Lowering a Z750S

[marksmith]

Hi all,

My (very short) girlfriend has just bought a Kawasaki Z750S, which has a lowering kit already installed - works by providing a lower mounting point for the bottom of the rear shock. The kit has three positions - original height, and two lower settings. Currently it's on the middle setting. We need to drop it to the lower setting. Looks really easy - bolt out, move the swing arm down, bolt into lower position. The forks have also been dropped a cm or so through the yokes at the front. May drop it a further cm or so, to level it up.

Firstly, this (we are told) requires the side stand to be shortened. How is this done? New stand? Drill a new hole and angle grind the end off the old one? Something else?

Secondly, how can we do the lowering? The bike doesn't have a centre stand, so I don't think we can get the swing arm to "hang" to remove the bolt at the bottom of the shock. I have jacked up the FRONT of my bike using a car jack before, but that was with it balancing on the centre stand. Paddock stand for balance and jack under frame for lift? Easier way? I don't have a paddock stand...

The Kawasaki dealer has offered to do this for us (for a price of course) - but we have a further issue there: the bike is not insured (so we can't ride it there), and won't (can't!) be until she does her Direct Access - ON THE BIKE! So it needs to be lowered before she can insure it, and it needs to be insured before we can lower it

Suggestions welcome

Thanks,

Mark

[Guest]

jack up the middle of the bike, and support the frame rails on axle stands, this will hold the bike level.

undo the dogbones (adjuster bars), and refit

the side stand... if you can get hold of another, i would suggest that it is cut, an inch or so removed, and a sleeve inserted (if its tubular) then re-welded.., the sleeve will give internal rigidity.

keep the original for if the bike goes back to standard, or if you muck it up. you'll need to source a shorter spring if you cut between the spring mounts.

otherwise you can get sidestands that bolt/clamp onto tubular frame rails,

[Guest akey]

All sounds good.

My wife had her CBR lowered and they had to shorten the sidestand for it. Effectively cut the end off, shorten then re-weld the end back on.

[marksmith]

Thanks both. Understand the job now - just a case of doing it. (How confident do I feel with that MIG welder in my cellar..?)

[Guest]

I lowered my SV took quite a few attempts to get the height right, we used a car jack, and axle stands as i don't have a centre stand.

Once you have the axle stands positioned under the swingarm let the jack down only slightly (which should be positioned under the shock). The first mistake we made was to let the jack down totally! The swingarm obviously supported by the axle stand stayed there and the rest of the bike hit the floor, once the bones were removed! Whoops! Oh and before lifting the bike, slightly loosen the dogbone bolts, makes it easier.

The sidestand had a lot cut off and the foot welded back on, still need to take a little more off it, bike stands up a little too much and have to be careful in car parks e.t.c where i leave it!

[Guest]

hence putting the axle stands under the frame and letting the swingarm and wheel lower. you may need another pair of hands to raise the wheel swinger, whilst you get the bolts in..

[marksmith]

Thanks for all the replies on this. In the end we took it to the dealer to do - had a go myself but getting axle stands under the frame was very difficult as there's really not much frame exposed at the bottom. Just about enough, I think, but wouldn't have stood up to a bump or any vigorous spanner-turning without risking slipping off.

Anyway, the dealer had no such problem BUT said it couldn't be lowered any further because it would bring the wheel too close to the bottom of the seat. What a pain. I might get a second opinion on that but in the mean time, girlfriend has had big thick platform soles welded onto the bottom of her boots, and the seat it being cut down as we speak. Hope that's sufficient...

(Crash bungs have also been added just in case of any unfortunate toppling-over incidents the moment she gets on it...)

[cyberwolf]

Thanks for all the replies on this. In the end we took it to the dealer to do - had a go myself but getting axle stands under the frame was very difficult as there's really not much frame exposed at the bottom. Just about enough, I think, but wouldn't have stood up to a bump or any vigorous spanner-turning without risking slipping off.

Anyway, the dealer had no such problem BUT said it couldn't be lowered any further because it would bring the wheel too close to the bottom of the seat. What a pain. I might get a second opinion on that but in the mean time, girlfriend has had big thick platform soles welded onto the bottom of her boots, and the seat it being cut down as we speak. Hope that's sufficient...

(Crash bungs have also been added just in case of any unfortunate toppling-over incidents the moment she gets on it...)

 

as the bike already been lowered b4 you already tried doing it? i know of loads of ppl that have lowered z750 and z750s and had no probs

[marksmith]

as the bike already been lowered b4 you already tried doing it? i know of loads of ppl that have lowered z750 and z750s and had no probs

Yep:

[...] Kawasaki Z750S, which has a lowering kit already installed - works by providing a lower mounting point for the bottom of the rear shock. The kit has three positions - original height, and two lower settings. Currently it's on the middle setting. We need to drop it to the lower setting.

Seems a bit strange that the kit has three settings and only two of them are usable, mind, hence maybe getting a second opinion. Trouble is it's £40 for the opinion because you have to get them to lower it, see how it looks, and then maybe put it back. Couple of them and you've spend £80 finding out it's not possible...

[Guest]

My SV is lowered far more than any manufactured lowering dog bones would allowed, I had my uncle make the bones and the bike is extremely low! I have had issues with the clearance between the rear wheel and undertray (I'm currently looking at options of changing the subframe), but apart from that (easily adjusted with the shock) everything fines.

I've also had my boots built up!

What height is your GF also depends on the inside leg measurements??

[marksmith]

That's exactly the worry - rear wheel clearing undertray. There's quite a bit of space there now, so I was surprised they said it wouldn't go lower - but they've seen it and I haven't, so presumably they have some reason for saying that. Don't want it snagging and ripping it all apart if she hits a bump.

Girlfriend is 5'1"; forget what her inside leg is but 25" rings a bell. Or 27". To be fair she can touch the ground now (bike lowered one notch), tiptoe both sides. With the built-up boots and lowered seat she'll be OK, but it only takes a road with a steep camber or a bit of a rutt, or to put her foot down before she's quite stopped so it's angled back slightly, and she'll run out of leg length. It's the sort of thing an experienced rider would probably be able to deal with, and she'll be fine after a few months of riding it, but she's only just starting out so want to have everything on her side.

[Guest]

Please don't think I'm saying i've lowered my bike below any recommendations so you'll be fine! Coz i'm not, I know your not suppose to but it was the only way I could ride anything other than a 125, trust me I've tried a few!

I would still question as to why the bike has the availability to lower more but they so no! If its there then it can be used!

I am a LOT shorter than your GF and I have two tiny tip toes of my boots on the floor, if I had no shoes or regular trainers I can't touch the floor! Its all boots!

On a hill, I have no problems holding the bike up, or problems with camber, its all about taking your time and not rushing it! (the only thing i can't do it paddle the bike, I don't have enough foot on the floor)

Now when the bike was lowered on the manufactures 'lowering' dog bones, i could get one of these tip toes down, literally the other leg just dangled! I tried the bike and dropped it twice in one 2 mile ride, purely because i had no right leg (left was my choice to put on the floor) and if the bike went too far to the right, i had no chance of fighting back!

Point being, two tip toes are going to be fine, if i can anyone can, its going to be a matter of confidence. When i first got to the stage of two tip toes down, I thought this is not going to happen I'm not going to be able to do it BUT this is basically my LAST chance, its this or nothing, so i persevered and in 3000k ish, i've dropped it once. (and that was my fault, kinda of turned to park the bike and 'forgot' to turn the throttle!!!)

I would go for lowering it down if shes worried and once she got the hang of it, look at taking it back up!

If it helps I'll measure the space I have between my rear wheel and undertray!

Also I have my shock set so that it sags enough for me to touch the floor when i sit on it, but not at its softest so the undertray doesn't hit the rear wheel!

Hope this helps!