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How to Adjust Your Dampening
LOCATION OF ADJUSTERS

First, buy the video from Fineline Suspension   -- it's only $30, and both shows and tells you how to tune for both comfort and control.

Next, adjust the Rider Sag and check bike sag to ensure you’ve got the correct Spring

Then check the pressure in both tires, and bleed the air pressure in both forks.

Finally, load your bike, ride out to your favorite spot, and do it, but note these tips...

• Use as little dampening as possible to get a "plush" ride, not a "soft" ride.
• Small or smooth bumps want more compression dampening than big or sharp ones.
• Hard trails want less dampening, and soft trails want more dampening
• But sand requires very stiff settings - don’t be surprised if you max CW your clickers.
• Use the Hi-Speed Adjuster for jumps, and the standard CD adjuster for bumps.
• Improper riding technique can fool you into misadjusting your suspension.
• You can make the wheel hop if you lock the brake or pull the clutch in a turn.
• You can make your bike over or under steer with incorrect body position.
• Carry a screwdriver so you can make adjustments without riding back to your truck... :))

Shock Rebound

Ride through rocks, roots or bumps leading into and out of a corner. If the rear wheel hops when braking for the corner or accelerating out of it, soften RD a few clicks and try again.

Ride over a log, ledge or rock. If the rear kicks up badly, stiffen RD a few clicks.

Ride through some deep whoops on hard ground. If your bike doesn’t track straight and the rear wheel doesn’t extend to the bottom of each whoop before the next one, or swaps badly, soften RD and try again. If that doesn’t help, stiffen CD a few clicks, and try again.

Shock Compression

Ride a trail with small rocks, roots and bumps. If the rear end feels harsh and bouncy, soften the CD. If it wallows, you’re riding the spring -- add CD.

Ride off your biggest jump. If your shock bottoms badly, add two clicks of CD. If it still bottoms badly, and your bike is not equipped with a Hi-Speed adjuster, try a stiffer spring.

Fork Rebound

Ride a short, sweeping turn. If your bike resists the turn, understeers, drifts to the outside, or the tire loses steering traction and washes out, add RD. If it oversteers, turns too quickly to the inside, or the tire bites too hard and knifes into the ground, decrease RD.

Fork Compression

Ride a trail with small rocks, roots and bumps. If the handlebars feel harsh, soften the CD. If not, add CD until they do feel harsh, then back off a click or two.

In the life of every problem, there’s a time when it’s big enough to see but small enough to solve.   Here’s a few solutions to some of the problems every rider will, sooner or later, run into...

Jarring => harsh ride in the handlebars on relatively small but sharp bumps