In this month’s tech talk, Mike discusses some common terms that we use when we discuss characteristics of shock setups and compare the performance of different shocks.
The spring on your shock assembly supports your weight. We offer springs with different rates to support riders of different weights. A stiffer spring is designed to support more weight. The valving in the shock provides damping to control how quickly the spring is allowed to compress and then to dissipate the compression force so that your bike doesn’t become a pogo stick.
Looking at the stock shock on the Suzuki DR650, we can see that it offers adjustable compression, which allows you to set the suspension to accommodate heavier gear. We next look at the Cogent Mojave for the DR650. Compared to the stock shock, it has a bigger body that holds more hydraulic fluid to give you better valving. It also has a thrust washer that allows you to more easily adjust your pre-load without as much friction on the spring. Lastly, you can adjust the rebound to dial in the damping characteristics you want.
We next look at a Mojave Pro Series, which features an external reservoir and a hydraulic pre-load adjuster. The external reservoir holds more fluid in the shock, which helps in cooling. The Pro Series also allows you to adjust both the compression and rebound, so that you can dial in how quickly the spring compresses when you hit a bump and how quickly the springs comes back out.
As always, if you have any questions, please send us an e-mail or call or text us, and we’d be happy to help.