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Author Topic: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"  (Read 1703 times)

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Offline WarwickE36

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Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« on: July 06, 2011, 10:48:39 AM »
I am looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"

Somewhat for looks and also so I can sit flat footed at stops.  Im 5'8 and usually rest my right foot on the ground and keep the left on the peg.  For hill stop purposes I would like to be able to sit completely flat footed. 

Will lowering JUST the rear with new shocks/springs adversely affect my handling.  I am running clubman bars and cannot drop the front forks in the trees.  I want to keep the bike handing as well as it can, and if this means forgoing lowering the bike I am o.k. with that.

Any ideas people... specifically ones you have done yourself and liked or disliked.
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" Why does anyone get offended by what someone does to their own bike? I dont get it. "

You made me think about it after I cheered knowing someone else would like to know what these control freaks are up to.
 Every time any owner strips whatever precious Honda part the horrified purists parts go up in value. That's not the part that bothers them.
 What bothers them is they sat up late at night, their breast full of wonder and estrogen, unable to sleep, dreaming about their lovely darling and all her glory... and next thing you know someone else doesn't share their emotional deluge and their reaction is they must spread their mind museum as far as they possibly can, taking over as much of the real world as possible.

Drink fast, drive slow, but ride it like you stole it

1974 Cb550 with style
2004 SV650s

Offline xsmooth69x

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Re: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2011, 12:45:45 PM »
buy clip ons
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1975 CB550 (FINISHED?!?!?)
first motorcycle ever!!! ow and i dont know how to ride it either :D

raw rust rice venti quad shot cafe racing latte project aka my build..... http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=88853.0

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Offline WarwickE36

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Re: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2011, 01:13:13 PM »
Trying really hard not to dignify that with a response...
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" Why does anyone get offended by what someone does to their own bike? I dont get it. "

You made me think about it after I cheered knowing someone else would like to know what these control freaks are up to.
 Every time any owner strips whatever precious Honda part the horrified purists parts go up in value. That's not the part that bothers them.
 What bothers them is they sat up late at night, their breast full of wonder and estrogen, unable to sleep, dreaming about their lovely darling and all her glory... and next thing you know someone else doesn't share their emotional deluge and their reaction is they must spread their mind museum as far as they possibly can, taking over as much of the real world as possible.

Drink fast, drive slow, but ride it like you stole it

1974 Cb550 with style
2004 SV650s

Offline xsmooth69x

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Re: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2011, 01:34:34 PM »
ya my comment was more of a sympathy comment because no one has chimed in

i read a similar thread about this and someone said cut a couple link out of the fork springs but imo that is a horrible idea

unless you find some aftermarket lowering springs (which for the cb750 is easy front and back) but the cb550 i havent seen it yet.

do you not like clip ons?

the inch or 2 you slide up the tubes why dont you put the clip ons, ontop
« Last Edit: July 06, 2011, 01:41:02 PM by xsmooth69x »
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1975 CB550 (FINISHED?!?!?)
first motorcycle ever!!! ow and i dont know how to ride it either :D

raw rust rice venti quad shot cafe racing latte project aka my build..... http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=88853.0

black and white equation godzilla chalkboard 
1972 cb750 - next in line for some <3

Offline mlinder

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Re: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2011, 01:58:10 PM »
What's your inseam?
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Offline Coyote13

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Re: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2011, 02:04:01 PM »
Get a super thin seat, that'll drop it an inch or two.  Unless you already aren't using your stock seat, in which case I'll just go fu@k myself!
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'78 CB750K.  Throttle ripper.
'71 CB100.  Grocery getter.
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Offline WarwickE36

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Re: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2011, 03:13:16 PM »
My inseam is 31" ... I have a cafe seat which is lower than stock...

I don't like clip-ons,  I like my Clubman bars, A LOT


this is what I'm working with


Is it bad to lower the rear shocks to 11.5"  That is what I'm finding on EPay
Its not a matter of $$ its a matter of wanting to keep the handling proper.
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" Why does anyone get offended by what someone does to their own bike? I dont get it. "

You made me think about it after I cheered knowing someone else would like to know what these control freaks are up to.
 Every time any owner strips whatever precious Honda part the horrified purists parts go up in value. That's not the part that bothers them.
 What bothers them is they sat up late at night, their breast full of wonder and estrogen, unable to sleep, dreaming about their lovely darling and all her glory... and next thing you know someone else doesn't share their emotional deluge and their reaction is they must spread their mind museum as far as they possibly can, taking over as much of the real world as possible.

Drink fast, drive slow, but ride it like you stole it

1974 Cb550 with style
2004 SV650s

Offline mlinder

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Re: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2011, 03:37:52 PM »
Put real shocks on it, don't lower it. 31" is fine for this bike. Stock seat height is less than 32, and you are down to about 30 with that seat.

You'll crap up the handling quite well with 2" lower shocks.

On hills, you should have your left foot down and your right foot on the rear brake, anyway, not flatfooted with both feet down.

Lowered bikes look stupid because all that tells anyone is that you aren't interested in turning.
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Offline WarwickE36

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Re: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2011, 03:44:25 PM »
Alright, thats the info I was looking for.  I suck at hillstops I guess.  I have tried both the style you mentioned and rolling the throttle while still holding the front brake method.  I never stall it just dont fell confident yet.  Ive only been riding 3 months so I guess time will be the key here.  Thanks again.  Stock height it is.
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" Why does anyone get offended by what someone does to their own bike? I dont get it. "

You made me think about it after I cheered knowing someone else would like to know what these control freaks are up to.
 Every time any owner strips whatever precious Honda part the horrified purists parts go up in value. That's not the part that bothers them.
 What bothers them is they sat up late at night, their breast full of wonder and estrogen, unable to sleep, dreaming about their lovely darling and all her glory... and next thing you know someone else doesn't share their emotional deluge and their reaction is they must spread their mind museum as far as they possibly can, taking over as much of the real world as possible.

Drink fast, drive slow, but ride it like you stole it

1974 Cb550 with style
2004 SV650s

Offline Stev-o

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Re: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2011, 03:54:15 PM »
+1 on ponders response. You don't need to put both feet down.
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'74 "Big Bang" Honda 750K [836].....'76 Honda 550F.....K3 Park Racer!......and a Bomber!............plus plus plus.........

Offline fmctm1sw

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Re: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« Reply #10 on: July 06, 2011, 04:05:47 PM »
I feel your pain, I have some 30" length pants that are too long.  My 750 was lowered by the PO, it has shorter shocks on it plus the fork tubes are dropped in the fork clamps about an inch or so.  I haven't started that project yet but I'll also mention the issue of the kickstand that comes with lowering...
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Dude is that a tire ? or an O-ring..??

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This is not a pod thread
This is not a #$%* on my vacuum gauges thread
This is a help or GTFO thread.

1973 CB350F
1973 CB350G
1975 CB550K
1983 GL650I
1973 CB750K3 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=92888.0)
1984 Kawasaki KLT-250 (AKA 3 wheeler of death)
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Offline WarwickE36

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Re: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« Reply #11 on: July 06, 2011, 04:10:17 PM »
Thats something I didnt even give one second of thought.  I really dont need to lower the bike,  I am almost flat footed at stops my heals are about 1 inch of the ground.  Putting my right food down is fine.  I should train myself to put my left foot down like bike cops do.  Just have a hard time doing anything the way a cop does it  ::)
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" Why does anyone get offended by what someone does to their own bike? I dont get it. "

You made me think about it after I cheered knowing someone else would like to know what these control freaks are up to.
 Every time any owner strips whatever precious Honda part the horrified purists parts go up in value. That's not the part that bothers them.
 What bothers them is they sat up late at night, their breast full of wonder and estrogen, unable to sleep, dreaming about their lovely darling and all her glory... and next thing you know someone else doesn't share their emotional deluge and their reaction is they must spread their mind museum as far as they possibly can, taking over as much of the real world as possible.

Drink fast, drive slow, but ride it like you stole it

1974 Cb550 with style
2004 SV650s

Offline Psychonaut

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Re: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« Reply #12 on: July 06, 2011, 04:13:54 PM »
Here's a link on shock shortening.
http://www.hondachopper.com/garage/shortening_forks/shortening_forks.html

Although this is for 400f's you can still see how lowering or raising the bike effects rake and trail. It's in millimeters, if you don't know 25mm ( roughly) equals an inch.
http://www.denoonsp.com/rake-trail-2.php?V1=60&V2=686&V3=304.8&V4=317.5&V5=324&V6=411&V7=35&V8=459&calc=yes&Calculate=Submit+Query

Looks are pretty important, performance too but if it was all about performance we would be riding modern sport bikes. Do what you like just know how it will effect your riding style.
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Offline DJ_AX

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Re: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« Reply #13 on: July 06, 2011, 05:15:54 PM »
Fit it!

When I finally replaced the POs long forks with some stock ones, it was awesome to be able to put both feet flat on the ground!  ;D To feel way more solid in the damn city traffic and no longer dread the stops & gos (as much).
Thicker soled boots also make a noticeable difference.  8)

Most of the time in that stop & go traffic only my left foot ever touches the ground though. Right foot on the brake, right hand on the throttle, left and on the clutch, and in 1st gear. One eye on mirror looking for those distracted rearenders... they're coming again eventually, I've seen it many times.

But then there's the stop, stop, go a little, stop,and stop traffic  :P
Or no traffic just traffic lights  :-\
I like to put it in neutral and stretch ... with both feet firmly on the ground.

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~ Vincent . . . '75 CB750 K5 . . . '97 BMW r1100rt . . . had; '75 CB550 K1 (sold) . . .  '73 CB350G (gifted) HELL YEAH!
Disclaimer: I could be wrong. :)

Offline mjstone

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Re: Looking to lower my '74 550 about 1" - 2"
« Reply #14 on: July 06, 2011, 07:02:11 PM »
You might look into smaller rims and tires.  This would lower the bike without changing the geometry of the bike as long as you do both wheels the same amount.  Would keep you shock travel the same as well.

MJ
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1973 CB500Four (Oliver)
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