2005 RSTD Lowering Questions

[TonyLudwick]

Good Afternoon All,

I have read just about every thread on lowering that I can find on this forum, but I have more specific questions. Like many others, I am concerned about dragging parts but I am also concerned about bottoming out. I thought that If I gave you specifics you may be able to help me decide what to do. I have a 2005 Royal Star Tour Deluxe with Venture Pillowtop seats with the Butler mod done to them. I also have the Bub complete exhaust system which does raise the mufflers closer to the sadlebags. I am 5'7" with a 30 inch inseam. My Wife and I weigh 340 lbs together, about 170 each. I have been considering buying the Baron Lowering kits for the front(one with emulators and springs) and rear. I also intend to add a scootworks trunk and a quadzilla fairing in the future. Given our weight and my plans for future mods, do you think I would have any problem bottoming out on front during quick stops or rear while going over bumps riding two up? My next question is: if these kits would be a good fit for us considering our situation, is it worth the money to go with the full blown Baron front lowering kit with progressive springs and gold valve emulators rather than just the spacers? I don't want to spend this kind of money for nothing, but either way I would have the forks apart and would like to do it right the first time. Has any one here used these kits on a newer RSTD that weighs about the same as we do?

 

I would really appreciate any input, opinions or experiences.

 

Regards,

Tony

[Mike G in SC]

You can only lower the front of the RSTD a bit over 1/2" because your handle bars will hit the Schrader valves on the front forks if you go more. We tried to lower mine like you do a Venture (1.5") and had to take it apart and do again. (unless the kit has a relocation for the valves and can go more). We did get another fraction by swapping the top & bottom washers, after some grinding.

 

So, with no add on stuff, mine is lowered in the front just over 1/2". If you do the small front tire you can get another 1/4" or so. (But I like the stock size tire.)

 

On the rear, I have the Barons lowering kit. BUT, IMO, it drops too much and does bottom out or scrape pipes often when two up. SO, I got a local fab shop to make a pair of dog bones half way between the stock and Barons lowered length.

I also have 29-30" inseam and that works great. (cost was about $40 for the fabricated bones but some here have done it themselves with stock steel from Home Depot.)

So, the rear is lowered about 3/4". And between the front and back, I am about level again.

 

It is worth it to me and her, as my footing is much better at stops.

I did the same to my Venture but still want to drop the front 3/4" but that is above my skill level.

 

Good luck,

Mike G in SC

[Globewalker]

Mike,

Are you saying even using the Barons front lowering kit (rather than the Venture method of pushing them up in the triple tree) that the RSTD is still limited to 1/2"?

I do not understand the mechanics of how Baron's spacers can lower the front..

 

I am interested in at least lowering the front..

 

Thanks,

Keith

[TonyLudwick]

The front kits I was referring to, lower the bike without sliding the forks up the triple tree. I don't know logically how it works until I see it. The links to the two front kits are as follows:

 

This front kit contains just the spacers.

http://www.baronscustom.com/catalog/display/559/index.html

 

This front kit contains the spacers, progressive springs and gold valve emulators.

http://www.baronscustom.com/catalog/display/560/index.html

 

This is the Rear lowering kit.

http://www.baronscustom.com/catalog/display/565/index.html

 

All of the above methods reduce travel on the suspension to accomplish the lowering. I am assuming that the progressive springs in the second front kit are stiffer in order to make up for 1.5 inches less travel. Mike, have you had any more issues bottoming out and scraping since you are using your custom bones? If not, I am inclined to try this method for the rear. I am just trying to get some feedback on the front kits because both require taking the forks apart and I would like to do it right the first time. Mike, how much do you and your wife way together and have you ever bottomed the front out?

 

Regards,

Tony

[Mike G in SC]

Hey Keith,

 

I didn't use Barron's on the front, so, don't know.

But what Tony said is that the kit lowers from the inside.

With that, then I would think you can go more than the 1/2" if using a kit.

 

(For what we did on the front,,,, look at your front forks top, and imagine how much you can raise the top of the fork through the tripple tree before the valve top hits the handle bar. There is my 1/2" or so.)

 

Barons can tell you, their techs are good on the phone (Chuckie?) but the old folks there (before it merged with LA Choppers) were cautions to give info cause of liabilities on lowering the bike. Kind of like they are selling parts but telling you not to install them(?).

 

If you have time, tempreture and $$ the kit will add some muscle to the front for bumps and braking. But on the RSTD at just 1/2", I haven't felt any loss there. Not aware of bottoming out the front.

(My RSTD is lowered in the front, not my Venture.)

 

As for the rear, Tony, my wife has not admitted her weight for 20 years.

She don't trust me to ride over truck scales!! (Guess I could put 4 bathroom scales under our bed and do the math.) Anyhow, I would say bodies add 350 lbs. maybe another 20 for her pocketbook!

 

I was real happy with the mid length dog bones (both bikes).

I do have the Barons 4-2-4 pipes so this lessens the pipe diameter some.

But I don't scrape the pipes much.

 

Mike G.

[TonyLudwick]

Mike, using the mid length dog bones, would it still be necessary to relocate the caliper?

[Mike G in SC]

Tony,

We looked at that, not using the calliper relocation bracket. We just put on the modified dog bones first. I bounced around on the seat, never bottomed out.

Kind of looked like we could get away with out it,,,, but I had already bought a used kit (on this forum) and we decided to put it on.

 

I queried people on this forum and on the STAR forum on what they thought about it. Got mostly "don't knows". So,,,,, sorry, don't know.

 

Mike G.

[TonyLudwick]

Ok, so I've determined so far, that I am going to attempt to build my own lowering kit for the rear of the bike in order to get a height that is in between Barons and Stock, and to save money as well. Now for the front. The thing that really bothers me about any of the front lowering kits I have seen is that they all seem to reduce the amount of travel available inside the fork it's self. Also, once you go cutting or drilling parts inside the forks as required by these kits, you can't go back without buying new parts. My preferred method of lowering the front, would be to slide the forks up through the triple tree as some of the venture owners have done. But as I understand, You cannot do this on a RSTD because of the handlebars. When I was looking around on Barons site they had these riser extensions and I was wondering if I could get the clearance that I need under the Bars for the forks to slide up by using something like this. The only thing that I am not sure of is how the speedometer is mounted or if I would have enough slack in the cables to do this. Has anyone tried it? Here is some links to the parts that I am talking about:

 

http://www.baronscustom.com/catalog/display/2077/index.html

http://www.baronscustom.com/catalog/display/2081/index.html

http://www.baronscustom.com/catalog/display/2079/index.html

http://www.baronscustom.com/catalog/display/2083/index.html

[Globewalker]

Yea.. from everything I hear.. risers will not work on the RSTD because of the speedometer as you indicate.

 

I believe MikeG squeezed out a 1/2" to 3/4" by pushing his up in the triple tree (w/ some mod of a washer?).. not sure if that is enough for you..

 

Dont think it is enough for me... I need to get back onto this myself..

[Mike G in SC]

Yea.. from everything I hear.. risers will not work on the RSTD because of the speedometer as you indicate.

 

I believe MikeG squeezed out a 1/2" to 3/4" by pushing his up in the triple tree (w/ some mod of a washer?).. not sure if that is enough for you..

 

Dont think it is enough for me... I need to get back onto this myself..

 

Keith,

Mod on the washer:

Seems like there were two big washers in the tubes (on each side). One bigger than the other. I think we swapped the top to the bottom and took a grinder to one to change the outer diameter. That gave us another fraction inside the tube.

I'm vague on it as it was a year or so ago, but if you get that far, you will probably see what and why we did.

 

Mike G