Condition quick reference: what to change
All disciplines
Editorially releasedLast reviewed: 27 Jul 2026
Condition quick reference: what to change
A compact cheat-sheet: the FIRST things to reach for when the day is not the dry, standard base you set up on. Start from your saved base setup, make ONE block of changes for the condition, then test. Clicks are counted OUT from fully closed - more damping means FEWER clicks out.
Motocross (MX)
- Sand: more support (front and rear compression firmer, a few clicks in), slower rebound (rear a click or two in) so it does not kick out of soft chop, and lower tyre pressure for a bigger footprint.
- Deep mud: more support - hold the bike up in the travel so it does not wallow, and a tooth more rear for drive under load.
- Mud on hard ground: the opposite - go for contact and grip: softer, lower pressure, let the tyre find the hard base under the slop.
- Hardpack: more compliance (compression a couple of clicks out) to find grip on the slick surface, and a touch more tyre pressure so the carcass does not fold in ruts and berms.
- Ruts: front hold-up - a little more front compression (or drop the fork in the clamps to raise the front) so the front does not dive and wash out of the rut.
Enduro
- Hard enduro: softer overall (compression out front and rear), very low tyre pressure or mousse, grip and traction first - plushness lets the tyre track the ground.
- Cross-country: near your MX base, just a touch softer for the rougher, longer terrain.
- Wet roots and rocks: softer plus faster rebound (a click or two out) so the wheel returns fast and stays in contact - contact is grip.
Track (superbike)
- Wet: softer (compression out front and rear), lower tyre pressure for a bigger contact patch and heat, and slightly less preload to let the bike move and load the tyre gently.
- Cold: lower tyre pressure so the tyre flexes and builds heat faster.
- Hot: run a touch more cold pressure - the hotter track and air push tyre temperature up, and slightly more pressure limits how much the carcass flexes and overheats. On tyre warmers, set the same target regardless of weather (the warmer sets the temperature, not the ambient). If a tyre genuinely runs too hot you can drop the pressure a little - but carefully, because less pressure means more flex and can make it run even hotter. Watch tyre temps and wear and adjust in small steps.
Supermoto
- Dirt section: softer (compression out), much lower tyre pressure, more sag for grip, and +1 tooth on the rear for drive out of the slow dirt.
- Wet tarmac: softer and lower tyre pressure for a bigger, more compliant contact patch.
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Starting point, not a safety guarantee. These are directions to try, not final numbers - verify everything on the bike, change one block at a time, and ride within your limits.
Sources
MXA (sand and mud setup practice); Keefer Inc Tested (hardpack and rut clicker direction); Dave Moss Tuning (wet and cold track pressure logic); WP Suspension setup guides (baseline direction). Convention: clicks counted out from fully closed; more damping = fewer clicks out.
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Technical background explains how things relate - it does not replace checking on your own vehicle. See the methodology