A suspension system (10, 130) for a handlebar-steered vehicle comprising: an upper tube; a lower tube reciprocally slidable relative to the upper tube; a positive spring assembly biasing the upper and lower tubes (30, 32) away from each other; a piston assembly (42, 131) attached to the lower tube, the piston assembly (42, 131) deflecting the positive spring assembly under loading; and a travel adjustment mechanism (12, 136) including: a locking mechanism (80, 140) connected to the positive spring assembly and selectively locking a first portion of the positive spring assembly in a compressed state with the upper and lower tubes (30, 32) drawn toward each other; and an actuator (78, 138) operatively connected to the locking mechanism (80, 140) to releasably engage the locking mechanism (80, 140) to lock the first portion of the positive spring assembly in the compressed state, characterized in that the travel adjustment mechanism (12, 136) selectively adjusts the suspension system (10, 130) between at least a first travel setting and a second travel setting; in the first travel setting, the positive spring assembly has a first preload; and in the second travel setting, the first portion of the positive spring assembly locked in the compressed state has a second preload essentially negating the first portion from the spring assembly without increasing the preload in a second portion of the positive spring assembly. an upper tube; a lower tube reciprocally slidable relative to the upper tube; a positive spring assembly biasing the upper and lower tubes (30, 32) away from each other; a piston assembly (42, 131) attached to the lower tube, the piston assembly (42, 131) deflecting the positive spring assembly under loading; and a travel adjustment mechanism (12, 136) including: a locking mechanism (80, 140) connected to the positive spring assembly and selectively locking a first portion of the positive spring assembly in a compressed state with the upper and lower tubes (30, 32) drawn toward each other; and an actuator (78, 138) operatively connected to the locking mechanism (80, 140) to releasably engage the locking mechanism (80, 140) to lock the first portion of the positive spring assembly in the compressed state, characterized in that the travel adjustment mechanism (12, 136) selectively adjusts the suspension system (10, 130) between at least a first travel setting and a second travel setting; in the first travel setting, the positive spring assembly has a first preload; and in the second travel setting, the first portion of the positive spring assembly locked in the compressed state has a second preload essentially negating the first portion from the spring assembly without increasing the preload in a second portion of the positive spring assembly. a locking mechanism (80, 140) connected to the positive spring assembly and selectively locking a first portion of the positive spring assembly in a compressed state with the upper and lower tubes (30, 32) drawn toward each other; and an actuator (78, 138) operatively connected to the locking mechanism (80, 140) to releasably engage the locking mechanism (80, 140) to lock the first portion of the positive spring assembly in the compressed state, characterized in that the travel adjustment mechanism (12, 136) selectively adjusts the suspension system (10, 130) between at least a first travel setting and a second travel setting; in the first travel setting, the positive spring assembly has a first preload; and in the second travel setting, the first portion of the positive spring assembly locked in the compressed state has a second preload essentially negating the first portion from the spring assembly without increasing the preload in a second portion of the positive spring assembly.