Bike Lowering

Boxerlass · Post by **Boxerlass** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 5:57 pm

winger wrote:Hi Boxerlass

Personally if you can hack the cost,i'd go to Maxton,just make sure you've a second mortage in place,their your part of the country as opposed to to Hagon,but i have to say if you can get the S sorted out for you,your other half isn't going to like rideing it,your asking for the impossible either you ride it or he does.

Chris

Interestedly our other bike, which we also share, is a ZXR400 with a seat height of about 780m and Tony (Hubby) loves riding it as much as I do! So height adjustment on the S may not be such a problem for us both. He is 5' 8" and I am 5' 4" so I guess neither of us are tall.

I have sat on the bike today and piled telephone books under my feet until they are flat both sides; I am looking at 50m seat height decrease to be comfortable. Hagon have emailed to tell me about their L type monoshocks, which can be made especially for me/us to be up to 50m shorter than standard, costing £295 delivered. They are made specifically for the S and there is a pre load adjuster available which would cost another £130. They are suggesting that replacing just the rear shock will solve the problem. Their shocks are specifically for short riders so you can imagine that I am very interested in them.

I have emailed them back to ask if replacing the rear only would cause any adverse handling problems, and whether Tony riding it as well, with the weight difference of 3 stone, is going to make any difference to the handling. They can provide a front shock also for £295 and both shocks are re-buildable so they are a decent long term prospect.

Once I have got their response, I will phone both UK Suspensions and BMW Williams in Manchester to ask for their views on the set up as well. I also want to speak to Andy at BMW Manchester (who I believe has returned to Manchester after a spell in BMW Southport), and whose advise I trust. He is on holiday at the moment so I will have to wait a week.

I appreciate the advise of you guys and am trying to cover all angles

. If anyone has Hagons I'd love to hear about them.

I cant tell you how comfortable it felt in the garage today when I could get my feet flat on the floor (albeit on a pile of phone books!!). It makes a tremendous difference which you probably wouldn't appreciate unless you had experienced balancing a big bike using just your toes.

Pauline

PBBoxer · Post by **PBBoxer** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 6:28 pm

I can only just get my feet down

Boxerlass · Post by **Boxerlass** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 6:55 pm

PBBoxer wrote:I can only just get my feet down

Yes - but you're a big lad; I recall following you on a ride out and you made your Boxer look like a mini moto!

I'm a 10 stone weak girlie and I need both feet flat on terra firma

bigblackfalco · Post by **bigblackfalco** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 7:54 pm

I'm only a short arse too.....5'4" and I used to run my bike higher with my Ohlins extended!!
Think Loris Capirossi on the Desmodecci Ducati and your thinking of me on the S!!!Obviously my riding skills are considerably better than Loris's.
You only need to put ya feet down when you stop...and my outlook was to always maintain momentum...even when I am in courier mode!
Let us know what you decide to do.
Bailey.

herrman · Post by **herrman** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:18 pm

Hi Pauline,
Concentrate on the positive, You hav'nt dropped your S for 10 months, We all drop it at some point and struggle to pick it up again. A short shock on the rear will lower the rear but is not going to do much for the handling if you cannot drop the front by the same amount and then you may have ground clearance problems. It may be that the solution is as simple as the Ladystar boots as suggested by Phil , I know that they work for Annie and her Ducati. Keep us informed as to which way you go as I know that Angela (who you met in Patley Bridge last year) will be interested as she wants a GS1200 but finds it a bit to tall in std trim.

Regards Peter

Boxerlass · Post by **Boxerlass** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 11:08 pm

herrman wrote:Hi Pauline,
Concentrate on the positive, You hav'nt dropped your S for 10 months, We all drop it at some point and struggle to pick it up again. A short shock on the rear will lower the rear but is not going to do much for the handling if you cannot drop the front by the same amount and then you may have ground clearance problems. It may be that the solution is as simple as the Ladystar boots as suggested by Phil , I know that they work for Annie and her Ducati. Keep us informed as to which way you go as I know that Angela (who you met in Patley Bridge last year) will be interested as she wants a GS1200 but finds it a bit to tall in std trim.

Regards Peter

Thanks for the encouraging words Peter. I will visit my local cobbler first and see what he can do with my boots. I'll let you know what I do, and the consequences for the bike.

Pauline

winger · Post by **winger** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 11:50 pm

PB

Unless you S is pre 2000 they won't fit,Lloyd had to go the trouble of buying old fork legs,and besides which you've asked the same question at least twice before!!!!.

BL

Peter summed it up about the handling,gods knows in standard trim it steers like a bloody wheel barrow,dropping the rear without doing the same at the front,i should imagine you'll have a very nice chopper!!!.

Re read Baileys post,you only need one foot on the ground,if Peter can ride that GS,i'm sure you can master the knack of dropping of one side when you pull up.

.

boxerpan · Post by **boxerpan** » Sun Nov 20, 2005 2:08 pm

PBBoxer wrote:Chris where did you source the AP brakes please?
Thats my next bit to do

Drop me a PM or give me a call and I'll let you know what's involved.
Cheap? No
Straightforward? No

PBBoxer · Post by **PBBoxer** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 2:39 am

Chris/WHINGER,
show me where ive asked the same question twice before please. You're such a nice man!

winger · Post by **winger** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 2:32 pm

Check the posts before you fell of in the SoF last year.