Wilburs fitted.........help needed.

[leasky]

Got a set of Wilbers fitted to my 06 1200 GSA and although the bike is handling very well, the ride height is atleast 3 or 4 inches lower. I can get both feet flat on the ground yet before fitting them I was just touching the deck with my tip-toes.

Is this the way things are after fitting Wilbers?

All help, comments and piss-taking welcome......

 

[AdamA]

Were they new or secondhand?
Sounds very much like you bought a set of GS shocks not GSA, or "lowered" GSA shocks...

 

[leasky]

Yes, I have PM'd the chap who I bought them from, so hope to find out soon.

Feeling a bit silly now.....

 

[Rasher]

I assume it is also a bastard to get on the stand as well? If so is almost certainly lowered shocks or GS shocks.

In fact at 3-4 inches sounds more like lowered GS shocks!

 

[karlp]

If your bike is lowered then it will not sit correctly on the side stand and will be almost impossible to get on the main stand.

I have Wilbers but has been lowered by 50mm.

I have to use the 'lowered' GS (not standard GS) side /main stands..


So to be lowered by at least 4 inches is a lot

 

[leasky]

Yes, your spot on about the side-stand; I almost have to lean the bike to the right to get the stand to locate correctly and when I tried to get her on the center stand I just about burst my pooping string.

Bugger - looks as if I will be selling a set on lowered Wilbers pretty soon....

 

[AdamA]

Bugger - looks as if I will be selling a set on lowered Wilbers pretty soon....

Shouldnt be hard to shift. It's quality kit and there's plenty of riders who think they need to have both feet flat on the floor to ride a bike out there...

 

[Mark Hooton]

Shouldnt be hard to shift. It's quality kit and there's plenty of riders who think they need to have both feet flat on the floor to ride a bike out there...

Ouch

Mark Hooton
(wilber lowered bike fanatic)

 

[AdamA]

Ouch

Cap too tight?

 

[Mark Hooton]

Eh?

Cap too tight?

Eh? I know there`s a damn fine slagging in there somewhere - I`m just too dimwitted to see it!

 

[AdamA]

Eh? I know there`s a damn fine slagging in there somewhere - I`m just too dimwitted to see it!

Just moving on from "if the cap fits..." seeing as you said ouch.

 

[Mark Hooton]

Ahhhhh

Just moving on from "if the cap fits..." seeing as you said ouch.

Ahhhhh, see what you mean matey - yep, I have some sense of humility so spot on

And yes, my ass is now too damn close to the ground!

 

[AdamA]

Don't get me wrong, I'd certainly never slag anyone off for feeling the need to lower their bike, I'd just question the need. Never fails to amaze me the amount of guys bigger than me (5'8", 29" inside leg) that "need"a lowered 1200GS, yet I somehow manage to find different laws of physics to ride my GSA with the seat on the higher setting.

Sure, some shorties do need a lowered bike, but for every one of them are plenty who (IMO) are needlessly reducing their ground clearance, altering steering geometry and perhaps most importantly (in the real world, not UKGSer where everyone is made of money ) spending money that doesn't need spending....
MTFU and taking the bull by the bars, er horns would really reap better results for them. But it's their bike/money, so their choice.

 

[Mark Hooton]

yeah, I hear what you are saying and, if I am honest, i certainly would not have lowered my bike as much as I did because you are right - I didn`t `need` it lowering that much.

It`s all down to personal preference of course but, in my defence, I had been riding bikes for around 30 years now, done bikesafe, have a traffic cop as a riding companion (who has taught me alot of riding skills which of course I mostly forget, see `dimwitted`) and do ride alot with other cops - yet despite all this `skill` I should have taken on i can put my life on saying that i do actually enjoy the bike much more than I did before it was `shrunk`

naturally, my hat (or cap) goes off to all the guys who ride the `full fat` version, especially with the OEM seat!

 

[Rasher]

I am about 6'2 (or was, may be shrinking now I have passed 40) but do find the bike a bit tall, OK when riding, but trying to "reverse" the bloody thing is a pain.

I did not realise how much of a disadvantage it is until I rode the Tenere and Stelvio, both are a lot heavier than the GS, but still more manageble getting out of parking spots etc. and if you ever need to stop mid-hairpin in the Alps and find the floor is an extra 6 inches away your doomed on the GS.

Still did not stop me putting extra inch of foam in the seat and runing it in the high position (for more leg room) the odd bit of car park wrestling is a small price for the extra leg room.

 

[Mark Hooton]

I am about 6'2 (or was, may be shrinking now I have passed 40) but do find the bike a bit tall, OK when riding, but trying to "reverse" the bloody thing is a pain.

I did not realise how much of a disadvantage it is until I rode the Tenere and Stelvio, both are a lot heavier than the GS, but still more manageble getting out of parking spots etc. and if you ever need to stop mid-hairpin in the Alps and find the floor is an extra 6 inches away your doomed on the GS.

Still did not stop me putting extra inch of foam in the seat and runing it in the high position (for more leg room) the odd bit of car park wrestling is a small price for the extra leg room.

I can see why you would need the extra leg room, Big Fella. I am sure you have it nailed but, and purely as a suggestion, have you considered an Airhawk to give you some extra height? thats, of course, if your FD hasn`t blown up

Best regards and thanks for your input,

Mark.

 

[BroX]

Bugger - looks as if I will be selling a set on lowered Wilbers pretty soon....

Or you can have them rebuilt to GSA specs. Wilbers quoted me the following a year ago:

Front Shock 630-0012
=> to 630-0465
Price: 75,00 Euro

Rear Shock 641-0501
=> to 641-0465
Price: 95,00 Euro

 

[leasky]

Thanks Brox, thats the cheapest option so far.

I will call them tomorrow.

Kindest regards,

Colin.