tt500

[kayak_shack]

Hey everybody! I am getting a KLR soon (finally) and am a bit on the short side 5"8ish and maybe a 28-30 inch inseam). I have been reading lots of KLR info and was wondering the best way to lower the seat height? SO far there seems to be 3 options: 1. lowering links, kinda pricey and required a new kickstand too 2. new seat (COrbin) can gain 1.5 inches I think but also kinda pricey 3. Just lower the front shock - I just saw a post about this recently. By lowering the front fork the angle of the frame drops and you gain a bit. Apparentrly a 1-1.5 inch drop doesn't mess with the bike's geometry I was wondering if you could simply get the original seat carved down a bit (shave some foam & re-cover) or if the shock settings would allow the bike simply to sag a bit more when my weight is on it (I am about 190). Or am I just worrying for nothing and I will get used to the tall riding feeling? I will be doing mostly commuting on it as well as some dirt roads/Jeep trails. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. JOsh

[Judson D. Jones]

Leave it alone. You;ll adapt. --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "kayak_shack" wrote:

> Hey everybody! > > I am getting a KLR soon (finally) and am a bit on the short side > 5"8ish and maybe a 28-30 inch inseam). I have been reading

lots of

> KLR info and was wondering the best way to lower the seat

height?

> > SO far there seems to be 3 options: > > 1. lowering links, kinda pricey and required a new kickstand

too

> > 2. new seat (COrbin) can gain 1.5 inches I think but also kinda > pricey > > 3. Just lower the front shock - I just saw a post about this > recently. By lowering the front fork the angle of the frame drops > and you gain a bit. Apparentrly a 1-1.5 inch drop doesn't mess

with

> the bike's geometry > > I was wondering if you could simply get the original seat carved

down

> a bit (shave some foam & re-cover) or if the shock settings

would

> allow the bike simply to sag a bit more when my weight is on it

(I am

> about 190). > > Or am I just worrying for nothing and I will get used to the tall > riding feeling? I will be doing mostly commuting on it as well

as

> some dirt roads/Jeep trails. > > Thanks in advance for any suggestions. > > JOsh

[E T]

I'm about 5' 9" and have the corbin dished seat (was on the bike when I got it) and no other lowering. I've gotten pretty used to just sliding half a cheek off to get solid footing at stops and I've only had the bike 3 weeks. Had it offroad at Paragon Adventure Park in central PA this weekend. It was tricky in the loose rocks on downhills, but other than that the thing's great. Having it lowered wouldn't have helped all that much, the weight takes some getting used to, learning how much to adjust when the front end slides out a bit. I wouldn't suggest spending any money on lowering it until you've put a few hundred miles on it and see how much the height bothers you. My only complaint is that the Corbin dished seat is a wedgie machine! Otherwise the bike is just incredible. Eric A13 --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Apex]

< I am getting a KLR soon (finally) and am a bit on the short side <5"8ish and maybe a 28-30 inch inseam). I have been reading lots of

[boune.rm]

I too am looking at the KLR 650 because I read all good thing about that bike. Problem is, I'm pushing 5'6". I will probably double ride with my wife, she is only around 110 lbs, so weight is not a big problem with her. Will I be tipping the bike too much when stopped? Where can you get the lowering kits? What kind of seat will lower more without taking too much away from comfort? how much of the total HEIGHT can one take off? I don't plan on doing alot of rough terrain with it, so bottoming out is not a worry I have. thanks for all the help you guys can give me.

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Apex" wrote: > < I am getting a KLR soon (finally) and am a bit on the short side > > > Josh I have the same problem I'm 5'7" another option is to replace the > stock rear shock spring with a shorter stiffer one, the replacement of > which is reputed to be a good idea even if your not lowering because the > Progressive replacement performs better. > > You can get used to the excessive ride height pretty easily, however you > need to mount and dismount horse style using the peg and excersize care > where you stop, as a low spot under your foot easily results in an > embarrasing "Laugh in" type dismount, however you'll get to meet all the > local motorcycle parts people as you repeatedly replace your brake and > clutch levers. Another lister wisely suggested putting the money into a pair > of bark busters instead of > replacement levers. The too tall situation is a serious problem in the dirt. > lowering apparently yeilds positive handling > improvements on the street, I'm planning on getting a new rear shock and a > shorter spring as soon as I find on for > my KLR 600 and I'll also likely raise my fork tubes an inch or so at that > time which should quiken up the steering > as well. > Fred J

[Devon Jarvis]

You can easily lower the front just by sliding the forks up in the clamps. For the rear there are lowering links offered in several sizes, from .5" to 3". If you are going to lower the bike more than 1" I would suggest you have the shock modified instead of getting huge drop links. Plan on changing the spring no matter what you do. Any custom suspension shop worth it's salt should be able to fit a topping-out spacer inside the shock, to keep it lower in the travel but still prevent the wheel from eating the inside of the fender. I don't know how much this would cost, but it's basically disassembling the shock and fitting a spacer between the valving piston and the seal head. Maybe $50-100 for the labor and $30 for the spacer? I think dual-star.com sells a shortened version of the Progressive 420 shock. This isn't the cheapest solution though. A dipped corbin seat will give you a bit more reach to the ground, but still be comfortable for your wife. Also, get a radiator guard bar and metal handguards. This way if you do drop the bike you can basically pick it up and ride away. Devon A15-Z "boune.rm" wrote:

> > I too am looking at the KLR 650 because I read all good thing about > that bike. Problem is, I'm pushing 5'6". I will probably > double ride with my wife, she is only around 110 lbs, so weight is > not a big problem with her. Will I be tipping the bike too much > when stopped? >

-- "It's a troublesome world, all the people who are in it, are troubled with troubles almost every minute" Dr. Seuss

[ART]

I haven't tried it, but it is supposed to allow a 3-inch lowering. http://www.scootworks.com/ If you do lower your bike, let us know what you used, and how it worked.

[ART]

try again.....

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Art" wrote: > I haven't tried it, but it is supposed to allow a 3-inch lowering. > > http://www.scootworks.com/ select on-line catlog then select lowering-kits, under kawasaki accessories it will show the links there

[kdxkawboy@aol.com]

Andy, You would like the '79 TT500 I've got in the corner of my garage. Its outfitted with the GYT dual sport kit and still has the original polished gas tank with nothing more than a small nickel size dent at the rear. This winter I plan to do my restoration with the goal of using it on organized DS rides. BTW, I've 'embarrassed' modern MX bikes with my TT. Pat G'ville, NV In a message dated 2003-08-20 3:14:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time, achesley@... writes:

> Not surprising that this would be a better bike > than the KLR 650 on the bad back trails. Much > lighter, good balance and good power. I had a '78 > XT 500 that I had down to 285 w/ half tank of gas, > battery eliminator, 521 cc piston, Norris TT 2 > cams that did 13.95s on the local dragstrip down > here in Lake Charles, Louisiana back in '79 or > '80. Also had a lot of fun at the local MX tracks > and Off-road riding areas with it. Later, laced > in a 19" front to it for better highway handling > when playing road racer at that time in my life. > > Still regret letting that bike get away from me. > But, after it was stolen and trashed I just didn't > have it in me to put it back to original form and > ended up putting the engine in a flat tracker > frame for a friend and junked the rest. > > Andy in Louisiana >

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