Lowering an 1100?

[Dragon Master]

OK, I got a problem. Or rather my friend has. Either my GS 1100 or her 5'4" height..
As she loaned me the money to buy the bike, I got her on the insurance. And although I think she'd be OK once she got going on it, with a bit of encouragement, she can't get it off the side stand. So, can they be lowered, and if so, how?

Could I get a lower seat for it, and if so, how comfortable are they? Bearable for a 700 mile day?

Any suggestions welcomed...

Ta,

Dave.

 

[MarkShelley]

Fitting alloys will lower it and make it awsome in the twistys to boot

 

[Dragon Master]

Yeah, I've been thinking of that, it's just a case of being able to afford some alloys at the moment, and which ones? No doubt I'll find a thread if I do a search...

I suppose if I fitted alloys, I could fit TCKs to one set of spoked wheels, and flog the other, as the alloys would have the road tyres...

Sorry, thinking aloud...

 

[motobiker]

The 'sargent seat' is an inch lower as standard.. and many rave about them for distance comfort.

A much more affordable answer is to have the seat rebuilt.. and lower. with higher quality foam there is no reason why it should be less comfortable than the (awful) original.

Have the sidestand lengthened. either weld on a foot. or bolt on a puck or similiar. easy to add an inch or more to the length.

loads of different ways to attack the problem that aren't exactly expensive or radical.

 

[Dragon Master]

Have the sidestand lengthened. either weld on a foot. or bolt on a puck or similiar. easy to add an inch or more to the length.

Hmm.. there's food for thought... I/we couild experiment with blocks of wood under it to get an idea...

Cheers.

 

[Peltsi]

How about this

http://www.trwmoto.com/index.cfm/go/katalog.searchresult/mrid/45/hid/12/ccm/1100/typ/0


Price is around 300€ here in Funland.

It lowers the rear 25mm or so. Or should it be one inch.

 

[Canuck]

Pm vern... I remember him telling me about one he did ages ago...I think.

 

[MattW]

Hmm.. there's food for thought... I/we couild experiment with blocks of wood under it to get an idea...

Cheers.

Definitely no harm in lengthening the sidestand - 1100's lean over ridiculously far on their standard stand. I ended up screwing a piece of 20mm aluminium (shaped to fit the foot) to mine.

Combined with a lowered seat it might well do the job.

 

[MikeO]

You need to have a chat with Matron - not sure if she's on here any more.

Marion's 5'0" and rode her 1100 for years - it was SERIOUSLY lowered...

Mike

 

[judge]

I thought Lucy's was lowered - possibly the one Vern did

 

[Paul G (BHT)]

I thought Lucy's was lowered - possibly the one Vern did

Yep that's the one

Remove the rear shock.

Re drill the lower mounting hole 18mm higher up the shock.

Cut off the excess metal where the 'old hole' is.

Reinstall shock.

Seat height now 75mm (3") lower

 

[Timolgra]

Yep that's the one

Remove the rear shock.

Re drill the lower mounting hole 18mm higher up the shock.

Cut off the excess metal where the 'old hole' is.

Reinstall shock.

Seat height now 75mm (3") lower

Is this her?

 

[Dragon Master]

Yep that's the one

Remove the rear shock.

Re drill the lower mounting hole 18mm higher up the shock.

Cut off the excess metal where the 'old hole' is.

Reinstall shock.

Seat height now 75mm (3") lower

Ah... now there's a thing. I just happen to have a spare shock... Does it not effect the geometry?

I just happen to have a complete spare bike. So I've also got at least one spare seat, and I'm sure I bought another off fleabay. And that means I've also got a spare side-stand...

 

[VAL. H.]

Yep that's the one

Remove the rear shock.

Re drill the lower mounting hole 18mm higher up the shock.

Cut off the excess metal where the 'old hole' is.

Reinstall shock.

Seat height now 75mm (3") lower

Alternetively you could simply swap the rear shock for one from the R850/1150R Unless it has a 'dogbone' link in which case just buy the link for the lower R850/1150R

Also you can replace the front shock with one off an R850/1150R This will bring the front down and give the correct steering angles.

Adding a low seat will bring it down further. You might also need to fit bar riser blocks or rise n back blocks, to cater for a shorter rider.


Val.

 

[MarkShelley]

If you go the alloy route there is no need to lengthen the side stand!

 

[littleredrooster]

You need to have a chat with Matron - not sure if she's on here any more.

Marion's 5'0" and rode her 1100 for years - it was SERIOUSLY lowered...

Mike

Matron is still around but sold it to my mate chickenchaser who loves it. Good to hear that you're still around, Mike.

 

[littleredrooster]

I thought Lucy's was lowered - possibly the one Vern did

Blimey - more old faces in this thread than any other recently. You OK Andy?

 

[uncle dick]

Sargent seat is lovely but wider so doesn't help the shorter rider.

 

[Vern]

I'm only in Chester, so not a million miles away from you. Give me a ring and pop down sometime and I'll sort you out one way or another.Everyone seems to want to go the silly expensive ways,but I don't see the point in that really.

01829 771040

 

[Dragon Master]

Cheers Vern, I'll PM you on that sometime soon.