lowering with ohlins

[vteec]

hello and happy new year!
i am in the process of buying an f800 triple black at the moment.

i am 173cm (short or tall ) and my current bike is a g650 xcountry.

with the xcountry i feel much more confident due to lower seat height and possibly lower weight, but i think it has more to do with the seat height.

i will be using the f800 for everything including my daily commute in heavy traffic, so i think lowering would make sense for me due to my height (lack of it )

i have had ohlins suspension on previous bikes and if i have to change on the f800 i would want to go with this route.
i have read several reports on lowered f800gs' with hyper pro suspension but not with ohlins.
my understanding is that people who fit ohlins do it for greater offroad ability more than lowering.

also would you just change the rear shock or front fork springs as well please?
finally can you recommend me a good supplier? touratech?

thank you

 

[Dave Ett]

Why do you want to spend the extra on Ohlins - do you do a lot of offroading?

If you can afford it (at £765 for the rear shock alone) then why not, but the Hyperpro is very good for the money.

You need to change front and rear to maintain the fork rake, otherwise the bike will sit down at the back and handle like a chopper!

Try www.adventurebikewarehouse.co.uk

 

[gordh]

Hi Vteec,

I'm also vertically challenged and have fitted the Hyper pro 50mm lowering kit to my F800GS Triple Black and am well satisfied with the result. The progressive front springs do away with a lot of the dive one experiences with the OEM spring set-up. Great addition to a great bike for the vertically challenged.

 

[SERVDAVE]

Would it be worth holding 5 and seein how you get on with the 800 before you change things? I am only 165cm and fine on an 800GS. Maybe just taking sometime to get use to the different to your G650.

It is very important that you are happy with your bike so i am sure someone will be able to advise on how to lowere it but it is amazin what some confidence can do when handling a bike. I use to find my 650GS twin high. Now i am fine on anything up to a 1200GSA. Althought the GSA does take a lot of forward planning and I certainly wouldn't want to deal with that day to day!

Make sure upload some pics of your new GS :

 

[vteec]

hello
thank you for all the useful advice.

servdave, do you think my lack of confidence is due to my lack of ability or experience? i have been riding bikes for almost three years now...or like you are saying it is more a matter of getting used to an f800gs?

to be honest i am remembering that even my g650 felt a bit intimidating in the first couple of weeks after my ex f650cs scarver, so it could well be you are right!

thank you

 

[cjdad76]

I am 180cm (5ft 10" in English money) with a 32" inside leg (maybe too much information!!), and find the 800GS to be as tall as I would be comfortable with. I came from a KTM 690 Enduro which was even taller, but a lot lighter and with a little more sag.

Knock a couple of inches off your inside leg and I can see this bike would be a little high. Road riding is no issue, but if you are planning on any off-roading, the height might be an issue - but then lowering might give you less ground clearance, it's always a compromise.

In terms of what people are confident with, this is a very personal thing....... some people are happy to get the toes of one foot down, others want to flat foot with both.

My advice would be try it and see how you get on day to day before committing to changing anything.

 

[vteec]

thank you cjdad76.
my concern is if i will be as comfortable/confident as i am with the xcountry and i would never really know with just a test drive

hmmmm decisions .....

 

[SERVDAVE]

hello
thank you for all the useful advice.

servdave, do you think my lack of confidence is due to my lack of ability or experience? i have been riding bikes for almost three years now...or like you are saying it is more a matter of getting used to an f800gs?

to be honest i am remembering that even my g650 felt a bit intimidating in the first couple of weeks after my ex f650cs scarver, so it could well be you are right!

thank you

I'm sure you are a more than capable rider, I myself am not the best! If you recon you can get away with buyin the bike as standard and seeing how you go it could benefit you in the long run. I remember chatting to a fellow 650GS twin rider who had it factory lowered and with a lower seat who regretted doing so once she got use to the bike.

I guess it all depends if you plan to get the work done before you pick the new bike up. I'm not sure how much of a difference it makes but have you thought about trying the lower seat?

 

[vteec]

i think the bike already has a low seat.
i think i will do just that, install low seat if it does not have one fitted already and try to get used to it as it left the factory, if not i will go for the lowering route.


thank you for all your help

 

[SERVDAVE]

i think the bike already has a low seat.
i think i will do just that, install low seat if it does not have one fitted already and try to get used to it as it left the factory, if not i will go for the lowering route.


thank you for all your help

Sounds like a plan! Glad we could help!

Don't forget to upload a pic of your new GS!

 

[Bendy toy]

A female friend of mine was really worried about getting back onto her bike after a 2 year lay-off. Its a Guzzi V750 with a cruiser height seat. With encouragement she did ok.

She would love to ride my 1200GSA but there is absolutely no way she could ever reach the floor and the weight is way more that she would manage. I struggle enough with a 32" inside leg length.

This brings me on to why dont bikes have an option of landing gear? I guess some narrow minded people will scoff about trainer wheels and stabilisers. However so many bikes are out of the question to shorter people. Landing gear in the form of long side stands on both sides would solve the problem. It doesn't need to be heavy hydraulics on the centre stand as some companies offer to disabled bike riders.

 

[SuperTed]

Hi Guys,
I have come from an 1150GS which is a lot larger than the 800, but I could get both feet down even if not flat. I very much wanted to change this for the 800 but when I sat on an 800GS at a couple of shows I was on the tips of my boots so it was never going to work. Then I met a chap riding a lowered 800 who was shorter than me by about 4 inches, and I'm 5' 7" (whatever that is in metric) with a 29" inside leg.
I now have a great bike in an '08 F8GS with a HyperPro 50mm lowering kit and a 19" front rim. Together with the cut down Sergeant seat I have both feet flat with my knees slightly bent - and the handling is much improved from the 21" front rim, just as a bonus.
If you are thinking of going down this route I can thoroughly recommend it.
I commute into London every day on mine, and last year went on a two-up trip to Orkney (go as far north in Scotland as you can get - and then get on a ferry) with the Dearly Beloved on the back.
Which wouldn't have happened if I couldn't reach the floor properly.
Good luck with the Triple Black - I just know you will love it!
SuperTed

 

[wknight]

Get boots instead

As a short person with short legs I know the problem only too well, my recommendation is buy the Daytona boots which raise you up 1 inch, a much cheaper solution.

I never understand why people buy a bike that doesn't fit them? If it was clothing you wouldn't buy it!

You will never enjoy the bike if you are constantly worrying that you can't get your foot down. Go for a low 650 instead I doubt you will notice the difference with an 800