LOWERING MY 2000 GZ250

[sharon_koontz]

I recently bought a 2000 GZ250 because it has a really low seat height which works well for me because I have short legs. I still would like to lower the bike by atleast an inch but have been unsuccessful at finding a lowering kit. Does anybody have any ideas?

[music man]

You are not likely to find any parts to help you with that. You are probably going to have to find someone who can fabricate you some parts to do that with. In case you haven't already noticed, there really isn't ANY aftermarket parts for the GZ250.

[dhgeyer]

And the seat is already so low that there would be virtually no demand for such products.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by sharon_koontz

I still would like to lower the bike by atleast an inch but have been unsuccessful at finding a lowering kit. Does anybody have any ideas?

It would be pretty easy to take an inch of padding out of the seat; that would be about half of it. If you have sufficient "natural padding" and you don't do a lot of LONG trips, that might work out OK.

[Water Warrior 2]

This shouldn't be that big a deal without messing with the seat. Some one here said S-40 shocks were a bit shorter and might fit. Check with your local dealer for length and diameter. Or just look at other small bikes with a tape measure in hand. As for the front, easy no cost lowering. Just raise the front forks in their clamps the same amount you lower the rear. One inch shorter shocks equal one inch rise in the forks. This will lower the bike equally at both ends without upsetting steering angles and dynamics. The side stand will keep the bike in a more upright position but that can be cured by grinding down the side stand stop or filing a little to retain the proper angle of lean. The aftermarket will no doubt have better prices for shocks than a dealer. Also an easy job at home with a minimum of tools.

[dhgeyer]

S-40 shocks are made for a different, heavier bike with a different suspension system. Installing them on a GZ250 will likely affect handling and ride. This could be dangerous. When engineers design a vehicle, they have to make sure everything matches in order to get stability, particularly when cornering. I would not put any suspension components on any bike that wasn't made for it, or at least made to be compatible with it. That doesn't rule out the aftermarket. Even when you buy aftermarket suspension components, they are designated by the manufacturer for certain bikes. The problem is that for this bike there isn't much of an aftermarket.

[Dupo]

Of course it will affect handling and ride ...

I dont think Honda had struts in mind when they designed my bike. Or a 7 degree rake modification.... I wouldn't consider it dangerous, im still alive. Bike handles different, but you get used to it and adapt.

[dhgeyer]

Originally Posted by Dupo

I dont think Honda had struts in mind when they designed my bike. Or a 7 degree rake modification.... I wouldn't consider it dangerous, im still alive. Bike handles different, but you get used to it and adapt.

Depends on what you mean by dangerous. I would bet large sums of money that if you went to an MSF range and tried the swerving exercise on your bike, and someone else did it on a stock version of the same model, assuming similar experience and ability, you would be noticeably less able to avoid trouble. Unless you are an engineer with training and experience in motorcycle design, you are not going to beat the factory setup for handling.

Does that mean your bike is dangerous? Well, how much increased risk must there be to use that word? As you say, you are still alive, and so are lots of people who ride all sorts of far more extreme designs.

Not a risk I want to take, but I wish you well and hope your luck holds.

[music man]

True enough, a chopper style bike like Dupo's is probably not as quick and maneuverable as a stock shadow, BUT, I would bet money that it is twice as stable and safe going down the highway doing 70 just because of the wheelbase difference alone. So just like a car or anything else, you have to give up something to gain something, Plus it looks real cool too :2tup: .

And even if you are an motorcycle design engineer you are not going to make a stretched out model of a bike handle as good as its more compact wheel-based twin, its just not going to happen, that would be like trying to make a limo handle like the stock car that it was based on.

[dhgeyer]

How many riders die because they can't make a curve and run off the road? According to the Hurt Report it's the leading cause of motorcycle fatalities. Not the leading cause of accidents, but the leading cause of fatalities. The leading cause of accidents is drivers turning left or pulling out in front of a motorcycle. If more riders had better swerving ability, many of those accidents could be avoided. That's why the MSF emphasizes countersteering and swerving so heavily in its courses.

How many riders die because they run off the road, or do an unintended lane change going 70 on the highway? None that I ever heard of, and statistically not enough to count.

I'll play the odds and leave my suspension and steering alone. I don't care one whit if my bike doesn't look cool. It doesn't look clean either most of the time.