How to Upgrade the CRF250L REAR Suspension

[@zeez9053]

Tip use cardboard on floor to keep stuff on and prevent scratching things up. Great video again lads

[@Terry-Tibbs]

Re grease all the shock linkages . Honda are known to skimp on grease during assembly. Good vid thanks

[@davidgerrard8661]

Yeah a waterproof grease (green is it or blue can't remember 🤔😁) rather than copper grease

[@frankvanhoof4509]

Thanks for this video. I have a CRF300L, and this was the only video I could find for changing out the Hyperpro spring. It's actually easier on the 300 - no need to remove anything to get access to the top bolt. I did have some challenges with the spring compression though - had to do some grinding on the hooks on my compressor tool to get it to 'bite' better on the spring. After that - no sweat. Like you guys said, now the rear suspension feels like it's 'there'. Not like a pogo stick any more.

[@lightweightadv]

Hey Frank, great feedback regards the 300! Really pleased it helped, thanks 👍🏻

[@toddthepanamericanbrooks888]

Thanks guys great job I appreciate all the steps being detailed as you did.

[@lightweightadv]

No worries Todd 👍 glad it helped 👌

[@thomasdoe6768]

Awesome content. Two ordinary blokes, showing the rest of ordinary blokes how it´s done. I love it. I've subbed :)

[@lightweightadv]

Mega, thanks. Great to have you along for the ride 👊🏻😎

[@boofstien2]

Did mine today. Got the old spring off but the new one was too thick for both sets of spring compressors. I took it to a couple of local shops and they didnt have the tools either. In the end I found a suspension specialist 20 miles down the road who got it on and back together in less than a minute and charged me a very very small amount. Wish id have done that first hahah. It is a great upgrade though. I did the front too which was much easier.

[@lightweightadv]

Haha, got there in the end, that's all that matters. Really pleased you're enjoying the upgrade 👊🏻😎

[@boofstien2]

One thing I will say that really helped getting it back together.... use a one of those magnetic wands to hold the washer in the top bolt and (after a few hundred trys at getting the top nut back in, I held it snug in the spanner with an elastic band. Really helped!

[@boofstien2]

@@lightweightadv yes defo. And I wouldnt have even attempted it at all without your tutorial so thank you very much. Clutch next. Fingers crossed for me

[@qtf897]

I just wanted to post my thoughts on here after riding and researching the rear suspension in my crf250l for a year. Most people complain that the crf250l rear is too soft which it is for many of us, but they also complain that the rear wheel “chatters” and doesn’t stay on the ground in high frequency chop. This could be due to either insufficient compression dampening, or potentially… slow rear rebound. After a lot of time on my own 250l, I think the answer is the later. The rebound on the stock crf250l is too slow for the spring. The compression dampening actually feels pretty sufficient on big hits in terms of regulating the initial stroke.. there’s just not enough spring to carry you safely through the hit.. and you bottom out. And so people argue that “it’s a pogo stick, increasing the spring rate will make it worse” to which I say yes, that is definitely true…. when you hit the bump stop. I honestly wonder if when most people talk about the crf250l “kicking” or bouncing aggressively, what they fail to realize is that the rear shock is bottoming out, not a lack of compression dampening, and not because the rebound is too fast.. This causes you to impact a very bouncing rubber block, the bottom out protection on the stock. This impact directly transfers all of the bouncing effect of the tire and the rubber block straight into your butt. My theory is that the stock shock may actually handle a stiffer spring quite gracefully, I’m just trying to figure out how much stiffer and if anyone out there agrees with my hunch? This is one of those times where you kind of go.. maybe Honda wasn’t so clueless after all. I would argue that the slow rebound isn’t an issue for the very light rider. By living higher in the travel, the light rider doesn’t experience the negative effects of the slow rebound as much, and so the suspension performs as good as a budget dual sport could expect. Perhaps Honda designed the shock to handle a stiffer spring pretty well for cheap adjustment, and we’ve failed to appreciate it. 🤷‍♂️

[@carllillywhite6159]

Might have been easier to loosen the two pre load adjusters at the top of the shock rather than use the spring compressors. Might not of even have had to remove the foot of the shock then.

[@msgoesabout]

Thank you, this is awesome video! :)

[@lightweightadv]

Glad it helps!

[@rider7806]

Good job guys and yes to the cardboard! :)

[@chuckahoya9281]

Awesome video! Very inspiring. So how did Jamie hold the upper nut at the shock top?

[@carkdonwah1528]

Great vid guys. Mark is it much different to do on the Rally?

[@carkdonwah1528]

@@lightweightadv yeah at some point. Although I may be lazy and just buy the whole shocker inc damper...

[@thesourboyrich]

I enjoyed both videos on the spring installation. In your opinion, how much of an improvement over stock suspension would you say? I'm thinking about installing it on my 300 Rally. Thanks.

[@stodgydave]

Awesome videos chaps - this and the fork one - thank you. Quick question...where did you get that stand?

[@lightweightadv]

Hi Dave, it's a simple ebay stand, nothing fancy!

[@Fromatic]

Year later still happy with just the spring replacement, or would you recommend replacing the shock? Thanks

[@lightweightadv]

Well, I'm still running the stock shock and upgraded spring, and I've done over 10k miles on it now. If I had a spare £300 floating around, I'd consider a shock, but it's a long way down my priority list!

[@Fromatic]

@@lightweightadv great to hear thanks, I could think of better ways to spend that money if the spring alone has been good enough. I'm no MX professional

[@trailrider1980]

did you do a sag calculation?

[@lightweightadv]

Hi, no we didn't, the Hyperpro spring is only one strength 👍🏻

[@shaunwightman-smith7660]

Have you done a film with the new suspension on the bike to give feed back please ??

[@shaunwightman-smith7660]

@@lightweightadv Wow perfect weekend for it, look forward to the follow up 😎

[@sumguy1174]

What year is this 250l. I have a 2013 model and am wondering if this will fit mine

[@lightweightadv]

It's a 2020, but I think it would for your 2013 👍🏻

[@sumguy1174]

@@lightweightadv thank you also I'm only 55kg so would you be able to do jumps with this suspension

[@lightweightadv]

It would probably stop it from bottoming out, but the rebound on landing would be awful. If you're wanting to do small jumps etc, I'd consider a shock upgrade

[@jwrancher1222]

so bottom line, you eventually went with the the YSS shock and you felt like it was worth it, right? How about the forks. What was your final mod and how did you like it?

[@lightweightadv]

Only one of us went to YSS when the original shock blew. Marc still Rides with the Hyperpro spring. Forks are still hyperpro. It works really well for the price. The YSS is better, but far more expensive 👍🏻

[@baldomeroh]

@@lightweightadv so u have yss rear and hyperpro in the front right? progressive hyperpro front and yss rear?

[@gazguzzler8294]

Ordered via your link, looking forward to trying kit myself. Also it mentions (in parts) you fitted a 13T front sprocket, how is this effecting the bike. I was thinking of doing 13/42T change, but still need decent road speed for getting to lanes, maybe a 13T front is enough? - Thanks

[@WADEPH33R3]

do they sell this spring in America?

[@lightweightadv]

Hi, I am not sure to be honest but I do think that you could get it shipped to the states if you search it on eBay, not sure what the postage/import charges would be though

[@WADEPH33R3]

@@lightweightadv oh okay. also just 2 questions. did the rear spring make a huge difference? and do you have to do both the rear and the front or can you just do the rear? thanks for the reply btw

[@lightweightadv]

You don't have to do both at tye same time. Marc ran the rear spring alone (with stock front) for quite a while with no issues. The rear does make quite a difference. It's a lot stiffer and, as a result, taller too. The rebound is therefore faster. Hope that helps 👊🏻😎

[@WADEPH33R3]

@@lightweightadv taller isn't a problem for me I'm 6'1 lol but thanks for the help

[@jwoods3595]

just got 2021 crf300 rally I'm going to upgrade my suspension .can I leave the stock spring in the one front tube and put the new spring in the other tube

[@lightweightadv]

Hey, honestly, I don't know, but my gut tells me no. The 250 forks are slightly different in their design side to side, so I'd suspect the 300 is too, but I havent looked. With one quality upgraded spring though, the forks should be a lot better

[@RustyVanDoor]

I don’t quite see the point of fitting a firmer spring to a damper that is shit.

[@lightweightadv]

It just firms it up a little. It's worked for me for the last 18 months 🤷🏻‍♂️