[cbbeards]

Hi all
I just got my first ever bike-a Wee-Vee I guess you call it here. 650 DL 2009 Orange. Love it totally.
Dropped the bike the fourth time I rode it (Killed it going up a steep hill-oh well, I'm a newby).

Guy at my local shop suggested I lower it-and he put in a lowering kit. Now I can touch my feet flat-no problem. However, he didn't lower the front end.

Is this a problem? Do I need to lower the front also?

 

[Auburn80]

If you have a non-ABS model, you can raise the forks in the clamps ~ 15 mm (thereby dropping the front end). That evens things out a bit but it still doesn't make the bike "level" and if one has ABS, they cannot go even that small distance. Please search in here for a more exact distance since you don't want to slam the front end if you do much off-road riding.

 

[Yak]

You can also remove the rectangular rubber blocks from the underside of the seat and reduce the height without affecting the geometry of the bike at all. You can also peel back the seat cover and shave away a bit of foam to lower yourself further ( a bit).

 

[The Golden Monkey]

How much did your mechanic lower the rear? I believe 1-1/8" is about the maximum without risking the rear wheel contacting the underseat when the suspension is fully compressed. 3/4" is ideal, since that's about how much you can lower the front, and lowering both ends by the same amount will maintain the geometry (other than making the wheelbase ever-so-slightly shorter).

You can raise the forks in the triple clamps by 15mm on both ABS and non-ABS bikes. The restriction for ABS bikes is only if they have a fork brace installed, and then the exact amount depends on which fork brace, but ranges from ~7-10mm if I recall. ABS bikes have a brake distribution block under the lower triple clamp, which can impact the fork brace at full compression if the forks are raised too much.

 

[KevinP]

I agree that raising the fork tubes 15mm is the easiest way. Anymore and you may bottom too easily off road which puts wear on fork seals. If you are fairly light and do not push it off road, then the 15mm lowering of front end should be a 10 minute fix with no downside.

There are pictorials on this site for how to do this. Just be sure both sides are equal.

 

[Auburn80]

Thanks Monkey . .

I had forgotten about the fork brace (which I intend to install soon). That is why I remembered the shorter allowance.

 

[Midnullarbor]

.
Remember, the actual seat position (your hips) is well toward the rear of the bike's wheelbase.
Two-thirds of the rear lowering amount shows at the seat.

Lowering the front 7-15 millimetres (whichever is permissible on your model) will only benefit your seat by 2-5 mm. Is it worth it?

And don't worry about a moderate rear lowering - other than the loss of ground clearance / cornering clearance.
The question of the lowered rear (say 25 mm) affecting the front geometry / fork angle - is a trivial question. The fork angle changes by less than 1 degree. That's a change which is imperceptible for normal road-riding. (On the race-track is another matter, when you are pushing the bike to the ragged edge of its operating envelope - but you wouldn't be using a lowered Strom there.)

Also be aware that you may find, with more time, that your sense of the bike's weight & balance improves, along with your leg muscles' reflex response to stationary balancing issues. So a lower seat will be less needed.
.

 

[greywolf]

Riders making a change have reported liking the front lowered more than the rear by 10-15mm. Not only does it make steering quicker, but it changes the aerodynamics to keep the front end from acting like a wing and getting too light at higher speeds or pushing a headwind or a truck airstream.

I took the lowering links off my bike to gain that advantage and lowered the front 13mm. It's like a different bike. My legs are long enough to handle the stock rear height while riding though. Accordion pleated fork gaiters collapse and bind to prevent bottoming the fork brace and brake line junction. Short legged people may need a setup that is not optimum for handling. The lower center of mass helps but it's hard to optimize the aerodynamics.

 

[ianbh]

GW, I purchased a couple of the auto shock rubbers you suggested as fork gaitors. I am waiting until I change fork oil (and maybe work on the fork internals) to install them.
I also have a fork brace and wonder how you attached the bottom of the gaitors? TIA Ian, Iowa

 

[greywolf]

The bottom is not attached. The bottom is cut off at the wide part of the second pleat from the bottom and the gaiter rests on the fork brace.

 

[Midnullarbor]

.
Cbbeards, should you be interested in quantifying some of the changes being discussed, I've made a rough back-of-the-envelope estimation : -

Lowering the rear suspension by 25 mm will rotate your bike upwards (at the front) - or in aerodynamic terms "increase the angle of attack" - by about 0.9 degrees.
Similarly, pushing the front forks up into the triple-clamps by 10 mm, will rotate the bike downwards / reduce the angle of attack - by about 0.4 degrees.
.