DRZ 250 Lowering link

[jim.cox]

Hey Guys

Looking for the above and/or advice to the wise.

How much am I going to have to fork out for one?

Cheers

=Jimmy=

[F5 Dave]

So what are you trying to achieve?

First try backing off preload a bit. Drop forks as much through the clamps as posd. Look at seat foam mods, and get a cobbler to put an extra sole on yer (her?) boots. Then we'll talk.

[jim.cox]

So what are you trying to achieve?

A bike my kids can ride - they're a bit shorter in the leg than me.

[Bass]

A bike my kids can ride - they're a bit shorter in the leg than me.

You do know that lowering links fuck with the suspension response on a machine with a rising rate linkage?

Still, needs must I guess. All the off road stuff is pretty tall these days.

[jim.cox]

You do know that lowering links fuck with the suspension response on a machine with a rising rate linkage?.

No I didn't know that.

I've learned something today.

Thank you for sharing enlightenment

[F5 Dave]

Yeah they're best avoided for that reason as often they are just made without consideration, but needs must for minor change, but better do other things first. You can shorten the shock and forks internally but that is another game and more money, but better option.

[MarkW]

I had a street legal DRZ250K7 and a 5 foot 4 inch 54kg 14 year old that wanted to ride it. I softened everything possible up to get everything as low as possible when sproglet was sitting on it. This still wasn't enough so we spent a little bit of money on a pair of 1 inch handlebar lifters so that the forks could be raised through the triple clamps more than was possible stock and a Kubra [spelling may be a bit off?] lowering link for the rear. This lowered the back of the bike by 1.75 inches. Sproglet could then touch sort of on one side only. Stick 86kg me on the bike and in the rough stuff there was a definite risk of everything crunching under the rear guard but sproglet never had a problem with this. Did the handling change hugely? Not that we could spot but we were trail riding [mostly Epic Events Taupo forest rides] and not racing. Sproglet learned very quickly not to fall off or which side was high enough for him to get a foot down when he stopped.

[Bass]

No I didn't know that.

I've learned something today.

Thank you for sharing enlightenment

It's not the end of the world. If you are setting the bike up for a lighter rider (as you are in this case) then there is a good chance that you will get away with it because it's the higher damping/ faster shock compression region that lowering links tend to kill. i.e. the region where a lighter rider tends not to go anyway.

There are some suspension gurus who say that you don't really need a rising rate linkage unless you plan on landing from significant air time.

MarkW's experience above is not that unusual

[jim.cox]

Well in answer to my own question

There are at least three suppliers of lowering links for a DR-Z250.

I ended up getting a set from Australia for just under $100 inc postage.

Easily fitted, they drop the bike by about 40mm.

I've also moved the forks as far through the triple clamps as possible.

Joshua now has no trouble straddling the bike and moving it around.

One thing I did not count on was that the side stand - which was a little on the long side to begin with - was now much to long, leaving the bike feeling very precarious. A moment with an angle grinder took a chunk out and quick zap with a welder to replace the foot and we are good to go...