MXA's latest video is a must watch for anyone who wants to understand what really separates a bike that works from a bike that fights you back.
In the video, MXA editor Josh Mosiman teams up with longtime test rider Dennis "Stapo" Stapleton to dial in the perfect setup for the upcoming Pro Motocross series, where Josh is lining up at select rounds this season. Stapo, who has more laps under his belt than most of us have hot meals, walks Josh through the why behind each adjustment, starting with the foundation of any good setup: sag.
Why Sag Comes First
Sag is the amount your suspension compresses when you sit on the bike in race position. Get it right and the bike is balanced, predictable, and fast. Get it wrong and you are fighting geometry, traction, and bottoming all day long. It is the first thing the factory guys check, and it is the first thing you should check too.
Stapo and Josh do a great job in the video of explaining that sag is not a one and done setting. Bikes settle. Springs lose preload. Riders gain or lose a few pounds over a season. Tracks change throughout a single day. Checking sag regularly is part of being a serious rider, not a sign that something is wrong.
Slacker Has Been on the MXA Bench Since 2014
In the video, Josh says something that hit home for us. He calls Slacker "Motocross Action's favorite tool" and explains that with so many test bikes rolling through the shop and so many different riders putting them through their paces, having a fast and accurate way to set sag is non-negotiable.
The MXA crew has been using Slacker since 2014, when we sent over the very first samples straight out of the factory. You can tell by all the different versions you see in this video. They have them all!
Twelve years later, the relationship is still going strong because the tool just works. Same shop, same tool, same job done right thousands of times over.
That kind of long-term trust from a publication that has tested every bike on the planet means a lot to us. MXA does not keep gear around because of nostalgia. They keep it around because it earns its place on the workbench.
Big thanks to Josh, Stapo, and the entire team at Motocross Action Magazine for the kind words and for keeping the conversation about proper bike setup front and center for so many years. Few publications have done more to educate riders than MXA, and we are proud that Slacker has been part of their workflow for over a decade.
If you have not subscribed to the MXA YouTube channel yet, fix that today. The video is worth your time whether you are chasing pro lap times or just trying to make your trail bike feel right.
Set Your Sag Like the Pros
If watching Josh and Stapo work through the process gets you thinking about your own setup, you can grab a Slacker Digital Sag Scale at https://getslacker.com. Same tool the MXA crew uses. Same tool the factory race teams use. Same tool you should be using before your next ride.
Now go set your sag.
