Monday, March 15, 2010

Yamaha WR lowering: From Montana to Dakar



Received an order/email from a Montana-based rider looking to lower his Yamaha WRF, and eventually take the WR to Dakar. That got us to thinking about the trip and all the extra weight.

With a YamaLink the first and most important part is resetting sag. The increased leverage ratio does a few things: better traction, more plushness, better cornering....and also makes the rear wheel travel through its arc easier thus leading to easier bottoming.

That's why the resetting of sag and being properly sprung for rider weight + gear is so crucial. Ninety nine percent of our customers have a great handling bike that is stable but turns great and corners like a dream. Those who have issues do NOT know how to set sag or set up a bike (or follow directions, ha).

And then you throw in extra gas and water and tools to make it cross that desert. When you get the YamaLink, follow the instructions for resetting sag and dialing the bike in. If you're on the border of needing a heavier spring with the stock setup you will definitely need one with the YamaLink's increased leverage. I'd say this "border" is for riders around 175 to 180 pounds before gear. Most are going one up one or two spring rates. But if you are a lightweight rider then this should be no concern with the stock setup.