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+--- Thread: lowering kit (/showthread.php?tid=61212)
lowering kit - Stedman8 - 17-12-12
I'm only 5'9" and to be honest trying to push the Fazer while sitting on it I have to go on tiptoe, which may be good for my lower stomach muscles but is a bit of a pain,so I'm thinking of getting one of them there lowering kits. has anyone of my height or approx done this and which would be the best distance to lower by 25 or 50cm,also the sidestand doesn't make the bike lean to much as is, can it be replaced by a one which gives a bit more confidence especially if the 50cm lowering kit is used finally should I make the rear spring slightly harder so that bottoming out doesn't occur - thats if it would? the physics of lowering the bike escapes me tbh,thanks in advance ,cheers Steve
Re: lowering kit - darrsi - 17-12-12
Have you not thought about getting your seat altered instead?
I wouldn't have thought being 5' 9" would have been an issue at all?
Re: lowering kit - Stedman8 - 17-12-12
Thats an idea but I dont really know where to go to get that done, and the lowering kit is £16 and I suspect getting the seat done to a professional standard might cost a bit more - however I would look at that option if someone could say who does it and how much it costs. I live in the Chester area p.s. the seat cover is a custom cover would that be compromised,cheers Steve
Re: lowering kit - unfazed - 18-12-12
Why don't you just get off and push it? It is a lot easier :lol
Re: lowering kit - Dead Eye - 18-12-12
This might be stupid however; I'm 5' 8" and found that when wearing jeans (which was incredibly rare) I found it very hard to get both feet on the ground to the point that I usually didn't bother (so just used one foot). This was only the case when my main trousers were in the wash or something. My main ones are particularly baggy (especially after weight loss) and allow me to easily get my feet on the ground.
Basically, that was a really long ass way of saying could it be your trouser wear?
Re: lowering kit - darrsi - 18-12-12
Platform shoes are all the rage at the mo', that's a cheaper option too..... :lol
Re: lowering kit - Lez72 - 18-12-12
This sounds strange to me :\ I am 5'11"- 6'0" which isn't a great deal taller than you and i have fitted a 'jack UP' kit to mine and can still get both feet to the floor albeit easier to just use one.
How long have you owned the bike? My point is you may have a 'jack up' kit already fitted and would be fine dropping down to standard height dogbones. I think that a 'lowering kit' can make the handling a bit wallowy and slow the steering down from what i have heard. Makes sense really as the 'jack up' kit sharpens things up so you would expect a lowering kit to do the opposite.
Have a check underneath at the dogbones and see what markings are on them.
Re: lowering kit - darrsi - 18-12-12
I think on a previous post we decided that a bike of your year had standard dog bones of around 140mm centre hole to centre hole.
Any lower than that number is jacked up, and higher is lowered, and we are talking millimetres to make a difference, not centimetres.
Re: lowering kit - Arfa - 18-12-12
I picked up a lowered seat froma chap on this forum. Basically just a standard seat, with the covering peeled back, foam trimmed down, then covering restapled down. Went this route, as I wanted to share the bike with my wife, whose quite a bit shorter than me (only 5'1 3/4"). The seat is a quick swap, and knocks about an inch or two off the height. Why don't you just get a spare seat off ebay and customise it yourself.
Re: lowering kit - Stedman8 - 18-12-12
(18-12-12, 12:06 AM)unfazed link Wrote: Why don't you just get off and push it? It is a lot easier :lol
Most of the time I would but getting it through the back gate means theres no room for me and the bike and the slight incline means it can be a bit of a bugger
(18-12-12, 01:32 AM)Dead Eye link Wrote: This might be stupid however; I'm 5' 8" and found that when wearing jeans (which was incredibly rare) I found it very hard to get both feet on the ground to the point that I usually didn't bother (so just used one foot). This was only the case when my main trousers were in the wash or something. My main ones are particularly baggy (especially after weight loss) and allow me to easily get my feet on the ground.
Basically, that was a really long ass way of saying could it be your trouser wear?
Yeah I found this, especially with me waterproofs, getting me leg over could be problematic especially if me keks had slipped down a bit :lol
Its not much of a problem when out and about and I can reach the floor its just getting through the back gate and similar tight squeezes that I find meself tiptoeing through the tulips so to speak, to be fair I may go the seat mod route take an inch or so off, cheers all,Steve
Re: lowering kit - popeye72 - 18-12-12
Im 5"9 and i can put both feet flat on the floor?? wonder if mine has been lowerred ?? is there a quick way to find out
Re: lowering kit - Deefer666 - 18-12-12
Always go for a seat mod before altering the geometry of the bike which will affect the handling and if you have to lower the bike further avoid any dropping of the front suspension which will radically alter the bike handing.
Re: lowering kit - noggythenog - 18-12-12
Just a couple points for reference as i brought this up when i joined due to my bike feeling far too low for me,
I changed the dog bones to 130mm centre to centre
Im 5 foot 11
Can put both feet on floor but i am heavy circa 15 stone
I dont like using the side stand now as it leans over way too far for comfort although it does hold it.
Another observation is that on the centre stand the back wheel only just clears the ground, i had to park on a slight hill to get enough clearance to lube the chain.
It handles much sharper.
I cant find the old dog bones to give the length but it is on the older post i added when i was asking.
Re: lowering kit - YamFazMan - 18-12-12
Hi
You can remove the 4 rubber bungs from the seat pan this drops it a bit, and then put two strips of tape along the frame to protect the paint.
You can also put two small spacers bettween the seat latch and the frame to lower the latch to compensate for the drop.
ATB YFM
Re: lowering kit - Mark YPVS - 18-12-12
Hi ,
Im 5ft 7 and can get both feet down, mine came with a lowered seat which i changed for a standard one as it was to low for me??, sound like yours has been raised?
if you want to try my lowered seat youre more than welcome to pop over, im near Heathrow.
Mark
Re: lowering kit - unfazed - 18-12-12
Why not reverse it in and drive it out and let the incline help?.
Re: lowering kit - His Dudeness - 19-12-12
(18-12-12, 04:19 PM)Mark YPVS link Wrote: Hi ,
Im 5ft 7 and can get both feet down, mine came with a lowered seat which i changed for a standard one as it was to low for me??, sound like yours has been raised?
if you want to try my lowered seat youre more than welcome to pop over, im near Heathrow.
Mark
that's a sound offer fair play to ya!
Re: lowering kit - Stedman8 - 19-12-12
(18-12-12, 04:19 PM)Mark YPVS link Wrote: Hi ,
Im 5ft 7 and can get both feet down, mine came with a lowered seat which i changed for a standard one as it was to low for me??, sound like yours has been raised?
if you want to try my lowered seat youre more than welcome to pop over, im near Heathrow.
Mark
Cheers for the offer Mark, but I live in Chester and tbh it would be a bit of a round trip
,Steve
Re: lowering kit - Mark YPVS - 19-12-12
Ok Steve no worries, i think its only about to £10 post if you want to try it?
Mark