I'm about 5'3".  With my boots on, I'm solidly on the balls of my feet.  I've read the various threads about using longer dogbones to lower the bike, but there's a suspension shop right near here, so my husband figured he'd stop in and see if they can do it.

I realize that their primary focus is racebikes, but they *do* say on their website that they serve street riders as well.  So my husband stops in today and asks about their services as far as lowering a bike.

"Whaddya got?" they asked.  "It's my wife's GS500F," he says.  He says that the guy said, "Oh, bargain basement stuff," and goes on to tell him how it would cost a minimum of $1,500 for him to lower my bike, due to the cost of fabricating the dogbones and such.  

Ha!  So I guess I won't be going that route.  Really, it would have been OK to say, "You know, we really focus on race and high-performance applications; maybe you should try the dealer," or something like that.

So I'm looking at the 1-1/2" set at wwwvenhorstrocks.com; can anyone give me any feedback?  Are you happy with your transactions with the vendor?  $50 bucks for the dogbones and a "honeydew" project for Mr. BlueByYou sounds good.  He's an old hand with wrenching, although no pro, and I think we can do a respectable job for somewhere under $1,500.

Slide the front forks up as far as they will go in the triple tree as well. Mine is an 89 and will clear with no problem, I Think with yours you will only get a half inch or so. worse comes to worse, get a clip-on plate for a 89GS500 or go to regular clip-ons. The dogbones are an easy swap.
Mike

i'll do it for 14...... :mrgreen:


actually....about $20-30 to drop it...about 2 in
if ya need to go lower on the front.....
87-90 CBR600 hurricanne clip-ons or www.pro-flo.com 37mm clip-ons on top of the tripple

1500 is ridiculous.  Sounds like he just wanted to get rid of your husband.  Dogbones should be simple to make and install.

Do a search on this site for venhorstocks,  there was one report that I remember of someone not being impressed with the quality.

Check around, most motorcycle shops will lower your bike for you much, much cheaper.  You can shave the seat too, for extra clearance.

he might have been talking about making different handle bar mounts, because you cant really drop the front at all if you dont.  but ya 1500 is alot for anything like that.

watch this video and look at Kerry's handle bar riser, then move is handle bars back and up I believe, back for sure.  Then you could lower you bike pretty much how ever much you wanted.  Just where would these be obtained from.  http://www.gstwin.com/adjust_the_clutch_lever.htm

Better than dogbones is a VTR or EX 250 rear shock ... and of course that ghetto riser (Use a second set of clamps off a bike under your clamps that hold the bars to the triple) ... and you got a good 2 inches to lower in front ... Of course longer dogbones is fine for rear in absence of a shorter rear shock.
Cool.
Srinath.

First off, welcome!  

There's plenty of info on lowering in the archives.  Try a search on "dogbones" "lowering" and "lowering links".  $30 will get a set, and a few hours of working and boozing will get 'em in.

Quote from: BlueByYouHe says that the guy said, "Oh, bargain basement stuff," and goes on to tell him how it would cost a minimum of $1,500 for him to lower my bike, due to the cost of fabricating the dogbones and such.

Quote"You know, we really focus on race and high-performance applications; maybe you should try the dealer,"

Yadda yadda yadda.  What a bunch of bullshit.  I'll bet he's convinced his shaZam! doesn't stink as well.

I've dealt with tuner types.  They expect stupid tolerances from drawings on the back of a bar coaster.  Then they tell me that I'm too expensive, and incapable of understanding their problem.   :lol:  

Bitter?  'course not!   :kiss:  :mrgreen:

You might also look into getting the seat cut.  I had Rich do mine, and I went from a tilt-tippytoe (have to tip it to get a toe down) to the balls of both beet on the ground at the same time, which is fine for me.  Just make sure you have someone who does a good job do it; I've seen upholstery shops that say they can cut seats do a hack job of it.  Rich fits it to your behind.
The only potential downside is that it does put you in more of a lower-body crouch.

Hey!  That might be worth a ride up I5!  Looks good, Roadstergal!  Thanks for the link to the website; I think I'll inquire therein.

alright for the guy with the wife on a gsf500, here is what a gsf will look like lowered about 4 inches in the back 2 1/2 in the front. http://www.cpixel.com/album_display.asp?aid=349828 if the link doesn't come out right just copy and paste. i have an 04 model it was lowered where i had to put it on a 2x4 till i cut the kickstand. to do this you only need to get gsxr dogbones and clip-ons. i did it myself so it was really cheap. you will be lookin at about close to $250 for evrything new. i would go to the dealer and ask for gsxr dogbones and order vortex 37mm clip-ons. hey if you have any question e-mail me at candykid_monke@hotmail.com i can give you more info. or send me an message on here.

drink more milk lol or trim the seat i,m 5,5 mines a 92 and i trim down the seat now i sit flat footed
:lol:

Quote from: RoadstergalYou might also look into getting the seat cut.  I had Rich do mine, and I went from a tilt-tippytoe (have to tip it to get a toe down) to the balls of both beet on the ground at the same time, which is fine for me.  Just make sure you have someone who does a good job do it; I've seen upholstery shops that say they can cut seats do a hack job of it.  Rich fits it to your behind.
The only potential downside is that it does put you in more of a lower-body crouch.

bitchin profile shot  

My wife is 5'1" and all I did was slide the forks down to the handle bars and we cut the seat down. She loves it.