[The CyberPoet]

Did you lower or raise yours? I was thinking about raising my rear, do I have to do something to the front then as well?

Calf raises will lift your rear some

Depends -- why do you want to lift your rear, and will raising it restore it to the same general position it was designed to run at with a typical 150lb rider using the OEM engine (since you are using a heavier engine and are a heavy rider)?
Generally, raising the rear quickens the steering at the price of absolute straight-line stability (because it changes the fork angles; anytime you bring the front wheel inward compared to the center of mass, it reduces the stability imparted by the rotating mass of the wheel). Going up a half inch isn't a big deal... The real question is even if you wanted to, could you lower the forks down in the triple trees (i.e. - is there anything left of the forks above the triple trees now to raise the front end?)?

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[trinc]

well - i lowered it because i put an RF900 shock on my bike which raised the rear. so basically i brought it back to it's original position.

but.....

i lowered the front end 3/8" to quicken the steering. big help !
i'm running 15/50 gearing and i hammer my bike out of turns leaned over and when out in the back country always rip down a couple 'safe' stretches to give the speedo a workout - i've never had the head shake at all.

btw - with 15/50 and a corrected speedo (speedohealer) i think 118 may be as fast as she'll go - once all the snow melts at the mountain there is a LONG stretch i'll she if she has any more to give ( it's downhill too )

tim

[new_guy]

I've searched high and low for aftermarket seats but I can't seem to find anyone who sells them for Katanas. Any suggestions?

[The CyberPoet]

I've searched high and low for aftermarket seats but I can't seem to find anyone who sells them for Katanas. Any suggestions?

Corbin, TourMaster, RickMayers, BobMayers, the list goes on...
I ride a Corbin. If you get one ($219 stock black leather), make sure you tell them of your inseam measurement and that you need to be closer/lower.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[vdaily89]

What is involved in raising the fork tubes and where can you get the 8" dogbones?

thanks,
Vince

[trinc]

What is involved in raising the fork tubes and where can you get the 8" dogbones?

thanks,
Vince

raising the fork tubes: actually your going to slide the front end of the bike down on the tubes.

you'll need to remove the clip-ons.

there are two sets of clamps on each tube. loosen the lower ones


- then break loose the upper ones - but not too loose.


take a rubber mallet and hit the center of the triple tee - this will force the front end to slide down on the tubes. make sure the tubes are equal.
how hard you need to hit the triple vs. how loose the bolt is you'll figure that out.


i straped the steering stem to the ceiling of my garage in case the front end slid down too far.


dogbones: i made mine out of 1/4" steel plate.

http://www.diamondpowersports.com/lowerlinks.php

these seem nice - set to 2".

tim

[vdaily89]

What is involved in raising the fork tubes and where can you get the 8" dogbones?

thanks,
Vince

raising the fork tubes: actually your going to slide the front end of the bike down on the tubes.

you'll need to remove the clip-ons.

there are two sets of clamps on each tube. loosen the lower ones


- then break loose the upper ones - but not too loose.


take a rubber mallet and hit the center of the triple tee - this will force the front end to slide down on the tubes. make sure the tubes are equal.
how hard you need to hit the triple vs. how loose the bolt is you'll figure that out.


i straped the steering stem to the ceiling of my garage in case the front end slid down too far.


dogbones: i made mine out of 1/4" steel plate.

http://www.diamondpowersports.com/lowerlinks.php

these seem nice - set to 2".

tim

Thanks tim. Excellent post. How far did you raise the forks to compensate for the 2" drop? Also, here is another stupid newb question: Are the clip-ons the same thing as the lower clamps?

[trinc]

you may have missed my comment on lowering the rear. my seat height was fine - i put a different rear shock on ( rf900 ) the new shock is a little longer so it raised the seat height - i then put longer dogbones to get my seat back to the original height (stock).

i lowered my front forks ( raised them in the triple clamp ) by 3/8 ". but it was to get the bike to turn in faster NOT for any height issue.

i could be WAY off but.....

for a 2" drop the dogbones are going to be 1/2" longer - i would lower the forks 1/2" and see how it feels. if it steers heavy lower them a bit more - if the steering is way to light raise them back up a bit.

clip-ons are the piece that the handlebars attach to & fit around the fork tube. leave the handle bar in the clip-on just remove the two allen bolts (with nuts under the triple clamp) and lift them off the fork tubes.

i have more pics at home i can post if this doesn't make sense.

tim

[trinc]

the middle picture shows the clip-on still in place.

but it needs to be lifted out of the way for good access to the upper clamp bolt.


tim

[DreKat]

the only problem with lowering the bike is that you are going to have problems with the kick stand being to long. That is if you want to slamb the bike to the ground. I'm 5'6 and i have trouble so anyone shorter would have to drop it a couple of inches.

[SolidGun]

I have been researching on lowering the Kat for some time now. I feel that it would be most wise and inexpensive to just get lowered seats from Corbin or someone else so far.
I have been taking the seat off to move the bike, so that I can reach the ground easier when my Kat is turned off, and putting the seat back on when I ride.
When I got the bike just a few days ago, it was way to heavy for me to lift it up after dropping it while waddling backwards, but without the seat on, I can move the bike somewhat easier.

[The CyberPoet]

When I got the bike just a few days ago, it was way to heavy for me to lift it up after dropping it while waddling backwards, but without the seat on, I can move the bike somewhat easier.

If with the seat off, you still have problems, you'll need to do more than just swap seats to have a safe experience with this as your first bike...

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[DINGBAT]

I've got a set of dog bones from I think M&M performance. I found them on the old Kat site. Anyway, I've decided I like stock height best. I paid $30 bucks I think. Anybody want them? Make me an offer. I'll see if I can round them up and take a picture. They are basically the same as stock except for the have two extra holes for lowering. The last hole put the tire up into the inner fender. Way too low.