uphills (could be my riding position!) I dropped the front end by lowering the triple clamp on the forks, about a half inch and it seems to have helped with stability. I am a very average (and old!) rider, don't ride very fast, but like to have quicker response around the trees, etc. Thanks for your expertise!
Same, I have 5 lines visible. Love it's responsiveness in the trees or even quad trails. A little twitchy on the gravel road though 😅
Good info Mike. I'd like to see a follow up on the rear end and how sag numbers and clickers effect the handling to get more forward drive when rolling on the gas.
Terrific suggestion, we have more of these tech talks in the works 👌🏽
@@spaceboyrr same, my rear bounces like a pogo stick in the whoops. But seems to feel pretty good elsewhere
@@keithncollins I struggle with the same, even after slowing rear rebound. Feels fine for a couple whoops but if there are more than 3 or 4 in a row I end up getting bucked. Probably a skill problem. 🤪
@@chipmutza yes same here but it would make me feel better to blame it on the bike setup rather than owning up to the gaps in my skills...
Just got my GET SX1 installed on my 450RL today and it made the bike so much more fun to ride in map 1, and so much easier for my dad to ride in map 2. Great purchase along with the Graves Exhaust
My suspension guy suggests only bleeding forks when the bike is on a stand and never bleed the forks when your sitting on the bike or compressing the forks there is a good chance you will create a negative air pressure situation
He’s right and we agree. Lean the bike over on the side stand to take the weight off is a fast simple trick
@@TACOMOTOCO That would work, I was just mentioning that because I've seen people bleed the forks mid ride while sitting on the bike resting
Guess I'll have to bleed them while wheeling, don't got time for stopping and using the side stand to unload the front! 😁
Always helpful to learn from someone with more experience. I have engine and suspension knowledge from drag racing but not much of that applies to my bike
Air expands as it increases in temperature. Air expanding in a closed space produces pressure. It's as simple as that. That pressure will certainly affect the forks performance. It's increasing the preload essentially.
Great explanation, thanks
Welcome@@TACOMOTOCO
Exactly. Same thing happens in your tires as they heat; the pressure rises.
I like my bikes more stable too!! Taco Mike knows his stuff!!!!
Best instructions I’ve seen on TH-cam for suspension and performance. Your parts supplies and customer service is also the best I’ve come across. You are my “go-to” for all things off road. Happy Trails Mike.
Is there more videos like this??? Simply amazing
We have more coming soon 🤜🏽⚙️🤛🏽
@@TACOMOTOCO I plan on adjusting my forks out to the end and see if it helps me on the tight single track in east tn! New rider so any bit of help I can get ill take
Would be cool to see a mini tech video on your shock exhaust heat shield setup
Thanks Mike, we are all waiting for your textbook!
Great tips again Mike. Thank you!
Love my ‘24 450 xcfw fork all the way up. Holds ruts and turns on rails.
Finding a formula that works for each rider is totally the key to an individualized set up 🤜🏽🤛🏽
How many lines showing? Bar clamp risers for the win 😉
Almost 5 lines exposed 💪🏽 love it in the woods...but I get head shake on gravel roads. I just need a steering dampener I guess.
Great info & a great song in the background!! Country Roads take me home to the place I belong West Virginia Mtn mama.... Take me home!!
Great presentation. As we say in roadracing .... tires are the cheapest (and only) insurance.
Very, very informative. Thank you
I always ride my forks adjusted at maximum wheel base on my bikes.
No the KTM manual stock setting for the fork hight is the 1st line down form the top, not the 3rd
Ha, which year, bike, and you say ktm, this is a Husqvrana? My 2021 husky 350 was standard 3 lines down. Husqvarna and ktm have different chassis settings.
@@Andy-wo9bm the last 3 I had was the endurro, all on the top line, the OM refers to all models. Maybe the US has a different spec ?
Such good stuff here. The Competent Malcontent approves! 😁
Every new bike I buy, I always whip out the manual and ensure that every system is set to spec. I read every day on my Forums of questions that could be answered if the idiot would just read their manual or get a repair manual.
excellent tutorial, thank you.
What you say about idle is true on 4 strokes. Most KTM 350's have an idle higher than 2100 rpm. That sounds to high for our ears but it is correct and avoids that hated cut outs.
On a two stroke you want the idle as low as possible, even so low that the engine dies from time to time.
On the topic of pinch flats - the friction that is the primary cause a pinch flat is "inside" the tube, not outside. So greasing the outside won't completely solve the problem of pinch flats... Take your fingers and press a tube together and you will see it has alot of friction internally. I run old honda atv flat proof. I primarily use this to lubricate the inside of the tube. I use camel talcum powder between the tube and the tire. I use a slippery flat-proof inside the tube.
Good observations. Our practice of a liquid puncture sealant inside the tube and a silicone lube on the outside has all but eliminated pinch flats for our riders and costumers
@@TACOMOTOCO My opinion here - you don't need to lube the outside of the tube with silicone. Multiple reasons not to do this...
One thing to note is that baby powder is no longer talcum powder - it causes cancer if inhaled. One needs to buy a specific "tire talc" for something that "works" for this application - just google it to find some. I would never silicone or grease up inside my tire.. Never. Ever...
The primary reason your customers are avoiding pinch flats is the flat proof that you have added inside the tube...
I say this as a very retired Expert (A) off road rider who used to plow through rock gardens at very high speed like they weren't there. No pinch flats with a "slippy" flat proof. I do bend front axles though.... ;-)
@@TACOMOTOCO I use "tire talc" instead for lubricating the inside the tire (and on the tube prior to installation). This is true talcum power and is made specifically for this application. Baby power is no longer "talcum powder" as it was found to cause lung cancer. It is now corn starch and doesn't work for tire mounting...
@@jeffdunham9981 next year we have a video series coming on tires and inflation / fill systems, and one of the tests we've lined up is some lab testing of pinch-flat prevention methodologies. Stay tuned!
Don’t forget about the chain…cut the new chain to have the longest wheel base possible. Cut it later when it stretches.
Good info here. Thanks for sharing. 👍
Is that the new lighter weight end cap that you spoke of in an earlier video? Any estimate on when it might be released?
More rear sag for the pds bikes has a similar effect
Great info
Instead of allowing air out whenever, why isn't there a check valve or something that always lets the air pressure out?
hi there, i'm 5'4" short, i ricochetted on my last ride with te250 after the seat ejected me landing with arm and now, I have a fractured wrist. would having a handle bar riser will have a difference. im still a new rider, 2 years riding and it is less often. less skilled and experience so to speak.
How much do you weigh? Are your shock springs for your weight? I don't think a bar riser would benifit you. A lowering linkage and low seat would.
@@BushmanCanuck 65 kgs, had replaced the springs which is appropriate for my weight on forks ang shock absorber. thanks for the advice.
@@reddirtmoto4841 Ikaw ay malugod na tinatanggap
Thanks for posting the instruction. What Graphics kit do you have on that bike?
In house taco moto graphics. We can make some for you too
Graphics@tacomoto.co
You state that the change in stability when dropping the forks in the triple clamps is due to increase in wheelbase - this is a minor factor and minute. You are changing the steering head angle by lowering the front relative to the back - this is the dominant factor. There is no wrong setting or right setting for this. Some guys like a really stable bike and don't mind brake sliding around turns. Others like a sharp turning bike and don't mind giving up some high speed stability.
The other thing that can be done is to change the rear sag slightly - this has same effect of changing fork height in the triple clamp. But a rider shouldn't go wild if they have linkage suspension - changing the sag puts you into a different position in your linkage ratio - e.g. stiffer part of it as you go into travel. I would go 10mm either way depending on speed of the trail and terrain - but generally tried to stay at 100mm.
The other thing that is done to modify wheelbase to make it quicker steering is to pull a link from the chain to pull the rear wheel forward. Reverse is true if you have "room" to add a link to the chain... (add an additional master link - or if you want to be save use a chain link press).
All good points made and items to consider 👌🏽
great insights that complement the wheel base factor. maybe one of our math geek friends will compute the precise effect (length difference) of wheel base for each triple clamp/fork ring choice. 😂 th-cam.com/video/0ktQMnSGJpM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=7sGhUAT8iJ1fTIns
Oh I like the chain shortening idea!
@BushmanCanuck sometimes you have room and other times their isn't room. By room I mean space between the front of the tire and the swingarm and the space needed between the sprocket and the chain guide....
I’m the opposite. Set compression first. Rebound last.
@Taco Moto CO, can you explain why you run only one throttle cable?
Great eyes👀👀
Reduced resistance to the pull, less clutter in the bar area
This looks to be filmed in the Columbia river gorge? My back yard 👍
He says "this is 9k feet". The Columbia River Gorge is not 9k feet.
Silverton Colorado , the gorge is amazing riding too 👌🏽🤘🏽
Any chance Robert could provide the name of the rpm app? Good video btw.
the app is called ENGINE RPM
To slack or not to slack, that is the question...... Way to break it down for the people.
Please let us know what idle app is called.
App is "Engine RPM"
Besides the nuetech, is there a readily available silicone lube for tubes or will any silicone grease work?
I'm guessing any mousse brand of lube.
Gave them boiz a 30min beatdown. 😅😅😅
What App is this for idle setup?
It’s called ENGINE RPM
in you assessment of the App, how accurate is compared to a hard wired tach?
@@gracehannnah google app store is a Link to a pdf about the app. Self explaining if it is for you or not. Sorry, but it is not a replacement for a hard wire one. It's more a tool for quick check, they claim to +/-10 rpm different to a normal. But it depends on sound, less background sound more exact rpm. They write, please read carefully if the App is for you. You can see what it can and can't do. The PDF is interesting and the Company to. I hope it helps.
Flat Brimmer kid! LOL
Negative air pressure? This is a hydraulic system. You’re not supposed to have air in there.
Bro I can’t stand ur voice, I’m out
Bro, see you later
just like u dont need that ecu. u simply dont need the rest either. u think u do, but u dont. want and missuse are two total different things tho. but ignorance is bliss. watching this and thinking ur woke all the sudden...and still voting and jabbing? :) LOL, its not bliss. ud be taken advantage of and to stay poor and limited. some fundamental things u need to before even have a thought of springs or ecu's
Wtf is your jabber even about? Woke? Voting and still jabbing? Wtf? Stfu dude lol
What?
What is the difference from ring 1 to ring 3 (like 5mm on the wheelbase?) you must be a real pro-pro uber-pro to notice that. What a lot of baloney.
Science bro
www.thumpertalk.com/forums/topic/1179336-small-changes-can-make-for-big-handling-improvements-by-rick-sieman/
When I got my bike I tried a ride at each line. I could feel the difference and I’m a goon rider. Pushed all the way up it turns nice with a fatty tire on it. (Forest riding). With them dropped down to the first line it would turn slow and I’d go wide on tight turns.
@lostinpa-dadenduro7555 tiny changes to the suspension can play a large roll in the handling and ride characteristics of a bike. Surprising how much difference a small change can make 👌🏽
The wheelbase length, while changing by doing this, isn’t really the geometry number to focus on. Trail is. Tiny difference in trail measurements can have drastic effects on bike handling, especially when carrying loads.
@@gzahndvalid insights