Thanks for those references. Suspension is a black art to me. I understand intellectually what the various settings do, but I have a hard time relating that to the way the bike feels in the real world. Too many variables interacting with one another. High- and low-speed compression, rebound, preload, spring rate, oil weight, air spring (oil height)....
FWIW, and just my decidedly non-expert take on things:
- Remember two things: First, the whole point is to keep the tire in contact with the ground. That's it. Second, the suspension works best in the middle third of its range. Settings should be made to achieve both of these. Use the zip tie-on-the-fork-tube trick to see where you are.
- Don't adjust more than one thing at a time. The settings affect one another and it's easy to get lost.
- Write everything down so you can return to where you were, every time.
- Start with the baseline in your owner's manual. If you no longer have the manual, Sport Rider has a great reference here:
Suggested Sport Bike Motorcycle Suspension Settings | Sport Rider
- Don't assume that the bike's springs are right for your weight. Do some research.
- Get your sag set first, before fiddling with compression and rebound. Google is your friend here. You'll need an assistant.
- There is no "right" answer. Whatever works. What's right for the track won't be right for the street and vice versa. Example: My setup felt harsh on the rough pavement of the street. I backed the compression damping off a fair bit, on the premise that less compression damping would allow the fork to absorb jolts more easily. I left rebound where it was. Worked well... the bike is nicer to ride on the street now. But if I take my street bike to the track, I'll be cranking the compression back up.
- Suspension does require routine maintenance. More to play with there, too... fork oil weight and height. Voodoo to me.
Last word: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. What's your objective? Is something WRONG or are you just looking to experiment? Nothing wrong with playing with your toys, but an "improvement" should be exactly that.