ASK THE MXPERTS: TIN-FOIL-HAT YZ125 CHASSIS IDEAS

Dear MXperts,
Last year I bought a brand-new YZ125. I love the bike and the suspension, but I feel that the rear end is too high for my liking. I already use a longer Pro Circuit link. It made things better, but I still want it lower. My race sag is already at 100mm, which is the maximum for the YZ125. I was thinking of buying a stiffer rear shock that would allow me to have more static sag, but I don’t know if that is a good idea. What do you suggest?

The first thing we would do is lower the race sag to 105mm. We don’t know who told you that 100mm is the maximum for a YZ125, because we have raced our bikes with the sag as low as 108mm. Second, we would concentrate on raising and lowering your forks up and down in the triple clamps to try to find the fore/aft balance that suits your riding style. Next, we would order a lower seat from your local dealer to erase the mental picture that the YZ125’s rear is too high, because we promise you that this is all in your head. Finally, we would not buy a stiffer shock spring unless the free sag was way out of whack because your sag strategy is as it relates to a stiffer spring rate makes no sense.