[BuckshotJones]

So this is my first FS bike and while I love it, the rear suspension still feels stiff compared to the triad or other rear shocks. I've lowered the pressure from the specialized recommendations to about 20 psi lower and the shock feels more plush and smooth. I've toyed with the brain adjustment dial and I usually end up going pretty soft. Now I do want to mention the place I normally ride (Govt Canyon) is pretty rocky, but should it feel so stiff? Or stiff at all? Is the design of the shock to give a more firmer ride? The suspension does go through its travel and the difference is night and day between this and my hardtail of course, but I just don't really know what to compare it to as everyone I ride with is smaller than me and have lower psi so their shocks feel like riding on water. I love the feel of this bike and the way it tracks through the trail. I'm just trying to set my expectations right and get a realistic idea of the bikes setup.

 

[Pete N]

The brain is designed to give a firmer ride over the smoother terrain and not 'bob' while pedalling. If you adjust the brain to almost full soft you will get the feeling of a more conventional shock. However when adjusted this way you are negating the affect of the brain, so that you are not actually using it's function. Your bike is working properly and I also wouldn't lower the pressures by that much, as you will bottom out too much and cause damage. The shock will become fully active when the terrain dictates, so I think you should run it about 4 or 5 clicks from full firm for the rocky terrain you ride. Any more and you might as well not have the brain.
The brain makes the bike very efficient and will not be too active over the smaller bumps, when you don't need it to be. So the answer is yes, it should feel stiffer as alot of bikes are fully active when you dont need them to be and bounce like mad.

 

[Whitedog]

I have a '08 Stumpjumper FSR Pro, and I also first rode it with the brain adjustment dial at the soft setting in order to have it feel as plush as some of my other full suspension bikes.

Then I watched the Specialized video on Stumpy set up and they recommended adjusting the brain to one turn from full firm, so I tried that instead, and the brain started working as designed, just as Pete N explains above. I now run the brain with the setting as recommended. The suspension is now firm for pedalling, but the brain gives and the rear is plush when needed when hitting bumps/rocks.

Below is the link for the videos from Specialized. The 2nd video from left is for Epic, the 3rd video from the left is for Stumpy FSR. The 4th from left explains the brain funchtion:
http://www.specialized.com/bc/microsite/suspensionsetup/main.html?x=y

Check out the suspension setting videos (use the sag-o-meter to set your sag, if you didn't get one with the bike, you local Specialized dealer should have or could get quickly for you) then experiment with the brain adjust one turn from full firm and see how it works!

 

[BuckshotJones]

Thanks for the replies. I had watched the videos a few times and initially I didn't get any compression when I would check the sag and pump the shock to the recommended pressure. After riding the lowered PSI and reading this and other posts about the brain, I pumped the shock back up to the recommended pressure and its like a totally different bike. I've turned six clicks from full firm and this thing feels great. Not super plush, but like I imagined: absorbing the impacts in the trail, but firm when I needed it to be. I guess the shock has finally "broke in" or I'm doing something different that I don't know about. Either way, I'm ultimately pleased with this thing. Although, now I need to tweak the fork to balance it out...