Dogbones?

[Guest MegaloManiac]

Im thinking about purchasing a bike in the summer, preferably a sports bike, like an R6. I am about 5'5" 5'6", I think i may need a dogbone to lower it about an inch. I'm curious on how much an excellent install costs for one?

[Mr. 973808]

I'm not sure but you can check these links

RoaringToyz.com

CandScustoms.com

StarCycle.com

Chaparreal Motorsports.com

[BURRITO]

mega, pm str86diesel hes the man to talk to about street bikes!!!

[Guest MegaloManiac]

pm sent

[str86diesel]

honestly I would highly discourage you from lowering a sportbike.

Quick Story: The wife and I both ride, she only stands about 5'5" and has a hard time touching the ground on most sportbikes. The most recent bike she had was a 2004 Honda F4i. We paid a guy to professionally lower the bike, with a dogbone in the back and bringing the forks up higher in the triple, to give the bike an even lower. We ended up with a 1.5 inch lowering job. It doesn't sound like much, but once she got into the canyons, she noticed that lowering the bike really affected how the bike dove into turns. She was having a really hard time cause the bike responsed slower and would dive in late. So I ended up putting the bike on stands and putting it back to factory height and whoola problem fixed, now the bike dove in corners like no other. But she was still having problems touching the ground, in which we all know is dangerous. Solution..well she traded in the bike. She was going between an R6 and the GSXR 600/750. Why...those bikes seem to have the lowest seat height. She ended up going with a GSXR750 and loves the bike.

Moral of the story: Do not buy a sportbike solely on looks (sit on several different types and see what fits you the best) and unless you are only going to ride on city streets and highways, I would highly discourage you from lowering it. It is better to buy boots with bigger soles then to absolutely ruin the handling of a sportbike and put yourself in danger.

That being said..if you absolutely need someone to lower the bike, a good installer will charge about $300/400 including parts (dogbones usually run about $100, keep in mind that dogbones only lower the back, you still have to raise the forks). Second, make sure they adjust the suspension to your size/weight. Lowering the suspenion and not compensating for the shortened length is extremely dangerous, especially in turns. Trust me, I have ridden on the track several times and have seen numberous riders, both beginners and experienced riders go down due to the suspension being out of adjustement. Do not put yourself at risk!!

Please excuse the mess in my garage..but attached are some pics of the bikes. The first one..is of the Wife's F4i before it was lowered.

Edited April 21, 2007 by str86diesel

[str86diesel]

Here is the wifes current bike...its an 06 GSXR 750

Then my baby of course..an 05 R1

[Mr. 973808]

Here is the wifes current bike...its an 06 GSXR 750

Then my baby of course..an 05 R1

Damn both bikes she had/has are nasty! Can she throw it up like the best of them lol?

[str86diesel]

Yeah I'm not much of a honda fan...and i think the throttle on the Zuk sucks..but I've gotta support her on what she wants. But I will tell ya this much, as of the end of last season her chickens strips were down to 1/2 inch. She's about 6 inches from having her knee down. I gotta give the woman props, she can rip the canyons up

[Guest MegaloManiac]

Im sure its harder to work on the newer hondas cause of that special suspension they put, where it tightens up as you catch some speed.

A friend told me that if u lower the back lower the front when doing the dogbone, he said it for the same reason about the turns, but you are saying lower the back and raise the front?

im kinda confused now.

i am looking into the R6s I'm not man enough yet for an R1 like you ..long time goal is for an r1

[str86diesel]

A friend told me that if u lower the back lower the front when doing the dogbone, he said it for the same reason about the turns, but you are saying lower the back and raise the front?

By rasing the forks, your actually lowering the front end. By raising the forks, I mean lift them through the triple clamp.

And if you haven't ridden and or don't have much experience, trust me, do not look at the R1's..lol They are beasts. Even the R6's have a lot of power.