Setting rebound

[beberle]

I saw a YouTube video yesterday showing a guy setting up the front suspension of his stock FZ-09. I'm familiar with setting preload for sag, but I've always set rebound based upon road tests and dial it in just firm enough that I don't feel any pogoing. This gent stands the bike up while I front of it; he holds the front brake and compresses the fork toward himself. He then adjusts rebound so that it doesn't bounce or pogo. It's actually very easy to see.
- question: does anyone else on the forum use this method? Since he's not on the bike, rider weight isn't really being taken into account.
-observation: on the FZ suspension, he only set preload 5 lines from full, yet rebound damping set at full still wasn't enough to stop the fork from pogoing! Not good.  
- I performed the same 'test' after watching the video. My preload is maxed, but at only 6 clicks from full rebound, the fork didn't bounce or pogo at all. Kinda confirms my seat-of-the-pants on the road that rebound is in a good spot. It also confirms that they really increased compression and rebound valving on the FJ! 
- sure wish I could turn down the compression a notch or two! I guess I need to pay attention to L of S's fork cartridge DIY ;-)

[jimf]

It's funny but on my bicycles I typically do initial setup a lot like your description of the video. I can get rebound into ballpark rapidly that way. But for some reason I have never done it that way on the motorcycle, instead doing as you do and just increasing it incrementally until I'm happy. Until you mentioned the two techniques I never even realized I did it differently.
 
Having said that, the suspension on my FJ as delivered was set up so well that I've not even bothered to touch it yet -- 2000mi and counting. I usually start tweaking before it's even out of break-in. I ought to at least go write down the current settings....