Just picked up my 04 LE last week and I love it. I rode it around to get the feel for it but I am conflicted. It is lowered and stretched strapped in the front and it has extensions in the back. The way it sits now it's good for drag racing is which I want to do but i also want to ride it on the street. The turning radius is dramatically reduced. I'm sure you get what I'm trying to say. Is there a set up that would be good for the street and at the track. Thanks in advance for the help.
Best of both worlds is it possible ?
- Thread starter JFootman
- Start date
what kind of turning are you trying to do? my bike is stretched and lowered and i have zero problems with everyday driving.
im going to ask something dumb but the straps arnt tight when under "normal" riding conditions are they? if its strapped down there is NO WAY the bike will turn.
if youre wanting to carve corners youre only choice is to remove the extensions, links an strap
im going to ask something dumb but the straps arnt tight when under "normal" riding conditions are they? if its strapped down there is NO WAY the bike will turn.
if youre wanting to carve corners youre only choice is to remove the extensions, links an strap
Lucid
Registered
#1 - GET THAT strap off while on the street!
#2 How far stretched are you? If you have extensions, you probably aren't stretched that far. If you want to hit corners decently, raise the bike up in the rear (assuming you have adjustable dogbones at least) and remove the strap. That's your street setup, then at the track, lower it back down in the front and rear.
When you say "turn radius", what do you mean? If you're talking about u-turns (closer to the real sense of the word "turn radius")... who cares. If you mean "lean angle", on the street, where you can't get that low safely anyway, being lowered and stretched really isn't that big of a deal. Hell I lead every single person I ride with except one crazy guy on a Gix1k that has raced for years and goes nuts on the street. Any other 600 or 1k I can smoke or at least hang with in the corners, and that's with me at 10in longer and 3in lower.
#2 How far stretched are you? If you have extensions, you probably aren't stretched that far. If you want to hit corners decently, raise the bike up in the rear (assuming you have adjustable dogbones at least) and remove the strap. That's your street setup, then at the track, lower it back down in the front and rear.
When you say "turn radius", what do you mean? If you're talking about u-turns (closer to the real sense of the word "turn radius")... who cares. If you mean "lean angle", on the street, where you can't get that low safely anyway, being lowered and stretched really isn't that big of a deal. Hell I lead every single person I ride with except one crazy guy on a Gix1k that has raced for years and goes nuts on the street. Any other 600 or 1k I can smoke or at least hang with in the corners, and that's with me at 10in longer and 3in lower.
Lucid; Hell I lead every single person I ride with except one crazy guy on a Gix1k that has raced for years and goes nuts on the street. Any other 600 or 1k I can smoke or at least hang with in the corners said:You are either living in a fantacy world, avoiding corners over 20 degrees or riding with a crew of novice beginners who's biggest challenge is releasing the clutch without stalling the engine! Ten over and 3 inches lowered? The paper boy on a Schwin ten speed will give you a whoopin!
Where's Miley
Lucid
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You are either living in a fantacy world, avoiding corners over 20 degrees or riding with a crew of novice beginners who's biggest challenge is releasing the clutch without stalling the engine! Ten over and 3 inches lowered? The paper boy on a Schwin ten speed will give you a whoopin!
Hahah. Some magazine did an article or a video about it, comparing stretched vs. not and lowered vs. not and how the difference wasn't too significant. I've looked for years but can't find the vid, maybe someone can chime in.
Full disclosure though, I do live in OK where almost every corner is a sweeper you can take at anywhere from 60-120 lol, and a few on and off ramps. If I lived in a place with mountains with lots of slow corners, switchbacks, and chicanes I probably would get dominated by a Schwin.
It depends on what kind of riding the OP has, and to what extent his skill is compromised by the lower and longer bike. I'm guessing not much on the street (except that strap).
I was mostly tossing you a little lip to put spark in the thread. I have no issues whatsoever with stretched and slammed scooters. They are sweet to look at. My point has always been, by altering the motorcycle in this manner handicaps the performance dramatically with the loss of at least 20 degrees of lean angle, fifty percent or more of the braking ability, huge loss of throttle on corner exits, total loss of anti squat due to chain pull, sixty percent or more of suspension travel and the list goes on.
Since the laws of physics is pretty much absolute and unless the laws of physics has changed in the past few days it makes such a bike handle poorly for everyday use and absolutely awful on corners. This doesn't mean one cannot go for an enjoyable afternoon ride around the back country twisties as long as the expectations of performance doesn't exceed the bikes capabilities.
I'd be very interested in watching the Youtube video of the comparison you mentioned. If they came to the conclusion that there is very little difference in stretched ten inches, dropped three and stock, I'd have to guess the author is lacking just a tiny little bit in experience.
Opinions can't be argued. You may just as well start a Religious or Political thread, eh?
Sorry for sounding so dramatic when I was saying the turning radius is dramatically reduced I should have said I'm not used to riding a bike that has been lowered and stretched.I just noticed when I went to turn it didn't feel stable if that makes sense I'm used to turning on a bike that has regular suspension. I also just rode it around the neighborhood because i had to satisfy me urge for a little ride so there hasn't been allot of seat time but I plan on changing that this summer. I have every intention on removing the straps and replace it with the adjustable triple tree and I was going to take my swing arm off and have it lengthened to the length of the extensions. I'm not looking to carve corners just want to be out regular street riding. Thanks for all of the info it helped me allot.
Lucid
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It will raise up the front, but it won't "throw off" any balance you are thinking about. You MUST have travel in the front forks on the street, and that strap isn't giving you much/any which is really unsafe my friend. The strap isn't there to balance the rear being lowered. It's there to decrease fork travel at the drag strip and get you a more controllable/consistent run in a straight line. Like others have said, you can leave it on and loosen it, but I
just take it off on the street as it does absolutely nothing but potentially get in the way, and only takes like 2mins to remove/reinstall.
just take it off on the street as it does absolutely nothing but potentially get in the way, and only takes like 2mins to remove/reinstall.
GNBRETT
Registered
I was thinking the exact same. 10 inches over and ur not turning for chit unless there sweeping turns. but man if ur running 10 inches over and still hauling ass that pretty good either wayYou are either living in a fantacy world, avoiding corners over 20 degrees or riding with a crew of novice beginners who's biggest challenge is releasing the clutch without stalling the engine! Ten over and 3 inches lowered? The paper boy on a Schwin ten speed will give you a whoopin!
BigBadDodge
Registered
Ditch the strap for a soupys spacer on the triple and you'll be good to go once you get a feel for riding it. I ride a slammed 10" over everyday in the summer and its just fine
BigBadDodge
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Kinda hard to tell looks around 6" to me
My 04 is lowered and stretched 8". It has not hurt my everyday riding at all but it has dramatically hurt my carving with friends . I used to be around 2nd or 3rd in a line up on rides and now I ride near the rear. Just as much fun but being lowered hurts the most because you scrap alot easier. Never strap your front for everyday riding , if you want to lower the front get a new triple tree that allows sliding the forks through it . As far as turn radius I only notice it doing U turns. Oh , and Congrates on getting the fastest color!
I believe that a good street and Track combo would be stretched 2-3" only use the strap when on the track and get some of soupys adjustable dogbones to lower the rear when there.
I believe that a good street and Track combo would be stretched 2-3" only use the strap when on the track and get some of soupys adjustable dogbones to lower the rear when there.
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