How low can i go?

[jerryz]

I have my S4 set up perfectly now , raised the rear etc but now my hips are bad and I have to lower the bike by an inch or more or i wont be able to use it. So how low can I drop the front end thru the forks without causing problems with the radiator and handling  of course the back end will go down again but the problem is the Radiator .  I dont have this problem with the M750 its smaller and lower already.

This is a major bummer , If i cannot solve it i will have to dump the bike I have spent a damn fortune on it , but its very difficult to sell on here in thailand dealers wont do PX so I have to keep it or adapt it or give it away for a low price and lose $12,000.
I deally i would trade it for a 696 or an older M900 available here or a triumph Bonnie  or Kawasaki w650 but its impossible.

[clubhousemotorsports]

drop both ends equally and the handling will not change much.

I do not see how changing the height of the bike will help your hips though, would it not be better to raise the seat or lower the pegs to get more leg room?

[jerryz]

My M750 is a lot lower and The S4 has been raised to optimise handling but I cannot safely get on or off it , once sat on it I am OK , it needs to be lowered between 25-35mm in all .
I can get 15mm at the front and probably 25mm at the back then the  bike will  still be balanced .Hopefully it will be easier for me as it is now I cannot safely get on or off it.

[clubhousemotorsports]

If you drop the rear more than the front it may chopper itself out and have a tendency to run wide at the exits. try setting them equally first.

[mxwinky]

You guys aren't getting it.  He's going to lower both ends to keep the bike balanced, but needs to know how much he can safely lower the front before the wheel will make contact with the radiator at full front fork compression.  I don't know the answer, but if you can get a couple of tie downs and cinch the bike down (as if you were tying it down in a truck) you should be able to get pretty close to full compression on the front end.  From there you should be able to measure your clearance between the front wheel and the radiator and get an idea of how much you can raise the forks in the triple clamps to lower the front end before you make contact.  Hope this helps.  I had (successful) hip surgery a year ago so I know where you're coming from.  It sure made my riding life better and I didn't have to modify any of my bikes.  Good luck!

[jerryz]

Mxwinky has a good idea about tiedowns on the front end ... also the rear can go down further than the front as the bike was set up with a front bias to get more weight on the front end ,

I have the whole bike apart at the moment doing a valve check and shims and the rear end is dismantled to grease up the swing arm bearings and lower the rear and the alternator cover is off to check the engine nuts. loads of work to keep me busy and its 95f heat here so sometime to hot to work.

[Speeddog]

OEM setting for the fork height is 195mm from the top of the lower triple to the top of the fork cap flange (next to the hex).

At that setting, the fender will touch the radiator at full bump.
For reference, at full bump the seal will come within about 4mm of touching the lower axle/brake bracket.
Not a lot of room to get it lower.

[jerryz]

Thanks Speeddog.

[corey]

sounds like it's time for a custom fabbed radiator?

[clubhousemotorsports]

most of the time i see the front fender to lower triple the first to contact.
this is sometimes followed by the front tire hitting the head. don't know if i have seen the tire hit the radiator.

support the bike from lower triple not fork bottoms ) and pop the fork caps loose you can then run the front suspension through its range.

I often just measure available travel and then transpose that distance to areas I am concerned with.

[somegirl]

Have you shaved your seat yet?

[clubhousemotorsports]

uh....errrrrr
no?
well not that I would ever admit. 

[jerryz]

Have you shaved your seat yet?

Hi somegirl... its something i will look at after lowering the bike ... there is not much meat in the Monster seat to reduce so it has to be done carefully ..and here in Thailand thats not so easy there are lots of seat makers here and I need mine recovering as it has a small cut in it so its on my list.