Opinions on lowering

[Turbo-Torch]

After 2½ years I've decided the Busa is just too tall for me...I can't quite flat foot it. I want to be more comfortable while backing it out of tight spaces, on inclines ect.

I'm 5'7" with a 30" inseam and would like to have both feet flat on the ground. I want to get on the bike and say "dayum what a difference, I should have done this years ago!"

At the same time I don't want the rear tire rubbing or the front fender ramming into the fairing while going up a curb.

So far this week I ended up ordering dog bones for the rear which allow stock, 2" and 4" drop.
For the front I ordered a spacer kit from a CNC shop (they are just like Pingels). I had a choice of ½" or 1"....I chose the 1".
I'm thinking 2" for the rear will be just right. Will the 1" drop in front be enough? Don't want to look like an old Camaro with saggy springs always going uphill.

Or will the 1" be too much and cause clearance problems with the master cylinders and windshield.

Just curious as to what other short people have done. My CXTs are heavier and way more top heavy but I feel 100X safer on them since I can tailor them to my height with the front and rear air suspension. I want the Busa to feel the same way.

 

[qwknuf6]

1" drop in the front will be great , i have mine lowered 1.25" , had to rotate the brake and clutch lever just a bit to clear the windscreen at full turn , the levers feel better rotated anyway .

2" in the rear will look good and should be ok for everyday riding , again mine is 2.5" lowered in the rear , you will however want to add some preload to the rear spring . I added 2 full turns , has much less squat in the rear on hard accel

 

[spkerhed]

I just did the one inch spacers and have no problems with the winshield did 2 inches on the back its like a hole new bike way more comfy at stop lights or like you said backing up, 2 of the best mods I have done

 

[turbojonn]

You can run up to 1 1/4 inch risers with no clearance issues. You may notice that your left hand bumps the windscreen when you turn right. Not a big issue, you have to be turned out to the stop to notice it.
I got Soupy's links for the rear and they're fully adjustable. I don't know how much I lowered it in back. Initially I lowered it way too much and the bike handled like a wheel barrel. Lower it to much and this will happen, lower the front too much and it will turn in alot. Somebody here will know which hole on the 3 hole links correspond to 1 inch risers. If you can't find it here try sh.org and put 'risers' in the search field. Good luck--JT



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[BigBSBusa]

Dropped mine 2" in the rear and 1" in the front and found the front drop to be uncomfortable. Wound up setting the front back to stock and leaving the rear alone. Didn't have a problem flat-footing on the bike just wanted a better look.

 

[spkerhed]

your bike looks real sweet there qwknuf6

 

[Turbo-Torch]

Thanks guys! Sounds like the 2" rear and 1" front will be it.

Hopefully they'll be here by this weekend.

 

[Busa Dreamin]

Add a Tobin seat, that will put your a** another 1" or more closer to the pavement.

 

[Over_Easy]

Just curious, to what extent will lowering affect cornering ability?

 

[squirrel59]

I had mine dropped on the lowest setting.I loved it,it was wonderful to be completely flat footed.What control. But the only problem was bottoming outW/a passenger,usually my daughter and she is not a big girl. I raised it back up to the next setting.No problems.I'm not totally flat footed but close. I don;t have to cringe so bad when I see speedbumps.

 

[Sloto200]

I hear ya on the vertically challanged issue... i'm not even 5' 7" so lowering was the first thing i did on my ride... i have fully adjustable links in the rear though and the dealer installed them for free so i have no idea how much lower than stock it is. I have a mototeck undertail on and i've had my wife on the back a few times and never had the tire rub the undertail. I have recently bought and installed 3/4 inch reaper risers so i could lower the front and again no issues with the fender rubbing the under side of the nose... Your links down to the 2" hole will probably be perfect for you along with the 1 inch drop in the front.

 

[DNGrumpy]

You will need to crank up the preload. I slammed my undertail and ground a groove into it. I am 2" lower in the rear and 1" in the front with 1.25" reapers. I have the ZG DB screen and had to mod it a tad around the res's. I think I went too far on the preload though, the ride is harsh on the bumps... but I can carry a 200# passenger and not slam it anymore.

 

[Commuta_Busa]

Add a Tobin seat, that will put your a** another 1" or more closer to the pavement.

+1 would always recomend this first... doesn't alter suspension geo...

If you lower the back you should adjust the coil height but the easy way is to click on some more pre-load.

 

[Turbo-Torch]

Both the front and rear kits were waiting on the porch when I got home today.  Sometimes Ebay just kicks azz!  Did a buy it now on the front spacer kit from JDA Custom late Wednesday evening and they were here on Friday.  Very nice quality and they look great.  At $39.95 they were $10 less than Pingels.

They carry a decent line of Hayabusa accessories at great prices.
http://www.jdaaqua.com/store/index.html
If you decide to order from their website, beware that there is NO SSL encryption during the ordering process.  That's why I went with their Ebay auction and paypal.

Rear dog bones were bought from nycparts on ebay for $24.50 (buy it now) which was a killer deal for Yana Shiki links.  7075 T6 billet with "HAYABUSA" inscribed on them.  The really cool surprise was they included a nice black T-Shirt with their logo for free.

First I put the front kit on which took about a ½ hour or so.  Sat on the bike and I already felt a difference. Sweet

Put the rear links on at the center 2" drop setting...maybe another 45 minutes.

Only complaint is that I didn't do this the day I bought the bike 2½ years ago!  Totally different bike that I can now flat foot with a slight bend in my knees.  Backed it out of the garage and down the sloped driveway for the first time ever without a care in the world.  Ran it down the street on a test run and the suspension doesn't feel any different, but as an added bonus, the bars being 1" higher seems to have made a huge difference in comfort!  Riding position now feels more on par with my friends Blackbird.

Can't wait to get up early tomorrow and head out for an extended ride.

If you're short and thinking about lowering you Busa, just DO IT!  The comfort, safety and looks are worth every penny of the $80 bucks it'll cost you.

 

[Sloto200]

good deal! Glad you like the feel... but of course....

 

[ranman]

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[ranman]

had a question but found the answer.



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