Motocross The Game Bike Setup: Gearing, Suspension, Tyres
A practical Motocross The Game bike setup guide: build a baseline, change one setting at a time, and tune gearing, suspension and tyre pressure per track.
Save the stock setup, ride it for a full session, then change one system at a time in this order: tyre pressure, gearing, suspension. Judge every change over at least three laps on the same track, and revert anything that does not produce a repeatable improvement. A setup is a tool for a specific problem, not a magic lap-time button.
The workshop in Motocross The Game exposes three systems: gearing, suspension and tyre pressure. That is a small enough list to learn properly, and interconnected enough that random clicking will make the bike worse. The riders at the top of the time attack boards are not necessarily running secret settings; they are running settings that match the surface and their own riding style.
This guide gives you a method rather than a copy-paste setup sheet. The exact numbers depend on the track, the bike class and the current build, and they will change during Early Access.
Start by recording the stock setup
Before you touch anything, write down the default values. Take a screenshot of the workshop screen or keep a note with the numbers. Early Access patches can change defaults, and if you lose your baseline you will not know what "normal" felt like.
Then ride the stock bike for a full session. Use the same track and the same tyre compound, if the game exposes one. Your goal is to build a reference: where does the bike push, where does the rear step out, where does it bottom out, and where does it feel stable?
A setup change is only meaningful relative to a reference. Without one, every change feels different and you cannot tell whether it is better.
The one-change-at-a-time rule
Change one parameter, then ride at least three laps at the same pace. If the problem improves in the same place, keep the change. If it moves the problem somewhere else, you have learned something; decide whether the trade is worth it. If nothing changes, revert it.
Do not change tyre pressure, gearing and suspension in the same session. You will not know which change did what. The only exception is a track-specific baseline that you have already validated on another track; even then, change one thing at a time when fine-tuning.
"The rear felt better" is not data. "The rear stopped kicking on the third jump, and my lap time dropped 0.4 seconds over five laps" is data.
Tyre pressure: the first thing to test
Tyre pressure is the fastest system to feel because it changes the contact patch immediately. Lower pressure gives the tyre more compliance and more grip on hard-pack, but too low a pressure makes the tyre roll and the bike feel vague. Higher pressure gives a firmer, more precise feel but less traction.
A real-world motocross baseline is roughly 12 to 15 psi cold, depending on the surface and the tyre. In the game, the workshop may use psi, bar or an abstract scale; use the same logic. Start near the middle of the available range, then test one step lower and one step higher.
On sand, a slightly lower pressure can help the tyre float and drive. On hard-pack, a slightly higher pressure can make the front feel more precise. Do not chase a single magic number; chase the pressure that lets you hold your line.
Our tyre pressure guide→ goes deeper into surface-specific testing.
Gearing: acceleration versus top speed
Gearing changes how the engine's power reaches the rear wheel. Shorter gearing (more teeth on the rear sprocket, or a lower ratio) gives more acceleration and a lower top speed. Taller gearing does the opposite.
A tight track with short straights rewards shorter gearing, because the bike spends more time accelerating out of corners. A fast track with long straights rewards taller gearing, because you do not want to hit the rev limiter halfway down the straight.
Gearing also changes where you shift and how the bike behaves on corner exit. If you find yourself running out of gear in the middle of a straight, go taller. If the bike feels lazy out of slow corners, go shorter. Change one step at a time.
Our gearing guide→ includes a per-track starting point.
Suspension: the most interconnected system
Suspension has the biggest effect on how the bike behaves over bumps, in ruts and on landings. It is also the easiest system to make worse. A change to compression affects how the bike absorbs a bump; a change to rebound affects how quickly it returns; both affect balance front to rear.
The practical approach is to work on one end at a time. If the front pushes in corners, first check your body position and tyre pressure, then adjust the front. If the rear kicks on jump landings, adjust the rear. Do not change both ends at once.
Our suspension setup guide→ covers sag, compression, rebound and a diagnosis table.
Build a track-specific baseline
Once you have a neutral setup that works on most tracks, create a baseline for each surface. The three main surfaces in the launch game are hard-pack, deep ruts and sand, and they ask for different compromises.
| Surface | Tyre pressure | Gearing | Suspension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard-pack | Middle to slightly high | Standard or slightly taller | Slightly firmer, precise |
| Deep ruts | Middle to slightly low | Standard or slightly shorter | Compliant, let the bike follow the rut |
| Sand | Slightly low | Slightly shorter for drive | Softer, more travel used |
These are starting points, not rules. A hard-pack track with a long straight may still want shorter gearing for the corners. A sand track with a tight layout may want a firmer setup to stop the bike diving.
The important habit is to label your setups by track and date. "Rödeby baseline, November 2026" is more useful than "new setup 3".
Testing on the right track
Test setup changes on a track that exposes the problem. If you are tuning for sand, test on Pacific Crown, not on a hard-pack track. If you are tuning corner entry, use a track with a mix of ruts and hard-pack so you can feel both.
Use time attack for testing because the conditions are consistent and every lap is timed. Ride five laps, then check the delta between your best and your average. A setup that produces one fast lap and four bad ones is not faster than a setup that produces five consistent laps.
What not to do
Do not copy a world-record setup without understanding it. The rider may have a different style, a different line or a different build. A setup is a package.
Do not tune around a crash. If you crashed because you braked too late, the setup is not the problem.
Do not change settings between qualifying and a race unless you have tested them. A race is not the place to discover that your new rear spring is too soft.
Do not ignore tyre pressure because it seems boring. It is the most immediate change you can make, and it affects everything else.
A simple setup workflow
- Record the stock settings.
- Ride 10 laps and note the three biggest problems.
- Pick the problem that costs the most time.
- Change the system most likely to fix it.
- Ride three laps and compare.
- Keep, adjust or revert.
- Save the setup with a track and date label.
- Repeat for the next problem.
This workflow is slower than random clicking, but it produces knowledge you can carry to the next track and the next patch.
FAQ
Does the workshop affect online racing? Yes. The workshop is part of the bike setup, and your setup is used in online races. The game's about page also says your setup is saved between sessions and visible to other riders.
Can I save different setups per track? The game saves your setup between sessions. Whether it supports multiple named presets depends on the current build; if it does not, keep your own notes and rebuild the setup when you switch tracks.
Should I use the same setup for the 250F and 450F? No. The two bikes have separate engines, gearboxes, suspension and power delivery. A setup that works on the 250F may be too soft or too short-geared for the 450F.
How often should I change my setup? Only when you have a repeatable problem. Most riders change too often and never learn what their baseline does.
Sources
- Motocross The Game on Steam ↗
- Official Motocross The Game site ↗
- Official time attack leaderboards ↗
Official source: Steam store description and official about page, checked November 10, 2026. Setup ranges are practical starting points, not published game values.