MXA TEAM TESTED: LUXON/N2D BELL CRANK & ADJUSTABLE KTM LINK

WHAT IS IT? Luxon’s bell crank (knuckle) is a direct-replacement linkage fulcrum that was co-developed by Luxon and local Southern California suspension shop N2Dirt to alter the OEM leverage ratio. Luxon’s adjustable linkage is a direct replacement for the rear-suspension linkage arms, sometimes referred to as “pull rods.” The adjustable link has removable inserts designed to change the link-arm length, which changes the rear suspension of the motorcycle. Together, these two parts create a vast array of options for fine-tuning your bike quickly and easily.

WHAT’S IT COST? $299.95 (knuckle), $229.95 (adjustable link).

CONTACT? www.luxonmx.com or (858) 586-1100. 

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with Luxon’s adjustable link arms and bell crank for the current generation of KTM, Husky and GasGas 2023–2026 platforms.

(1) Design. Both the bell crank and adjustable link are engineered in-house at Luxon. With the adjustable link, Luxon designed a replaceable eccentric insert at the aft through-bolt location. Included with the link are three different reversible eccentric pairs, clearly marked, allowing for six different settings to play with.   

(2) Installation. Installing the bell crank and adjustable link doesn’t take any longer than it takes to disassemble your rear suspension linkage and grease the bearings. You did do that, didn’t you? If not, have your mechanic of choice complete the installation. You (or the mechanic) will need to remove the inner bearing sleeves from the OEM parts for use in the Luxon components. But don’t fret, just slip them out easily, being careful not to disrupt the inner needle bearings. Clean the sleeves of dirt or grime, then dab some fresh assembly grease on them before transferring them into the Luxon bell crank and link. After re-assembly, be sure to torque the suspension bolts to proper torque specs.    

(3) Pros and cons. All-new bearings! If your bike’s rear suspension linkage bearings are dry or damaged, the simple act of bolting these parts on with their new bearings will improve the rear suspension performance. The leverage ratio of Luxon’s bell crank is intended to improve small-bump compliance with a more aggressive progression towards bottoming. The goal is better traction with improved bottoming resistance. 

The adjustable link is a great component to have for adjusting your motorcycle. With this part alone, you can raise or lower the ride height, and you can delay or advance the leverage ratio curve of the rear suspension to find those personal “secret squirrel” settings you seek. This can also be a quick-setting adjustment tool for specific tracks or terrain where you race. Maybe you need a raked-out sand-track setting one weekend and an Arenacross setting to help your bike turn quicker the next weekend. 

(4) Performance. The bell crank and adjustable link perform as designed. We tested them on multiple days, at multiple tracks, with multiple test riders on multiple KTM motorcycles. The character of the Luxon bell crank was more comfortable on smaller bumps and had a distinct harshness towards the end of travel past midway and before bottoming. This harshness was felt in some testers’ hands, while others felt it in their feet. We played with clicker settings to find the setting each rider liked. 

The adjustable link is a cool part that allows for experimenting with your bike setup. Most of our test riders preferred the stock-length setting, but being able to adjust quickly for a unique riding condition just might make you feel a bit like a factory rider. If you want to have settings in your notebook reserved for specific conditions, you can. It’s almost like having a factory chassis or suspension guru in your toolbox.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? No complaints. Luxon did an excellent job making the parts look nice, function correctly and fit perfectly.

MXA RATING: If you are happy with the OEM leverage ratio, you might not want to change it; however, if you’re looking for a softer initial feel with a more progressive ramp-up in shock damping, give this setup a try.