Lowering 1000 - how low can you go?

[keithquad]

Please can you assist, not sure I should admit it however here goes... I presntly ride a BMW GS650 lowered which I like however I would like to have a wee bit more top end. I'm short arse - 5 foot 2, so adventure style bikes that fit my leg length aren't too many.
So how low can the v strom be lowered - I get the forks need to be lowered to a certain amount, I saw on here the max suggested. & then a lowering kit for circa £150, however what does this take it down to?

I hope you can help a newbie short arse!
Cheers.

[greywolf]

Start with http://cycle-ergo.com/ then check lowering considerations at http://www.vstrom.info/Smf/index.php/topic,1605.0.html
The VSRI site will also show what can happen if a bike is lowered excessively.

You can plug in your personal info and lower the seat height by the amount allowed by suspension and seat changes at http://cycle-ergo.com/ to check how your feet would compare to the ground.

[ziggy]

I fitted lowering links being 10mm longer and they dropped the bike about 30mm.
I cannot remember what happened at the forks but 12 mm max if they can be moved through the yokes.
Have the seat scalloped and wear high boots.

It will be a pig to get on the centre stand on your own and the side stand may want shortening.

[MartinW]

Keithquad - Come over and say "hello" on our Introductions page. Loads of members will answer your questions, but there will be more answers if people feel they know a bit more about you.

[keithquad]

I have posted it elsewhere however what I'll be really intersted in how 'lal' can you go.
I'm 5 foot 2 inside leg 28 ish, with the lowered BMW650GS & low seat its fine, so I'm wanting to know having done all the proposed alterations will it be the same height - approx?

Those who have done lowering what seat height is it, personal I know, what's your inside leg (I won't ask anything else personal honest!)

Hope you can assist,

[2112]

You'll find an easy swap on here for a 650 seat, they are 20mm lower than the 1000 seat  

[Arto]

I bought a second hand wee seat for my Vee, I than had further lowering and trimmings on the width to make it slimmer at the front, this was carried out by Saxon Seats somewhere near Bournemouth.The bloke there took out some of the "sculpting" to make the seat flatter.

This gave a substantial reduction over the stock Vee saddle height. Comfort was maintained by the insetion of a gel pad.

Someone on this forum bought the seat  it when I PX'd it for the Glee, they could provide more info if they still have it.

[Abercol]

I have a 1000 (known on here as a Vee) and a 29" inside leg. With the standard seat it was OK without lowering it at all, a bit on tip toe, but nothing drastic.

I then fitted a Corbin standard seat and it was wider than stock, my legs were splayed out a bit more, it made it too high. So, I lowered it using £15 lowering links off ebay. 25mm on rear and lowered the forks 15mm at the front. Now its about the same as the stock Vee seat.

I then swapped the Vee seat for a 650 seat for a tall friend who found the 650 seat too cramped. With it on the Vee and the lowered links I can almost flat foot both feet.

So, if it was my money, I'd get a Vee, swap the seat for a stock 650 seat (folk will queue up to swap your Vee seat for their 650 seat) and try that, if its still too tall, then lower the bike using lowering links but no more than 25mm at the rear and I think its 18mm on the front forks.

[keithquad]

Thanks Abercol - your info is very interesting & indeed comforting!

I looked at the Vstrom yesterday & whilst at the dealer he showed me lowering links that would provide up to 4 inches, fully adjustable. This would allow me to play with the leg length within the peramitors you have referred to.
You would advise to not drop the bike further than that which you have suggested?
Do you excessively scrape the pegs or stands as a consequence whilst cornering?
Two up, is it adversley affected cornering or hitting pot holes?
Can you still get it onto the centre stand?

Thank you for your info, much appreciated.
Keith.

[greywolf]

The bike can handle 21mm in front and 28mm in back before things start banging into each other.  If the suspension is lowered any more, the suspension travel has to be limited somehow to prevent damage. One way is to insert a bumper over the shock shaft to limit compression. That 4 inches is absurd with it.

[Abercol]

Greywolf's 28mm R & 21mm F are correct, I chose 25 & 18 (measured it!) as I didn't want to get too close to the maximum (and 25mm lowering links were very cheap and readily available on e-bay).

The handling was slightly affected, it took me a couple of runs to get used to it versus the stock setup, but then, I'd been running it as stock for about 7-8000 miles before I lowered it. to be honest the handling/clearance doesn't really make a difference unless you are going at 10/10ths, then it will touch a hero blob down a little more often.

The two up handling is much the same, as are potholes, the bike doesn't really seem affected by the change at all.

It is harder to get onto the stand, simply because it has to be lifted a bit more, but I've not found it terrible to do, just a little sore on the ball of my foot if I'm wearing thin soled shoes like trainers (my old trainers are worn for gardening/workshop/mucky stuff). Mine only goes on the stand once every 500 miles or so to clean/wd40 the chain, the rest of the time its on the side stand (except when putting it away for winter, or changing tyres, then its up on the mainstand again).

I didn't bother with shortening the side stand, its been fine as it is.

I'd say a lowered 1000 with a 650 seat would come in at about 795mm - how does that compare to the lowered GS650 you currently have?

[Andy M]

Finished lowering my 650 just now. Pics here

https://picasaweb.google.com/104442976739427547289/2November2013#5941615122106971346

Commentary to follow.

Edit to add:

Right the step by step approach:

1. Place Wee on centre stand and wash bits to be worked on.
2. Remove black plastic below headlights back to radiator, two screws inside the grill, seven pop in/out widgets. Take care of the two fragile hook points inside the cheek bits of the fairing.
3. Put something under the sump to stop a forkless bike making a right fork-up. I put my lift stick under.
4. Undo the three bolts on each leg, two bottom yoke, one top. No need to remove these.
5. Using your softest faced, lightest shifter, edge the forks up so about 15mm is showing above the top yoke. Make sure it is equal.  
6. Tighten the bolts. I don't believe any uncalibrated torque wrench, but would rate these RQT (really quite tight).
7. Replace the black bit of fairing.
8 Swear a lot at the stupid little screws inside the side grilly bits.
9. Have a cuppa.  
10. Move the lift stick to the back end so when you undo the rear shock linkage the bolts stay lined up.
11. Try to undo the bottom linkage bolt.  
12. Discover this is torqued RFST by Suzukis pneumatic gorilla.  
13. Go find the electric magic bolt gun.  
14. Remove lower bolt.  
15. Move swing arm height for best access but discover magic gun won't fit.  
16. Discover top bolt is only torqued RFT.  
17. Act the bodger you are and use magic gun on bolt rather than nut.  
18. Remove shorter linkage.  
19. Refit in reverse order of assembly but actually give a **** and apply grease, copper slip etc.  
20. Seek first aid for bleeding knuckles related to taking photographs in tight places.  
21. Have another cuppa   , play in t'interweb, wonder which channel the Rugbys on.  

Total work time about an hour. Total cost £7 due to e-bay bargain. I'm 5'8 with a 29" inside leg. 20mm amounts to going from both heels off the deck to one foot flat and the other just raised. The centre stand is still easier to lift than the ones the Bavarian B*****ds fit. The side stand is still stable.  

Andy

[greywolf]

That's more work than necessary on the front. If you do one fork at a time, you don't need to prop up the front. The tight side will hold up the front while the loose side is adjusted.

[Jacko]

That would require wheel removal, more work to save work?

[Andy M]

You could undo, move a few mil, nip up, do the other and repeat. As I have the jack it just seems easier to use it. Seemed happy enough moving maybe 3 mm per tap per side at a guess.

You could also probably do it with the bit of fairing still in place if you were against the clock or worried about breaking something expensive and plastic.

Andy

[Juvecu]

I've done the fork lowering with a jack and by only loosening the triple clamp bolts one fork tube at a time. There's not much space in there, but it can be done with some patience.

If you have the time and the tools to do it another way, why not? No one way is correct with something like that

[greywolf]

That would require wheel removal

No it doesn't. I think you're missing the fact that the fork tubes can move independently. I've adjusted the forks on my V-Stroms many times and the only tool required is a 10mm spanner and it takes maybe two minutes. Bolt access is easy. I've done 10mm and 15mm changes in one step.

[Jacko]

Yes, of course, my mistake.

[Juvecu]

The jack is just for peace of mind for me  

[greywolf]

If one side is tight, the bike can't run down the tubes. Just don't lift the back with a swingarm stand and pull out a dogbone bolt. That's been done before with unhappy results. Get some knowledge of how suspension works before taking anything off.