Suspension setup is a black art. Books have been written on the subject. However you can get it 90% right with little effort. Do all this gradually and make sure your shocks are hot, so after 10 minutes of riding, not cold from the shed!!.There's three things to consider. Spring preload, rebound damping and compression damping.
Spring preload: You should use 1/3rd of the total travel when sitting on the bike, with load, off the stand.
Rebound damping: Wind it on/up until it gets uncomfortable, Then go back 'til it feels a little pogo. Go to the halfway point between these two. You need as little rebound as you can get away with. If you only have rebound adjustement, you're done!
Compression damping: Start with high speed if you have seperate high and low speed adjustment. Adjust it up from nothing 'til you can actually notice it, take note of the position. Keep going 'til it gets harsh and go back to halfway. Next low speed, as with rebound, you need as little as you can get away with. Dial in enough to stop you bottoming out.
If you change the load on your bike by loading or unloading gear or carrying a pillion, you need to go through the above steps again. After a while you will know what to adjust by how much and it won't be pain.
Very interesting thing to note. If your front end feels too soft IE it wallows OR it feels to tight IE it kicks back, it is most likley your rear setting that is at fault. If the rear is too soft it will make the front feel too hard. and vice versa.
Also, the smoothest most comfortable settings are never the 'best'. However, unless you going for a ride with Rossi or Bayliss, I think comfort is important. But let it be said, a bike setup for scrathing will never be quite comfortable... 'just sayin'!
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