reward69
Expert Class
Posts: 101
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posted December 22, 2007 03:59 PM
Lowering
Thinking of lowering my 08, but wanted to get some ideas from those who have. I know I dont want it slammed, mainly would like the look with out degrading the handling too much. I do ride double with my wife (who is small) but my big butt is 6'3" 235. How much would you lower with out being too low?
  
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fastestbusaaround
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posted December 22, 2007 04:24 PM
You ride two up and you want to lower it? Can you say BLING? It's going to bottom now with two up, even before you lower it...good luck. Why would you want to lower it at all if you're not racing it?
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lietoome
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posted December 22, 2007 07:09 PM
lowered looks bad ass, not everyone is into racing the damn thing....come on FBA.
You may not bottom out with it two up, but I did. I had to go with a stiffer spring in the rear. If you do a search on the site, you'll find lots of info on the lowering aspect. I just use a strap and adjustable links in the rear. Once I went to an extended swingarm, I had to buy yet another spring. Best of luck and make sure you research "Drainplug" before you rip it off the bottom of your pan.
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Bently
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posted December 22, 2007 07:33 PM
I was 220 and my wife was 118 and I did not bottom out lowerd all the way down in back and forks slide up 1.25 inches. But your handling does suffer some what. just depends on how fast you want to corner.
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reward69
Expert Class
Posts: 101
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posted December 22, 2007 07:46 PM
Thanks for the replys, I like the look of the lowered bikes. I've never owned one that was lowered, I've always kept them at the stock height. The good thing about the 14 that I like is you dont have to spend a lot of money to do it. Some dog bones and a little time and your there.
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Silver08
Expert Class
Posts: 461
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posted December 22, 2007 08:28 PM
when i was stock lenth, i was lowered 1.5 in in the front and 2nd hole on muzzy links, and i could ride two up and not bottom out. with it stretched it bottoms out easily,
where is the best place to buy stiffer rear springs?
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08 ZX14
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fastestbusaaround
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posted December 22, 2007 09:14 PM
I agree that lowering looks good -- so does a stretch, but I just can't deal with the lousy handling after that. I bought the ZX14 for power and performance. BTW, I bottom from time to time at 220 riding solo and unless I'm prepared to change the suspension, I have to live with that. Dialing it up higher just doesn't get the right results.
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stevewfl
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posted December 22, 2007 09:47 PM
quote:
I agree that lowering looks good -- so does a stretch, but I just can't deal with the lousy handling after that.
+1
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2010 Concours14
'08 R1 YAMAHA
ZX14 gone!
CBR600RR track bike
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NinjaNick
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'08 ZX14 (Blue)
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posted December 22, 2007 10:05 PM
Lowering is stupid, unless it's a pure drag bike. Lowering of cars and trucks are retarded too. OK, I had to get that out. I feel much better.
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lietoome
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posted December 22, 2007 10:43 PM
quote:
where is the best place to buy stiffer rear springs?
I went directly thru race-tech. The spring they sell is actually a eibach(sp?)
It works like a champ. The stock spring is pretty weak with my arse on it. Now I'm back to having some adjustability.
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mooniac
Novice Class
Posts: 31
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posted December 23, 2007 04:09 AM
I lowered the rear one inch using the Vortex adjustable bones. Now I can sit flat footed on her. Looks better and safer for me.
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07 R1, 07 FJR, 07 ZX14
(soon),
F1 ROCKET(300 HP Home
built Airplane) And it is faster
then your ZX14!!! (alot)
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THEMADKAW
Expert Class
Posts: 211
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posted December 23, 2007 10:07 AM
 Edited By: THEMADKAW on 23 Dec 2007 10:07
i have mine lowered roaring toyz links on the rear (middle hole) @1.5"-1.75 down in the trees. then set sag,rebound, and compression as usual to match. only problems i have now is the clamps on the stock exhaust drag. which i can live with. my 12 was done the same with 3" stretch and also had no averse handling issues.
and as for lowering being retarded and or stupid well the rainbow says it all!!! lol
Merry Christmas!!
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fastestbusaaround
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posted December 23, 2007 11:25 AM
I can't see lowered and stretched NOT having a very adverse effect on handling, sorry...
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THEMADKAW
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Posts: 211
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posted December 23, 2007 12:25 PM
my bike corners just fine. what type of problems should i be looking for? even stock its undersprung for my 240lbs. so what else?
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fastestbusaaround
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posted December 23, 2007 12:41 PM
I guess we don't ride the same way...I'm quite aggressive, even in the streets and I'd hate to think that when scraping the pegs hard, the it would react unpredictably. I'm quite sure from previous experience on other bikes, that your bike DOES not have the ability to keep up with a stock ZX14 in the corners and I'm sure most others here will agree with that. If you're just putting along, I'm sure there's no issue in corners, but I don't ride my bikes that way. Anyway, if that works for you, I'm happy. If I thought it would for me, I'd do it too. I agree that it's under-sprung at stock for 240 LBS.
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stevewfl
Moderator
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posted December 23, 2007 01:04 PM
pegs scraping or not, I cannot acheive the same cornerspeed lowered. the engineers design it for the right height for the frame geometry. not to mention scarping fairings, oil pan, headers, pegs.
why fack up a bike like that? (unless its a straightline drag bike being pushed off a trailer and raced)
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2010 Concours14
'08 R1 YAMAHA
ZX14 gone!
CBR600RR track bike
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Bently
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Posts: 5428
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posted December 23, 2007 01:13 PM
Most guys that buy a 14 don't have cornering on the top of there list, for what it is, it does corner well. but put a good rider on a 600 or 1000 and the 14 is a pig in tight stuff. I think being a road racer Steve will agree. But FBA is right I don't care what bike you are talking about lower it and the handling suffers, guys who say they can corner just as fast on a lowerd bike do not know what a fast corner is if it bit them in the ass.
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THEMADKAW
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Posts: 211
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posted December 23, 2007 01:18 PM
i don't ride overly aggressive on the street. you're right about that. but i don't putt around either.i have no desire to find the limit of my tires on any public road. i've been down enough on the street. don't want anymore rash and destroyed bikes. you're right i probably couldn't keep up with you in the twisties with a lowered 14 and maybe not even on a stock hight one. lol draggin pegs isn't too bad, you just grind off the feelers, but that exhaust will cause you to pinch the seat!!!! but for the average rider who doesn't plan on pushing the limits a lowered bike will do all the things a stock one will and a stretch under 6" will too. but your gonna be a whipped ass when you get off the mountain! especially if there are a lot of switchbacks. and tight esses. long bikes steer slow but you can make'em steer.
but hey! everyone rides to their own beat.
i just don't want people to think that just because a bike is lowered you can't ride the turns. because you can.
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Bently
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posted December 23, 2007 01:26 PM
Well I only ride about 75 % on the street in the corners and my 14 lowerd and 4 inches over would not handle at what I consider 30 % of my ability but everyones % is different. But a lowerd 6 inch stretch would not keep up at all just not gona happen. I'm not trash talking anyone but into you do some track days guys just don't know what fast cornering is.
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THEMADKAW
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Posts: 211
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posted December 23, 2007 02:11 PM
i'm not talkin about keeping up with others i'm talkin about being able to ride and enjoy it. of course you cant keep up. the bigger the bike the harder its gonna be to ride in tight turns. the shorter the wb the better the handling.
if you want to do track days don't lower your bike.
if you ride on the street and dont do track days and like the look. lower your bike. it won't hurt you enough to worry about it that much.
thats all i'm tryin to say.
the 14 is made to to a lot of things well, its not really a track bike imo unless your talkin about the dragstrip.
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Silver08
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Posts: 461
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posted December 23, 2007 02:31 PM
quote:
quote:
where is the best place to buy stiffer rear springs?
I went directly thru race-tech. The spring they sell is actually a eibach(sp?)
It works like a champ. The stock spring is pretty weak with my arse on it. Now I'm back to having some adjustability.
thanks
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08 ZX14
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fastestbusaaround
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posted December 23, 2007 04:48 PM
Like I said, it looks cool lowered and stretched, but like Bently said, I can't ride to even 30% of my ability in the street with the bike setup that way. Not safe for me...
I won't take the 14 to the track, because I know the 600's eat big pig bikes like the ZX14 in terms of handling -- and being at a huge disadvantage on the track, when I know I could stress less on the 600 -- well the rest doesn't even merit further mention.
When I do ride my 14 in the twisties, I need every advantage I can get, because I do push her hard and slide around from time to time. I sold my 10R and my 14's the only bike I really have with the power I want, so when I want to ride hard, that's the ride of choice, even though my C14 can easily keep up in the turns -- I just want the massive low end TQ of the ZX for the rest of the ride.
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ninja12
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posted December 23, 2007 08:15 PM
I've been riding lowered and streched bikes for 10 years, probably will until I move into a cruiser. No problems on the street riding anywhere near legal limits.
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Silver08
Expert Class
Posts: 461
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posted December 23, 2007 08:52 PM
will running a stiffer rear shock spring make it harder to hook or more likely to spin at the track??
Drag racers speak up, who is running stiffer rear springs
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08 ZX14
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lietoome
Needs a job
Posts: 2033
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posted December 24, 2007 04:43 AM
Edited By: lietoome on 24 Dec 2007 04:43
stiffer spring allows you to dial in the shock. The stocker was still soft when I had it maxed out. There is still enough 'tune-ability' where you can loosen it up for the drag and then retighten for the two up/street.
Before I trailered the bike, I'd ride to the track and then set up my bike. Once I got there, strap the front and lower the rear(adjustable bones), adjust the kickstand and work on the tire pressure. I actually carried a small 12V airpump and a few simple tools in my backpack. Trailering the bike is way easier though---especially since the dragseat has such a small cushion. 
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