Technology: Are current dirt bikes too high?
No doubt about it, the answer is yes! Why are we so sure? Because many motocross riders have been asking questions for years and because Husqvarna proves that lowering adds value to a dirt bike.
Because guess what? Since 2021, Husqvarna has designed their motocross bikes with a folding ruler in their pocket. The machines became a bit lower and everyone who swung their leg over the Austrian is very enthusiastic. Take the Husky FC450 for example. It drops 10 mm at the front and even 25 mm at the back. They achieved this by completely redesigning the inside of the WP air forks and by using a longer link system at the rear.
The air fork has not built up a very good reputation over the years, but now WP seems to have refined the system to such an extent that riders talk about that wonderful “oil feeling” on an air fork. In any case, there has been a trend in the US for several years to lower the machines. This is especially noticeable in Supercross where stability and cornering speed are crucial.
Why this evolution? In the 70s, dirt bikes quickly became powerful because the techniques continued to improve and the suspension travel quickly flirted with 30 cm. Afterwards the mono suspensions came and the rear suspension became much better by a big step. The speeds that could be reached on rough terrain became higher and that required a higher suspension travel.
A higher suspension travel also gives the rider more adjustment options and comfort, but it also has one major disadvantage: the center of gravity rises and you don't want that on a motocross bike. On paper, a higher cornering speed can be achieved with lower suspension travel (i.e. lower center of gravity). The higher an engine is, the more (higher) weight will be pushed out by the centrifugal force and that is detrimental to your cornering speed.
Supercross riders want stability and high cornering speed, but due to the current high suspension travel, they have reached a limit. That limit is the human body and especially the length of their legs. And now that the technology of front and rear suspensions has become so advanced, it is precisely this that creates opportunities to reduce suspension travel. Husqvarna understood this all too well and dropped their white machines a few millimeters since last year. I am sure that other brands will follow their example. Do not associate the increasingly used starting blocks with dirt bikes that are too high, they are mainly used to refine the starting procedure at the gate. Arminas Jasikonis will never complain about a dirt bike that is too high. We with our 1 meter 63, on the other hand...
Photos: Husqvarna and MXVintage archive
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