Hey all, I am a bit on the short side 5'4", o.k. I'm extremely short! and I was wondering if it is possible to shorten the front forks or to buy shorter forks that fit without too much trouble. The rear shocks are already at the lowest setting. My feet touch the ground but I am not able to have my feet totally flat on the ground. Pain in the ass at a stoplight on an upward incline. Any suggestions besides grow, use taller shoes, etc...ha ha!
Short rider
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Loosen the triple tree and slide up the forks 2 inches max. Then you can lower the rear by moving the preload adjustment down to none.
Don't some of the guys fit shorter Sportster shocks in the rear? If you do that swap make sure you use proper weight springs. You can also take off the cover of the seat and cut down the foam some then put the cover back on. If you lower the bike a significant amount make sure you redo the side stand shorter as well. As far as the center stand I don't like them at all and removed mine permantly, I use a paddock stand for the garage work. Preload doesn't really change the length of the shock.
Cheers, 50gary
Cheers, 50gary
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If you want short you should meet Blindsitches lady friend. She is under 5ft ... but I'll bet she is cuter than you!
(If you are a guy that is ...)
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Fitted 11" shocks on mine from Cycle Recycle about 6 1/2 years ago.. not sure if the site is still in business. They helped a lot.
When you slide your forks up, you're not giving it as much room to travel on bumps. Consider alternative fork oil weights if this starts to be an issue. It might ride a little more rough, but you won't bottom out as much. There are also options with modifying (or replacing) the fork springs, but hopefully that's not something you need to get into as it can be a pain.
You should really take a look at some higher-end motorcycle boots too. I had to drop quite a bit for the pair I use, but they came with steel toes, a sewn-in shifter pad, and 2" heels at the back. Didn't necessarily need them that tall for regular riding, but it's a lot better to have some bend in your needs than standing straight-legged at a stoplight. Easier on your knees too.
When you slide your forks up, you're not giving it as much room to travel on bumps. Consider alternative fork oil weights if this starts to be an issue. It might ride a little more rough, but you won't bottom out as much. There are also options with modifying (or replacing) the fork springs, but hopefully that's not something you need to get into as it can be a pain.
You should really take a look at some higher-end motorcycle boots too. I had to drop quite a bit for the pair I use, but they came with steel toes, a sewn-in shifter pad, and 2" heels at the back. Didn't necessarily need them that tall for regular riding, but it's a lot better to have some bend in your needs than standing straight-legged at a stoplight. Easier on your knees too.
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