[Kellisanth]

Well, since my recovered bike will be in the shop to get repairs …

I’ve been thinking about making getting the bike lowered. But wanted some opinions.

It’s an ’05 EX500, all stock. And I don’t race, as much as I dream about the idea (only ‘cos of MotoGP and Ridge Racer games *haha*).

The questions is, how much lowering can be done on the 500? What’s the typical cost? Is there anything I should be more aware of when doing such a thing?

When a bike is lowered, it can be returned to stock position if need be later on, if I decide to sell/trade in right?

Thanks!

[briderdt]

If you lower the back (by lowering links), you may need to lower the front as well (at least some) to maintain the steering geometry. As you lower the back, your head angle gets more slack, which tends to make your steering “slower” feeling (more chopper-like).

[Munch]

As long as you can keep the original parts after the lowering you should be able to set it back to stock. Provided there was no cutting involved in the modification. Make you you do a lot of research on the lowering kit you intend to use to see what is going to be required.
Along with what Brider said another thing that may change is lean angle. That is going to depend on how much the bike is lowered….though with a sport bike that will be minimal.

[SantaCruzRider]

Lowering a sport bike typically requires 4 steps:
1. Switch in some aftermarket lowering links — parts usually $200-$300; double that if you have the shop do it.
2. Cut and reweld, or bend, sidestand.
3. Cut and reweld to shorten centerstand (otherwise useless)
4. Drop triple tree (fork) to the lowest position possible to maintain geometry.

If you have a friend who’s a welder and are mechanically adept, minimum cost is probably around $250. But it could be more like $800+ if you need welding done. And it won’t be easily reversible because you’ll need new side and centerstands.

Last I heard, you were thinking about dumping the bike. It may better to do that before you make modifications.

[eternal05]

In general, the effect of ride height on your bike’s handling:

Higher: more agile, but less stable, less rear tire grip.
Lower: less agile, but more stable, more rear tire grip.

Too high: High-speed instability, poor rear tire grip, and instability under heavy braking.
Too low: Understeer under acceleration (think corner exit), slow to change direction, poor front tire grip.

[Author]

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