I'M TOO SHORT FOR MY BIKE...PLEASE HELP ME !!!

PLUMMEN wrote:

larrycavan wrote:

You might ask Jim where he got his riding boots. I belive they're called Nebraska Nikes

picked that suit up last time i was in pencil-vania looking for a good engine builder,all the locals were wearing them! got the boots off the rack at jcpennys clearance aisle! :woohoo:

We had a convention last summer...obviously we had our shorts suits on.... :laugh:

i saw those while i was there also,but couldnt make the boots look right! :laugh:

At the rear you might be able to use Vulcan 500 shocks which are about 11-11.5" eye-to-eye. They are a direct bolt-on to the smaller KZs, such as the5650s & 650s. Installing shorter shocks may result in the tire rubbing the fender when you go over bumps or potholes.

As for the front, you might be able to install a spacer or spacers in the lower portion of the forks around the rebound spring. If you can, doing so will reduce the amount of fork travel & will apply more preload to the upper springs.

Also, look at the forks where they are fitted into the upper triple to see if you can raise them some by loosening the triple clamp bolts then sliding the fork tubes up. If you can, do so with an engine block or support under the bike so that it doesn't fall down. You might be able to get an inch or so - maybe a half inch.

PS: you didn't say what particular Police bike it is. And you should lower the front about the same amount as the rear. Also, be aware that lowering it may lead to clearance issues while riding, such as at the rear tire mentioned above.

Until the swingarm was replaced with a GS unit,I used lowering blocks for the rear shocks and dropped the front forks in the triples so I could get both feet flat on the ground. 32" inseam and 6'1", MKll's have to be the tallest KZ's going...

At the risk of shameless self promotion, I just listed them in the classifieds on here today.

Note: if you're a stock fanatic look away now!

If you plan to keep this as your permanent ride, you can just have a good welder cut out both rails indicated by the arrows and have him weld them back in lower in the frame.

OR

I found that cutting only at the back arrow marks and applying some heat to the front arrows (like 2 inches back of the welds to the cradle) to just bend them down a bit and re-welding the rear arrow marks lower can easily give you as many inches as you desire. If your welder is good, and does one side at a time ( cut, bend, tack) ( cut, bend, tack) you don't even need to worry about a frame jig.

You'll have to go with a different seat, maybe a Harley dyna one, etc. You do have to rework your battery box a bit to keep it level and rework mounts for other electrical stuff, and say goodbye to your side covers.

I don't recommend this if you intend to sell the bike in the future.. but it's a good fix for short legs if it's going to be your ride for many years to come. It also allows you to keep the bikes suspension as it was intended.

PLUMMEN wrote:

Old Man Rock wrote:

Huh.... How can it be that with a 16/17" rim versus 18" rim your center axle point is not dropping.... Ok, what am I missing here.... :S

Christian... pant inseam?
Reason I ask, I have a 32" inseam... Corbin seat and using 17" rims/tire sizes... I can plant both feet firmly (flat) and comfortably on the ground while sitting on the seat....

Anyhoot, smaller rim/tire sizing, shorter shocks, seat fabbed mounting etc... and you should be able to get a somewhat safe configuration....

Edited Miss-type: Thanks Patton....

16" tires tend tohave taller profile compared to 18"

You may still drop up to 0.5" depending on the tire. Thats about the difference between the 18 and 16" wheels with tire for the 650.

Yamaha XS 1100 special rear shocks are shorter. I'll see if I still have a pair if you are interested.