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Sorry in advance for this lengthy post:
I am 5'-7", and have always found the Sport 1000 to be too tall for me. The dealer set the bike up for me by just taking all the preload off the rear shock, which really compromised the suspension and the geometry. I tried to put as much preload back in as possible, and raised the fork in the triple crown as much as possible (so the front and rear were more even), and also shaved my seat. All of that helped, but the height was still as issue for me (particularly since I live in the hills, where flat footing at stops becomes more important).
And as everyone knows, the Sport 1000 is a great bike except for the suspension. I always felt the forks were too soft, and with a lot of dive under hard braking. And because of the pre-load setting, my shock performance was already off. Anyway I was always looking to improve the suspension, but unable to afford upgrading to the Ohlins.
One last bit of history is that I am a very slow rider, and rarely ever push the bike. I just enjoy taking it easy, preferring the long gentle sweepers these days, more than the twisties. So I decided I was willing to compromise a little clearance to have the bike lowered properly.
So there is a local suspension shop here, with a stellar reputation. I had them tweak my SV650 suspension before and they did a fantastic job. I talked to them about my Sport 1000, and they thought they could improve the performance of the fork and shock, and lower the bike at the same time. They would also restore the balance between the front and rear, and get back to the original steering geometry. All sounded good.
The attached picture is what they did.
I was really concerned when I went to pick up the bike because they had cut the forks to lower the bike, reducing the travel significantly. I understand now that was the only practical way to shorten the fork, but truthfully, had I known, I probably would not have done it. I was told all the fork internals were redone to stiffen the forks, so that the same amount of force would be absorbed within the shorter travel distance, and that I really will not have any problems with the fork bottoming out.
I have ridden a couple of hundred miles on the bike since and it feels great. I feel the bumps a little more, but the bike is much more settled. It handles better than ever before. I have never bottomed out the forks. But still, seeing the short amount of available travel, I worry.
So my question is, is this an unsafe condition?
I am 5'-7", and have always found the Sport 1000 to be too tall for me. The dealer set the bike up for me by just taking all the preload off the rear shock, which really compromised the suspension and the geometry. I tried to put as much preload back in as possible, and raised the fork in the triple crown as much as possible (so the front and rear were more even), and also shaved my seat. All of that helped, but the height was still as issue for me (particularly since I live in the hills, where flat footing at stops becomes more important).
And as everyone knows, the Sport 1000 is a great bike except for the suspension. I always felt the forks were too soft, and with a lot of dive under hard braking. And because of the pre-load setting, my shock performance was already off. Anyway I was always looking to improve the suspension, but unable to afford upgrading to the Ohlins.
One last bit of history is that I am a very slow rider, and rarely ever push the bike. I just enjoy taking it easy, preferring the long gentle sweepers these days, more than the twisties. So I decided I was willing to compromise a little clearance to have the bike lowered properly.
So there is a local suspension shop here, with a stellar reputation. I had them tweak my SV650 suspension before and they did a fantastic job. I talked to them about my Sport 1000, and they thought they could improve the performance of the fork and shock, and lower the bike at the same time. They would also restore the balance between the front and rear, and get back to the original steering geometry. All sounded good.
The attached picture is what they did.
I was really concerned when I went to pick up the bike because they had cut the forks to lower the bike, reducing the travel significantly. I understand now that was the only practical way to shorten the fork, but truthfully, had I known, I probably would not have done it. I was told all the fork internals were redone to stiffen the forks, so that the same amount of force would be absorbed within the shorter travel distance, and that I really will not have any problems with the fork bottoming out.
I have ridden a couple of hundred miles on the bike since and it feels great. I feel the bumps a little more, but the bike is much more settled. It handles better than ever before. I have never bottomed out the forks. But still, seeing the short amount of available travel, I worry.
So my question is, is this an unsafe condition?
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