Shorter rear shocks?

[ss2wheels_imp]

Has anyone found shorter rear shocks or a lowering block for the rear?I would like to drop the front and the back just about an inch,life is hard somtimes at 5-5.

[Randy B]

Be very weary of speed bumps if you do this. I have to avoid them as it is because I will bottom out the CAT on them.
Oh...and you might be better served by getting a stock seat from Japan. They are lower to begin with (short people over there don't ya know) and that would make it easier to sell on later if you so chose.

[ss2wheels_imp]

Be very weary of speed bumps if you do this. I have to avoid them as it is because I will bottom out the CAT on them.
Oh...and you might be better served by getting a stock seat from Japan. They are lower to begin with (short people over there don't ya know) and that would make it easier to sell on later if you so chose.

Is yours lowered Randy?

[Guth_imp]

I would second the idea of looking for a lower seat, or having your seat modified.

[Randy B]

Be very weary of speed bumps if you do this. I have to avoid them as it is because I will bottom out the CAT on them.
Oh...and you might be better served by getting a stock seat from Japan. They are lower to begin with (short people over there don't ya know) and that would make it easier to sell on later if you so chose.

Is yours lowered Randy?

Is yours lowered Randy?
Nope...stock height.

[davidsargee_imp]

Speed bumps on my street, , hate'em. I haven't bottomed on them, but must be very careful.

+1 on Japanese seat, or modify the stock seat. .

[redbirds_imp]

I would recommend a lower seat also. I'm vertically challenged also at 5'6". I had the seat of my ST1300 customized and made lower a few years ago and it worked out well. Sargent in Jacksonville, FL and Spencer, also in FL do great seat mods at a modest cost.

http://greatdaytoride.com/Home_Page.php

http://www.sargentcycle.com/

[Aussieflyer]

I'd be happy to swap my standard seat with a taller seat - I'll put up a post in the FS section. The Aussie bikes came out with the low Japanese seat and as I am 6'1" it is not so good for me. BTW my seat is as new ... spends 99% of the time on the shelf as my bike has a single seat.

[flynrider]

Be very weary of speed bumps if you do this. I have to avoid them as it is because I will bottom out the CAT on them.
Oh...and you might be better served by getting a stock seat from Japan. They are lower to begin with (short people over there don't ya know) and that would make it easier to sell on later if you so chose.

So, it's not just me. I noticed that my CAT scrapes if I ride out of my driveway onto the street at an angle (and it's a fairly gentle slope). Last week I came up on a speed bump in a parking lot and made sure to go nice and slow but still ended up with a light scrape.

This is my first bike with a big CAT sitting under it and the first bike that I had to worry about bottoming out under relatively normal riding conditions.

I +1 Randy's suggesting to lower the seat instead. You can buy a lower seat, or have a local upholstery shop shave some foam off of your original and recover.

[Pertegaz_imp]

In my case I lowered the front fork brackets about half inch and set the rear shocks to the softer set up, and my CAT scraped some times... shorter rear shocks will be a nightmare...