Things To Consider Before You Buy an Aftermarket Link for Your Dirt Bike
An aftermarket link for a dirt bike almost instantly improves suspension performance or simply makes your ride more comfortable. There can be an aftermarket link out there for just about any rider and make positive difference to their experience in the seat.
While there are major benefits, it is important to know that there may be some things to consider before you take the plunge.
Personalized Suspension
Whether you want a Transformer Pull Rod, a Lowering Link or even stick with your OEM stock link, your suspension is the greatest improvement you can make to your bike to give you the very best riding experience. This means getting the correct fork and shock springs for your weight, re-valving your forks and shock to improve the action of the suspension specifically for your type of riding.
It is even more important when purchasing an aftermarket link or pull-rod because you will want to make sure your bike rides level from front to back after lowering the rear end even only a small amount. The aftermarket links make great improvements to your bikes performance or your comfort, but customized suspension will give you the ultimate results. Your bike's suspension works together piece by piece, so one adjustment in one component, may very well work better with another adjustment on some other component.
Check And Service Your Linkage
To get the best feel out of your link, aftermarket or OEM, make sure all your pivot points are clean and greased to allow your suspension linkage components to pivot properly. If one bearing in the linkage is bad, this can give you an incorrect feel in the suspension. The new bikes don't normally come with much grease on any bearings, so it is recommended to grease every bearing on the dirt bike to make your ride just that much smoother.
May Need to Cut Down Your Kickstand
If your dirt bike comes with a kickstand, there is a chance the kick stand will need to be cut down in order for your newly lowered bike to stand securely. A fabrication or a machine shop should be able to assist you with cutting down the kick stand. This job requires a hack saw or band saw and a welder to do the job correctly. The kick stand will have to be cut down the same amount as the rear end has been lowered.
Forks May Need To Be Raised Through the Triple Clamps
If you have already had your suspension recently personalized to your preference, there still may be a chance you will need to raise your forks through the triple clamps. The reason for this is that when installing an aftermarket link that lowers the rear end of your bike, you may need to lower the front end in order to balance your bike's geometry for a level, comfortable ride. Keep in mind that when raising your forks through the triple clamps, your handle bars will sit at a lower level so handle bar risers may need to be purchased.
We hope this article is helpful as you make the decision to purchase an aftermarket link for your bike to achieve better performance or more comfort with your dirt bike. If you have any additional questions, our friendly and knowledgeable Tech Support team is ready to help! You can call us at (360) 825-2106 or email us at techsupport@devolracing.com.