Lowering my bike

I want to lower my 78 KZ1000 about 2 inches... I'm looking at shorter forks and a longer swingarm capable of holding a slightly wider, yet shorter tire to accomplish this... Am I on the right track or has my ass completely fallen off?? lol... pics are as the bike sits now obviously... thanks for any input

James

Have you tried getting some shorter shocks? That's my plan. This is where I'm looking.
www.partsnmore.com/parts/kawasaki/kz1000/?filters [category]=chassis&filters[model]=kz1000
Shock Absorber Set (290mm)
#06-3608
(it's about a 1/4 of the way down)

Chaotic Reason wrote: Have you tried getting some shorter shocks? That's my plan. This is where I'm looking.
www.partsnmore.com/parts/kawasaki/kz1000/?filters [category]=chassis&filters[model]=kz1000
Shock Absorber Set (290mm)
#06-3608
(it's about a 1/4 of the way down)

I guess that would deal with the back lowering... I really did want a slightly wider tire on the back though, might do that and a swingarm that allows wider tire but isn't any longer... thanks

Why don't you just drop your front forks? This way it is completely reversible, when you find out that your bike no longer wants to handle the way it did before. :blink: :whistle: You can get new lower shocks from Progressive suspensions. They are hi quality and they won't brake the bank.

otakar wrote: Why don't you just drop your front forks? This way it is completely reversible, when you find out that your bike no longer wants to handle the way it did before. :blink: :whistle: You can get new lower shocks from Progressive suspensions. They are hi quality and they won't brake the bank.

That was my next move, to figure out the front end also... I don't race or really ride fast anywhere so extreme handling isn't an issue for me... I want to lower the front and the rear but just trying to figure out the best application for the money before I start tearing into it, ya know?? thanks

James

Just wondering...why would you want to reduce cornering clearance or change the way a bike handles? I truly don't get it. These things are dangerous enough. It's one thing to make them perform and handle better. That I can understand. I just don't get the "I want it to look a different way and if performance or safety suffers so be it." mentality. Is it they never been hurt bad? Never made the wrong decision and had to pay for it? I guess it's like choppers. Hell, I can look at choppers and think wow that is nice and look at that work and thought that went into that bike, but it never crosses my mind that I'd like to ride it on the road. Maybe it takes dying twice, compound fracturing your tibia and breaking your back in 2 places along with many other nasties to see my point of view. hey it's your bikes and your lives I just wish I could still understand it. Maybe I did once and forgot. Thank god I forgot. Carry on...I'm just kevetching :whistle:

The widest I could put on mine, without doing major mods, was a 130. But mine's a shaft, so it might've given me a bit more clearance than a chain.

You could put a suzuki gs1100e swingarm on it and schnitzracing.com has lowering tubes for around $15 for the front. I lowered my 78 about 1 1/2 inches years ago and the first time I turned a little quick to the right the exhaust scraped and I about ruined my underpants.

i have a 1980 KZ1000 and i lowered the front end about 2 inches by using a set of woodcraft clip-on's and droping the front forks 2inches. all these people say the bike handles worse after lowering it but as far as my bike goes they are wrong! it handles way better! i did have an issue once or twice where i scrapped my exhaust on sharp right hand turns... but i raised up the rear end a 1/2 inch with longer zephyr shocks and solved that problem. my bike takes turns and corners with no problem and is stable at all speeds.

Proxy wrote: Just wondering...why would you want to reduce cornering clearance or change the way a bike handles? I truly don't get it. These things are dangerous enough. It's one thing to make them perform and handle better. That I can understand. I just don't get the "I want it to look a different way and if performance or safety suffers so be it." mentality. Is it they never been hurt bad? Never made the wrong decision and had to pay for it? I guess it's like choppers. Hell, I can look at choppers and think wow that is nice and look at that work and thought that went into that bike, but it never crosses my mind that I'd like to ride it on the road. Maybe it takes dying twice, compound fracturing your tibia and breaking your back in 2 places along with many other nasties to see my point of view. hey it's your bikes and your lives I just wish I could still understand it. Maybe I did once and forgot. Thank god I forgot. Carry on...I'm just kevetching :whistle:

I am sorry, I failed to expand on the reason I want to lower the bike... I'm 5'9" and when I'm on the bike in it's current stature, I am on the balls of my feet when I come to a stop... I need to lower it so I can flat foot when I am stopped...

I know, I know, why didn't I just buy a smaller or shorter bike in the first place. Well, there wasn't a 450-600cc bike available in my price range when I was buying, and I liked this bike, always have like KZs...

Now, if you have a bike to trade for mine, know someone that has a bike to trade for mine, or are willing to buy my bike so I can hunt down, find and buy a 450-600cc bike, then please let me know, maybe we can work something out. 99% of my riding is done straight up, not leaned over diving through corners or racing... I ride my wife's bike, which is much lower than what I am attempting to get the KZ down to and I haven't scraped anything on it yet.



Honestly, if I could find someone to buy the KZ or trade me for a smaller (shorter) bike, I would probably do it. Oh, and my back has been broken in 14 different spots (neck too), and when I was a much younger, "braver" man, I was skydiving frow 10,000 ft and my chute failed to open. Thank God for the corn field I hit. It was the day before harvest. I flatlined 3 times on that helicopter trip and 2 times about 2 years later when I skipped the front tire of a 88 Hurricane 1000 off a f'n turtle crossing I26 in SC at 3am... nevemind how fast I was going when I hit said turtle, so I do get that mindset from you.

James

kawasakispeedin wrote: i have a 1980 KZ1000 and i lowered the front end about 2 inches by using a set of woodcraft clip-on's and droping the front forks 2inches. all these people say the bike handles worse after lowering it but as far as my bike goes they are wrong! it handles way better! i did have an issue once or twice where i scrapped my exhaust on sharp right hand turns... but i raised up the rear end a 1/2 inch with longer zephyr shocks and solved that problem. my bike takes turns and corners with no problem and is stable at all speeds.

Attachment newshocks.jpg not found

Lowering just the front end actually increases your handling rake. On these bikes that is good as long as you reinforce the front of the frame. But lowering the ass end is not such a good idea.

stablechaser35 wrote:

Proxy wrote: Just wondering...why would you want to reduce cornering clearance or change the way a bike handles? I truly don't get it. These things are dangerous enough. It's one thing to make them perform and handle better. That I can understand. I just don't get the "I want it to look a different way and if performance or safety suffers so be it." mentality. Is it they never been hurt bad? Never made the wrong decision and had to pay for it? I guess it's like choppers. Hell, I can look at choppers and think wow that is nice and look at that work and thought that went into that bike, but it never crosses my mind that I'd like to ride it on the road. Maybe it takes dying twice, compound fracturing your tibia and breaking your back in 2 places along with many other nasties to see my point of view. hey it's your bikes and your lives I just wish I could still understand it. Maybe I did once and forgot. Thank god I forgot. Carry on...I'm just kevetching :whistle:

I am sorry, I failed to expand on the reason I want to lower the bike... I'm 5'9" and when I'm on the bike in it's current stature, I am on the balls of my feet when I come to a stop... I need to lower it so I can flat foot when I am stopped...

I know, I know, why didn't I just buy a smaller or shorter bike in the first place. Well, there wasn't a 450-600cc bike available in my price range when I was buying, and I liked this bike, always have like KZs...

Now, if you have a bike to trade for mine, know someone that has a bike to trade for mine, or are willing to buy my bike so I can hunt down, find and buy a 450-600cc bike, then please let me know, maybe we can work something out. 99% of my riding is done straight up, not leaned over diving through corners or racing... I ride my wife's bike, which is much lower than what I am attempting to get the KZ down to and I haven't scraped anything on it yet.

Attachment mymotorcycle002.JPG not found

Honestly, if I could find someone to buy the KZ or trade me for a smaller (shorter) bike, I would probably do it. Oh, and my back has been broken in 14 different spots (neck too), and when I was a much younger, "braver" man, I was skydiving frow 10,000 ft and my chute failed to open. Thank God for the corn field I hit. It was the day before harvest. I flatlined 3 times on that helicopter trip and 2 times about 2 years later when I skipped the front tire of a 88 Hurricane 1000 off a f'n turtle crossing I26 in SC at 3am... nevemind how fast I was going when I hit said turtle, so I do get that mindset from you.

James

Than I would just trade it for a LTD or CSR stile bike. The seat is quite a bit lower on those.