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-   -   Lowering info and experience please guys. ( https://www.xt660.com/showthread.php?t=21205)

Gibbo1974 11-08-13 10:34
Lowering info and experience please guys.
 
Well I finally picked up the bike yesterday and after what is possibly the longest ever transaction in the history of bike sales (at least an hour) and I was riding home on my new bike.

I love it, great to ride and loads of fun in the country lanes, I think I need to get into cruising a bit more as the buffeting was quite bad but then I was doing 85mph and realised I should slow down a bit and enjoy the scenery, my last bike was an R1 and everything was done in a rush....

Anyway, I'm only 5'7 and need to lower it a bit, I've only just got my tip toes on the floor so it needs to be done.

How low should I go ? I hear that when you add the lowering bones it increases the leverage on the suspension and it can go down more than you want it to.

I was thinking 50mm ? anyone dropped it by 50 and how did it go ?

I will be dropping the front too to keep the balance.

any help welcome guys and thanks in advance...

Petenz 11-08-13 11:51
I went down 50mm on my XTR...
was great....
BUT....
I dented the MM pipe with the brake caliper & smashed the
inner guard under full suspention compression..
I now have it set at 30mm lower..
I made my own links..
every 10mm longer drops the rear 25mm..

I think the XTZ is diffrent....

Austin 11-08-13 12:13
How does the side stand cope after lowering by about 30mm?


Sent from my iPhone with a smile :)

Petenz 11-08-13 12:52
Quote:
Originally Posted by Austin (Post 190544)
How does the side stand cope after lowering by about 30mm?


Sent from my iPhone with a smile :)
i would say 30mm the limit before you need to shorten it..
it can still be a pain on uneven ground...
i have taken 50mm out of mine the extra lean
makes it easyer to thow yer leg over...

marques 11-08-13 13:42
I would wait a few months, you might change your mind. I am not so tall so ive had to consider new boots and how i handle the bike.

Pleiades 11-08-13 14:02
Quote:
Originally Posted by marques (Post 190548)
I would wait a few months, you might change your mind.
+1 There are many riders of your height who get on fine with the XTZ after they've got used to it and modified their mounting/dismounting and riding techniques.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Petenz (Post 190546)
i would say 30mm the limit before you need to shorten it...
That would probably be a good rule of thumb on a showroom fresh bike, but once the Ten's done a few miles the shock settles and eventually begins to sag. By 5K miles mine was getting very precarious on the side stand on anything other than dead flat ground, and that's without having lowered the suspension.

Gibbo1974 11-08-13 14:39
Hi chaps, thanks for info so far....

The bike is 4300 miles old so not brand new and has maybe had time to sag a bit.

I'm definitely going to lower it a bit as it just doesn't feel safe not being able to get a decent foot print on the floor.

What I'm after is any experience from guys who have lowered the bike, I hear that the TDM dog bones fit and lower the tenere a bit, any idea on that anyone ?

Thanks again.:confused:

foggy 12-08-13 21:27
I have dropped my XTZ by 50mm using
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3508359837...84.m1439.l2649 (Brilliant service & next day delivery)
and dropped the forks through the yolks by (from memory) about 20mm.

Also backed off the preload at the front completely & reduced the sidestand length by 20mm.

With hindsight, 20mm wasn't enough. Ok on flat hard standing, but a bit to upright most of the time. I might wind the preload back up a bit to get the lean on the stand. Also, it's a REAL effort to get the bike onto the centre stand now!

I did all this because I collected the XT660Z brand new, 60 miles into my 1st ride between Bala & Trawnsfynyd on a single track road, went to dismount to open a cattle gate, heel caught the seat and I found myself on the brink of falling backwards down a hillside, possibly with the bike following me. Ripped my left arm tendons trying to hold the bike (3 weeks on and still painful). Hence the mods.

I'm going to splash out on a kahedo low seat as I find the standard seat the most uncomfy seat on any bike I have ever owned.

Having said all that, I love the bike. Can't wait for it to be run in. Hope this helps

Petenz 13-08-13 08:32
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pleiades (Post 190549)



That would probably be a good rule of thumb on a showroom fresh bike, but once the Ten's done a few miles the shock settles and eventually begins to sag. By 5K miles mine was getting very precarious on the side stand on anything other than dead flat ground, and that's without having lowered the suspension.
I see your thinking.... which would apply to 99 out of a 100 bikes...
But wheather new or done 100,000k it still should have the same static sag
it's part of setting the suspention...

Pleiades 13-08-13 09:07
Quote:
Originally Posted by Petenz (Post 190588)
But wheather new or done 100,000k it still should have the same static sag
Not necessarily. A weakened spring (which is what the Z suffers from) means that the spring rate is lowered as each coil sits slightly closer to the next. So the static sag reduces at a directly proportional rate to that at which the spring rate is reduced (by stress, fatigue and collapsing coil spacing.)

On the Z, most owners find that this manifests itself as having to dial in more and more preload as the bike mileage builds up just to keep static and dynamic sag within the correct range... Until you run out of preload adjustment, and ultimately need a spring or shock change.

Gibbo1974 13-08-13 09:19
Quote:
Originally Posted by foggy (Post 190572)
I have dropped my XTZ by 50mm using
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3508359837...84.m1439.l2649 (Brilliant service & next day delivery)
and dropped the forks through the yolks by (from memory) about 20mm.

Also backed off the preload at the front completely & reduced the sidestand length by 20mm.

With hindsight, 20mm wasn't enough. Ok on flat hard standing, but a bit to upright most of the time. I might wind the preload back up a bit to get the lean on the stand. Also, it's a REAL effort to get the bike onto the centre stand now!

I did all this because I collected the XT660Z brand new, 60 miles into my 1st ride between Bala & Trawnsfynyd on a single track road, went to dismount to open a cattle gate, heel caught the seat and I found myself on the brink of falling backwards down a hillside, possibly with the bike following me. Ripped my left arm tendons trying to hold the bike (3 weeks on and still painful). Hence the mods.

I'm going to splash out on a kahedo low seat as I find the standard seat the most uncomfy seat on any bike I have ever owned.

Having said all that, I love the bike. Can't wait for it to be run in. Hope this helps
Hey Foggy that's a great reply mate just out of interest how much of your feet touch the ground now when sitting square on the bike like you would at lights etc.

I also find the seat a real pain in the arse, I can only manage about 20 miles before I start needing to shuffle around...

I've ordered 30mm lowering kit from eBay and will see how it goes...

Please let me know how you get on with that Kahedo seat....I'm keen to know how different/comfy they are...

In the meantime I am going to bring my seat indoors and us it as a seat whilst working and watching tv to try and break it in a bit.:smile[2]:

cheers again....

majland 19-08-13 11:44
Just bough an 2011 xt660z abs and is has been lowered by the front forks and I suspect that it is also lowered in the rear links. Owner did'nt know - had just asked to get it lowered 2years ago

What is the standard length of the two plates - mine are 125mm center to center of the bolts.

(If they are standard I'll probably rise it a bit to get more space below it. It is replacing a xtz750 that is raised a bit so not afraid of getting higher from the ground. Could also use a higher seat but the kahedo is more than a bit expensive ...)

Gibbo1974 19-08-13 12:11
Quote:
Originally Posted by majland (Post 190860)
Just bough an 2011 xt660z abs and is has been lowered by the front forks and I suspect that it is also lowered in the rear links. Owner did'nt know - had just asked to get it lowered 2years ago

What is the standard length of the two plates - mine are 125mm center to center of the bolts.

(If they are standard I'll probably rise it a bit to get more space below it. It is replacing a xtz750 that is raised a bit so not afraid of getting higher from the ground. Could also use a higher seat but the kahedo is more than a bit expensive ...)
Hi Majland.

I will go and measure mine in a minute and see. if yours are lower than the ones I have now maybe we could swap ?

Yours will go up, mine will go down, everybody is happy....:eusa_clap:

Gibbo1974 19-08-13 12:16
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gibbo1974 (Post 190862)
Hi Majland.

I will go and measure mine in a minute and see. if yours are lower than the ones I have now maybe we could swap ?

Yours will go up, mine will go down, everybody is happy....:eusa_clap:
125mm is standard.....:disgust:

majland 19-08-13 12:35
Thankyou for measuring.

Would have been nice just to swap them.

But now i know that i just need to look for somone to rise it and a higher seat.

Gibbo1974 19-08-13 14:55
Quote:
Originally Posted by majland (Post 190864)
Thankyou for measuring.

Would have been nice just to swap them.

But now i know that i just need to look for somone to rise it and a higher seat.
there is a company in the states that do an adjustable set of links for it...

they are on eBay...:032:

Pleiades 19-08-13 15:48
Quote:
Originally Posted by majland (Post 190860)
Just bough an 2011 xt660z abs and is has been lowered by the front forks and I suspect that it is also lowered in the rear links. Owner did'nt know - had just asked to get it lowered 2years ago

What is the standard length of the two plates - mine are 125mm center to center of the bolts.

(If they are standard I'll probably rise it a bit to get more space below it. It is replacing a xtz750 that is raised a bit so not afraid of getting higher from the ground. Could also use a higher seat but the kahedo is more than a bit expensive ...)
The ABS Ten is much lower as standard. The links maybe 125mm, but I don't believe that's how they were lowered at the factory. Yamaha quotes reduced travel of 160mm (I recall) front and rear, so I suspect that the fork tubes/springs are shorter and also the shock too on the XT660ZA model (particularly if the ZA dog bones are the same length as a normal Ten).

I think some further investigation maybe required...


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