Lower front ride height HELP

[akira700]

Trying to lower my bike onto my bike on to the front forks a few millimeters to sharpen the geometry.

I have loosened the top triple clamp bolts
the handlebar pinch bolts, and the bolts on the lower triple clamp...

I won't drop though... not a budge...
I've been hopping up and down on the tank and its not moving an inch.

Any ideas to get the fork tubes loose ?

My last bike (F3) dropped radically after just loosening the bolts.

-akira

[OreoGaborio]

I assume it's on a stem stand? Dont push the bike down to the wheel, pull the wheel up to the bike.

[akira700]

thanks... but its on fork stand and rear stand.. the fork stand is
the kind that hits the bottom of the fork tubes...

I think I need to hit the triple clamps with some wd-40, maybe.

-akira

[OreoGaborio]

ummm... can ya do it w/ a forks stand? yeah, probably... would I do it? no... Just my opinion here, but i'd get a proper stem stand to do that.

[akira700]

well that was fun !
First I'm outside in my shed and its like someone was taking a bag of rock salt and was throwing it at me....
Hail... it was crazy...

So after some WD-40 and racheting the fork around in thier triple clamps while sitting on the tank... the thing just dropped like WHAM !
Now I got about 10 inches of fork tube showing. I was aiming for 3-5 mm ! Panic...

I find out later that my bike had these little spring clips that sit under the handlebar clamps that prevent it from sliding down... So I ended up scratching the nice gold anodizing on the forks...
anyway... I'm still in panic mode...

So I get out the trusty racheting tie downs and crank the bike up toward the ceiling and finally get it back into shape... I mean I had it almost so the oil pan as on the ground !

I coulda gone for the lowrider effect that's popular around my neighborhood with Honda Civics ! I woulda been the coolest !

Anyway now I need to ride the thing to see how its set up. The thing was a bit piggish to turn side to side...
Now its probably too skittish and unstable...
well see.

[Degsy]

your bike has small springs (like circlips) holding the clip-ons above a certain height on the fork. The forks won't move down until you remove them.

[Degsy]

Oh, I guess you already worked that out, LOL.

[OreoGaborio]

Originally posted by Degsy
Oh, I guess you already worked that out, LOL.

Yeah, he lowered it no PROBLEMO!

[Degsy]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
Yeah, he lowered it no PROBLEMO!

?

[OreoGaborio]

Just sayin he got it lowered... "no problemo"

Originally posted by akira700
... the thing just dropped like WHAM !
Now I got about 10 inches of fork tube showing. I was aiming for 3-5 mm

Lesson learned... next time use a stem stand... 400lbs of metal doesn't levitate by itself. Get somethin that grabs the bike in a way that it isn't gonna fall to the ground next time.

[akira700]

thansk yall,

Well what I was going to do was to take my scissor jack from my car to brace it under the oil pan and slowly lower it. But since it wasnt budging I took it out of the way so I could jump up and down on it.

The fricking spring clips !
Now I know.

Shoulda looked more closely at the service manual.

Anyway it was productive day... spent most of it resoldering the stock signals back on to the bike and gonna sell the LED blinkers on EBAY. The stock ones at least serve as running lights and are more conspicuous in traffic. Now no one can call me a squid !

anyone want LP LED signals and a Fender eliminator kit for an RR ?

[Awesome]

You should buy a service manual. When you're working on anything, never force it, you'll just fuck it up. Rule number two, use the right tools for the job. Had you waited, Degs, myself and I'm sure a few others could have told you about the clips.

[akira700]

Ok after a day and a half of riding around... some commuting and joy riding.... I have to say: WOW !

I dropped the front about 6 mm.

Man, that time spent was so worth it...
pound for pound its the best mod that I have done since I got the bike.

Before its was an Abram Tank and now its like a bob sled... it just tips in fast and rails ! Well its wasnt really a tank but it was slow turning...or typical Honda "stable". It was hard work and alot of body english. I am worried a bit about getting head shakes now. But so far so good. Think I need to get running up out of the bowl and over the hill at Louden to really know about that, as its I can't really stretch it out here in Boston.

Now around sharp turns, all it takes is the thought of turning.

I think actually I might back it off about 25% and raise it a hair and see what that does. Just taking off all the plastic to access the bolts on the 600 RR really sucks.

I read a thing over on Sport Rider Magazine site that had a process where you would lessen the front preload by a certain amount then ride... if you liked the handling better then you would equate that with lowering the front ride height by a certain amount and cranking back the preload to its original "proper" position. That's sort of what I did... but no formula. I'll see if I can dig up that link, if anyone is interested.
-akira

[akira700]

Here is the article:
http://sportrider.com/tech/146_0402_susp/index.html
See Step 5
good overall run down of all the terms and how to start.

Anyway I can't say enough how much better my bike feels now. No sign of head shakes on the street and its so sharp now !