Need to undo lowering kit!

[skilletmo]

Ok so after many rides with my lowered ninja from the previous owner which i was pretty damn short, i started to get sick of looking like a giant on a ninja. Im 5'11 and 165lbs and im feeling a little feminine on a small looking bike! lol aside from my rear tire hitting the rear tail fender and almost completely cracking it the other day (passenger on)! So i want to raise it back to the actual stock size. Do i need to get the stock links or is it adjustable to where i can just crank it up and adjust the links back to normal? I only want to raise the rear side not the front!

3 Pictures:

One with Me on the bike and how big i look on it...

Second with the bike alone (look how low the tail is)

Lastly how a normal tail for a ninja 2008 tail supposed to look.

[Joshorilla]

You will need to get the stock links from what I am aware of, as the lowering kits are a complete replacement of the thingymabobs and not an adjustment, perhaps you could message a user on here whom is looking to lower their bike or has lowered their bike for a swap / purchase of stock parts?

[skilletmo]

Thats actually a very good idea, but that person will have to be willing on not riding for a week or so until i receive it and put them on and send the old one back. It will take one day to put em on but ya you get my point. If i cant find anyone then ya i might need to just get a stock one and sell my aftermarket ones.

One last question! when putting them on, while the bike is on the jack and i take off the lowering links, will the bike pop back to stock height or will i have to adjust it to how high i want it?

[Boosted139]

Depends on your lowering links. For example, the roaring toyz links have different holes that would allow to go back to stock height.

[skilletmo]

Originally Posted by Boosted139

Depends on your lowering links. For example, the roaring toyz links have different holes that would allow to go back to stock height.

HMM I KNEW IT! Ok great news! Now lets hope mine have something like those! How can you tell if its an adjustable one or one you can adjust? Can you show me a pic or link?

[Boosted139]

If you look at the link and it has tons of different holes in it, then it's adjustable. Basically just unbolt and rebolt to the appropriate hole.

There's some pics in this thread
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showt...ight=diy+lower

[skilletmo]

Danm, then i think mine is some no name brand link.... It looks like it might be a stock? Is there anyway of lowering it with the stock?

Here how it looks:

[skilletmo]

Its just plain, looks simple

[Boosted139]

Yeah those wouldn't be adjustable. You'd have to measure the dog bones eye to eye to see if they're stock. You can just search for the stock length

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by skilletmo

Danm, then i think mine is some no name brand link.... It looks like it might be a stock? Is there anyway of lowering it with the stock?

Here how it looks:

Yes, your links are longer than the stock ones (also known as dog-bones).

This article explains how your modification was done; therefore, you need to follow the same process in reverse:

http://www.ninjette.org/wiki/Lowering

Now, modifying the rear height only, will change the geometry and sensitivity of your steering if the front suspension was also lowered by the PO (as your pictures seem to show).

A bike with a nose-down-pitch attitude (like yours may be now if the front suspension was never lowered) has a more nervous or responsive steering.
A bike with a nose-up-pitch attitude (like yours may be after you bring it back to stock) has a more stable or self-centering steering.

[skilletmo]

Ya i saw that forum, very helpful. So now i need to get stock ones i guess! If only i could find them... None on eBay, i tried every words search lol. Hopefully someone on this forum will have some! Just gotta keep looking. Thanks Hernan, Justin, and Josh for the help! Much appreciated!

[skilletmo]

Found them here (ROD-TIE,SUSPENSION is the name of it) for future references:


Part #39111-0076

http://www.kawasakipartshouse.com/oe...hock-absorber#

Although i would never spend 40$ on them plus shipping (extra). My advise and what im going to do, is find them cheaper and used! Unless you got the money, but being a high school senior I don't lol.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by skilletmo

One last question! when putting them on, while the bike is on the jack and i take off the lowering links, will the bike pop back to stock height or will i have to adjust it to how high i want it?

Best way I found to do that was to put a small wedge of wood under the wheel. You can move the wedge forward or backward to change how high the wheel is.

Don't forget:
you can't use a swingarm stand to get the rear off the ground; that still leaves weight on the swingarm. You want to find a way to raise the rear and keep the swingarm/rear suspension unweighted.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by skilletmo

....My advise and what im going to do, is find them cheaper and used!.....

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=...rods&_osacat=0

[skilletmo]

are those the stock ones?! If so i really love you

[skilletmo]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/08-12-Kawasa...44bf52&vxp=mtr

[skilletmo]

Nvm it is, i love you bro! Perfect price too!

Just bought it!

It came with something like in this picture on ebay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/2011-KAWASAK...243823&vxp=mtr) , since the picture is no longer on eBay cause i bought it. It came with 2 dog bones and a "knuckle"? Do i need this knuckle? or can i attach it to the knuckle thats on my bike already?

[Boosted139]

Just attach it to the knuckle already on your bike.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by skilletmo

.......Do i need this knuckle? or can i attach it to the knuckle thats on my bike already?

Keep the knuckle for spare parts (especially the O-rings), unless it is in better condition than yours (less play or corrosion).

If you have time to spare, this may be a good moment to clean and lube the pivot of the swing-arm and the internals of both knuckles:

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Servicing_the_swingarm

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Uni_Tra...ge_Lubrication

Caveat: This is a time consuming and messy service task that should be done every 6,000 miles (need room for cleaning of parts and for support of the bike, as well as a couple of days).

[choneofakind]

Yes. If you have time, do the unitrak service. It makes the rear end so much smoother. If the back end is already taken apart and off the ground, it's just a matter of doing the cleaning and re-greasing.

[ChaoSS]

Originally Posted by skilletmo

Ok so after many rides with my lowered ninja from the previous owner which i was pretty damn short, i started to get sick of looking like a giant on a ninja. Im 5'11 and 165lbs and im feeling a little feminine on a small looking bike! lol aside from my rear tire hitting the rear tail fender and almost completely cracking it the other day (passenger on)! So i want to raise it back to the actual stock size. Do i need to get the stock links or is it adjustable to where i can just crank it up and adjust the links back to normal? I only want to raise the rear side not the front!

3 Pictures:

One with Me on the bike and how big i look on it...

Second with the bike alone (look how low the tail is)

Lastly how a normal tail for a ninja 2008 tail supposed to look.

Undoing the lowering would be a good idea, but one of the reasons you look like a grasshopper riding a tictac is that you are riding a naked ninja, without the fairings, it looks smaller. Without putting fairings back on it you aren't going to change that.

[skilletmo]

Well ya fairing aren't an option right now. I like the street fighter look too anyway. When it raises i wont look so small on it anymore because of it being so low and how my legs fall down when im at stop lights. It will make a difference for sure though. Also i don't have that much time because im doing it in my uncles mechanic shop but ill try and clean and grease as much as possible before he closes shop for the day. I can use regular mechanic grease for the knuckles right?

[skilletmo]

Hmmm never mind that is going to be alot of hours unless he helps me, which he wont since hes busy fixing cars lol. So i think im going to just replace them and compare the knuckles, hopefully mines are cleaner so i wont have to replace that too.

[skilletmo]

WOW. I mean i cant believe how much of a difference raising it would be! I feel like im on a real ****ing bike now. I actually have to try and balance on it at stops instead of me being flat footed with how low it was. I attached pictures, the bike looks real now lol. Replaced the spark plugs too, man were they burned out. Had to use car tools instead of the stock tools cause i dont have them. The girl is my cousin, i think she likes it too

I dont look like a grasshopper any more fyi lol

Edit: The turning feels great and the bumps dont make me dip at all!

[skilletmo]

Before the swapped bones - After the swapped bones - First bought the bike

[skilletmo]

one more thing, im posting picks of it with a front fender tomorrow when i get the part. Ill be putting it on my "my project thread". Come and check it out, should be on by tomorrow night.

[Joshorilla]

It makes me happy when i see a good diy like this, good work!

[skilletmo]

Originally Posted by Joshorilla

It makes me happy when i see a good diy like this, good work!

Thanks!

I have learned so much by doing everything my self with this bike and recommend everyone doing their own work instead of paying for someone to do it! Experience is the best thing one can have.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by skilletmo

...... The girl is my cousin, i think she likes it too

Great!!!

Now the bike is too high for her.

Originally Posted by skilletmo

I have learned so much by doing everything my self with this bike and recommend everyone doing their own work instead of paying for someone to do it! Experience is the best thing one can have.

Makes me so happy !!!

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by Motofool

Makes me so happy !!!

Ditto. I have learned so much from this bike and I wish every rider would learn from working on their bike as well. Only thing I'm not brave enough to tackle is fork seals... I've payed the shop to do those for me before

but anyhow, nice job skilletmo!!! Congrats on feeling accomplished from doing a great job on your bike.