Dear MXA,
I noticed that Formula 1 cars use motorcycle shocks, but they pack the complete shock shaft with those heat-cured foam rubber bumpers. Is it possible to put bumpers on the full length of a shock shaft on a CRF450?
First it is important to note that Formula 1 borrows suspension ideas from motocross, not the other way around. As for the foam-cured bumper idea, yes, it is possible, but it wouldn’t be a good idea. The bump stop on your CRF450’s shock shaft is an anti-bottoming device. The foam bumper works as an extra spring to slow the shock down on the compression stroke. Unfortunately, the bumper has a negative effect on rebound (when the energy used in compression is released). Not only would more bump stops make the shock much stiffer, but they would spike violently on rebound.
|
|