Just a little example.
I am going along on my Hawk at my pace, thinking I am going pretty fast but only riding at about 90%. Fastest lap of a 1:27 I believe (Yes I know SLOW). Bike is planted, I feel NO issues.
I swap bikes toward the end of the season to the Duc. Duc's have been my streetbikes for years so I get comfy and up to speed pretty quickly, going faster than I did on my Hawk in my first session... Bike feels good, no suspension issues, feels like it is on rails.
Long story short I am in a race and trying to keep in the lead pack. I'm into the 1:23-24 mark and the front starts sliding around 9. I want to go faster but something I am doing is making it feel like the front is gonna wash while I am leaned over so I have to back off a little there and then it feels fine. The guys in front of me are going faster through there and I can't figure out why.
I chalk some of that up to suspension. I have a strange feeling that with some tweaks I wouldn't feel that anymore. Then again maybe it was the way I was riding or I wasn't putting enough weight on the front.
Point being that I to have listen to the advice of others without "trying it for myself". At some point (and I think my "point" comes LONG before yours) I don't know enough about it and I am happy to search out good advice, listen and use it.
I see the point about the money though. Once I learn, then there is no reason to spend money. (Just did my first fork rebuild a couple days ago)