Anyone Lower a 1st Gen?

[bmannon]

I was wondering if anyone has lowered a first gen. I would like to get mine down 1"-1.5" all the way around. If you did it, how? and did it handle ok?

[1BigDog]

Well, since I weigh 300+ lbs it was pretty easy to get mine to squat down a few inches......

[bmannon]

haha!

I just need to eat more, sounds good to me!

[cecdoo]

Send your seat to Rick Butler, he will cut it down and get you at least an inch lower, without changing the handling of the bike. Lower seat, thicker soles on boots. I was never able to find a lowering kit for mine, Good Luck, Craig

[bongobobny]

Found out your 1st gen is a tad tall, eh?!!?

[cecdoo]

Found out your 1st gen is a tad tall, eh?!!?

 

 

No bike was fine, it was my legs:think: Craig

[Guest HdHtr]

I was wondering if anyone has lowered a first gen. I would like to get mine down 1"-1.5" all the way around. If you did it, how? and did it handle ok?

I put wifeypoo on it, gives me about 1/2 an inch then her purse ... lowers it at least another inch!!

[bmannon]

I put wifeypoo on it, gives me about 1/2 an inch then her purse ... lowers it at least another inch!!

 

i suppose i could put some sandbags in the saddle bags. it would get better traction in the snow too!

[Venturous Randy]

It is really not that hard to lower your seat. I bought a Corbin seat off ebay that needed the driver seat pad replaced. I took the cover off and while the cover was being repaired, I used an electric carving knife and whittled the seat down a little bit at a time. It made riding the bike so much more comfortable for me and especially those awkard handling moments when you are trying to manover around while walking it.

RandyA

[bmannon]

from the PM's I have received and comments from this post I think that may be the only viable option.

 

It is really not that hard to lower your seat. I bought a Corbin seat off ebay that needed the driver seat pad replaced. I took the cover off and while the cover was being repaired, I used an electric carving knife and whittled the seat down a little bit at a time. It made riding the bike so much more comfortable for me and especially those awkard handling moments when you are trying to manover around while walking it.

RandyA

[Venturous Randy]

from the PM's I have received and comments from this post I think that may be the only viable option.

 

From those of us that are "inseam challenged", lowering the seat is a good option. I am still running the old springs in the front with about 7 pounds of air. I keep hearing to go to Progressivies and do away with air, but I also hear it raises the bike in the front. I would be interested in hearing if anyone has put in Progressives in a 1st gen and actually lowered the bike by cutting the spacer down some, and what kind of ride did they get.

I really don't want to lower the bike much as I tend to drag stuff as it is.

RandyA

[mbrood]

I changed to Progressives and put in no spacers and had to REALLY get some help getting the fork nuts down enough to catch threads... I have no idea how others sneak in a 1/2" PVC spacer... the directions basically say you should see 1 inch of "material" above the fork tube, providing a 1" preload. With no PVC spacer, I had a bit MORE than a 1 inch preload (meaning the aluminum "cap" with the o-ring and just a bit of the spring were above the fork tube) so I put the cap bolts in (tough job for those without enough sand in their pants to get past that 1" preload), then the bike leaned so far over on the side stand that it was tough to jerk up and I was on tippy-toe with both feet... with no air in the front and the rear reduced to minimum! I have a 29" inseam.

 

I felt I couldn't be jerking the bike up all the time off the side stand, and maybe have it jerk TOO far... so I opted to take the 1" cap with the o-ring out... Just spring and cap bolt. She now sits up much nicer (almost like before) and the ride feels great and steering seems nice and smooth and I can JUST get both feet flat on the ground at a level stop. I honestly don't feel any degradation in handling due to this slight geometry change, but I only know this bike, so...

 

Here's the two setups... Progressive on top... note that lower stock unit with the 3 inch "original" spacer in place with the original spring, both units measure out the same (on mine!).

 

http://bergall.org/temp/venture/springs3.jpg

[Grandpagak]

i found that the fatter i get the closer mine gets to the ground.. but :bang head:unfortunatly my legs seem to get shorter also.. true story...:bang head:

[Venturous Randy]

I did finally replace the front springs with progressives last summer and I did not use any spacers. With the shocks topped out with the front tire off the ground, without a spacer, the height of the spring was about where the threaded insert bottomed out. This is in essence no preload. But, it still has the front of the bike higher than it was. I have thought about sliding the forks up some now that I do not run any air pressure and I can remove the air sleeve, but there is very little room before the fork tops start to hit the grills above them. I am also concerned about losing shock oil through the air hole in the fork tube.

As I am losing more weight, I need to start looking for a bigger girlfriend to equal things out on the bike.

RandyA

[PBJ]

From those of us that are "inseam challenged", lowering the seat is a good option. I am still running the old springs in the front with about 7 pounds of air. I keep hearing to go to Progressivies and do away with air, but I also hear it raises the bike in the front. I would be interested in hearing if anyone has put in Progressives in a 1st gen and actually lowered the bike by cutting the spacer down some, and what kind of ride did they get.

I really don't want to lower the bike much as I tend to drag stuff as it is.

RandyA

 

Hey Randy I just installed progressives this year and i cut the spacers in half. Of course my old springs were completely shot so it did raise my bike a bit. But I weigh 240 and with Rawhide on the back it still bottoms occasionally on really big pot holes. But only on the really big ones and fully loaded. Depending on your weight you shouldn't have any trouble and at half a spacer the rise should not be that great.

 

Sorry I can't give you an actually before and after measurement. I never thought to measure the forks before i put in the springs. Phil.

[barend]

but why would you not be able to put smaller wheels on it??

[elmicko]

As I am losing more weight, I need to start looking for a bigger girlfriend to equal things out on the bike.

RandyA

 

Easy big guy. I think I would rather find some boots with really thick soles over getting a really big girl to put on the back.

[friesman]

From those of us that are "inseam challenged", lowering the seat is a good option. I am still running the old springs in the front with about 7 pounds of air. I keep hearing to go to Progressivies and do away with air, but I also hear it raises the bike in the front. I would be interested in hearing if anyone has put in Progressives in a 1st gen and actually lowered the bike by cutting the spacer down some, and what kind of ride did they get.

I really don't want to lower the bike much as I tend to drag stuff as it is.

RandyA

 

When Rocket put the progressives in mine the spacer block that came with the springs to load them wasnt put in at all because I was concerned about windsheild height fitting in my storage trailer. Without the spacers it made the assembly much easier and I still dont run any air in the forks. It still sits slightly higher than stock, but i love the way it handles and if I want more height (dont know why) i can add air.

 

Brian