toledoUPSguy
Expert Class
An old guy with a new toy
Posts: 320
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posted June 28, 2012 12:19 PM
lowering and stretching for a newbie
Using the search trying to learn before asking has raised a couple of unanswered questions for me.
on stretching the bike out, whether by extensions or a new arm, I saw many comments that a drawback was reduced traction. Is this a reduction of traction while cornering on the street? I know lengthing the WB will affect cornering and turning radius but the loss of traction comments confuse me.
As for lowering, I am trying to keep the money I spend for mods to the bare minimun this year. the minister of finance (wife) is real pleased with the bike purchase, she knows the money is going to get spent to put this on the track next year. Since dropping the front end by raising the forks is free, how much can i drop the front with just raising the tubes? A second question is about the Brocks (or other similar type) lowering straps. Cinching the front end down with the straps will keep the front forks from extending (correct?) don't you want the front to come up some to aid weight transfer to the rear? I guess one more, sorry guys. how low can one go without crossing the line that the bike can't cross a speed bump or driveway curb.
sorry for the dumbA questions. learning a lot here.
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The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there.
2014 ZX14r in nuclear sunset orange and black
  
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kaw-rick
Pro
Posts: 1167
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posted June 28, 2012 12:32 PM
I got extensions for sale cheap. if you go that route its cheap and you can switch back and forth easily. the traction concern your talking about is tire related on the street or track. when you extend a bike it wants to spin the tire instead of raising front end. if you put a sticky tire on it it wont spin at the track. most tires will spin on street.
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MotoCycho
Expert Class
Posts: 337
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posted June 28, 2012 12:33 PM
 Edited By: MotoCycho on 28 Jun 2012 20:35
- Stretching with extensions or a longer arm puts more weight to the front wheel. It will reduce traction to the rear in all situations. The primary location being referred to here on this forum is at the drag strip. That said, you will likely not have too much of an issue on the street if you use your head and understand that no public road will ever provide you enough traction to really get into the throttle.
- The zx-14 in stock trim is low enough to hit bottom on the right driveway or speed bump.. so yeah.. lowering it at all makes it more likely to touch down. Your weight, how low you go, your public roads, etc.. too many variables to say for sure. You have to be more careful on a lowered bike, that's for sure. Mine has touched down many times.
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Seno
Pro
BANNED FOR LIFE!
Posts: 1230
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posted June 28, 2012 12:40 PM
Your questions are far from dumb, and I was very recently in the same boat. Stretching a bike will give you better traction at the track, but as far a street goes from what I understand SWB works really well. I will have Terry Mac extend my stock arm 4" this winter and that should not kill street handling totally but definitely help me out at the track. It sounds like you are in the same boat as me, can't decide if I want to make this a track bike only or keep it streetable....
I lowered my bike 3/4" in the front by sliding the tubes up. As far as the rear, I used a lowering link and picked the middle setting (about 1.5" drop). It is still quite streetable and speed bump friendly but I did notice that I had to raise up the dampening on my damper to compensate for the "quicker" steering (Yes it wants to turn harder into slow turns). BTW, it's still curb friendly, went to the gym this afternoon and rode it down the sidewalk into the street carefully and nothing scraped. Hope that helps!
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2012 Black 14R -> Completely done!
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toledoUPSguy
Expert Class
An old guy with a new toy
Posts: 320
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posted June 28, 2012 01:58 PM
I ride it 4 miles each way to work and to the park my son plays his baseball games in. that park drive way has 4 of the "long" speedbumbs so i think at worst i could go at an angle over those bumps. My days of crazyness in the twisties is long past so stretching won't be an issue (i don't think) my goal is next year to run the et points series at norwalk with a buddy of mine so all modifications will be towards consitency.
If i drop the front end by sliding up the tubes 3/4 inch do I need to do anything else to the forks? again to the fork lowering straps? they cinch the front down tight, correct? don't you want some rise to in the forks to transfer weight to the back? am i confusing car dynamics and how it works on a bike?
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The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there.
2014 ZX14r in nuclear sunset orange and black
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Seno
Pro
BANNED FOR LIFE!
Posts: 1230
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posted June 28, 2012 03:04 PM
You can ride it around lowered, but strapping it at the track will help launches. Your rear shock will compress on launches providing you have it setup properly...
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2012 Black 14R -> Completely done!
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