Don't Lower
Hi Vicki, Ed L. here, I met you and Aries at the CBR “Mario Meet”. Sorry that this post is so long, but, I thought I’d tell you my story in case it helps. I’m, at most 5’5” with boots on. I’ve ridden motorcycles for about 13 years most of that time on a fairly short GB 500. Though I’d take that bike up to 9 once in awhile and enjoy the twisties, most of those years were made up of commuting around San Francisco and down the Peninsula. So, straight up, not much lean angle riding was my main type of riding. About a year and a half ago, my poor old GB was thrashed and I needed something new and had wanted to see what a higher performance bike could do, so I got an F4i. It seemed pretty tall, almost 2 inches taller than my old bike. I took the bike out and rode twisties and was amazed at the performance compared to my old bike—it felt great, I could lean it over so much more, power, handling etc. I felt like a total dork having not bought a better performing bike all those years when affordability was no problem.
However, I wanted confidence riding and commuting on the street –because that was my main type of riding - (coming up to stops, super slow right hand turns and for the hills in SF). So when I heard I could lower it (2 inches in my case), I did so right away, like, within a few weeks of getting the bike. I did this against the advice of more experienced riders and racer friends, but the bike felt good around the City and I could easily get my feet down.
Then, I went on a few rides with fairly fast riders in the twisties on this lowered F4i and found that the clearance was a big issue. I would barely lean it and the lack of room for ground clearance would suddenly become dangerously noticeable. Since the front was lowered the front wheel turned quickly enough, but the lowering sets your swingarm at a different angle, so the rear always felt too “squatted down”. It felt as if the rear suspension was topped out all the time in the corners. It made the bike hard to turn mid way and through the exit of a turn. Yes, I know about counter-steering, blah blah blah, but I know that a bike also “steers” or progresses through a corner with body position and with the rear wheel.
Later, I wanted to check out faster riding on a track, so I took the Keith Code levels I and II, on their Kawi. I was back on a taller bike with more ground clearance. It was so much easier to get around the corners, if only because I wasn’t worried about scraping side covers at the slightest angle, hahaha. I realized the lowered bike was not performing well and was actually dangerous, plus I knew I wanted to do more riding on the track so I put the bike back up to regular height. (In fact, currently, with an aftermarket shock, it’s a little taller than stock height.)
With all honesty, after a month of the stock height bike I was totally comfortable one legging it at stop lights etc. Conclusion: it just took a little time to get used to a new, slightly taller bike. Like others, I’d recommend cutting out some of the seat foam instead of physically lowering the bike. Also, rather than lowering the bike, it would probably be best to just take your time, find places where you could practice coming to a stop, or slight hills or whatever you might think needs work. Balance and being comfortable on the bike is key.
Lowering the bike is fine if you will only commute or do city riding on the bike or are not that interested in checking out more of its potential on a track. If you still can’t do without the lowered bike, then, try to get an adjustable dogbone, one that can lower OR raise the height and buy an extra side stand for the various applications (side stand has to be cut and re-welded once you lower, otherwise the lowered bike is not stable with the side stand down).
Ed
no worries scraping there!
