Help needed. Lowering suspension advice

[Aviacom]

Hi.

I have a 2012 Triple Black GS with ESA and I'd like to lower the suspension so I'm flat footed when at a standstill. At the moment I'm on tip toes and just don't feel comfortable.

I'm 5' 11" and 13 stone, ride with full luggage and 50% of the time two up.

I've already got the lowered seat.

I'd like to put a set of Hyperpro springs on the bike and have seen seen the different sizes but can't make up my mind on how much to lower?

I was thinking going for the 40mm lower springs but want as much advice on them as I can first.
I've also heard that they make the bike feel and ride much better too.

I'm not in the market for Wilmer's or Ohlins shocks as I'm on a limited budget.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Tractors are go]

If, you go for lowered after market springs, also get ones that are better suited for your loaded weight too. K tech are approx £80 each and have dealer's around the country.



Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk

 

[Santa-2512]

If you have lowered seat & standard suspension, i think its a seat height of 810-820mm

I thought if you had ESA, it took it to 790mm, if you drop to the lowest setting

Re Hyperpro springs, i thought it was a 30mm max spring reduction again taking it to 790mm

I've got a lowered GS set with standard suspension wound out to softest damping .

In my Doc Martin boot's, i can get the Lh ball of the foot down easily, ironically if I'm in my squash shoes, i can flat foot it? on the LHS (go figure)

If i give a little shimmy, i can flat foot the DM's on one side .


Mart

 

[Mistacat]

I have a 30mm lowered ESA hyperpro spring on the shelf Used for a few hundred miles. ( Now on Wilbers)
If you took your shock off and nipped it up the road to me, I could fit this spring to your shock for you to try it.
If no good I will swap it back.

 

[Delboy777]

I have a 30mm lowered ESA hyperpro spring on the shelf Used for a few hundred miles. ( Now on Wilbers)
If you took your shock off and nipped it up the road to me, I could fit this spring to your shock for you to try it.
If no good I will swap it back.

Now theres a crackin offer

 

[Greenman14]

You're taller than me and and I manage just fine with the BMW low seat, though that's on solo rider settings. Do you want to be flat footed on rider + pillion settings? If you only lower the back you'll upset the handling. On standard suspension I found the bike handled significantly better on solo + luggage preload, which raises the back.

 

[Bendy toy]

I'm 5ft 8ins with 32 leg. With a standard height seat I can comfortably get one foot flat with other foot on footrest. I can't flat both feet but I can get balls of both feet comfortably down.
Yes it took a while to get used to it. However
(1) with both feet dangling the bike is far less stable than with just one foot down. Try it!
(2) with a low seat the handlebars felt like ape hangers and my knees were scrunched.
(3) when the bike leans too far it's going down. I might gain a degree or two of lean by flat footing both sides but I'd also risk injuries trying to stop the unstoppable.
The stability of flatted feet is an illusion.
Gets some plastic rocker cover protectors to protect the engine heads and learn how to pick up a 1/4 ton bike. Sooner or later it will fall over but these bikes do car park tumbles very well indeed.

PS
Don't paddle the bike backwards. Put side stand out, lean bike into stand and climb off as if it was a horse (get on the same way) - side stand is plenty strong enough. Put bike in gear and push backwards with clutch pulled in. If it goes away too quickly ease the clutch out.
If you need to push it uphill you are screwed at least until someone invents a reverse gear.

 

[Tractors are go]

I'm 5'7" 29" inside leg and don't have any problems with my gsa which had the front/rear suspension upgraded with hyperpro set for my weight. I can now run with no preload solo.

Just make sure that one foot is securely on the ground before you do anything else.



Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk

 

[Santa-2512]

Just to clear up a standard response to posters in this thread!

Height has absolutely nothing to do with getting your foot down

Its your inside leg,

You can be 5'0 or 6'3" it makes no difference to getting your foot down.. but your inside leg does.

Im 5' 6" with a 28" inside leg. i can't get my friends GSA upright from the side stand, or get my leg anywhere near the floor

My friend who is also 5' 6" can get the bike off the side stand, and get the ball of one foot comfortably down..

The reason? he has a 30" inside leg.

if you want to get an idea of what works

http://cycle-ergo.com/

Mart

 

[Bendy toy]

That's my point flat footing both feet is overrated. These bikes are HEAVY and will bite so don't kid yourself. One foot down on the higher camber side and the other in the peg does the job just fine.
However if you really can't comfortably get both balls of feet down then genuinely the bike is too tall for you.

By the way I have swapped my worn GSA shocks for GS units. The springs are harder so the bike rides even taller. It's also lost some of its composure over rough surfaces. Thankfully there are no roads that bad in Devon. . I miss being able to jack the bike right up to full mountain mode. It floated over the best that Devon CC Roads Dept can throw at it and cornered surprisingly well. The GS units get themselves tangled up.
The BIG snag with full mountains mode - I can't reach the floor. That can be really scary. Such a shame the ride height won't shift on the fly like an old Citroen.

Sent somehow.