When I first started riding electric in the summer of 2014, I was a little disappointed at how heavy the front end felt as compared to my ICE dirt bikes. I tried a number of things and kept the ones that worked, ending up with a bike that popped the front up easily under 25mph even when traction was limited. This was a huge improvement, and adequate most of the time.
In early 2018 I made the giant upgrade to Alta and immediately loved the bike, but the front-heavy 'electric feel' was back - so Round 2 of mods began. Below is my 'mod strategy' based on my experiences with the previous bike, brief list of what I did to the MXR, and how well each thing worked relative to the others.
Strategy, in no particular order:
a) modify front/rear weight distribution, static & dynamic
b) reduce anti-squat forces
c) improve RW traction
d) increase RW torque (not really needed with the Alta, but I tried 11/60 sprockets anyway)
Mods I ended up with, from most to least effective:
1) triple clamp offset changed to 18mm
2) handgrips moved rearward (#1 above, rearmost TC bar-clamp position, Pro Taper Raptor bars)
3) 18mm shorter wheelbase (@ 3mm from #1 + 15mm from shorter chain)
4) 12 / 48 sprockets, done at same time as #3
5) Cannon Racecraft 5.8 spring
6) wider rear tires (4), 2.50 rear rim
As with the other bike, effects were cumulative. A 'tipping point' was finally reached where previous small gains suddenly resulted in a noticeably lighter-feeling front wheel in most riding conditions. IMO there's still room for improvement, though.
I'm currently working on a DCC blow-off valve, Race Tech SMGV 5003 piston & shims, and lowering spacer for the WP shock. Hopefully these will have at least some effect on b) above. I may also try moving the pegs back, which helped the other bike quite a bit.
In early 2018 I made the giant upgrade to Alta and immediately loved the bike, but the front-heavy 'electric feel' was back - so Round 2 of mods began. Below is my 'mod strategy' based on my experiences with the previous bike, brief list of what I did to the MXR, and how well each thing worked relative to the others.
Strategy, in no particular order:
a) modify front/rear weight distribution, static & dynamic
b) reduce anti-squat forces
c) improve RW traction
d) increase RW torque (not really needed with the Alta, but I tried 11/60 sprockets anyway)
Mods I ended up with, from most to least effective:
1) triple clamp offset changed to 18mm
2) handgrips moved rearward (#1 above, rearmost TC bar-clamp position, Pro Taper Raptor bars)
3) 18mm shorter wheelbase (@ 3mm from #1 + 15mm from shorter chain)
4) 12 / 48 sprockets, done at same time as #3
5) Cannon Racecraft 5.8 spring
6) wider rear tires (4), 2.50 rear rim
As with the other bike, effects were cumulative. A 'tipping point' was finally reached where previous small gains suddenly resulted in a noticeably lighter-feeling front wheel in most riding conditions. IMO there's still room for improvement, though.
I'm currently working on a DCC blow-off valve, Race Tech SMGV 5003 piston & shims, and lowering spacer for the WP shock. Hopefully these will have at least some effect on b) above. I may also try moving the pegs back, which helped the other bike quite a bit.
