Photo by TrackDNA
Your bike is talking to you. Suspension is how you learn to listen.
The biggest leap from street riding to the track isn’t speed or lean angle — it’s feel.
How the bike loads the front on the brakes, how it settles mid-corner, how it drives off a turn.
Street suspension is built for comfort, potholes, passengers, and real-world unpredictability.
Track riding asks for something different: consistency, support, and stability.
You don’t need Öhlins or K-Tech cartridges to feel a huge difference.
But you do need your suspension working in the right window.
That’s what a baseline setup gives you.
TrackDNA Safety Note
Riding motorcycles on track is inherently risky and can result in serious injury or death. The ideas in this article are shared for general information only — they’re not formal coaching, professional instruction, or a guarantee of safety or performance.
Always ride within your limits, use proper safety gear, and practice only in a controlled, closed-course environment that follows all rules and regulations. Before trying any new technique, talk with a qualified coach or instructor and use your own judgment about what’s right for your skill level, your bike, and your body.
The best place to explore and apply these ideas is with a qualified coach or at a dedicated motorcycle or racing school. Treat what you read here as background context and conversation fuel for your own training — not as a step-by-step guide or a substitute for in-person instruction.
By choosing to ride, you accept the risks that come with it.
What “baseline setup” really means
Baseline suspension isn’t about chasing lap records or becoming a chassis engineer. It’s about starting with a motorcycle that behaves predictably and communicates clearly.
A proper baseline means:
- Sag is set for your weight in full riding gear
- Compression and rebound adjusters are in a usable range, not maxed out
- You know your neutral (“zeroed”) settings before tuning anything further
Once you’re in that window, the bike stops giving mixed messages and starts telling you exactly what it’s doing underneath you.
Step One: Know your real riding weight
Your weight in jeans doesn’t matter. Your weight in:
- helmet
- leathers or suit
- back/chest protector
- boots
- gloves
…that is what your suspension feels.
Full gear often adds 12–18 pounds.
Most street suspensions are sprung for a ~160–180 lb rider without gear. That’s why many bikes feel soft, vague, or overloaded the moment you start riding with purpose.
Too deep in the stroke → the bike feels loose and wallowy.
Too little movement → it feels harsh, nervous, and unwilling to settle.
Knowing your actual riding weight is where everything begins.
Step Two: Setting sag — the foundation
Sag is how far the suspension compresses under load. It sets your ride height, geometry, and the part of the stroke you’re actually using on track.
There are two types:
- Static (free) sag: Bike only
- Rider sag: Bike with you on it in full gear
For many modern sportbikes — especially where the factory manual does not specify sag — a common starting point used by suspension tuners and track schools is approximately:
- Front rider sag: ~30–35 mm
- Rear rider sag: ~25–30 mm
These numbers are approximate, not rules. They work well for a wide range of 600–1000 cc machines, especially when combined with proper spring rates.
But it’s important to understand that sag is model-specific:
- Some bikes, like the BMW S1000RR, use significantly lower recommended sag values in their owner’s manual (e.g., 10–15 mm front, 20–25 mm rear).
- Other bikes, like the Yamaha R6, provide preload instructions in the manual but do not publish an exact sag measurement, which is why most riders follow the common 30–35 / 25–30 mm starting point and refine based on feel and spring rate.
Once sag is set correctly, the bike immediately feels calmer and more predictable. Braking becomes smoother, turn-in becomes clearer, and mid-corner stability improves.
If you can’t achieve proper sag even with preload maxed out, the spring rate is likely wrong for your weight.
This is extremely common for street-to-track riders.
Step Three: Rebound — controlling the return
Step Three: Rebound — controlling the return
Rebound damping controls how quickly the suspension extends after being compressed.
Getting this wrong is one of the fastest ways to make a bike feel unstable.
Too little rebound damping (rebound too fast):
- Front pops up sharply when you release the brakes
- Bike feels bouncy or springy
- Rear skips or chatters over bumps
- Chassis never fully settles
Too much rebound damping (rebound too slow):
- Suspension feels “stuck down”
- Slow, heavy steering transitions
- Front tends to push wide on corner entry
- Rear squats and struggles to recover under throttle
Adjustment rule
- If it’s rebounding too fast: add 1–2 clicks of rebound damping
- If it’s too slow: remove 1–2 clicks
- Make one change at a time and retest
TrackDNA Tip — The Quick Rebound Check:
Bike feels bouncy or nervous → too little rebound damping → add 1–2 clicks
Bike feels dead, heavy, or stuck → too much rebound damping → remove 1–2 clicks
Step Four: Compression — your support system
Compression damping controls how much the suspension resists being driven into the stroke under braking, cornering, and bumps.
Too little compression (too soft):
- Excessive fork dive under braking
- Vague or “hinged” feeling at turn-in
- Mid-corner bumps upset the chassis
- Risk of bottoming out in heavy braking zones
Too much compression (too firm):
- Harsh ride with sharp feedback
- Bike skips or chatters over bumps
- Difficult to settle into a corner
- Reduced grip on rough surfaces
Compression should always be adjusted after sag and rebound.
Think of it as fine-tuning support, not correcting fundamentals.
Step Five: Reset your clickers and start clean
Whether you’re running OEM forks or aftermarket cartridges:
- Reset to the manufacturer’s standard settings
- Record every change (front and rear)
- Adjust only one thing at a time
- Ride, feel, evaluate, then adjust again
This prevents getting lost in the clicker jungle — a common trap for new track riders.
Step Six: Tires and pressures — the often-ignored variable
Tires dramatically affect suspension feel.
- Track tires often have a stiffer carcass
- Hot pressures differ significantly from cold
- A profile change alters turn-in and mid-corner balance
- Low pressure makes the bike vague and “squirmy”
- High pressure makes the bike sharp, nervous, or harsh
If the bike suddenly feels wrong after a change, always confirm tire pressures before adjusting suspension.
Step Seven: A simple track-day test loop
Use a consistent, repeatable “feel loop” every session:
- Hard braking: Does the fork dive too much, or does it settle?
- Turn-in: Does it fall in, resist, or feel neutral and supported?
- Mid-corner: Stable? Nervous? Skittery over bumps?
- Exit drive: Does the rear squat or spin, or hook up predictably?
- Bumps/curbing: Harsh? Chaotic? Controlled and composed?
Session 1: feel the bike.
Session 2: make one change.
Session 3: evaluate or revert.
That’s how you build an understanding of what your bike is telling you.
A word on track-day suspension tuners
Most track days have suspension tuners on site — and their service is genuinely invaluable.
They see hundreds of riders and setups each season. They understand local tracks, surface changes, typical problems, and real-world rider feedback.
Even though I’m a certified motorcycle mechanic and fully capable of doing suspension work myself, I still go to them. I always learn something, and the bike always improves.
Think of them as chassis coaches. They’re worth every dollar.
Your bike doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be predictable.
Baseline suspension setup isn’t about building a racebike.
It’s about giving yourself a motorcycle that:
- communicates clearly
- behaves consistently
- lets you focus on lines, vision, and technique
Once the suspension is in the right window for your weight and your bike, everything else becomes easier.
That’s where real progress starts.
Note:
Suspension settings vary by model, spring rate, rider weight in full gear, and manufacturer-specific recommendations. Always consult your motorcycle’s service manual or a qualified suspension technician at the track before making significant adjustments.
