lowering a 2007 FZ1-s

[jadejordan]

Hi

I am considering lowering my FZ1 so my feet are flat on the ground and not on tip toes as they are now.

Can anyone recommend the best way or kit to do this and is it an easy job to do.

Also do you know if you have to shorten the side stand and if it significantly changes the handling of the bike.

Thanks

[JoeRock]

Hi

I am considering lowering my FZ1 so my feet are flat on the ground and not on tip toes as they are now.

Can anyone recommend the best way or kit to do this and is it an easy job to do.

Also do you know if you have to shorten the side stand and if it significantly changes the handling of the bike.

Thanks

Normal way to do it is changing the linkage so it lowers the rear of the bike - problem is with that it can make the bike much slower steering, and as you've got less weight on the front you'll be less confident.
Some bikes you can then lower the forks as well through the yokes to regain the handling as best as possible, issue with that is you lose ground clearance, and the FZ1 already barely has any!
Final option for some bikes is to have the seat reshaped, but again that would cause issues on the FZ1 as there's not exactly a lot of it as it is, and it's not particularly wide so doesn't make your legs stick out.

To be honest, if you wanting a decently handling bike you're probably best off leaving it and trying to get used to it - at the end of the day you don't actually need to be able to flat foot a bike, it's a confidence thing. Only bike I've ever owned I could flat foot was my first hornet 600, since then i've been at best on the balls of my feet (and i'm only 5 foot 10). The ninja 900 I had before my FZS 1000 I lifted up at the rear so much that I could only just about get one foot down - just be careful when you stop though and you'll be fine!

[Lonewolf]

I had my 2008 FZ1s lowered shortly after I bought it. (I'm 5'-6"). I could envisage me dropping it on dodgy ground. Changed the dogbones for Maxton (not cheap but excellent quality), which were slightly longer than stock (only a few mm, a little gives a lot).This lowered the bike by about an inch or thereabouts. The forks were also dropped through the yokes by about 8mm, to keep things right. No steering issues.
I stuck with the sidestand as it was but found it a bit precarious inasmuch as the bike was quite upright and you had to be careful in selecting level ground
or park on the downslope. In the end I got 12mm taken out and the stand rewelded and powder coated....job done. No clearance issues for me, perhaps my riding style,
ie no knee down heroics. Chicken strips on rear tyre about 5mm. Bike rocks up high on the centrestand but not an issue. Good for getting the back wheel off. Hope this helps.

[DekF]

I lowered mine once by 25mm & raised the forks by the same amount to try to keep the ratio somewhere near.
I changed back after a week as it didn't suit me.
If you've only raised the forks by 8mm with the rear dropped 25mm it'll have slowed the steering which is unusual to say the least as most of us want quicker steering.  Hence my R1 shock & adaptor & forks raised by 8mm. The seat height is slightly raised but even at only 5'6" myself I have never had any problems. Tippytoes, yeah man