2021 mt07 suspension

[Nc_MT_Seth]

Hello all, time to beat the dead horse again. 
I purchased my 21’ mt07 in January of 2022. It had 3200 miles on it. Akro exhaust and a tune. 
Now that I’ve gotten comfortable with the bike and have started pushing it, I’m seeing that the front suspension feels terrible to me….

Im 5’10” at 215lbs. I live in the foothills of the NC mountains and I ride all over the mountain ranges. I prefer the twisties with a spirited throttle wrist. 
 

Issue at hand. I feel like this bike just nosedives when I start braking to approach a turn. In a way, it almost feels unstable to me.

Apart from the way the front end drops due to the engine braking, I’m exploring options. The very first thing I’m going to do is add the DNA stage 2 air filter setup and have my bike re-tuned by Chris Moore of Moore Mafia. He can SOMEWHAT get rid of the engine braking with a fresh tune. I figure that’s a “two birds, one stone” approach, to see how that helps with the nosedive. 

I’ve been looking into cartridge kits from Ohlins and traxxion dynamics for the front forks. 
I’ve also read people saying that a simple swap of the rear suspension makes a world of difference. I’m quiet ignorant with suspension as a whole. What do you guys think? 

[mjh937]

I was amazed at the difference changing the rear shock made.  I thought the front suspension was the weak link, but changing the shock showed that it was a bigger problem.  Do that first and see what you think.  Mine is a 2015, I know they upgraded the suspension slightly on yours but I doubt it is a lot better. 

[shinyribs]

At 220lbs, I rode with a good rear shock and stock forks for years. When I finally upgraded the forks it was well worth it, but a good shock is more needed on these bikes. 

[cornerslider]

For street riding, I'd recommend the Traxxion Dynamics AR-25 kit. It gets you 99% of what a cartridge kit will, but less than half the cost. I race my "07" at the club level (with the AR-25 kit), and this does just fine 

[sweetscience]

If you can afford to get both done, of course.  It's a balance you see.  The bike will be perfectly poised when both ends have the correct spring rate for your weight.  

Best bang for your buck for the forks is the Traxxion AR-25 kit.  Easy install, no adjustments.  You can add preload caps, as an option.  Which I will be installing soon.

If you plan to track the bike, a cartridge kit for the forks is the optimal option because of its adjustability.

 

[tomlichu]

In the meantime, have you tried playing around with preload and rebound on the rear shock for your weight? That may help with your ride.

 

[Nc_MT_Seth]

15 hours ago, mjh937 said:

I was amazed at the difference changing the rear shock made.  I thought the front suspension was the weak link, but changing the shock showed that it was a bigger problem.  Do that first and see what you think.  Mine is a 2015, I know they upgraded the suspension slightly on yours but I doubt it is a lot better. 

I’ve heard that a swap of the rear shock makes a big difference. Any opinion on a brand? I’m in the US. 

[cornerslider]

I have the K-Tech Razor "R" on my 07 -(the one with the remote reservoir/hose). I have the K-Tech Razor "Lite" on my R3- (no remote reservoir). The "R" retails for $795, and the "Lite" for $495. If I could do it over again, I'd save the $300 and do the "Lite" on both bikes. Once it's properly set-up, you really don't mess with it-

That being said- I race my 07, and use the R3 on the street. Both my shocks are set up to be very similar. I personally, like more rebound dampening than most riders do.... I set-up both my shocks to be 1-click out, from all the way in. The compression dampening is more for "fine-tuning". I've messed around with compression settings, and I didn't feel anything "dramatic" happening (at least not compared to rebound dampening). If you're a street rider, save the extra $300 from the "R", and buy the "Lite". It will work MUCH better than OEM, and is easier to set-up (less variables).

I would also recommend that you buy the shock from a local suspension vendor/tuner. They will usually help you set it up for what you are trying to achieve (for free). I have a local guy/vendor, that helped me out with both the set-ups. You can spend THOUSANDS of dollars on premium suspension components (that look cool and all), but if not properly set-up, won't help you in the least bit ... Or, you can spend a few hundred dollars on "good" suspension components, and have them properly set-up. This is a thing I call the "dollar-to-fun-ratio".... It's not an exact science, but it's been working for me for decades -

[sweetscience]

Most reputable vendors will sell you suspension parts already set up for your rider weight and type of riding use.  So as long as you're honest with them.  Because street, touring, track/racing types each require different shim stacks (valving), and damping.

Also, if you done many mods to lighten the bike, even if it is 20lbs lighter than stock, that could throw the suspension settings off.  Because suspension manufacturer's take into account the stock weight of the bike when they dial in their products, with your rider weight.  Easy fix is to tell the vendor, you shaved X amount of weight off the bike when you go to buy it.  Otherwise, you'll be swapping to a softer spring. 

PS,  I had bad luck with tethered reservoir shocks, they can leak, the hose is the weak link.  Go for a piggy-back rezzy if possible.