Since bikes aren´t built to order with our perfect specs as the template, we all buy bikes that are built for the average rider and that may not be the best option for you and your type of riding. A bi gpart of that package is getting your suspension dialed in for you, springs and maybe even valving.

For example if we look at the brands from Austria, we are very likely to find a triple clamp with an offset of 22mm. This is a well known offset that is used in a lot of bikes.
The offset in itself is just one piece of a bigger puzzle, but it´s one of the things that we can use to our advantage when we are trying to set up a bike or change the behaviour of it.

So what options do we have and what should we be looking for?
For most types of riding we probably won´t be changing the offset more than 2-3mm either direction. A 3mm change is actually a big step, so unless you are building a bike for fro something very different than what the bike was sold for, then you are probably going to be looking at an offset range in the 20-24mm range, assuming we are running a bike where stock clamps are 22mm offset.

Offset is the distance from the steering head bearings to a line straight between the fork legs. So 22mm offset means that the fork legs are positioned 22mm in front of the bearings.

It´s often misconceived that offset is the same thing as rake, which is incorrect. Rake is measured in degrees and refer to the vertical or horisontal plane. We´ll talk rake in another post in the future.

Swapping your 22mm tripple for a 24mm triple will move the front wheel further away from the engine. The benefits of this is that we are removing weight from the front wheel. If you´re riding a hardpacked track and everything feels great but everytime you hit the softer track the front wheel tends to dig-in, then a larger offset triple may help you gain some stability for those tracks.

Some riders tend to be more prone to using the front wheel for steering than others. They may want to add more weight to the front to have more grip and more feel. In those cases, maybe a 20mm offset would be more suitable for you.

Even if you don´t have the option to adjust your offset you can always experiment on your bike by changing the front fork height. For the 2024 KTM SX-F 450 the fork is set at the upper line of the fork on the top edge of the triple according to the manual. That´s about 5mm of fork showing. By pushing the legs up in the fork to 10mm you can get a feel for how you and your bike behaves with more weight on the front wheel. And if you set the fork lower, maybe even flush to the triple, then you´ll be able to feel the bike behave with less weight on the front wheel.

If you like the feeling of more weight on the front, then a 20mm triple clamp will allow you to tune your bike further. The downsides of using a 20mm triple is that the bike will be shorter and you may eperience less stability at higher speeds.

Offset is both user speciific and surface specific. Looking at other riders to see what they are running can be a guide for you but we recommend that you run some tests on your bike to see what direction you seem to prefer. If you have questions about offsets, your bike or how it handles then don´t hesitate to reach out and we´ll do our best to try and guide you towards the correct offset for you.

And don´t forget to check your sag!