Lowering gs850 L two inches

[rockhammer]

Hello

I was considering lowering my 850 by two inches and was wondering if any one her has done this and how they felt about it after ward. Is there any thing I should consider before making this change. Two inches does not seem like much but I do not know to much about these bikes. I was going to buy some heavy duty 11 inch shocks for the rear and replace my 13 inchers.
Thoughts?

[chuck hahn]

Watch the inner fender clearance..its gonna have to be able to absorb road shock and still not hit the tire in to the inner fender area.

[Steve]

Changing the shocks will only lower the rear of the bike. You will also need to lower the front to keep steering geometry somewhat reasonable. The problem is that you can only slide the forks up just a little before they hit the handlebars.

If you are doing this because of short legs, consider re-shaping the front of the seat to narrow it a bit. That will let you put your legs down at a straighter angle, giving you better footing.

Another thing to consider: lowering the bike that much will greatly reduce your lean angle for cornering.

.

[rockhammer]

I was wanting to do it purely for appearance. I read that there are limiters that will stop the bike from bottoming out. I would put in some heavy duty shocks. Would changing shocks lower the bikes clearance? I thought it would just lower the seat position but leave ground clearance the same since the tires are the same? Hmmm

[oldgrumpy]

I was wanting to do it purely for appearance. I read that there are limiters that will stop the bike from bottoming out. I would put in some heavy duty shocks. Would changing shocks lower the bikes clearance? I thought it would just lower the seat position but leave ground clearance the same since the tires are the same? Hmmm

....... hi guys ,,,, make sure you remember that lowering your bike height ,,,, when you go around a corner to remember your clearance will change ...sorry regards oldgrumpy

[Lowflyer]

Watch the inner fender clearance..its gonna have to be able to absorb road shock and still not hit the tire in to the inner fender area.

Ya, with you and a skinny passenger onboard.

[maddman]

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread, but did this situation ever get resolved? I am wanting to lower the rear of my 850gl.

[Steve]

That's OK, some have been resurrected that were MUCH older. How much you wanting to lower it?

We have installed inch-shorter shocks on my wife's bike and slid the forks up in the clamps, which lets her put her feet down much more solidly.

Did not seem like it was that much, but the bike was MUCH more difficult to put on the center stand, and had to watch the angles carefully to make sure it leaned enough on the centerstand that I had both of them shortened.

.

[GSXR7ED]

Yeah, trimming the seat seems to be the best action. I've got a 30 inch inseam and can almost reach heels down with boots on with my "T".

Lean angle is important...Very important. So trimming the seat is the best option; In my honest opinion.


Ed

[maddman]

I am looking to lower the rear about an inch or two. Purely for aesthetic reasons as I have no trouble reaching the ground at 6'2". Could I go as far as putting 9" rear shocks?

[Steve]

Stock shocks are 13" long, so putting on 9" shocks will lower it more than the inch or two that you are asking for. In fact, since the travel on the stock shocks was just a bit over three inches, you will be lowering it to a point that is lower than the stock shocks when fully-compressed. Then you will go even lower when you sit on the bike, and lower yet when you hit a bump. There is a good chane you will bottom out the fender on the tire when just sitting on the bike.

One thing to remember with a shaft-driven bike like yours: the u-joint in the driveshaft needs to remain as straight as possible, most of the time. Fully-extended, the shocks put the shaft at a slightly downward angle. Sit on the bike, it will be basically straight. Hitting bumps will, of course, increase the angle, but they are temporary. The shorter shocks I installed on my wife's bike do make the shaft run at a slightly UPward angle while riding, but it's less than stock shocks would be while riding two-up.

Then, besides messing up the driveshaft angle, you have to be aware that you are also changing the whole steering geometry. Dropping the height at the rear will relax the steering angle a bit, making the bike steer a bit slower and heavier. You can balance the drop at the rear with a similar drop at the front, but they you start getting into cornering clearance issues.

Lowering just for "looks" can lead to a BUNCH of other problems.

.

[GSXR7ED]

You bring up interesting points Steve. In this instance, I'd rather have a chain driven bike to absorb the change. It's still not a good idea to make changes to the original design for austetic purposes.


Ed

[Grimly]

Hitting bums will, of course, increase the angle, but they are temporary.

Hey, what did they ever do to you?
"Once I had a Suzuki, made it run
Made it race against time..."

[Steve]

You bring up interesting points Steve. In this instance, I'd rather have a chain driven bike to absorb the change. It's still not a good idea to make changes to the original design for austetic purposes.


Ed

Yes, there are a FEW advantages to a chain-driven bike. But there is still a limitation on how far you can lower a bike, at least without making some other MAJOR changes. As mentioned previously, putting on shocks that are shorter than the fully-compressed length of the stock shocks is a sure recipe for having the fender meet the tire. And you would still have issues trying to park the bike until you shorten the side and/or center stands.

Even though a chain would not have the problem with a different swingarm angle like a driveshaft u-joint will, I have trouble understanding how a lowered rear end 'looks' better. I guess I appreciate the function of suspension that bottoms out, along with miscellaneous hardware on the chassis that does not grind on the pavement while turning.

.

[maddman]

Sorry to beat a dead horse on this one guys, but I had another thought. Are the rear shocks able to be disassembled?