Yup, I follow those rules as well.

 

Tip;

Even with the all the bolts loose on the triple clamps the shocks don't want to move. If you can have a friend use two flat head screw drivers, one in each part of the clamp, and have them carefully pry open the top and lower clamps. Doesn't take much but the shocks will slide no problem with that little bit of help.

 

A rubber strap wrench will work as well. Just put it around the strut and give a nudge or two to break it free.

 

MrPhone..........I too am very short5'7 30"inseam...I wanted to lower the bike BUT while I may be wrong, I am very glad I didn't. I have noticed that now that I am improving, I never touch the ground only to stop. I think if I had lowered the bike I would be getting myself into more trouble. I like to lead with my leg out on tight turns and ride through some deep sand and deep mud. If the bike where shorter,I would be catching it more on logs and other low obstacles.
If you ever watch Supercross on the sport channel, there is this kid who goes NUTS on a 450 and he is 5'5", it always looks like he is out of control...but he rides the crap outta that bike while never touching the ground. It's truley a site to see........
I would just get used to the bike the way it is, the suspension is weak at best and lowering it isn't gonna help. I may be wrong but I'm glad I left it now.
Stay Safe..
Dave

 

It's good that you have learnt to handle the bike without lowering Dave, however the supercross example is not agood one, when was the last time you saw a supercross rider stop on an awkward slope to go under a tree or get stuck going over a tree and have to put his foot down? I got sick of dropping my bike and breaking things, now I have lowered the bike my self-confidence has soared and I am no longer worried about stoping and dropping the bike. I can also foot and turn the bike by spinning the rear tyre and pivoting around the front which I was simply to afraid to do before as I had too much trouble reaching the ground comfortably. Your right the suspension is weak but I don't race my bike I just ride around slow so it suits me.
For me it was the right thing to do
Cheers

 

Oh don't get me wrong... those squirrley times suck and I have had my share of innocent falls while stopped or going real slow. That's why I love my Pro Tapers and Moose guards.

The supercross kid was only an example of a short kid on a tall bike with a beast motor ripping it up...
It just looks crazy.

I'm only going on what my riding buddies have instructed me to do...and so far it has been good.
Stay Safe-
Dave

 

Hawaii Dude has the right tip for loosening the forks, but DO NOT LOWER the front forks more than half an inch. The forks TAPER and if you lower any further one of the clamps will not be clamping on the entire part of the tube under it. The way I see it, that can never be good. I went with the Kouba .75" in back and the half inch in front. Quite frankly, I was disappointed with the Kouba links as they don't supply new longer bolts and told me they never intended to even after I told them of the problem. If you pay attention you will see that at the thread end the link has space around the entire bolt, not really touching it. I shaved down both links where the bolt head meets the link so that some of the larger diameter part of the bolt goes partway into the link on the thread side.

The best way to lower our bikes is in the forks and rear shock, not with lowering links and sliding the forks up the clamps....though I did for $$$ reasons.[&o]

 

egzzzzzactly true. I'll join in here and remind you all I'm 5'7", 32" inseam, 150lbs. The LAST thing I would ever do to any dirt bike/off-road bike is lower it, are you nuts? I mean this is an off-road motorcycle first and you need your feet as far off the ground as possible. Lowering your bike puts not only your precious feet, ankles, toes, bones lower to the ground, rocks, broken limbs, or ruts; but also your bike. While you're flailing around trying to get up that hill or trying to miss a rock on a trail you want the most clearance you can get. You're not supposed to be able to touch flat footed on a dirt bike, not many people can. You realize Bubba Stewart is only 5'5" don't you? In fact, most of the dominant riders in motorcycle racing of any sort are short, lighter guys that have adapted and learned to ride the bike like that. I can guarantee you that when I owned my KLX I had to throw my leg over in one planned, quick lurch. And when I had one of my daughters on first, I had to usually find a curb so I wouldn't kick them when I threw my leg over but lowering it never even once crossed my mind. Appreciate your size because it's usually the smaller, lighter guy that leaves the larger, heavier guy behind simply because they are smaller andcan move around more on the bike, making them faster. Mike Alessi for example, he's barely 120lbs but he flies and will be the man in a year or two in the MX class. I'm not saying there aren't any fast tall guys, but mostly the real fast guys are little. You ever seen RC, Chris Carr, Jake Zemke, or Miguel DuHamel? They're tiny guys. One thing about the KLX I love is it's looks and the last thing I would do to it is take away from it's performance by limiting the already mushy suspension by lowering it. I understand we all have to do what we feel we need to do to our own bikes, but are you taking the easy way out? Or should you try and become a better rider?

 

You are spot on and if I had $600 laying around I'd get my suspension done, but I don't so I went the cheap way too .... except I didn't slide my forks up

[8D]