Levelling links install question

[darthandy]

I had some levelling links made to raise the rear of my bike. I'm looking at the 2nd Gen tech library write-up on doing it, but I have a question. Where it says to raise the bike to take pressure off the links, is it necessary to get the tires off the ground? It looks to me as if just raising it enough to remove the load from the links would be the way to do it, otherwise there might then be a load on them from the wheel hanging down. Am I right or am I missing something?

 

Thanks,

 

Andy

[Sylvester]

I just got the pressure off the tires when I did this...ten years ago. Huge improvement in low speed handling.

 

[darthandy]

I just got the pressure off the tires when I did this...ten years ago. Huge improvement in low speed handling.

 

 

So ... tires still on the floor but the bike lifted just a bit?

 

Andy

[Sylvester]

So ... tires still on the floor but the bike lifted just a bit?

 

Andy

 

That's it my friend.

 

[darthandy]

Thanks, Buddy. Time to head out to the garage and git 'er done.

 

Andy

[Sylvester]

Thanks, Buddy. Time to head out to the garage and git 'er done.

 

Andy

 

 

Let us all know how it turned out. All I had at the time was a floor jack, so I tied the bike to the garage wall and my farm tractor on the other side. Like I said it was ten years ago but I don't remember any issues.

 

[dingy]

What do the stock links measure hole to hole that you took off?

 

Gary

[M61A1MECH]

Stock links from my 07 measure 6-7/8" hole to hole (center to center).

[darthandy]

Yep, 6 7/8 in. centre to centre. 1/4 inch longer drops the bike about an inch and a 1/4 inch shorter will raise the bike about an inch. You can play with those ratios to make the bike sit a bit lower or higher, but there are limits to how far you should go with the changes. For instance, lowering the bike an inch could lead to problems with the rear caliper hitting the fender on a hard bump or if fully loaded. this is why commercial lowering kits include a bracket to mount the caliper below the swingarm.

 

Andy

[dingy]

Reason I asked is my RSV Hybrid had homemade links on it that measured 6 5/8" c/c. The fender seemed like it was riding way to high. I got a set of 7 1/2" c/c links and the rear end looks much better now. It dropped it about 2 1/2" measured from inner rear fender frame rails to top of tire. I still have 5" clearance between a fairly bald tire that came off Tweety and inside of inner frame.

 

Service manual shows 3.7" of rear wheel travel on an RSV.

 

Pictures attached.

 

Gary

[darthandy]

That's interesting. I forgot to measure mine before removing the stock links, but everything I've read in the forum indicates a change in ride height of 1 inch per 1/4 inch of change in the link length. If that's true, you're ride height should have changed by 3 1/2 in. rather than 2 1/2 in. since your link length changed by 7/8 of an inch (Equivalent to three and a half 1/4 in. changes). Either the 1 inch per quarter inch estimate is off or the ride height change lessens as the links get longer (or shorter) than the one inch change. I may have to pull my shock off this winter (The bottom on mine is quite oily - never a good sign.). If I do, I could make some cardboard templates to put in place of the links and jack the bike up and down to see how much various link changes affect the ride height. I know it doesn't really matter, but now you've got me curious.

 

Andy