Is there a way to shim or raise the rear without adjusting preload?

 

You can purchase or make an aluminum shim and install it on the upper shock bolt between the frame and the upper rear shock mount. Most usually start by adding a 5mm shim. This will raise the rear of the bike, promoting better turn in and giving a little more ground clearance and lean angle when cornering aggressively. When reinstalling the nut, be sure the shock bolt protrudes at least slightly through the nut. If not, order a longer shock bolt. Some F4i's (i think earlier years) had a shorter shock bolt. Ordering a new OEM rear shock bolt/bracket is supposed to get you the longer bolt that fits all years of F4i. www.servicehonda.com has this bolt/bracket for under $8. Part # 50233-MBW-J30.

 

Exellent. I added 3mm of fork tube above the triple but then raised the front 10mm with the preload, so I need at least 7mm of rear height to get back to where I started. I want 10mm more to start with though so I can fine tune with the fork tubes in the triples. I've read that because of linkage the shim used is actually multiply'd a certain amount [like a 1mm shim raises the bike 2-3mm], is the F4i this way also?

 

Yes, that's why most start with a 5mm shim. It will raise the rear more than the thickness of the shim, but I'm not sure what the ratio is. Experiment with it.

 

A guy on a local forum is talking about needing to swap the shock linkage to a vfr piece and that you have to use a square spacer and weld it or use a screw stop or else it starts rotating as your riding. Anyone ever hear anything about this? I don't want to take it all apart to find out I can't do anything yet.

 

I guess the bike could be raised by changing the shock linkage or dogbones as they're called. Lowering by changing dogbones is a common practice. Why go to all that trouble though when a simple shim will do the job.

 

Changing preload does not change ride height.

 

Adding preload reduced sag. If the bike sags less then it dosen't go down as far, hence the change.

Like I said Im worried about the top shock and mount rotating. I have no idea what he ment by the link, Im not really concerned with it so much. I can see where honda has a ridge built into the frame the keep the shock mount from rotating. Anyone ever had a problem with this after using some washers as shims?

 

Sag is not ride height. Changing the rear ride height effects the angle of the back end (geometry). Preload effects the spring travel.

I can't remember how the rear shock is mounted on a f4i but if it's like most other bikes there is a top and bottom clevis with the top mounted to the frame and the bottom to the dog bone. The shock will not rotate as it's bolted in place.

 

If anybody has this done or is in the process of doing it, could you take some pictures? Im away at college so I dont have my bike to see exactly where the shim goes and how its done.