Suspension Setup recommendations.

Correct, put some hours on the new spring and recheck sag before coming to any definite conclusions.

I'd say you're correct. You need every bit of that 6.0. If a spring does break in, I'd expect it to get a very little bit softer as any internal manufacturing stresses are relieved with use. Probably not even noticeable on the very good springs that we get today.

Thanks for your replies. I haven't been able get out and test it yet. Unfortunately I now live around 2 hours away from the closest decent riding area so it's a full day thing. Actually looking forward to testing it, I have no doubt it will feel much improved even if the forks aren't totally sorted yet. I'll report back once I test it. Thanks again.

I didn't actually measure the free length vs compressed length. I couldn't find a number recommended by the manufacturer and most of the reading I have done lead me to believe that the static and ride sag are the better indicators of a correct spring. Happy to be corrected if that's not the case though!

Yes, free and rider sag are the real indicators. Preload on the spring doesn’t mean much if the sags are where you want them.

Generally, if you need more than @ 10mm preload on the rear spring to get your sag right you need a stiffer spring.