Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/318411
26 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com B ringing home a new motorcycle is a big deal. Re- gardless of whether your new purchase is off the dealer's floor or a "new to you" machine, you really ought to spend a lile me checking a few key areas and geng your new scoot properly dialed. You may be won- dering why a new bike needs to be inspected and lubri- cated before being ridden. This is because most bikes arrive from the factory parally assembled and some- mes in need of a lile extra grease here and there. We don't do much with the Japanese brands, but the Euro- pean manufacturers seem to put more me into their quality control processes. And somemes, a dealer may be in a rush to get the bike onto the showroom floor, so it's not a bad idea to spend some me going through your several thousand dollar dirt bike. Set the Sag! Sag sengs to your shock absorber are crical to having your bike handle properly. Adjustments of as lile as 1- 3mm of sag difference will make a big difference in how the bike handles rocks, whoops and the wide variety of trail junk. Your owner's manual is a good starng point and will likely suggest something in the range of 105 to 110mm for full-sized off-road machines. Also, there are important but subtle differences in the recommended sag sengs between a PDS or linkage systems. Do yourself a favor and bring the tools necessary to adjust your sag on the trail. Find out for yourself the difference in handling characteriscs just 1-3mm of sag height makes. The aver- age rider doesn't pay enough aenon to this, but the ef- fects are big. high Speed Compression Sengs. Ever wonder what that knob (or 14mm nut on KTMs) as- sociated with your shock canister is? Well, it controls the high speed compression sengs on your shock. Adjusng it gets overlooked - a lot! For technical terrain, we run our sengs at two full turns out (counterclockwise) from the furthest clockwise posion. For faster terrain, we run it at about 1-1.25 turns out from the furthest clockwise posion. Experiment with it, you will noce a difference in the rate at which the compresses. Adjust Your Fork height. I find this especially crical on bikes with 22mm triple brake Pedal Tangs high Speed Compression NEw BikE CHECk lisT Spokes Rider Sag Fork height Sterering Stem Motor Oil A FEW ITEMS TO CHECK BEFORE TAKEOFF