Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: dirt bike, dirt, bike

Question
Hello, i have a 1993 xt 225, and my question is about the rear suspension. when i put all my weight on the bike, or push the suspension all the way down, or even just a little bit(half way or something like that), the shocks slowly retract, and i just bought this bike, and i haven't own it in the summer, so i didn't know if it was the cold, or if i need to adjust something.
Thank you for your time.

Answer
I'll bet it gives you a rough ride, too, huh? ;-)

It sounds like the rebound damping is set too high on the shocks, that is, IF that bike has adjustable shocks.

The rebound adjustment is commonly at one end of the shock, usually the bottom but not always. It's an adjustment you make by turning a screw (flathead usually, not Phillips). My guess is one or both of the shocks have this screw turned all the way to the right.

What this does is allow the shock to compress down to the stop, but then the rebound damper on the inside allows it to expand again only very slowly. You adjust the rate at which the shock "returns" by adjusting the rebound damper.

If you have damping screws, turn them all the way to the left, then all the way to the right, to see how many "turns" there are in the adjustment range. Once you've found this, set the screws to the middle of their range, then go for a ride. Adjust as necessary to get the suspension feel and reaction you prefer.

If the shocks are not adjustable, or if adjusting the rebound doesn't help, one or both of the shocks could be binding up. On a 17 year old bike, if it's been at all abused, this would not be out of the question. The solution is replacing the shocks. If they're expensive aftermarket shocks, it is possible they can be rebuilt.

There are a few books out there with good suspension tuning advice--what and how to adjust to get the particular ride characteristics you're looking for. Look for Total Control, Track Day Handbook, or Maximum Control for suspension advice. I believe there's also a new book coming out that is devoted solely to suspension tuning, but I don't know what it's called or even if it's available yet. It's a Lee Parks book.

Best of luck.

Pat