[SDSUsnowboards]

The thread title is the question. What different ways are there to lower the front? I had mine lowered some amount I don't know and I don't know how it was done either. I'm looking to reverse it and put my bike closer to original height.

SG1, how did yours get done?

 

[The Chad]

on my bike all you have to do is loosen the triple clamps and move the fork tubes up or down in the tripple clamps. Mind you I don't know about the f4i, if that is the bike you're talking about, but the 929 has got a locater ring on the fork tubes of where the lower triple clamp is supose to sit.

 

[SuzukiGirl1]

Mine was lowered by using Dogbones. On mine, both the front and back were lowered about 1.4-2 inches.

 

[SDSUsnowboards]

You can use a dogbone to lower the front forks?

 

[themeatmanlandry]

No. That's for the back end, I believe. Most likely her bike was lowered by slipping the forks around in the clamps. Never lowered one, but I believe what I just wrote is correct.

[EDIT: They say it changes your bike's handling drastically to move the forks around in the clamps.]

 

[DrBob]

Often people get shorter springs for inside the forks, and lower the bike that way. The only way to undo it is to buy stock-length springs.

 

[SDSUsnowboards]

What about preload? I never messed with it, but I can tell it's not at it's stock setting. Does preload raise/lower the forks?

 

[Gixxerdale]

Check this out. It lists your bike.

http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_susp_settings/#honda

Keep in mind these are just guidelines. Style, terrain and weight will all affect the handling. Start here and then fine tune, in baby steps, not big changes.

Here is a tuning guide. Should cover the questions.

http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0006_susp/

 

[SDSUsnowboards]

Wow, that is such a wealth of knowledge right there. I can't wait to get my bike closer to normal height so I can get to turning the suspension. I actually like it right now at whatever it's at. I may have too much compression damping as the rear end of the bike gets thrown on some medium/big bumps. On the other side of things, I wish the suspension didn't compress so much in turns but I guess that's a double sided sword right there.

So, I ask again tho, does preload affect ride height? It seems like it does to me but I want to make sure.

 

[themeatmanlandry]

Let's see . . . the preload is set by turning a collar up and down, tightening aginst a spring, or at least it is on my bike. I'm going to say that it WILL have some effect on the ride height. The maximum effect would be somewhere less than the distance that that collar can travel on the threads (due to the compression of the spring).

I'm guessing here, sitting at a desk . . . anyone know for sure?