Astro-5 Damper Tuning Instructions

The following is a basic overview of the function and basic air pressure setup of the
Risse Racing Technology Astro-5 damper.

• Adjustments:
  1. Air pressure is adjusted with the suspension air pump. The air pressure setting determines how much"sag" is in the bike.
  2. Damping adjustment. The Astro-5 has an external lever to adjust the damping rates. There are five damping positions. The position of the lever determines the damping (see diagram). For lighter damping, faster return rates for downhill or rough trails, rotate to the lever to the down position (setting #1). For increased damping, slower return rate for uphill climbing or smooth trails, rotate to the lever to the up position (setting #5).
  
  Damping Adjuster Lever
• Position 1 = Extra Soft “Downhill”
• Position 2 = Soft
• Position 3 = Medium
• Position 4 = Firm
• Position 5 = Extra Firm “Uphill”
  
  To begin, set the air pressure in your bike. Now, sit on the bike in your normal riding position with the weight distributed as if you were riding the bike. Now, measure the amount of sag in the damper. Sag is the amount the suspension compresses with the rider on the bike in their normal riding position. It is often helpful to have the help of a friend or significant other at this point. Downhill riding required more sag (*20%-30%) than cross country riding (*5% - 15%). (setting #5)
  With the air pressure set, you now need to adjust the damping lever to tune the damper. It is important that the damper is not over damped and extends to slowly. The front and rear suspensions also need to be balanced. This means that when the bike goes over a bump, the front and rear suspensions compress and return at the same speed. This is very important in order to maintain the correct geometry and predictable handling of your bike. An easy way to check this is to have a friend watch you ride the bike across a parking lot. Compress the suspensions by bouncing up and down on the bike and allowing the suspensions to move. The observer will notice if the front or rear of the bike moves at different speeds. Now adjust the air pressure and damping lever accordingly. If you have further questions, please feel free to call or email us for technical assistance.

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The Astro-5 Damper PDF file

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