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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: KevinBlank on July 29, 2008, 04:41:19 PM

Title: Raise the Rear and lower the front...?
Post by: KevinBlank on July 29, 2008, 04:41:19 PM
Ok, so ive had my gs for 4 years now and i want to change the geometry a bit. Id like to drop the front of the bike a little bit and raise the rear a little as well, to get that real racy look. Ive checked out dogbone raisers for the rear... do those work well? i dont want to negatively effect the suspention too much. Also any comments on lowering the front, and/or stiffening up the front suspention, too much shock travel for me as i hit the brakes.

Any info will be appreciated.

Thanks

Kevin
Title: Re: Raise the Rear and lower the front...?
Post by: erbilabuc on July 29, 2008, 05:11:42 PM
Quote from: KevinBlank on July 29, 2008, 04:41:19 PM
Ok, so ive had my gs for 4 years now and i want to change the geometry a bit. Id like to drop the front of the bike a little bit and raise the rear a little as well, to get that real racy look. Ive checked out dogbone raisers for the rear... do those work well? i dont want to negatively effect the suspention too much. Also any comments on lowering the front, and/or stiffening up the front suspention, too much shock travel for me as i hit the brakes.

Any info will be appreciated.

Thanks

Kevin

until you get  true clip ons you arent going to be able to do anything on the front. You say you dont want to negatively alter the suspension but its actually exactly what you are doing. Save your money and buy better front springs and a better rear shock. Get with Buddah and he will get you everything you need.
Title: Re: Raise the Rear and lower the front...?
Post by: The Buddha on July 29, 2008, 07:01:53 PM
Dog bone lowerers in the rear ... not risers. You need shorter than stock dogbones. You are pretty light I presume, cos most of us have run out of suspension travel and are using our hands and legs as supplimentary suspension.
Anyway what my friend erbilabuc is saying is, to get clip on's for the front. And I am selling a set of those.
Cool.
Buddha.
Title: Re: Raise the Rear and lower the front...?
Post by: werase643 on July 29, 2008, 07:05:30 PM
89-95 GSXR 750 shock will raise the rear about 1.5-2 inches.... this is a really sweet shock!!!!

put a zip tie on the fork tube and go for a ride
slam on the front brakes.....how much space between the lower tree and the zip tie?
lower the front no more than that measurement


Title: Re: Raise the Rear and lower the front...?
Post by: GI_JO_NATHAN on July 29, 2008, 07:17:49 PM
Just be prepared, when you're done, the steering will be fast and maybe twitchy. The clip-ons alone will give you a racier feel without raising the rear. I have seen dog bones for sale that are supposed to raise the rear, who knows if they work. Get the shock to raise the rear and if you don't like it up high get lowering links to bring it back to stock. It will handle better anyways.
Title: Re: Raise the Rear and lower the front...?
Post by: The Buddha on July 29, 2008, 07:27:09 PM
Quote from: werase643 on July 29, 2008, 07:05:30 PM
89-95 GSXR 750 shock will raise the rear about 1.5-2 inches.... this is a really sweet shock!!!!

put a zip tie on the fork tube and go for a ride
slam on the front brakes.....how much space between the lower tree and the zip tie?
lower the front no more than that measurement




The stock bars will get in the way at under 1/2 inch ... need 89's. $100 for those.
I also have GSXR 750 shocks for $100 also.
Cool.
Buddha.
Title: Re: Raise the Rear and lower the front...?
Post by: KevinBlank on July 30, 2008, 03:58:10 PM
Im not that light, 180lbs, i just have the rear shock set to setting 6 out of 7, stiffer. I think ive decided to go with a gsxr rear shock to raise up the rear end and give more shock adjustment.

But for the front i dont wana go with clip ons to lower the front end by pulling the forks out, I love my custome welded handlebars. Is there any front fork adjustment i can make to lower it as well as stiffening it? Or can i only do eather lower it or just stiffen it and not both?
Title: Re: Raise the Rear and lower the front...?
Post by: gsJack on July 30, 2008, 04:26:55 PM
You can only lower the front about 1" before the wiper hits the lower triple clamp, I checked that last winter.  About 3/4-7/8" would be better.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=40074.msg450638#msg450638

I've got the GenMar risers moving the bars out of the way on my 02 GS so my fork tubes can be slid up to lower the front.  Simply putting another set of bar clamps under the bars and getting longer bolts would be cheapest way to do it, did that on my 97 GS.  See the Wiki.

So you can use the Progressive springs like I did or one of the constant rate spring sets to stiffen the front and still lower it close to 1" while using your present bars.
Title: Re: Raise the Rear and lower the front...?
Post by: KevinBlank on July 31, 2008, 05:07:40 PM
How would i go about lowerin the front 1 inch like you said, all while keeping the handle bars on??? Do you have to loosen something and pull down???
Title: Re: Raise the Rear and lower the front...?
Post by: KevinBlank on July 31, 2008, 06:10:16 PM
Oh, nevermind, this wont work with me. I custom welded and painted handle bars. I made the grips at more and angle and closer in the bike, so my hands arent way out in the wind. Also they are straight/level, not curved up like stocks. The bars are already nearly resting ontop of the shocks, so sliding the shocks up wont work a bit for me. Too bad.

Looks like ill be sticken with gettin progressive springs up front and the sv650 shock out back.
Title: Re: Raise the Rear and lower the front...?
Post by: The Buddha on July 31, 2008, 07:04:29 PM
I also have a B6 shock, just like a SV shock but wont need drilling+cutting like a SV one does. $30 and shipping.
Cool.
Buddha.