Lowering Pros and Cons?

[05 Busa LE]

Lately, I've seen more lowered Busas, and I think it really improves the look of the bike. Most of my riding is highway, and my bike is stock except for some Yosh bolt-ons and a double-bubble.

What are the pros and cons of lowering it? Is comfort sacrificed?

 

[UncleSteve]

less lean angle, ground clearance, suspension travel and resale value.
If you don't care about handling and safety, you will be okay. Ride into a curve too hot, even on an off ramp and try to tap the reserve lean angle, you might find yourself going in a straight line off the roadway or low siding the bike.

Good rule: high lean angle = good
low lean angle = bad

 

[Ezduzit]

Both my 06 and my 08 have been lowered and haven't had a problem, the only problem that I have is getting the bike in and out of the garage, if I sit on the bike the header scrubbs but if I stand up its fine.

 

[Pinky Winky]

less lean angle, ground clearance, suspension travel and resale value.
If you don't care about handling and safety, you will be okay. Ride into a curve too hot, even on an off ramp and try to tap the reserve lean angle, you might find yourself going in a straight line off the roadway or low siding the bike.

Good rule: high lean angle = good
low lean angle = bad

Correct. Mine is lowered 2 1/2 and 4 and it looks good and as good at the strip but on the road its very unsafe.

 

[Sloto200]

less lean angle, ground clearance, suspension travel and resale value.
If you don't care about handling and safety, you will be okay. Ride into a curve too hot, even on an off ramp and try to tap the reserve lean angle, you might find yourself going in a straight line off the roadway or low siding the bike.

Good rule: high lean angle = good
low lean angle = bad

I disagree with this...i had no handling issues with my bike and it certainly didnt hurt my resale value when i sold it a month ago. My 2005 sold for almost $8000 so... no hurting there... Now, if you dont lower it right it will hurt the handling, i orignially only lowered the back of my bike because i'm vertically challenged (only 5'7") and that killed the handling. Once i lowered the front all was good. I also noticed that the front end didnt come up nearly as much once i lowered it so that was to my liking. I really had to roll it on hard to pull up the front end or if the rear tire was cold, it would just spin. I hate wheelies anyway, seen to much carnage from not having a good outcome.

 

[Mr Bogus]

I disagree with this...i had no handling issues with my bike and it certainly didnt hurt my resale value when i sold it a month ago. My 2005 sold for almost $8000 so... no hurting there... Now, if you dont lower it right it will hurt the handling, i orignially only lowered the back of my bike because i'm vertically challenged (only 5'7") and that killed the handling. Once i lowered the front all was good. I also noticed that the front end didnt come up nearly as much once i lowered it so that was to my liking. I really had to roll it on hard to pull up the front end or if the rear tire was cold, it would just spin. I hate wheelies anyway, seen to much carnage from not having a good outcome.

show us a pic of your back tire.... I can assure you that what Busa159 is more than true if you ride the bike around corners at all.... things are a bit short on clearance to start with unless you ride like a little old lady..

 

[Strife]

On street you can consider it mostly an appearance mod. Yes it does effect handing,but for the type of riding you described it won't hinder you much at all. mostly have to avoid speed bumps in parking lots, coming off sidewalk curbs. It took me almost no time to get use to it being lowered. Never had trouble coming off ramps exiting highways. I can do it faster then suggest speed limit.

Want to take curves go +1 up in rear. People do just fine at stock height.

Why do people do fat tire mods? It effects handling...

P.S. If you going to lower it,please buy good links. Adjustable go either Brock's or Soupy's. 3 hole links go with a respectable name brand. They're not to expensive to begin with. If the links break will be during a time where you already doing something like hard accelerating. Not best time for it to happen.

 

[TXBusa05LE]

Down 1" in the front, increased preload in rear...but I ride like this...

 

[05 Busa LE]

Thanks for the input; if I lowered it, I'd take it to one of our sponsors for a professional job. Guessing -1" front and rear wouldn't affect handling much, but appearance wouldn't change much either.

 

[dadofthree]

Lowering the bike will cause issues with cornering. Take it from me, I know

 

[Pipefighter248]

show us a pic of your back tire.... I can assure you that what Busa159 is more than true if you ride the bike around corners at all.... things are a bit short on clearance to start with unless you ride like a little old lady..

Come on Randy.
Don't make Pipe go out and take a pic.

 

[JFL]

No issues here with 1" and 2". But I don't push it in the corners either...

 

[Tufbusa]

He who thinks his busa rides as well lowered as it did stock has very poor riding skills! There are no exceptions!

A lowered and slammed busa is cool curb candy but those sweet handling characteristics you once had will become a distant memory. You generate clearance problems, two up problems, along with all sorts of suspension problems. Problems you may never even know you have until they bite you. If you ride like an old granny with saggy titties you will probably be okay. There is absolutely nothing benificial in lowering your busa other than making it look cool. However, there is a pile of negatives!

Here's the thing! Just be sure you understand what you are getting into before you make that journey. It's your dicision.

It's like getting married, cool as hell unless things go bad and then it can become the nightmare from hell.

 

[Pipefighter248]

Pipe had to go to the garage for pics.
First off; Pipe does not claim to be the best rider or good for that matter.
Pipe has his bike lowered first off for being vertically challenged. Yes, 5'10" isn't short, but that size with a 30" inseam isn't the best. All his height is in the upper body.
So the first plus is better footing while stopped.
Second is the front is lowered with risers; which helps pipe with his wrist and hand problems.
Third; it looks better in Pipe's opinion.
Forth; No wheelies or slighter chance of wheelies. No you can't go out and be cool popping the front end up like a stock bike, but it is better for straight line.
Pipe's bike is lowered 3/4" front and 1 1/2" rear.
Not extreme compared to others bikes of the board.

You will drag parts sooner as stated. Pretty obvious.
Below is a pic of Pipe's lower fairing. Headers was smashed when Pipe bought the system used, but Pipe is sure they still wouldn't be perfect if they were bought new.
Not all undertails will rub, even two up.
Below is proof.
Pipe's UFO undertail on his 04 which was also lowered did rub a little bit.

Not trying to start an arguement, just stating an opinion; but Pipe doesn't think of himself as a saggy tittied granny while riding.


Without further ado here are the pics.


Left side of Pipe's rear tire.

 

[Pipefighter248]

Right side of tire.

 

[Pipefighter248]

Poor lower.

 

[Pipefighter248]

Undertail

Excuse the mess. Didn't clean the bike after taking it to the drag strip.

 

[Pipefighter248]

Please members of the board; please forgive Pipe for posting up dirty pics of his bike.


Thanks all,
Pipe (the saggy tittied granny that thinks he could ride)

 

[Pipefighter248]

And no, even though Pipe has tried the past two days to get a knee down; he can not.
He can scrape his toe sliders though.
Blame it on the short inseam and not being flexible.

 

[Sloto200]

show us a pic of your back tire.... I can assure you that what Busa159 is more than true if you ride the bike around corners at all.... things are a bit short on clearance to start with unless you ride like a little old lady..

Guess i ride like an old lady then since my bike "was" lowered... sorry, no pictures for proof.... as i stated... i sold the bike. I had about a 1/2 inch strip of unused tire on the rear but then again, extreme north Texas isnt known for its curvey roads. For the record, i know what a curve looks like and you should consider knowing who and how a person rides before you make accusations or assumptions on their abilities. Bike set ups are like people, they are all different and adjusted to fit a riding style but, i'm sure you already know that...