Lowering a DR

[Dooly]

Just want to drop the ride height a bit on my DR350.
Whats the best way guys.
Do you wind the rear shock spring down or up?
Forks thru the clamps?
Bit rusty on all this, have'nt done dirt for yonks.
Cheers.

[barty5]

got a mate who had some lowering dog bone for a dr400 they where removed when his son started riding it i can ask if he still has and what sorta $$ he wants got them in from the US.

[Crisis management]

Depends on what you're trying to achieve Dooly....if you want to get it to sit a bit lower so you can get your feet on the ground and then tootle around the back paddock then raise the front forks thru the triple clamps and unscrew the rear spring preload. This will soften the rear suspension, lower the front and get your arse a bit closer to the ground but will result in seriously compromised suspension if your planning a couple of 2 metre jumps.

Otherwise its new dog bones for the rear and again raising the forks in the triple clamps....but suspension travel is still compromised and you run the risk of bottoming the wheels against the frame / guards etc with the resultant sudden stop in the proceedings....photos would be appreciated, I promise not to chortle too much.

Probably the best solution is to actually learn to ride it (being serious here) by trusting your balance and keeping your feet on the pegs and your bum off the seat and knowing that when you stop you will have time to get a foot on the ground. General disclaimer.......I'm still perfecting the technique of preventing bike damage by lying down underneath it all the time so I'm not the worlds greatest expert here! :blink:

Tell you what, while youre playing in the dirt I'll look after the 900ss for you, they need regular running and I'm willing to sacrifice my time to help you out.....:innocent:

[LittleJohn]

Really the best and safe way to lower a bike is to take the shocks into a dealer and get them to put in shorter springs. It is more expensive but at least you will not end up bottoming out your shocks and doing some real dammage to yourself and the bike.

On another note, I'm a short arse and ride a KX125 (which is only 3 cm shorter seat hight than the KX250' etc). I can only just tiptoe on one side with bike leaned over when I stop, I normally try and find a bank or other rise in the ground that I can put my foot down on. As for riding you just get used to it, although do still feel a little bit of less control in some situations (normally when going to fast around and corner as the back wheel starts to slide out of control).

[Dooly]

Cheers guys.

Wound the rear shock down a bit, and am on tipy toe on one foot at standstill. Went down to my bottom paddock had a good thrash on it, and only really noticed the height thing when at a stop.
So will just perservere I guess.