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Sliding your forks up in the tree ...
- brich
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31 Aug 2007 21:16 #167681
by brich
1975 Z1 900, 1075 wiesco kit, web cams, smooth bores, dyna ignition, denco pipe, lester mags, wicked bad rotors, custom gauge face plates .. not much stock left.
Sliding your forks up in the tree ... was created by brich
Is there a downside, handling-wise, to sliding the fork tubes up the tree a bit to lower the bike? I have low shocks in the back and wanted to bring the front down a bit to even it out and finish the look.
When I say downside I don't mean clearence. I could never be accused of being awesome in the turns anyway. :laugh: I am more concerned with safety and ride.
When I say downside I don't mean clearence. I could never be accused of being awesome in the turns anyway. :laugh: I am more concerned with safety and ride.
1975 Z1 900, 1075 wiesco kit, web cams, smooth bores, dyna ignition, denco pipe, lester mags, wicked bad rotors, custom gauge face plates .. not much stock left.
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- andoman
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31 Aug 2007 21:40 #167683
by andoman
Replied by andoman on topic Sliding your forks up in the tree ...
On my '80 KZ1000 LTD: I put progressive units on the rear that were .75 in. shorter than stock. Rode it lower in the back for a while and then I raised the forks the same .75 in. Couldn't tell any difference from stock in either modified condition. It handles great at all speeds. Looks great, too. Three fourths of an inch is only a small amount, but it makes it look so much lower and leaner. To my eye, anyway...
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- caffcruiser
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31 Aug 2007 21:46 #167684
by caffcruiser
Replied by caffcruiser on topic Sliding your forks up in the tree ...
Research: Steering Geomtry.
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- KZQ
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- Walking Behind the Corn May Not Be All That!
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01 Sep 2007 06:37 #167714
by KZQ
www.KZ1300.com
Riders:
1968 BSA 441 Shooting Star, 1970 BSA 650 Lightning, 1974 W3, 1976 KZ900, 1979 KZ750 Twin, 1979 KZ750 Twin Trike, 1981 KZ1300, 1982 KZ1100 Spectre, 2000 Valkyrie, 2009 Yamaha Roadliner S. 1983 GL 1100
Projects:
1985 ZN1300
Replied by KZQ on topic Sliding your forks up in the tree ...
If you've already lowered the rear end then lowering the front by sliding the forks up in the triples should restore something like the stock geometry. Usually, lowering the rear end ends up causing the front forks to have a larger rake angle which increases trail. More trail equals slower steering. If you do slide the forks up be careful of clearance issues at the fender also watch out for head shake on deceleration, at least until you get used to the new setup.
KZCSI
KZCSI
www.KZ1300.com
Riders:
1968 BSA 441 Shooting Star, 1970 BSA 650 Lightning, 1974 W3, 1976 KZ900, 1979 KZ750 Twin, 1979 KZ750 Twin Trike, 1981 KZ1300, 1982 KZ1100 Spectre, 2000 Valkyrie, 2009 Yamaha Roadliner S. 1983 GL 1100
Projects:
1985 ZN1300
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01 Sep 2007 13:20 #167768
by brich
1975 Z1 900, 1075 wiesco kit, web cams, smooth bores, dyna ignition, denco pipe, lester mags, wicked bad rotors, custom gauge face plates .. not much stock left.
Replied by brich on topic Sliding your forks up in the tree ...
Cool guys! Thanks for the info. Never though of the head shake, i will definitely take it easy and look out for it.
Caff - I will look into that. I just hope it is dumbed down enough for me to understand. You made me nervous there with those "math" type words!
Caff - I will look into that. I just hope it is dumbed down enough for me to understand. You made me nervous there with those "math" type words!
1975 Z1 900, 1075 wiesco kit, web cams, smooth bores, dyna ignition, denco pipe, lester mags, wicked bad rotors, custom gauge face plates .. not much stock left.
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01 Sep 2007 21:03 #167886
by KZQ
www.KZ1300.com
Riders:
1968 BSA 441 Shooting Star, 1970 BSA 650 Lightning, 1974 W3, 1976 KZ900, 1979 KZ750 Twin, 1979 KZ750 Twin Trike, 1981 KZ1300, 1982 KZ1100 Spectre, 2000 Valkyrie, 2009 Yamaha Roadliner S. 1983 GL 1100
Projects:
1985 ZN1300
Replied by KZQ on topic Sliding your forks up in the tree ...
Hey brich,
The head shake I referred to can almost always be corrected by servicing the stem bearings and is therefor easily corrected. I only mentioned it because a lot of these old bikes are run down the road in less than perfect condition. When an owner does something that upgrades or improves one area the result can be disappointing when instead of an improvement he gets an introduction to the next weak link. It's always a good idea to be cautious whenever doing an adjustment that results in quicker steering.
KZCSI
The head shake I referred to can almost always be corrected by servicing the stem bearings and is therefor easily corrected. I only mentioned it because a lot of these old bikes are run down the road in less than perfect condition. When an owner does something that upgrades or improves one area the result can be disappointing when instead of an improvement he gets an introduction to the next weak link. It's always a good idea to be cautious whenever doing an adjustment that results in quicker steering.
KZCSI
www.KZ1300.com
Riders:
1968 BSA 441 Shooting Star, 1970 BSA 650 Lightning, 1974 W3, 1976 KZ900, 1979 KZ750 Twin, 1979 KZ750 Twin Trike, 1981 KZ1300, 1982 KZ1100 Spectre, 2000 Valkyrie, 2009 Yamaha Roadliner S. 1983 GL 1100
Projects:
1985 ZN1300
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- brich
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01 Sep 2007 22:48 #167905
by brich
1975 Z1 900, 1075 wiesco kit, web cams, smooth bores, dyna ignition, denco pipe, lester mags, wicked bad rotors, custom gauge face plates .. not much stock left.
Replied by brich on topic Sliding your forks up in the tree ...
cool, i should be good then. I am actually still building the bike. Pretty much everything is new so i should be good.
1975 Z1 900, 1075 wiesco kit, web cams, smooth bores, dyna ignition, denco pipe, lester mags, wicked bad rotors, custom gauge face plates .. not much stock left.
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- 76 LTD
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02 Sep 2007 16:11 #168056
by 76 LTD
Replied by 76 LTD on topic Sliding your forks up in the tree ...
I droppedt the front on my 77 the same way with no ill effects dropped it 1 inch.
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- Jeff.Saunders
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02 Sep 2007 16:20 #168057
by Jeff.Saunders
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Replied by Jeff.Saunders on topic Sliding your forks up in the tree ...
You can usually slide the forks up about 3/4" - 1" - but if you go more than this, you have to be careful with the front fender hitting the header pipes under very heavy braking.
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02 Sep 2007 16:24 #168059
by arobsum
Replied by arobsum on topic Sliding your forks up in the tree ...
my kz1000 was this way for a couple years, because of the lowering blocks in the rear. couldn't tell the difference.
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- Jeff.Saunders
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03 Sep 2007 05:56 #168152
by Jeff.Saunders
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Replied by Jeff.Saunders on topic Sliding your forks up in the tree ...
Some other things to consider:
You may need to shorten or bend your side stand to allow the bike enough lean to stop it from going over.
If you lower the bike a fair amount, getting the bike on the center stand can be a struggle.
You will also lose ground clearance and can easily scrape the underside of 4-1 collectors and drag pipes / stands in the corners.
You may need to shorten or bend your side stand to allow the bike enough lean to stop it from going over.
If you lower the bike a fair amount, getting the bike on the center stand can be a struggle.
You will also lose ground clearance and can easily scrape the underside of 4-1 collectors and drag pipes / stands in the corners.
www.z1enterprises.com
Z1 Ent on Facebook,
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