Stiff or soft suspension?

[Demoniac]

I'm just wondering, but, does a stiffer suspension help with speed? and soft slows it down? I was told once stiff helps, but I'm not sure.

[wilkin250r]

Generally, a stiff suspension will slow you down.

Have you ever ridden anything with no suspension at all? First off, it beats the snot out of you, and it gets worse the faster you go. Second, every little bump kicks your tires off the ground. If your tires are not on the ground, they're not pushing your foward faster. If you can't keep your tires on the ground, you can't go very fast.

Now, if your shocks are TOO soft, then they will bottom out on bigger bumps, which will limit your speed, but only on REALLY bumpy terrain, and at really high speeds. Beyond that, softer shocks will allow you to go faster over bumpy terrain. On smooth, flat surfaces, your suspension doesn't matter.