Oh and a good way to 'stiffen' the front end, but yet retain initial compliance is to reduce the 'air gap'…
Think of the forks as a sealed unit, after setting the stock oil level, there is some air in there between the top of the oil and the cap. When the forks are compressed, the area inside the forks is effectively reduced!! Therefore this bit of air is also compressed, and compressed air acts a bit like a spring!! – i.e. it wants to return to its former state and therefore provides a force!!
Reduce the initial amount of air, keep the same travel, that air gets is compressed more, it therefore has a greater return force
What is also cool about using air gap is that it is ‘progressive’ you can have nice softer springs that won’t be allowed to ‘bottom out’ as near the end of the stroke the air compressions contribution is significant enough to help out!!
Before everyone goes filling their forks to the top …
… you obviously need a bit of air in there else the forks would jam solid!!
Suppose if you filled the forks to the brim when fully compressed and with springs in (not sure how you would do that!!
) then that would be the minimum air gap you could run