Honda XR250 BAJA Rear Linkage Greasing: Ride Test to the Ichitani Reconstruction Memorial

I greased the rear linkage on my Honda XR250 BAJA (the Japan-market XR250 / MD30). To see what difference it made, I went on a test ride to the Ichitani Reconstruction Memorial in Tsubata, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Before, every bump in the road sent a "thud, thud" up into my lower back. After the service, it became a soft "float, float" as the bumps were smoothed out.

In this post I report on the ride quality the service brought back, a new issue that appeared because the linkage now moves so freely, and a memorial at the end of a good road that tells of a village's recovery from a landslide disaster.

Here's my record of a bike in better shape, and the history written along the road.

Testing the XR BAJA rear linkage service on a ride to the Ichitani Reconstruction Memorial in Ishikawa

From "thud" to "float": the harshness has gone from the rear suspension

Before, every bump sent a "thud, thud" straight into my lower back.

After the service, it has become far smoother.

With the rear linkage greased, the suspension moves the way it should again, and it soaks up even small bumps with a soft "float, float".

I was surprised how much cleaner the bike feels just from less friction in the moving parts, and it reminded me how much DIY maintenance matters.

Less tiring on long rides: what lubricating the linkage did for my body

When the suspension moves smoothly, the fatigue on a ride changes a lot too.

On the way to Ishikawa this time, even on long stretches of rough tarmac, I didn't get the jolts I used to.

With the suspension absorbing the bumps properly and less strain on my body, I had the spare capacity to enjoy the scenery and the thump of the engine.

Greasing the linkage was, I'd say, a job that raised the quality of the whole ride.

The Ichitani Reconstruction Memorial in the hills of Tsubata, recording a landslide disaster

Enjoying the smoother ride, I first crossed the Shinminato Bridge in Imizu, Toyama Prefecture.

The Shinminato Bridge spans the sea and is built high above the water so that large cargo ships can pass underneath.

Here's my post about riding across the Shinminato Bridge and back.

After enjoying the bridge, I headed west on Route 8.

I left at the Kariyasu exit and headed into Tsubata.

I arrived at the Ichitani Reconstruction Memorial, near the Toyama border in Tsubata, Ishikawa.

This stone, standing in a quiet valley, records the memory of a large landslide disaster that struck in July 1965 (Showa 40).

Reading the "disaster memorandum" on the back, you can see how the people of the time put a total of 500 million yen into improving the town road and rebuilding the farmland and roads, and never gave up.

The road I'm enjoying today was built on their hopes and hard work. Thinking about that, I couldn't help feeling deeply grateful.

Too smooth? A floaty rear that won't settle, and what I plan to do

On the other hand, now that the linkage moves smoothly, a new issue has become clear.

Over a bump, the suspension now feels "floaty" and doesn't settle in one movement.

Until now, the stiffness in the linkage may have been acting like a damper and forcibly holding the movement in check.

With that friction gone, I think that with the current settings there is not enough damping, or the spring is too strong for it.

From here, I plan to work on the settings, mainly adjusting the rebound damping, to cure the floaty feeling.

Summary: getting to know my bike through DIY maintenance

This service and ride reminded me that the condition of the bike is directly linked to how much I enjoy riding it.

Lubricating the rear linkage looks like a dull job, but it made long rides more comfortable, and it showed me the bike's true condition.

Next, I want to sort out the suspension settings this has revealed and chase that ideal soft "float".