Worked on the bike today...

[Bob KellyIII]

it's been great weather here the last week so I decided to lower the front of the XR650L a bit more... I've been wanting to do that for quite some time so today I finally got the job done.... yesterday I lowered the rear a tiny bit more
as I found I was not flat footing it most of the time.... just touching with the balls of my feet.... so a bit lower would not hurt at all.
I measured the front forks at how far they stick up from the tripple trees
and their both right at 3" now and I estimate the rear is lowered 4"....
the frame where the engine is looks quite level now, before it was tilted up a bit
(now it's not)
the swing arm in the rear is almost horozontal now.... so it is alot lower than it used to be.
..... it's really really close to having a 30" seat height now !
...
sense I have taken out most of the ground clearance I am seriously thinking of buying a good crash plate for the engine !
.....
Bob........

[DannoXYZ]

You're weird! I take all my bikes off-roading. No lowering or reducing ground-clearance needed..

[Bob KellyIII]

No.... I'm SHORT ! and I refuse to ride a bike that was made for a 7' tall person and suffer the problems that causes...it really is supprising how much better the bike is when you can touch the ground on it...
...too each their own ! not everyone sees the need to lower a tall bike and that is fine, even though you are the one missing out, if that is what you want go right ahead....
but I will put in the time and effort to make the bike fit me... sense I have been doing that sense before I got my drivers license, i really see no reason to stop
, And many reasons to continue with the practice ....LOL
.....
it must be tough being so tall !
.......
Bob.....

[DannoXYZ]

Heh, heh... i'm 5'4" and take my Africa Twin up that hill often!

[Bob KellyIII]

LOL that's funny ! I am 5'9" and have a 30" inseam most all bikes are too tall for me I feel if you can't flat foot it setting in the saddle you shouldn't be on it
.... but that philosophy went away in the 1980's as the bikes got taller now it's ok...... but I know the difference it makes and you really do have alot more control over the bike if it's lower to the ground....
You should try that with your African twin Danno ! seriously ! it's not like your going to crush the underside of the bike because it's so much lower.... bring your ground clearance down to 6" and see how much better that top heavy bike feels !..... I think you have like 8" of ground clearance don't you ?
my XR650L had so much ground clearance I could crawl under it ! over 12"
and you do not need that much.... of course when going over logs every inch of ground clearance helps.... but I'm not into hopping logs any more.... there was a time when I hunted for logs to hop over as it was a good challenge but not anymore.... I just putt putt around mostly.
Bob........

[Bob KellyIII]

here's a few pic's to give you an idea how much lower it is than stock.
just for S&G's LOL
Bob....
sorry. the pictures are upside down and my picture manipulating program refuses to run for some reason... grrrr

[Triple Jim]

Was this when you were in Australia, Bob?

[Bob KellyIII]

LOL Nope never been there buddy ! just held the dern phone the wrong way again...
and my picture tool won't load my Kid says half of windows isn't working on my computer for some reason and no idea on how to fix it (which is a first!) so I gott'a try another program to straighten them up !.....I'll get to it
HEHEHEH
Bob.......

[Bob KellyIII]

Ok my Kid came in and gave dear old dad some schooling and fixed my pictures for me..... and we used a different picture program called infran view or something like that because the paint program doesn't work anymore
anyway....it seems that my programs do not worry about the orientation but the Web site does.... so it is back to turning the picture a few times save it under another name and then post it !
....live and learn I guess LOL
anyway you can see the difference between my very first pictures of the bike and the lowered version there is quite a difference in height
I have a picture of it where in stock form the seat where my but sits is at my belt height !!!! so that is a big drop... more than the numbers tell I think it's all of 5" lower than stock now
....
Bob......

[Bob KellyIII]

I think the ground clearance is right around 9.5" when I am on it as it does squat a bit.... about 1.5" to 2" max....
when I bounce on the seat the side stand hits the pavement when it's straight vertical
so there is no longer a big lean to the bike on the side stand.
....and she goes like a bat out'a hell if you give her the throttle !
Bob....

[DannoXYZ]

Well, I started riding on RM80 in friend's backyard when I was only 4'11". It has seat 4" higher than Ninja 250. So I figured that was normal having seat around my neck level! I learned to ride bikes that way. Never gave me any troubles how tall they were. Riding horses also helped with controlling bikes.

I also like getting air on my bikes, so having as much ground clearance as possible helps prevent damage when landing.

Some tips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IMtZzrsfAQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etqqzJ06R90

[Bob KellyIII]

LOL I understand the getting air ! Me too ! but I don't get carried away with it !
Don't get me wrong I am NOT saying everyone should lower their bikes ! you simply don't have to.... but if you DO you will find your bike is ever so much easier to deal with !
you know....to each their own ! when I started riding in I think it was 1968 maybe 65 not real sure on that.... I was also a horse rider and rode bare back alot of the time.... that teaches you to squeeze the tank with your legs, if you don't on a horse they will make a quick side step and watch you fall off ! our horse "Sugar" did that to us Kids and you could see she was laughing her ass off ! yes she was ornery and a pet she would come into the house if we let her ! ...but I liked riding the bike better than riding the horse...the bike did what I told it to not so much the horse ! going over the logs that she would jump though took a long time to figure out how to do without tearing up the bike ... but I did finally accomplish it and did every log she did.... my sister on the horse and me on my bike and I kept up ! one log was 3' in diameter that was a bugger to get over ! but I did it ! LOL wheel up engine on the log and let the momentum carry you over..... you can't be reluctant or you will not make it, it's all or nothing !
.... in my youth I had very good balance.... now not so much ! I think it is one of those use it or loose it things ! .... although my riding has helped that alot I am not good at balancing any more..... I had a 20' 2x4 laying on the ground by the barn when I was a kid and I practiced riding on it with my bike ...I think now I would be lucky to do 10 feet !.... I've used that skill several times on the highway.... when you need to "thread the needle" with your bike you have to know how to do it !!!
I would imagen you do that every track day if you don't you go down !
that is too much for this old man, but I do admire the skill it takes when I see it !
I think I've watched every video she put out on "short riders" but I totally disagree with her conclusions.... Yes you can gain the skills to ride a big tall heavy bike but you don't have to, just lower the damm thing !!!! but that is not what she is teaching !
I've never seen a video on youtube about Lowering any motorcycle but 95%of the bikes being sold today need that badly..... so why is that ? I suppose because like you they have been riding tall bikes all their lives and along the way they learned how to do it
so they don't NEED to lower it..... however when the fella is as old as dirt and rode low bikes in his youth he is going to have a wake up call when it comes to riding todays bikes.... it doesn't have to be that way.... even for old codgers.... just lower the bike !
..... lol that's what I say and I'm stickin' to it !
.... and I did get the pictures to work ! ta-da !
....
Bob........

[Bob KellyIII]

looking at those pictures of before and after.... I think I may have to add half of a turn on the rear to raise it up a scoche ! I don't want the tire to hit the fender in the rear after all ! LOL

Bob........