Lowered my front 1" tonight.Haven't been able to ride yet.Wasn't as hard as I thought.Everything went okay...no surprises.Gonna be dropping the rear here in another week-1" as well.Thinkin this is about the end of any more mods to my baby.Removed the Genmars,and reinstalled my Helis.Feels pretty good sitting on her.Can hardly wait now to see how she rides and handles ."pretty sure" the fender isn't gonna smack the horn assemblies.I've got my preload set up fairly firm...so hopefully it'll do fine.You all have a totally great day today and safe ridin!

* Last updated by: blue07 on 8/11/2010 @ 3:53 AM *

Sorry to hear you lowered it, you'll lose cornering performance due to the geometry change.

Easier to get on and off though, huh?

Even just a 1" drop?I still haven't ridden her yet.So far,just the front has been dropped.I "could" go back to stock height anytime.It's hard to understand how a small change like 1" could reduce the handling that much.You really think it will?

What about only the front?I "heard" it would quicken the turn in.I understand that lowering the rear without changing the front will make her run wide...is this right?And in what way will dropping the front just 1" inch be bad on the handling?I don't want to "ruin" my baby's handling.And I surely don't want to end up tankslapping or something worse.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 8/12/2010 @ 6:58 AM *

G'day blue07; I studied the honda forum about how to improve i'ts slow(twisties)turning on my black/bird without going on,if you lower the front you will increase the wheel base!(opposite to smaller wheel base) on the b/b the forum got us to put a 5mm (38/38)packer with a 10mm slotted hole between the top of the rear shock and frame, by doing this it reduces the wheelbase, when I DID THIS my bike tucked in far far better, I honestly was sceptical but it changed the bike heaps If you look on the Honda perth riders forum this will back this thread up,YOU could also order this packer off the net, being a boilermaker it took me half an hour and cost me nothin!!!

* Last updated by: bean07 on 8/12/2010 @ 7:18 AM *

Okay....thanks bean.So basically you're saying that by now leaving the rear alone,that my 14 will be a tad sharper on the turn ins?How about straight line running?It won't be unsafe will it?Even turning in quicker and such?

blue07; think about a 600 it matches and beats larger wheelbase bikes easy hence if you lower the front youve got say like a chopper effect, if some how , you can increase the swing arm gap your going closer to a sqirt bike,after I did this, is when I ( hypo you know) did 292 kmph and was so bloody steady as a rock!! contrary to other oppinions, I have only ever been hypotheticaly supper quick on some very rare occasions! in very uninhabitated land!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ps; blue07 I was sayin 5mm, That less than a quarter of an inch!!!!

* Last updated by: bean07 on 8/15/2010 @ 5:13 AM *

Well okay.....gotta give my thoughts on this new mod...lowering the front by one inch.Went out today for a "maiden" flight.I was pretty concerned about the cornering ability after reading some posts on this and other forums.This I'll say....FRIGGIN BABY ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Amazing what she feels like NOW and my "fears" were completely unfounded.Geez....I'm stoked.Really.Straight line accelerations with directional changes are WAY more stable feeling.Turning in is SHWEEET.I'm leaving the rear alone.As far as I can tell...she's virtually perfect right now.No problem with the fender hitting.She actually feels smoother throughout the riding range.Road feel is excellent.VERY smooth.If I didn't know better,I'd think the front suspension got a makeover or somethin.It's that smooth.VERY HAPPY with this simple mod.SOLID straight line running.Solid cornering.WoHoooo!!!!Even the way the wind is flowing over the frontend feels different...way less turbulence.I kept my Heli risers on there.They're now just right.NO uncomfortableness at all.She's a keeper... HIGHLY recommend this little mod...it's FREE!Ride safe all!!

I did a couple of roll on lofts....NO fender hitting at all...and braking worked just as well....no hitting.

I didn't get any pics today of my bike...but I gotta say,just that small amount is visible in my baby's stance.Very cool looking indeed...but not extreme.Just....better!

* Last updated by: blue07 on 8/12/2010 @ 1:17 PM *

On'ya blue07 i'm glad yer happy!!!!!!!!

* Last updated by: bean07 on 8/12/2010 @ 5:20 PM *

Thanks for yer input there Bean...I've got a set of adjustable rear links comin....I don't know now if I should even install em.I'm wondering if lowering the rear now the same amount will cause her to "return" to stock handling,only lower,or what.Any thoughts on that.You seem to know "how" my bike feels as it is now.Think I should leave er alone?

* Last updated by: blue07 on 8/12/2010 @ 11:23 PM *

G'day again blue07 I'M only sayin what the forum said, for every action there's a reaction you as I/we/all know, us big boys can't beat the shorter wheel based bikes,Cccccause a mini can't go round a corner better than a truck!!

Okay...tell me if I have this right.Compressing the rear shock(adding lowering links) will lengthen the wheelbase.Yes?And.....lowering the front will effectively shorten the wheelbase,yes?So if I do both,then the mass of the motorcycle,small change that it is,will move forward?Ever so slightly?And the CG will drop one inch,yes?

NO ! IF The front was the original spot and you extend the rear shock you go from O----O to O--O That is the gist of it. WE don't want to compress just the opposite, as you lift the rear, it shortens the wheel centers!

* Last updated by: bean07 on 8/13/2010 @ 1:38 AM *

I think then that this may be why the front felt smoother.There's more weight now at the frontend? "IF" I lowered the rear...compressing the shock,could I return the preload to basically my present setting that it's at now by turning the adjuster rings on top? The lowering links compress the shock don't they?The preload either stiffens or decreases the amount of pressure on the shock via the spring tightness,right?So if I compress the shock(links)and loosen the preload,will I get the same shock effect as if it were stock,with a set preload(as it is now).

* Last updated by: blue07 on 8/13/2010 @ 1:24 AM *

YES! please look at the complaints on the XX ONCE the 5 mm longer shock it, as my nutter mate Allen said shit it is almost as nimble as my duke panther 600 now!

* Last updated by: bean07 on 8/13/2010 @ 1:23 AM *

Okay...well...update on my lowering.I lowered front and back 1 ".She handles well....BUT....when approaching 110 or so leaned over,she begins(on some curves anyway)to weave.Not wobble,but weave.I adjusted my rear preload all the way up to the top of the spring(she was as hard as a rock once I lowered it)That helped to soften the rear a bit.Turned my compression damping all the way in...basically full damping.This also helped the weave to diminish.Then I reset the preload dampening to about 3 turns out.4 is stock I think.This seemed to add a bit of stability as well.But she doesn't do this on every curve,OR at any specific speed...but never below 100.My front Pilot Power 2 ct is ready for replacement...it's lost alot of tread...the rear as well...it's being replaced this week with the front.BUT....does anyone have any experience with this behavior on a 1" lowered 14,and found a way to correct it?I'm almost positive it's the rear settings.Every blog I've looked at concerning this talks about the rear.But NO ONE has actually said..."okay,mine did that...this is what I did to correct it".I can't find this anywhere...though the weave issue has been topics of discussion...and adjustment of the rear was always the solution...but not WHAT and how much to adjust!The straight line stability right now is excellent,as is the lower speed(from 0 to 100)turning qualities.I like the lowered feel...yes..so I don't want to go right back up if possible.No hitting issues either at the oil plug or body work.

Okay...got er out on the open road tonight...adjusted FRONT PRELOAD to two lines showing.Cranked er up to 110,maybe a bit more(120 a couple of times).Hit those same curves.She 's solid again.No weave now.I'll have to get er out daytime so I can really give er a go....too hard to judge radii at night .She feels good though....she's runnin like a raped ape...smooth as glass.Power everywhere.I loves my Bluebird.Kawasaki ROCKS!

Now...anyone...."what if" I remove one link from my chain.That will shorten the wheelbase of course.Right now the axle is sitting right at the midpoint on the adjuster marks(as if it were stock gearing and length).My chain is ALREADY one link shorter(115).Physically,my wheel can move forward with no problem.The question though is will my lowered bike be handling "quicker" with a 1" shortened wheelbase?(and a 2 and 1/2 inch seat lowering,along with the now 1" lowered CG.).Up fer grabs...who wants to take this one!

* Last updated by: blue07 on 8/16/2010 @ 11:47 PM *

I'm returning to stock configuration.I want my ride quality back!!!!

Good on you blue07 I'm pleased with your decision,kawasaki gets the best possible out of each new phase, we can all see massive tec/advancement over the last 15yrs, in most companies and based on thier history,I'm sure they get the most out of the pie to cover all engineering technology for variant roads in which we travel ,most 600cc-1000cc sports bikes only beat us in tight twisties, but thats just it!!there just sport bikes!!see what there rists @ backs feel though after all regular long travel day ride/sport recreation.tell you what get worked/adrellian (right/contested/race/mood) feeling then so who is on top of the pile? it's what "we ride"

* Last updated by: bean07 on 8/20/2010 @ 5:59 AM *

Thanks my man...ya...if it was ONLY straights....my "redo" would have been fine! The handling...well...it wasn't horrible or anything...but when I'm in a curve at speed,I don't like my bike choosing it's own direction!(trying to fall in[though it wasn't actually falling in,just wanting to wander some] and such).Stock,I can pick my line,and not have to continue to make adjustments every 10 feet!(at least not like it was).

* Last updated by: blue07 on 8/20/2010 @ 12:38 PM *

HEY BLUE07 no worries mate,If your interested I just posted on a differant thread the poll was on "rear end raise or lower poll" the forum is at www.cbrxx.com/honda-cbrforums it changed my "heavy bird" into a sport missile may God(if he is reall) strike me f-in dead!

* Last updated by: bean07 on 8/20/2010 @ 5:03 PM *

BEAN...we don't want THAT to happen!Thank Bro!