I put a lowering link on my 02, and there a couple of reasons why you should not lower your bike. First, you lose your lean on corners, I scraped the bottom of my pipe. Second, you have have get your kickstand shortened. I cut mine and it was still not low enough and my bike fell over and scratched my fairing and broke my brake handle. Third, I popped my wheel up to ride a wheelie and when I came down I blew some more sparks of my pipe hitting the ground. Fourth the back end of the tail sits only a few inches from the rear tire and you can't have a passenger because you bottom the back end out. The pros of having it lowered don't outweigh the cons. So I have the adjustable dogbone, and I adjusted it back to stock. It took me too much work to put it in, I don't want to spend 3 hours taking it out

 

Dang... sorry to hear that. I didn't know lowering your bike could be such a disadvantage in the end.

 

I didnt know there were any advantages to lowering a bike.

 

Vertically challenged people like me need help touching the ground. I guess some like the looks. To each his own. I'm 5'5" with an inseam of 30 inches, so I pretty much tiptoe with almost every bike I ride. I'd never lower a bike though. Like you said, cons outweigh the pros. Besides unless you're doing something wrong, your feet don't touch the ground when you're moving.

 

haha my thoughts exactly

 

that's one of the many reasons my freind didn't lower my bike. I thought about it but i figured why bother i can flat foot it already.But sorry to hear. What kind of boots/ shoes do you have. I know my Alpine stars SMX's ( i rarely wear them) give me an extra inch or two height wise which is ridiculous but they help you flat foot better.

 

I guess I had to learn the hard way. I was wearing my Doc Martins, they have a thick sole so they give my an extra inch. Nothing too serious to the bike, just a bit dissapointing is all.

 

When your stopped at a stop light, you can easily put ur right foot down and keep your left foot on the pef (without falling). Doesnt matter how short you are, anyone can do it. My ole lady is 5foot and has no problem riding her stock f4i. Just have to have confidence when your stopped at a light. Doesnt matter how tall you are once the bike is moving. Hell anyone can ride a bike when its moving, LoL.....Just learn to use one foot when you stop....=-)

 

how would she go about doing something like backing the bike up a driveway (which is on a slope too)? you'd need both feet down for that. i guess you can push the bike while walking along side it, but that's an easy way to lose the bike's balance.

ps why does this forum make all apostrophes doubled? ('_')

 

We live in Louisiana, so we have flat land, LoL. But in some places there are driveways that slant up (very little). I guess in her case, she doesnt have to worry about that situation. Though IF it were me, i'd drive up the drive way that is sloped, then park the bike. When i leave i would swing the bike around on the kickstand, so its facing the street. Then i would just simply ride the bike straight out. Hell i dont even think i'd back my bike up a sloped drive. Just seems to hard to push it up the slope when i could just ride it up the slope. Then swing it around on the kick stand once i'm up the slope....To each his own, i guess.....=-)