lowering the fjr

[fatt boy]

Have a few Questions on lowering the fjr...

First mine is a 2007...I know you need the Lowering links for the rear....But what is needed and how do we go about lowering the front???

also will the center stand and kick stand still work after the lowering is done....or am i going to need a new kick stand?

also if by going to a sargent seat are they lower then the stock seats? two inches lower would be great...i have a 29 inch inseam...and the bike is rideable but a couple extra inches would be nice....

thanks

F.B.

 

[skifrik]

I just did an 09. Pretty straight forward. Used a motorcycle jack to be able to raise the center stand then a small floor jack to raise the rear wheel. With the stock triple tree I was only able to lower the front end about 9/16 of an inch. That was just by loosing the clamps and sliding the tubes up a bit. Overall the bike now fits a 5' 8" rider very well. Looks cool too. Kinda 'busa like. Kick stand works fine. Bike just needs to be level or slightly sloping the the left. Lowered the rear 7/8". I didn't think at first that would seem like much. but it is very noticeable.

 

[ionbeam]

what is needed and how do we go about lowering the front???

You will slide the forks up the triple tree. You will have to try the amount, I suspect that 1.25" will be the maximum you will want to have the top cap of the forks above the top triple tree. It will affect the handling very slightly. That is about all you can do for the front.

will the center stand and kick stand still work after the lowering

The side stand will still work, you may choose to grind the stop at the top ever so slightly to increase the lean angle. Depending on how far you lower the chassis, the center stand will be either harder to use or unable to use. If you need the center stand for maintenance, roll the rear wheel up onto a board and then you should be able to get it up (so to speak).

if by going to a sargent seat are they lower then the stock seats...a couple extra inches would be nice

Dunno about the Sargent seat. What is as important as the thickness of the seat is the width of the seat at the gas tank. The more narrow the seat is the easier it will be to get your feet down.

Lowering can successfully done without compromising handling. This is herfjr, and let me tell ya, lowering her FJR did not slow her down at all. herfjr standing in front of her FJR that has been lowered.

Scale of herfjr:

 

[Bounce]

https://www.shortsupport.org/Health/Leg-Lengthening/

 

[fatt boy]

Thanks for all the infomation......My seat will be here today, from there ill work at getting the links bought....seen several ways to shorten the centerstand etc...

Like the bike and the performance...gotta get it lower to feel comfortable....watching the parking lots, looking for a level place to park is a pain....getting it in is no worries...getting it out is a pain...walking it back words on your toes....

plus ive been dealing with a sprained left ankle since i have owned this bike....things will be better when i have no more pain..

thanks again for the help....

F.B.

 

[mferriter]

I just did an 09. Pretty straight forward. Used a motorcycle jack to be able to raise the center stand then a small floor jack to raise the rear wheel. With the stock triple tree I was only able to lower the front end about 9/16 of an inch. That was just by loosing the clamps and sliding the tubes up a bit. Overall the bike now fits a 5' 8" rider very well. Looks cool too. Kinda 'busa like. Kick stand works fine. Bike just needs to be level or slightly sloping the the left. Lowered the rear 7/8". I didn't think at first that would seem like much. but it is very noticeable.

What links did you use in the rear?

 

[OK Red]

For baseline data, I am 5'8" and my pants inseam is 29.5".

When I upgraded the suspension last fall via the group buy on this forum I had the new Penske shock adjusted to be 1/2 inch shorter, and then lowered the reworked forks in the triple tree by the same amount. It has made a slight improvement in terms of maneuvering the bike. It has made a huge difference in my (in)ability to get the bike on the center stand (been riding since 1979 and never had a problem before). I rarely put the bike on the center stand that that is not much of an issue. I do have to be careful when parking the bike in a parking space that slants down to the right as the sides stand has effectively been lengthened.

I'll be interested in seeing how much the seat helps. I had a lowered Corbin on my VFR and it actually made the standover worse due to the additional width of the seat nose. If I were to do an aftermarket saddle again I would think really hard about getting fitted at the factory (available with Corbin, don't know about Sargent).

 

[chrisflock]

I lowered my 07 with Kouba Links. The links claimed to provide a 7/8 inch drop. I lowered the front the same amount by sliding the forks up in the trees.

I didn't modify my centerstand, and for a long time I didn't do anything with the sidestand, but although I had no problems with it, I was always worried I wouldn't be able to park somewhere because of a tilt, and I was always careful when I parked it on the street (since there's always a crown to the street).

I got a Sargent seat, and now that I have that, I have returned the bike to the original links (not that I'm claiming the Sargent is as good as a 7/8 inch lowering, but it does make for an easier reach to the ground than the stock seat).

I don't really see a need to modify the centerstand if you are lowering the bike 7/8 of an inch. I was always able to get it up on the stand, and even lowered it wasn't as hard to get on the centerstand as my CB750, or my dad's 1500 wing.

Also, none of my other motorcycles have centerstands, so the only time i put the FJR on the centerstand is for rear-wheel maintenance, and when I'm doing that, I can run the back tire up on a 2x4 if I need to.