How Often Should You Service Dirt Bike Suspension?
Suspension oil breaks down and seals wear long before a bike feels broken. Most riders only notice once the bike is harsh, packing down or leaking. Here's how to stay ahead of it.
The short answer
For most riders, plan on a fork and shock service every 30 to 40 hours of riding. Ride sand, race, or weigh more than the bike was sprung for? Go sooner. Your owner's manual lists the factory interval for your model; treat it as the longest you should go, not a target.
Signs it's overdue
- Oil on the fork tubes or a wet ring around the seals
- Harsh on small chop and rocks, even with clickers backed out
- Rear packs down in braking bumps or kicks on square edges
- Front dives and bottoms on jump landings it used to handle
- Clicker changes don't seem to do anything
What a service includes
A proper rebuild means full disassembly, new oil, seals and wipers, bushings checked and replaced if worn, the shock bladder or piston checked, and nitrogen recharged on the shock. If the bike was never sprung for your weight, that's the time to fix it: the right springs and a revalve for your weight, terrain and skill.
Don't skip setup
After a rebuild, set race sag and clickers for you. Most dirt bikes run around 100 to 105 mm of race sag. We write your settings on a tag so you can always get back to them.