Please explain this.

I'm buying my teenager a Kawasaki KLX140L and I may want to hop on it
occasionally although I realize it's not an adult bike.

However, there's a rear suspension feature that's a part of the
KLX140L that perhaps could help carry my slighty overweight posterior
without bottoming out every time i hit an anthill.

It's called the....UNI-TRAK® linkage system and single shock with
piggyback reservoir, fully adjustable preload and 22-way rebound
damping.

How exactly does that work? Does it mean I could "pump up" the rear
suspension to handle my increased weight when I'm doing my joyriding
and then return it to another level for my 155 pound boy?

Thanks in advance for any clarifications.

-Fuzzy

 

The linkages' geometry provide a 'rising rate' suspension. The more
wheel movement, the more damping, basically. Google for a diagram if
you're that interested. All manufacturers have different versions of the
same system - Kawasaki's is called Uni-Trak, Honda Pro-Link, Suzuki Full
Floater, etc etc

Yes. Although as it's a small bike, its maximum settings might still be
a bit on the low side for a. er, hefty adult.

RTFM.

 

Maybe.

How corpulent are you, anyway?

Rising rate suspension linkages automatically increase preload on the
rear spring as the swing arm moves toward the seat under load, similar
to what a *true progressive* spring would do.

With rising rate, the single rate rear spring doesn't have to be
preloaded so stiff that the rear wheel chatters over a graded
washboard road.

That's *theory*, it's not a stairway to heaven for fat dudes that want
to ride a bike that's too little for them.

When riders first get a dirt bike with rising rate suspension, they
are amazed at how high the seat is off the ground and most riders
don't have a 35-inch inseam.

But then they *sit on the bike*, and the rear suspension *sags* 2 or 3
inches...

If you weigh 210 pounds and the rear suspension sags 3 inches when you
just sit on the seat, almost half the suspension travel is *used up*
right there.

If you go out and do some jumps and hard riding and bottom the
suspension several times, you could damage the *foot valve* in the
bottom of the shock and repairing or replacing it would be very
expensive.

Don't ask how I know that...

Dirt Rider magazine spent a whole buch of $$$ and did a whole bunch of
suspension mods to a KLX140L in order to overcome the fact that it's
*under-suspended* for the dirt (or for average sized adult men).

One guy was wondering how a "pit bike" like the KLX140 was selected
for their
"do-it-all" shoot out....

http://www.dirtrider.com/reviews/di..._bike/dirt_rider_post_torture_evaluation.html

BTW, don't pay any attention to the fatheaded Neil Murray, who styles
himself as "The Older Gentleman."

He's never ridden a dirtbike in the desert in his whole fifty years of
being a fathead
on this unwilling planet...

 

Seat height has *nothing* to do with rising rate rear ends.

Krusty gets it wrong again non-shocker.

 

Go find yourself another hanky prancer and tell it to him.

 

Regarding my corpulence, I'm 6'2" and weigh 230 and my inseam is 33".
Also, I never, yes NEVER will subject that kid's bike to anything
except flat trails and the smoothest ones I can find. It's just for
when we go camping and I decide to take a short spin (if I can get it
away from the kid).

-FR

 

Well, dial up all the preload you can, and have him measure the amount
of sag with you sitting on the bike and subject the sag from the
maximum travel and you;ll know how big a bump or pothole you can ride
over without bottoming the rear end.

Well then, buy a 600cc dual sport for yourself and enjoy the
togetherness of riding with your son.

But don't let him go crazy with dirt riding to the point where he
wants to race motocross or extreme motocross stunting.

That's a sure way to get hurt in the dirt.