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Message started by peejster on 01/22/19 at 15:06:34

Title: Lowering the front forks
Post by peejster on 01/22/19 at 15:06:34

I am new to motorcycles but I have decided to mod a 2003 Savage - what better way to learn in my opinion.

I have read a lot of threads and have seen most of the Ryca content including their video (and several others on YouTube) about lowering the front forks. Procedure wise, I totally get it.

But, I am trying to wrap my head around the impacts this lowering will have on the suspension. First, I assume you are now losing around 2" of travel - assuming I want to lower my front forks by two inches. Second, the spring is now somewhat more compressed - two more inches of compression than before.

Again, I said I am new to motorcycles in general including riding them, but I would imagine that this would mean:
A. you will bottom out the forks much more often / easily? Or, is there still plenty of travel that you won't bottom out under normal conditions - i.e. it's got to be a huge pot hole before you bottom out.
B. the suspension will now be noticeably stiffer since you are starting from a point of more compression? Or, is the initial two inches of compression really not very noticeable?

Anyway, I plan to lower mine by about two inches. Ride it for a while to get a feel no matter what. But, just trying to understand a bit of what's actually going on.

Thanks!

Title: Re: Lowering the front forks
Post by Dave on 01/22/19 at 16:49:51

You are correct.....installing spacers does result in a very choppy ride. When you install the spacers to limit the travel, you are essentially moving the fork tubes down into the bottom legs 2". You cut the spacers on top of the springs to compensate for the shorter forks....so not all the spring compression is still intact. However - you have reduced the amount of travel that is available, and that does affect the ride quality.

When I did my conversion I installed a 1/2" spacer, and used a top fork yoke that has clamps....so you can raise the tubes which lowers the front of the bike.

One other member is having his tubes shortened and re-threaded for the top cap.

Here is Gary's thread on forks.........

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1421689358

Title: Re: Lowering the front forks
Post by peejster on 01/22/19 at 18:09:19

Dave,
Thanks for the link to Gary's thread - that's super helpful. It covered the issues I was wondering about. I will have to give his approach some thought.

And, I took a look through your build thread to see what you were talking about with respect to a top fork yoke which clamped the forks. Interesting. I hadn't thought about that.

Thanks for the info - exactly what I was looking for.

Title: Re: Lowering the front forks
Post by zipidachimp on 01/22/19 at 22:00:45

I bought a Ryca top clamp, lowered stock forks 32mm, steering much easier. I drilled the clamp for risers against the advice of Ryca, so far no problem, but I'm constantly thinking about what might happen, including total collapse.
Shortening/tapping the stock tubes sounds like the proper way to achieve a lower front. That or a different frame! Cheers! 8-)

Title: Re: Lowering the front forks
Post by batman on 01/22/19 at 23:11:44

I never understood the reasoning behind lowering the forks other than the "look". Why restrict the amount of movement by 2 inches and maybe make the ride harsh? It may allow faster steering due to a decrease in steering angle ,but there's better ways of doing that. Replacing the stock shocks with 2 inch taller progressive shocks is the way I've gone, and it accomplishes more for a lot less and is much easier. It improves steering by decreasing steering angle AND shorting wheel base, it improves the rear suspension and adds to it's travel, and adds ground clearance where its most needed, under your footpegs.

Title: Re: Lowering the front forks
Post by zipidachimp on 01/23/19 at 00:42:38

Batman; all of these changes highlight that a lot of us want a 'single' with normal, not 'cruiser' frame geometry, but it's not available, unless RE. Me, I've got Gold Star/G50/Manx envy!! Never satisfied.
Cheers! 8-)

Title: Re: Lowering the front forks
Post by Dave on 01/23/19 at 03:41:20

3330253C303F6569510 wrote:

If you want to get the Cafe', standard or Tracker look on the Savage - you have to both raise the back a couple inches....and drop the front a couple of inches. Doing both is necessary to get rid of the "cruiser" stance where the bike has the front end high and the back end low.

Putting spacers in the forks to limit the travel is the wrong approach in my opinion - it is far better to drop the fork tubes and keep the suspension travel. (RYCA was working with a budget for their conversion and the cheapest solution is the spacers.....you can buy the top fork yoke at additional cost).

Title: Re: Lowering the front forks
Post by ohiomoto on 01/23/19 at 11:17:40

I ran mine lowered 2" (Ryca syle using homemade PVC spacers) for the past 3 seasons. Worked okay. Too soft for my weight, so added stiffer springs and found it a little harsh. I

This guy has my upper fork tubes right now. Having them shortened by 2" so I can have the stance I want while maintaining full travel with the stock triple clamp. He charges $150 for both legs.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNiblp32Qq0[/media]

Title: Re: Lowering the front forks
Post by Rglad91 on 01/24/19 at 05:09:22

Well this help stretch your front brake cable 2” longer?

Title: Re: Lowering the front forks
Post by ohiomoto on 01/24/19 at 06:28:53

LOL Won't do anything to the actual length of your brake cable. Your forks are shorter so you will have a little extra slack in the brake cable.

Title: Re: Lowering the front forks
Post by peejster on 01/24/19 at 20:41:43

ohiomoto,
That's the exact the approach I am thinking. Do the simple Ryca-type lowering technique to start and see how it feels. It's quick (I want to try to get the bike going by summer) and it's easily reversed / undone if I want to do something else. Then ride for a while to get a sense of what I like don't like and make any additional modifications. Repeat.

Thanks for the video. That's another option I hadn't known about. I think that the price is reasonable as well.

Thanks again!

Title: Re: Lowering the front forks
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 01/25/19 at 06:55:39

3D272C342C262229344D0 wrote:
That's another option I hadn't known about. I think that the price is reasonable as well.

But after spending $150, you are still left with a damping rod fork and all of its inherent vices.

Title: Re: Lowering the front forks
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 01/25/19 at 09:03:59

am new to motorcycles but I have decided to mod a 2003 Savage - what better way to learn in my opinion.

I'd start by getting it running.
Then get the safety course down.
Read
Twist of the wrist two.
Go online and read
How to not suck at cornering.

How many miles on it?

Before you spend a buncha time and money building your bike
Make sure you are not gonna drop it and screw it up because
You Have No Experience.
Get about ten thousand miles on it
Then park it for the winter and do what you want.

Unless it's sitting at around fifteen thousand miles you shouldn't need to be messing with the cam chain yet.

Go slow, let it develop.

Title: Re: Lowering the front forks
Post by ohiomoto on 01/25/19 at 11:21:19

2D272329222B2F26787E7A4A0 wrote:

[quote author=3D272C342C262229344D0 link=1548198394/0#10 date=1548391303]That's another option I hadn't known about. I think that the price is reasonable as well.

But after spending $150, you are still left with a damping rod fork and all of its inherent vices. [/quote]----------------------------------------

Yet...

1) Still better than those same vices at half the travel.
2) Nothing would be stopping you further modifying the forks with the parts you used.
3) Less expensive than swapping out the triple clamps.
4) The top triple clamps don't 'support' the use of standard bars.
5) You don't have to run your tubes extended through the top of the clamp if you aren't into that sort of thing.

There isn't really anything negative about the mod as long as you don't shorten them beyond the limits of clearance.

Title: Re: Lowering the front forks
Post by peejster on 01/27/19 at 20:45:05

253A3C3B2621102010283A367D4F0 wrote:

I'd start by getting it running.

I agree that getting a lot of saddle time is important. I have another bike which I ride whenever I can. I am slowly building my confidence on it. But still have a long way to go.

In addition to learning to ride, I also want to learn as much as I can about how they are put together. Hence this project. I don't want to take apart my primary bike just to see how it works as that would mean I may not have something to ride for a while.

My 2003 Savage has 2800 miles one it.