Bike dragging in tight turns

[Rdmetz]

I recently bought my second busa its an 06' LE thats been stretched 6" and lowered in the front and back with a new much stiffer shock in the back.

problem is when riding two up anytime i corner rather sharply at under decelleration the bike is dragging the left and right fiarings in the forward most corner right next to the headers. I wasnt sure where it was rubbing til the other day when i was laying on the ground next to the bike and saw that hit had rubbed the paint completley off and theres a black strip on each side where its been rubbing the paint off down to the plastic. its not really noticible when standing up but I would like to stop this from happening as everytime it does I hesitiate on the turn and am afraid I'll end up dropping it


I'm 6'9" 330lbs and my girl is 5' flat 150lbs so I dont want to raise the bike too much because it becomes hard for her to get on but the front needs to come up I feel as the weight shifting forward is compressing the shock to its limits and dragging the fairings...the bike looks to be lowered about 2" around maybe more in the back and maybe a lil less in the front but it sits about level from front to back.

If I raise the front to stop this dragging do I have to raise the back or can I leave it lowered will I screw up the handling I dont do any crazy knee dragging or anything and except for a few times when we hit the mountains with friends its mainly city riding and interstate but the last mountain run over the weekend in was hell on the plastics and scrapped evertime we leaned into a those really tight almost uturn turns.....

any advice would be appriciated

[Professor]

You need really need to have the front forks re sprung and revalved. They were basically designed for your girls weight instead of yours. I'm 235 and springs and a revalve made a big difference.

Work the forks and try it. I like the looks of a lowered Busa and it works well for drag racing, but I prefer riding it at stock height. You might raise it a 1/2 or 1" but raise both ends.

[sixpack577]

Raise it back up, she won't have hard time with it. It'll also be alot more comfortable for you as tall as you are. Lowered bikes will never handle as good as stock height, and it's alot of trial and error work to try to get them to handle well at anything other than a straight line.

[macon454]

I would raise it back up some also, It really should not make any difference for her when she gets on and off of it because it will only be another inch or to higher, And if you are that big of a guy just sit on it and it will go back down so she can get on

I think it would be better for it to be a little harder for her to get on and off of it, than it would to be dragging the fairings and taking the chance of maybe dropping it or it causing you to go down.

[dadofthree]

Besides 6' 9" 330, just reach back and pull her up

[macon454]

Besides 6' 9" 330, just reach back and pull her up

[Rdmetz]

ok ill look into raising it back up this weekend and yea i mean i already have to lean it over pretty far for her to get on and off whats and inch or two going to hurt...with it being stretched 6" will raising it back to stock height affect anything is it going to stress something or make the bike unstable? Also if I just raise the front back to stock height and leave the rear down is the bike going to ride much different? anyone lower just the back of their bike before?

[Rdmetz]

You need really need to have the front forks re sprung and revalved. They were basically designed for your girls weight instead of yours. I'm 235 and springs and a revalve made a big difference.

Work the forks and try it. I like the looks of a lowered Busa and it works well for drag racing, but I prefer riding it at stock height. You might raise it a 1/2 or 1" but raise both ends.

I like this idea as well what would something like this typically cost?

[Professor]

I like this idea as well what would something like this typically cost?

Typically $110-130 for springs. Service and valving $80-150 and I'd likely have new seals installed at the same time.

[Rdmetz]

So I'm planning to raise the bike back up today but I have concerns about how to raise the front back to stock height what do I have to loosen to get it to slide back up the forks I see the upper triple tree bolts but even when they are loosened it doesn't want to move I'm assuming I'll also need to loosen the lower triple tree bolts does this requiring removing the side fairings and once loose is my bike gonna wanna drop to the ground from not being secured to the forks what should I do to avoid this if I'm working on this by myself

also where on the forks would stock height be considered ?

[rusheriv]

1. I'm assuming I'll also need to loosen the lower triple tree bolts
2. does this requiring removing the side fairings
3. and once loose is my bike gonna wanna drop to the ground from not being secured to the forks what should I do to avoid this if I'm working on this by myself
4. also where on the forks would stock height be considered ?

1. Yes, loosen the top and lower triple tree bolts.
2. No, but it makes things a lot easier.
3. Yes, the bike needs to be lifted and supported. You'll need a rear stand to support the bike from side to side movement (I've done it with a center stand). Then, using a block of wood to distribute the weight, jack up the front an inch or two.
   
4. Stock height: I get 8.25" from bottom of lower triple tree to bottom end of outer fork tube (bottom of tube, not the seal).

[Rdmetz]

So I've ran into a problem got the plastics off and am trying to raise the bike the rears on a stand but I don't have any kind of jack to raise the bike I've tried with 2 people lifiting the front but the whole front comes up n if I put pressure on the tire to hold it down the shocks just decompress n it doesn't slide up but soon as we let off on lifting it is sliding down further and further its now about 3 inches down n we can't get it back up! Any advice on how we can lift it but keep the forks from coming up or the shocks from decompressing? Need help asap on this so any ideas welcome...

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[BA BUSA]

If you have the manpower...lift the bike and put blocks under it to support the weight...leave the stands to help balance it.
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[sixpack577]

A front stand like this makes it easy. It's worth buying one.

[Rdmetz]

This is what I'm dealing with there are no bolts in the upper or lower tripple tree 4 bolts on bottom 2 on the top do I have to remove the aftermarket triple tree cover as well the forks slid down as you can see but they won't come back up I've sprayed wd40 around the lower n tripple tree but still it won't slide up its not resting on a block of wood n won't slide down any further but I've got to get it back up....

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[Rdmetz]

Ok got it up but I broke one of the lower triple tree bolts tighting em down I still got 3 good ones n the two upper but is it ridable like this til I can get a new one?

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[Nicholas]

can u twist them at all? if not then there might be another pinch bolt somewhere on the triple tree?

[sixpack577]

If you remove the top cover they'll probably slide a little easier. I'de also gently pry the clamps open a little to see if that helps.
They are just in a bind through the clamps, and since the front isn't suspended, it's making it alot more difficult.
I've seen folks lift the front with tie down or ratchet straps from each side of the top clamp too. If you have a deck or something sturdy to hang the front from.

[rockethead]

damn man, you are having sum bad luck..you might have to pull the wheel off and try n wiggle/twist em loose. i think like you, a little wd40 and it should slide right out. i whatched a fork swap for an R1 and when the top fork pinch bolt was loosened the fork tube slide right out. with the weight of the wheel,tire, calipers it should have slide out... weird.

[Rdmetz]

Yea I've got it back up to stock height now thank god but as I said I've broken one of the lower triple trees four bolt the other 3 are secure as well as the 2 upper tree bolts, but I am missing one now will it be ridable like this til I can get a new bolt?

Also I'm changing the brake pads I've got the front two done but the back is being difficult the new ebc brakes are thick and the twi pistons don't wanna go in...well one did but the other won't budge even with the bleeder valve open, any thoughts on this?

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