How soft should the forks be?

[Tiddlesrx7]

This might sound daft but how soft should the forks be on my 2000 EC250? I don't really have anything to compare it too as its my first Enduro bike. I had a KX250 years ago and the forks on that were hard. On this if I touch the front brake the bike dips a lot and I am not sure its right. I've only had the bike up and down the road so far so I can't comment on what it's like off road.

[gasgasman]

Excessive nose dive would indicate stiffer springs will be needed.

Another trick-Put a zip tie on one of your fork tubes.
Slide it up to the fork seal. Go ride a section of trail and see how far down the zip tie goes. This will show how mush fork travel you are using. You should have a couple inches left before the zip tie hits the bottom.

[Tiddlesrx7]

I will try that to see how much it is moving, Thank you. I think I could bottom them out easy enough on a trail tbh. If it needs stiffer springs then the last owner must have been tiny as I am 5' 7" and 175lbs.

[cbutler]

You do want to have them set for the seed you ride any slower or faster (riding wise) will make a huge difference.

[barossi73]

Id start by taking note of where your compression clickers are set,then reset them to 'stock' and see how they feel.its possible the prev owner has backed them off to get a plush ride.find out what fork you have,then what the stock settings are.note,gg have used a variety of fork makes/sizes,some have compression clickers on top,some have rebound on top i believe.if you arent sure what fork you have post a pic with year of bike/model info

[hadfield4wd]

When was the last fork service? I'd start with fresh oil and seals.

[Jakobi]

How long should the piece of string be?

Forks that are too soft (either under sprung or under damped) will either ride down too low in the stroke, or blow through the stroke too fast. Operating at the end of the travel usually results in big deflections, bottoming, diving under brakes, and feeling very busy as the pace picks up.

On the other end if setup too firm you'll have issues with the fork absorbing trail trash and lower force impacts and it may deflect or push and generally beat you up.

Somewhere in the middle is where many peoples preference falls, with flavours to each side.

With all the variables involved though, the complete setup becomes very personal. What is too soft for one person in one application could be too firm (or too soft) for another. Having them tuned for yourself will better match them to your requirements, however to achieve that you'd need to be able to advise what they do now that you don't like along with some other info regarding application, your weight etc.

Some good advice given above regarding DYI setup, but all pivots around you having the tools and knowledge to do the work yourself. Springs, seals, fresh oil, and some seat time testing should get you OK results. A professional will likely get you closer to the mark in less time, for a few more dollars.

Don't forget the front and back work as a team. If you're over sprung at the back end, or have linkage/swingarm bearings that are semi seized up they can also make the front feel like it's doing work for both ends. If you decide to set the front up with heavier springs etc, it's likely the back will require similar treatment too.

[Tiddlesrx7]

The bike is a yr 200 Ec 250 with Marzocchi forks. I have no history for the bike so I'm just presuming that everything needs a service. That way I know its been done. When I picked the bike up I did release the pressure out of the forks. The right hand side one had pressure in and the left didn't so maybe the seals need doing and fresh oil. Would no oil or old crappy oil give the symptoms I am getting?

Also does anyone have a link to a beginners guide to forks for servicing and set up?

Thanks
Ade

[Zman]

for 2000 I think those are the old conventional Zokes. They are fine for trail riding but had limited performance capabilities. You can respring them but you may want to replace the front end with something a little more recent. WP 43s would be a cheap upgrade.