Answer: “Because preload isn’t stiffness. It’s ride height. People think they’re making the bike ‘harder’ for the track, but all they’re doing is messing up the geometry and the sag. If the bike is mushy, your spring rate is wrong for your weight or your valving is shot. Cranking a knob isn’t a magic fix for a bike that needs a real setup. You want to go fast? You have to have the right springs for your body. Period.”