After an attempt at tuning front/rear suspension I have successfully made it worse. Does anyone have the preferred suspension settings for mostly street riding? Occasional track day & high speed riding also. I'm looking for the best of both worlds. 2004 Kawasaki ninja zx10r

bottom of forks turn all the way in, then back out 12 clicks
top of fork - trail riding = all the way out then turn in 2 clicks, track riding = turn in 8 clicks
Rear spring needs to be adjusted so the tip of the rear fender drops 2.75" when sitting on it.
The top adjustment (compression valve) will be close to all the way out for trail and 5 to 8 clicks turned in for track.
The bottom adjustment meters how slow or fast the shock extends (rebound). Stand on something at peg height with one foot on the peg and the other on your stand and shove the bike down. Adjust the bottom (rebound) clicker to match the front of the bike so that both return to top at the same time.
This is a good starting point for any bike.
To fine tune your suspension it is always best to have a suspension tech watch you ride and make adjustments until the chassis of the bike stays flat while the suspension does its work. Usually take a tech 20 minutes to set the front and rear compression and rebound track-side!

There is no factory setting. Each motorcycle needs to be set up by the rider for there particular weight. How you set it up depends on whether both the front and rear suspension are adjustable or not. Basically when you sit on the motorcycle with your gear on you want the front and the back of the motorcycle to drop at the same time. This mostly comes into play on hard or extreme cornering. If the front is too soft, the front wheel might wash out first affectively placing you in the face plant position. Likewise if the back slides out first, and it does not go too far,you at least have a chance to recover. Worst case scenario you will high side and again achieve the face plant position. If you have adjustable pressure on the front forks set the front air pressure first to soft or stiff (depending on which you prefer) , then tighten or loosen the spring on the rear shock or, raise or lower the rear shock air pressure to achieve the front and back both dropping at the same time when you bounce on the seat.If there is no front fork adjustment then adjust the back to match the front. If you carry a passenger the rear will need to be stiffened . At least be aware of the difference in handling, if you decide not to readjust for a short drive, to take it easy with passenger on the back. If you are adjusting clicker shocks, Turn the screws and count the clicks. Best starting point is the middle position (5 out of ten). Make minor adjustments to the dampening from there.

In general you want to set sag for around 25-30% of the total suspension travel. Most dirt bikes are around 300mm of travel so set your sag (race sag) at around 85-90mm. Once you have done that, check the sag (static sag) without rider. It should be around 5% or so. If the static sag is more than 5% your spring is too hard. If it's less than 5% or zero then your spring is too light. This applies to both front and rear suspension.

These setting's don't have to be exact but it will definitely get you in the ballpark and help your bike to be balanced between front and rear. Also when you check race sag, you need to be in your natural riding position standing on the pegs wearing all your riding gear.

To set up your suspension correctly you need only adjust the front and back suspension to drop at the same time when you bounce on the seat ( fully loaded if touring or two up). Set the back hard or soft, your preference. Then adjust the fork pressure to the match the back. (or adjust the back to match the front if you do not have air forks) So when all the weight of the bike goes into a corner the front and back drop together. This will help prevent the front or back washing out first on a corner.

Take the bike off its stand onto level ground and stand next to it. While holding your motorcycle upright, put one foot on the foot peg next to you and press hard on it. The front and rear of the bike should squash down and raise at the same rate. If not adjust rear damping compression and rebound to compensate

Now you have a comfortable bike with adequate suspension balance. Now let’s fine tune it a bit. Again there are no tricks to setting up your rear wheel suspension, you have to understand what causes your rear suspension to work. Since rebound occurs after compression we will deal with compression first.

Since you've let the air out of the shock you need to go to a Bike Shop for a refill anyway because a normal pump doesn't reach the pressures supplied by a shock pump. While you're there, have them set the bike up for your preferences and instruct you in shock operation.

Like most bikes, they come with pretty ordinary suspension, as you say, even on the softest setting, they are still not very comfortable. Most standard bike suspension is set up for a heavy person solo, or to carry a pillion passenger and luggage. The only suggestion is to customise your suspension. Ohlins are one of the best for the rear, or Koni. For the front, some new springs of a brand name, and good fork oil, with the correct amount of oil in each leg, mabey a little less if you want it softer.
Hope this helps.

Problem is that most "ramp" type lifts have become obsolete. As you said, you can't find anything with the suspension hanging (bushings are loaded)
Try checking it on the ground or up on four drive on ramps (careful though).
And, shame on that dealer for not trying harder!!!

When I get stuck or want to set up the suspension settings on any MX bike(Ive owned about 20 different types) I adjust all the settings in the middle of the range & fine tune the adjustments from there.Screw the adjusters all the way in.As you unscrew them count the clicks untill all the way out.Now go back in to the half way point(counting the clicks as you go). This will give you a starting point. Typically most MX'ers factory suspension settings eill be one or two clicks in or out of the middle position so as to offer you plenty of adjustment either way.
The only setting that this dosn't apply to is the spring pre-load but you can usually tell if it has been adjusted by the adjusting(castle type)nuts. This applies to rear shock preload only.
Hope this helps.
Regards Andrew Porrelli