Below are the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
we have received. Feel free to ask us anything else not listed here.
Question #1: How
much do the Links cost by the time I get them in my hands?
Answer: The
prices for all the links and items we have available are listed on our
ORDER
FORM and include
domestic air or Priority Mail shipping, add US $5.25 for international
shipping on Global Priority Mail for all items weighing under 2 lbs.
Items over two lbs. are shipped at the actual shipping costs and the type
of shipping is at the customers choice. **Rear springs are approx. 6 lbs.
but all links to date are under 2 lbs. shipping weight.
Question #2: Can
I order the links on the Internet?
Answer: Yes, and we
prefer the order be made on our "order form"
as then we both have a record of the order with the correct items, shipping
address, and etc.
Question #3: How
long does it take to install your rear links and do I need any special
tools?
Answer: In most
cases a bike stand/milk crate with the correct size sockets is all that
is required and is less than a 30 minute job. Additional time may
be required to adjust the rear sag and position the front fork tubes.
Most links do come with installation instructions and the only special
tools that may be required would be a torque wrench and a long punch to
loosen/tighten the jam nut on top of the spring when setting the sag.
Question #4: Do
you build links for my bike model *******?
Answer: All
of the links we have available should be listed either on the column to
the left and/or on our ORDER
FORM page.
If you do not see them listed, please send us an Email with the year and
model you would like them for and if we get a few requests for the same
model we would surely consider building them in the future.
Question #5: Do
your links increase or decrease travel?
Answer: All of our
links increase the total travel but the actual amounts vary between models.
They will increase travel approximate 1" on the DR350's and 3/8 to 3/4"
on the DRZ400's, depending on the length. (DRZ1, DRZ2, DRZ3)
Question #6: How
do I install the links on my DR350?
1. Raise the motorcycle
with a bike stand, milk crate, etc., so the rear wheel is just slightly
off the ground. Remove the two 19mm nuts that hold the links to the rocker
and the swingarm. Remove the right link. Push the two bolts out the left
side until the left link can be removed. Sometimes the swingarm needs to
be raised to allow the link bolt head on the swingarm end to clear the
chain.
2. When installing the Kouba
links everything is in the reverse order of the removal of the stock links.
On the swingarm end you should have a steel flat washer, then the aluminum
spacer washer ( included with the Kouba Links) and then the new links with
the engraving to the outside.
3. Set the sag (amount of
vertical movement of the rear axle FROM no weight TO bike weight plus rider
weight) at 2.5 inches with rider in full riding gear, standing on the pegs.
If the links are for lowering purposes ONLY, sag is set at 3.75 inches,
and will lower the rear of the bike approx. 1.5 inches.
4. For the stock DR and DRS
shock, set the compression clicker (on the canister) to 1/2 turn in from
full soft. On the DR and the 98 and 99 DRS, set the rebound clicker at
1/2 turn out from full hard. If bottoming is a problem, try turning the
compression clicker in. If that is not enough, a stiffer spring may be
required. These setting are just a starting point and may not be the best
for everyone, so experiment with them and find the best settings for you
and the conditions.
Question #7: What
are the differences in the 3 lengths of Kouba Links for the DRZ, and do
I have to lower the front also?
Answer: The
only difference in the three lengths is the actual eye to eye length with
the DRZ1's being the shortest but longer than the stock links. The DRZ1's
will lower the rear 3/4 inches if the Suzuki recommended 3.9 inches of
race sag is used. We recommend 3.25 inches of race sag with the DRZ1 links
for the best performance, but the rear height is only 3/4 inches lower
without any weight on the rear wheel. The laden geometry and height would
be the same as the stock links and the stock 3.9 inches of race sag.
The DRZ2 links will lower
the rear 1 1/4 inches with the stock 3.9" of race sag. The DRZ2 links are
the mid-length links, and are more for a combination of both the lowering
and performance characteristics found in the DRZ1 and DRZ3 links.
The DRZ3 links will lower
the rear 1 3/4 inches with stock race sag. These are mainly for maximum
lowering purposes and may not be the best for very aggressive
riders, but are still worlds better than just loosening the rear spring
preload until the desired ride height is obtained.
All lengths are longer than
stock and the ride height is still determined by the amount of race sag;
just the starting and ending points of the swingarm arc are different.
They also put more leverage on the rear spring and make the rear more compliant
on the small stuff but may require a heavier rear spring to help prevent
bottoming if a rider is very heavy and/or very aggressive.
If a rider is bottoming with
the DRZ1 links and 3.25 inches of race sag then we expect he/she was also
bottoming with the stock links and 3.9 inches of race sag and would require
a heavier spring with the stock setup also, just a different rate to go
with the longer KoubaLinks.
Lowering the front: The front
fork tubes on the DRZ400 can only be slid up approx. 3/4 inches before
the top cap comes in contact with the bottom of the handlebar. To be able
to slide these tubes up an additional 3/4 inches, another set of top handlebar
mounting clamps (bar risers) can be installed under the handlebars and
fastened with 3/4 inch longer bolts. This results in a lowering of the
front a total of 1.5 inches over stock and is about the maximum before
the front tire could contact the fender. Also keep in mind the key switch
mount on the "S" model requires a modification or relocation to allow the
fork tubes to be slid up more than about a 1/4 inch even without the bar
risers. The alternative to sliding the fork tubes up is to put a top out
spacer inside the forks, cut the springs shorter, and reduce the total
travel.
Question #8:Do you build
KoubaLinks for bikes other than the ones currently listed on your products
index or order form?
Answer: The list of
products we carry should be an up-to-date inventory. If you do not see
a product listed on our "order form" that
you are interested in, please email us and we will see if we can accomodate
your needs.
If you like what the KoubaLink
does for your suspension, please tell everyone, if you do not, please tell
us. We can be contacted at our email address below and are always
interested in your questions or comments. Thanks