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Lower the bike or raise the boot sole height? (Adobe Acrobat PDF file)
Progressive
Suspension Adjustment
Tech Racing Skull
Enterprises
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Articles on lowering a bike: 2005 Tuesday, April 19 Dear
VTwin Mama, Anyway, about lowering your Yamaha. I have a 1983 Honda NightHawk and when at a stop light, I would have to balance my bike on my tip-toes. Not so great, right. Well everyone told me there was nothing to do because they didn't sell lowering kits for my bike, however, one day I was at the Harley dealership with a friend and the mechanic there said he could fix the problem in a jiffy and he did. He happened to move the bottom bracket for my shocks over about an inch or an inch and a half, putting my shocks at a lower angle. This really helped and to make things better I got some second hand shocks of a Shadow of the same year and the were lower than the ones I had, so BONUS. Now my bike is really nice and low. Hope this helps anyway. – Diane Dear
Diane, Thursday, April 21 Dear
VTwin Mama, I found a way to drop a Ninja 500 by 4". They also make a kit to drop a Ninja 250 by 3". I have copied the info regarding the 500 below. The 250 info can be found at their site. From Adjustment Tech Racing in regards to the EX500: http://www.adjustmenttech.com Quote: Dear
Crystal, Friday, April 22 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Roy, Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Lynn, For Lynn who is looking to lower her '05 Sporty: A few months back I sent Petra some unique and unusual info on what I did to further lower my Sporty an additional full 2 inches beyond that which any wrench (Harley or otherwise) said was possible. I did this by having a special wheel made for the front end and then adding a much lower profile tire. The difference was so great I had to have the front fender re-drilled and lowered because after the successful new wheel and tire were mounted the fender was sticking up so high it almost looked like those of a dirt bike. Petra still has all the information somewhere on her site on what I did to accomplished this. I'm sure of this because of the mail I receive and it's reference to the VTwin site with regard to how they heard to contact me. Most request photos, which I gladly provide. Petra should be able to point you to where the information can be accessed for you to read. You can contact me direct, if you so choose to do so, but I would first suggest you read the info posted on the VTwin site as it may clear up many of your questions. – Tina at rsvp@directcon.net (note from Mama: yes, this is Tina's letter from 092704 and here is the link to the original response. Thanks for the reminder Tina!) Thursday, April 28 To Tina who had a special wheel made to lower her bike: One thing that should be taken into account if fitting a smaller front wheel... the speedo will read high. This happens because the speedo is driven from the front wheel hub. Wellllll, most do anyway. If you fit a wheel/tyre combo 10% smaller than the original, then the wheel will rotate 10% faster and register a higher speed than you are actually traveling. No big deal? Maybe not, but if the speedo reads incorrectly it's illegal. All the best from Oz. This is one fascinating site. – Smokey from Australia (note from Mama:hi Smokey . . . I think you warned the readers of the site about this consequence once before . . . but well worth repeating! Glad you continue to like reading my advice column!) Dear
VTwin Mama, My question is "can I lower this bike?" I am getting a custom seat to push me forward but I am still on my tippy toes. I would love to feel like I own this bike instead of it owning me. Any suggestion would be helpful. I would love to drop the seat height to 23". I hope everyone lives to ride another day. – Jackie Dear
Jackie, Meanwhile, you're getting a new seat, but it's time to check with the dealer if shorter shocks are available for the bike. You could also check for smaller tires (approved for the bike) and take another look at your riding boots . . . perhaps the local shoe repair shop could modify the boots with a bit more heel. Otherwise it's off to the dealer or an independent bike shop to see if they can reposition the point where the shocks attach to the frame and re-position the mounting holes to lower the bike. – Mama Tuesday, May 3 Dear
VTwin Mama, I am 5ft tall, 110 lbs on a good day, but enjoyed riding when I was a child and in my teens. I'm 38 now. My husband and I decided to purchase bikes recently to give us something that we could do together and I bought a Suzuki LS650 and my husband purchased a 2001 Honda Shadow Spirit. The 650 was fun, but we enjoy traveling and I decided to try his 1100 Honda for comfort. I enjoy riding it and he bought a Kawasaki 1500 Vulcan for him to ride instead. My problem is that the bike has a 27" seat height and it is just too tall. Once I'm riding it is fine, but short stops have proven to be a problem. I have to slide all the way forward to where I am almost sitting on the tank to get any kind of stability when I stop. The guys at the cycle shop say that the bike is just too big for me, but I am not ready to give up yet. Surely there is a way to make this bike suitable for me. We've adjusted the shocks and adjusted the handle bars by sliding them down a little, but it hasn't helped a whole lot. I told my husband that I will keep riding the bike until we find a way to make it fit or until I tear it up (by dropping it). I was exaggerating a little, I probably am too hard headed, but not stupid. I am writing to see if anyone else had dealt with this bike, come up with solutions or do I need to do something else? Can it be made to fit me? Thanks for your input. – Pameladees Dear
Pameladees, Saturday, May 7 For Jackie who is looking to lower her Suzuki Savage: Jackie, I'm going to recommend www.suzukisavage.com again. The guys & gals on this site have been a great help to me with my Savage. I haven't checked into lowering it but I bet someone on there knows how to do it. You might look into boots with more sole on them also. I really love mine, I'm 4'11" and have very short legs so the Savage was the best choice for me. I did have a 650 V-Star but it was just too big a reach to the shift and brakes. I haven't been left behind on any rides and find the Savage has lots of power. Of course I learned to ride on an old "One Lung-er" so this one feels like home. – Squaw Baby (note from Mama: yes, sites with discussion forums for specific make/models is a great way to noodle out solutions . . . there's nothing like a group of people riding the same bike as yours for help! Thanks for bringing this one to my attention again!) Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Etinogden, Wednesday, May 11 For Etinogden who wanted ideas on dropping her bike height: I was in the same boat at 5 feet even, riding my VStar 1100. I got lucky and found a shop in California where I could ship my original seat and they customized it for me with a tried and true modification. However, it was going to take a few months, and I was wanting to get my seat done sooner. A friend of mine suggested taking it to an upholstery shop nearby. He said he had them redo his seat, and they did a great job. I went in for an estimate, they quoted around $75 or 80 I think?? Anyway, they can shave off some of the padding in the seat, which can lower the bike a good inch or two, then reupholster it. And if you want a custom color, they may be able to do that as well. So if the Corbin or Mustang seats are a little pricey, you may want to give this idea a shot. From one vertically challenged biker to another . . . . good luck!!! – Julie : ) (note from Mama: yes, I remember you doing this Julie . . . thanks for chiming in again! ) Wednesday, May 18 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Kirk, Friday, June 3 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
John, Saturday, June 11 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Tom, Monday, June 13 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Germain, Have you checked for an actual lowering rear suspension lowering kit . . . usually in the form of an "L" shaped bracket. If not available, a good mechanic could drill a new hole to remount the upper bolt in of the shock to an appropriate lower and further forward point. You could check into smaller profile tires (dealer approved only please) but note that the speedo needs to be recalibrated or accounted for as tire rotation/speedometer won't be in sync any more. Or, visit the local shoe repair shop and inquire into adding a bit of heel to good riding boots. Not to much though as it could impede your ability to handle the foot controls. – Mama Tuesday, June 28 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Bobi, Tuesday, July 12 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Red, Friday, July 15 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Charlene, It's highly unlikely that you'll find an "official" lowering kit for that bike, but that doesn't mean that an independent bike shop couldn't help! Most lowering kits are a matter of adding an L shape bracket to where the shocks bolt in on the top end. The L shape bracket bolts into the frame and then the shock bolts into the bracket. The L shape effectively brings the shock position down, thus lowering the bike. You can also look into adding some sole to your riding boots. See my recent response to another reader for more info. – Mama Monday, August 8 For everyone who is trying to lower a 2005 Harley 883 model: Wanted to let you know of a company we found online in Colorado that makes shocks. We bought 10 1/2" shocks for my bike and put them on tonight. Works like a charm. Took it to a Harley serviceperson and he said everything looked fine. Nothing rubs. It's great. Check it out. www.skullenterprises.com. 800-828-9672 and ask for Mike. It might help another shorty. – Betty (note from Mama: these are definitely the shortest shocks I've heard of for the 2005 model . . . so a good solution since a lowering kit doesn't seem to be on the horizon yet. Thanks for sharing!) Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear Denise, Monday, October 10 For Denise who is looking to lower the overall profile of her Intruder 800: I have had both an 800 and 1400 Truder and used Progressive shocks and a shaved down Corbin Forward Gunfighter seat on both to reach a comfort level I liked. Handling after the lowering was fine, stopped and in neutral - or first? Around here I usually go to neutral to rest my hand and also even if in first - there are cagers everywhere so there would usually be nowhere else safe to take off to in a hurry. – Dorathy (note from Mama: thanks for sharing your Intruder lowering solutions. On the issue of neutral or first gear at a stoplight, I think it would be better to haul off into a ditch than have someone slam into you from behind, IMHO.) That all depends on how much ground clearance she has now. You make a good point Mama, when you say that lowering the bike can bring altered components closer to the ground. My question to her would be: when you go around corners, how far over do you have to lean before your pegs start scraping? If you can lean pretty far, you can probably gain some more inches with a lowering kit. There is a company in Colorado called MB Products that will shorten your shocks for $70. You can access them through www.skullenterprises.com. However, be aware that your ride might change a lot. Whereas it might have comfortable before, it can be harsher with the lowered shocks. I personally would recommend doing the seat first and seeing how you like that before moving on to lowering kits and shorter shocks. I am having the same problem with my HD Street Bob. I need to gain some inches in the bike, but lowering via shocks or lowering kit is NOT an option at all for me since when I go around corners, I scrape pegs big time and I am not even leaning aggressively. At first I thought the scraping was a figment of my imagination (which is impossible because I don't have one, LOL) but it kept happening. So now my only option at this point is to do what Denise is doing and get some padding shaved out of the seat. – Doreen from NJ (note from Mama: good point on shaving the seat or getting a lower profile one if there's a chance it can do the job . . . before lowering the bike and altering the handling characteristics. I visited the site you offered for shortening shocks . . . and all the skull products brought a smile to my face . . . as my last bike, a '76 Harley, was all skulls and snakes and such. Scroll down though, and you'll find the shock stuff.) I'd be real careful about putting a lowering kit on this model bike, they are low to the ground to start with. Lower it any more and I doubt you will be able to ride over a brick without the bottom of the bike striking it. You might go over a raised bump in the road, the front wheel will go over it, it's possible the frame or the bottom of the motor will then scrape. And on the Intruders the battery boxes are right there at the bottom rear of the bike in front of the back wheel. I would stick to having the seat padding cut down and wearing boots with heels instead. – Kevin in Sydney (note from Mama: wise words!) Monday, October 10 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear Barb, Second, the overall center of gravity (COG0 is lowered . . . the COG being at the center of the bike's overall mass, so generally speaking, the engine. In studying the dynamics of a beastie's handling characteristics, the bike pivots around its COG when a rider goes into a turn or curve. The lower the COG, the easier the pivot around the center mass. The caveat is that one has to watch for ground clearance, as scraping the engine bottom or footpegs can be dangerous and sounds horrible. Lowering kits from the manufacturer takes into account the bike they originally designed themselves. Aftermarket solutions are typically designed for specific year/makes/models also. Beware of generic kits . . . just because they promise the bike can be lowered 3", and that's what you need, doesn't mean the bike is going to handle well once the modification is done. – Mama Thursday, October 20 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear Rick, It may be possible to lower your overall profile with a new seat . . . I did a check on the Corbin site and found the Gunfighter model for a 1981 XL (scroll down a bit and you'll see the selections). The Gunfighter model has been mentioned time and time again as a choice for shorter riders looking to lower themselves in the saddle. Compare this to your current seat and call Corbin to double check if it will work with a XLH (800-538-7035 or 800-223-4332). You could also take the bike to an independent shop and discover if they can relocate the hole where the top of the shock mounts to. Sometimes this hole can be relocated so that the bike is lowered. Or, they can forge an "L" shape bracket that effectively will do the same thing (the bracket mounts where the shock did, the shock mounts to the lower hole on the bracket). Also, read this letter from Tina, who found someone who can take the front wheel hub of a Sporty and lace it to a smaller rim (and therefore, smaller tire), thus lowering the bike. And there is input from Doreen, who noted that Skull Enterprises has a service to shorten shocks. That might be worthwhile checking in to. I'm hoping some combination of these suggestions will help you lower the bike, although I doubt it's going to be an inexpensive fix. – Mama Thursday, December 22 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Marie, Wednesday, December 28 Hi VTwin Mama, Dear
Kong, |
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