Suspension set-up guide for Honda CBR600F

What suspension settings are best for solo riding on a CBR600F, 2002 model? I weigh 88kg in full riding kit and ride on the road with the odd track day.

I also carry a pillion and luggage a couple of times a year. I am looking for a bit less dive under braking from the front and a rear end that soaks up the bumps rather than skip over them.
Kim Talbot, Evesham

The forks on the CBR600F from that era were market leaders when they came out in 1999 with good quality internals that will respond to tuning.

With your weight I’d be looking at a new set of springs that are slightly stiffer if possible, and set the front compression at three-quarters of a turn out from fully wound in to help restrict excessive diving.

That CBR has quite a plush linkage set-up on the rear. If there’s too much static sag it means that you have already passed through that softer initial travel onto the harsh part of the stroke, that could explain the skipping sensation you’re feeling.

See if you can get it to 8mm by adjusting the preload, then ease off the rebound a little.

When you’re carrying a pillion and luggage you need to put more preload on the rear, bump up the compression a tad and back off the rebound damping to take account of up to 100 kilos more aboard.