Effective Ways To Lower Your Motorcycle’s Suspension
Written by author on September 13th, 2009 in Motorcycle Parts.
There are two major types of motorcycles in the world; street bikes like Harley Davidson motorcycles and dirt bikes which competitors ride over dirt tracks and on which will take on 20 or 30 foot jumps.
When you see these dirt bikes sailing through sky, remember that they are incorporating advanced suspension systems that are designed for that purpose. Every inch of it is needed to disperse the huge amount of energy generated by landing one of those bad boys from 20 or 30 feet in the air off a triple jump. With only 3.5 to 5.0 inches of suspension travel, a street bike could not possibly disperse enough of the energy of such a major jump to prevent its suspension from bottoming; the bike and rider would then absorb the excess. Ouch!
One of the reasons Harley-Davidsons are so popular is their characteristically low ride height. A low seat allows the rider to get both feet on the ground for a secure feel, and also looks cool, but it offers less suspension travel to absorb the bumps. Still, if low is cool, lower is cooler, right? Here’s how to lower your bike properly.
Steps to Lowering the Front Fork
Always refer to specific instructions for lowering your motorcycle that are included with any kid that you may buy. These directions are always very specific, but here are the basics. To lower the front of the bike, use a lift or stand to support the motorcycle with the front tire off the ground. There are three ways to lower the front suspension.
The easiest is to loosen the folks pinching the triple clamps around the fork tubes and slide the fork tubes a bit higher. Then tighten the bolts to their proper torque values and ride on. Of course, you need to make sure you slide each fork leg the exact same distance. Not only is this the easiest and least expensive method, but it also retains all of the Fork travel. It will change steering geometry of the motorcycle slightly and tighten steering. Just be certain you don’t slide the tubes up so far that the lower triple clamp can contact and damage the front fender when the fork compresses.
The second method is to install shorter fork springs, which are available from various suspension companies. Start off by giving your motorcycle off the ground and supporting it with a proper stand. Unscrew the fork caps and extract the existing fork springs. If they’re not easy to reach, bend a stiff wire (like a coat hanger) into a hook shaped and use that to extract the springs. Slide the aftermarket springs inside and be sure to check and make sure that the hydraulic fluid is within the range specified by the manufacturer.
While I’m hesitant to even mention this, a file method to lowering the front fork is to install a spacer under the damping rod. This effectively shortens the rod’s stroke. A typical lowering kit will slice 1.0 to 1.5 inches off fork travel. Lowering a suspension unit more than 2.0 inches will seriously impact ride quality and ground clearance, and I don’t recommend it.
You may have to disassemble the fork slider to remove the damping rod. Be sure to have a supply of the correct viscosity fork oil, as you have to drain the fork before you disassemble it. Because the fork controls your steering, ride, and braking, if you’re not sure what you’re doing, take it to a pro.
Dropping the Rear End
If you’re short on cash than installing a basic lowering kit is the starting point for lowering your rear ride height — hardware that relocates the bottom shock mounts further rearward so the tire travels further up into the fender. This allows the shocks to retain their full travel, but it does change the leverage parameters, so ride quality might suffer slightly. Harley Davidson Softails, whose shocks are mounted horizontally under the frame, have their own types of lowering kits available.
The other method is to replace the stock shock absorbers with shorter units. This is quite a bit more expensive than the previous method mentioned as it requires the purchase of some premium products and sometimes they’re not able to handle bumps as well. Still, because they are premium products, ride quality may actually improve even though their stroke is shorter. Progressive Suspension and other suspension companies offer adjustable air shocks, which allow you to choose any height within a specified range.
Final Thoughts to Consider
Whenever you decide to lower the ride of a motorcycle, you are changing the characteristics of how the motorcycle handles. allow yourself enough time to adjust to the different way that your motorcycle now handles under its new configuration before driving it aggressively. This applies double if you’re carrying a passenger with you as the extra weight will further change the way your motorcycle handles in every way.
