well, the best way I can explain it... yes, the tokico's hard settings are a little stiffer, but theres also a difference in compression and rebound compared to the agx's. Its not really something you adjust, but something inherent in the shock design. The tokico's seem to have a higher rebound:compression ratio (meaning they push back out a little harder than they dampen, sorta) It just works really well for holding the road in less than perfectly smooth conditions (i.e. reallistic conditions) I don't know if thats really the case, all that rebound stuff, but its certainly the way it feels on the track. This time around, i think I'll see if I can afford the koni's tho. Hope thats helpful.