lower forks

[caferacer]

how can you lower the front off your xs 1100 i have slid the forks up as far as the handel bars will let me go eney ideas

[John]

You'll need to find some handlebar risers called 'Barbacks' They raise they bars up by 1" and back 1 3/8." I have only found one place that sells them, and they are $109!! Day-um! They're proud of them things, ain't they? When I priced them a couple of years ago, they were $90.
I have had a set on my 80 SG for many, many years, and I was fortunate enough to have some given to me so I could lower the 81 SH for SWMBO to ride. I was then able to raise they forks up in the triple clamp buy an inch or so, but you'll be able to raise them as much as you want by using the Barbacks.
Here is a link to their site:http://www.zianet.com/GenMar/

[TopCatGr58]

Barback riding!!

Hey John,

Funny you should mention this. I, too, got a set of setbacks with my BasketCase machine, put them on my Godzilla! They are relatively simple in design, and made out of aluminum.

Hmmmm, I was thinking that now that I can do machining, that I would look into the possibility of replicating them also for a much better price than what they are asking!! I need to get a decent metric tap/die set but I think I can do it! I'll play with them soon!

I'm really starting to like whittlin' metal!! ;p
T.C.

[John]

TC

Man, you are so right! You could probably crank out a quite a few of these. I really noticed a difference when I first installed them. I didn't have to reach so far forward to hold the bars. I can recline into my backrest and be comfortable. I can't see why they should be so expensive from the manufacturer. I happened to get a set in that pile of parts that I bought from bdtddan. I should try to ebay them. I might be able to make a few bucks from somebody that needs some.

[caferacer]

thanks for the info but that wont work for my bike my xs is reformed to cafe style with clubman bars doun low i whant to lower the whole front of the bike if i could post pics it would be esey to see what i am going for but i tried every thing and no pics but thanks for the reply

[79XS11F]

It might be easies to use clip on handle bars unless that would be too low for you. They clamp fight onto the forks that stick up out of the top of the triple tree.
Rob

[Harleychanic]

Quick and DIRTY, but CHEAP!!!

May I suggest a quick and dirty way that I have used on both mine and some of my buddies bikes. If you refer to page #210 of the Clymer manual you will see an exploded diagram of the front forks. If you have the mechanical ability to disassemble the forks you can make a spacer out of PVC tubing that will fit on the damper tube (#12) to sit under the rebound spring (#14) any length you want which will effectively move the slider (#25) that many inches up the fork tube thus lowering the frontend of the mororcycle. You will sacrifice some suspension travel and will increase the preload on the front springs. Harley lowering kits compensate for this by giving you a longer rebound spring (#14) and a progressively wound fork spring (#11) so as not to give a harsher ride. Just my 2 cents.

[caferacer]

thanks harley that sounds like the way to go

[TopCatGr58]

MikesXS clipons

Clip-on handlebar Set
Clip-on handlebar Set - Chromed Steel - Fits: 34mm. forks on 1971-76 650's


Part #25-1089 $46.00 USD /Set

-----------------------------------------

Clip-on handlebar Set
Clip-on handlebar Set - Chromed Steel - Fits: 35mm. forks on 1977-84 650's


Part #25-1090 $46.00 USD /Set

[caferacer]

t.c. so i take it the xs650 and the xs 1100 have the same forks on them if the clipon will fit xs650 or are they a little diffrent i have a xs650 i am turning into a cafestyle bike

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Cafe,

My bad! The XS11's are 37mm diameter, a bit beefier than the 650's! But at least these might help you with your 650, but not with your 11!
T.C.

[caferacer]

ya thats what i thought to the will look great on the 74xs650 and a great price they mount were the headlight ears would be correct

[GNEPIG]

.. i lowered the front end on an XS11 that i was drag racing the same way that Harleychanic has said. i put the 3" pvc under the rebound spring and removed 3"s from the top spring, the ride was not to bad, in fact it felt like it handled real good. i also learned that from the first harley shop that i worked at.

[pggg]

I've got 1 inch steel spacers in there (pipe) and wouldn't mind dropping a few more inches too, as my 17 inch 160/60 back tyre sits low. Also got progressive springs in there with no pvc spacer on top, and drilled out the damper holes another 1mm and used 25wt fork oil.

[TopCatGr58]

Originally posted by caferacer
ya thats what i thought to the will look great on the 74xs650 and a great price they mount were the headlight ears would be correct

That's one place, or IF you use the technique to slide the upper tubes up in the TT's to lower the front end, then you can have the tubes sticking above the TT's to mount the clip ons to, and still have your headlight ears! DennyZ has a nice picture of his bike that way, don't have the link to it?!
T.C.