Lowering kit

[joe smith]

Can anyone recomend a good but moderately priced lowering kit for a 1978 xs11e? I have short legs and the beast is a lil' high for me..
Thanks guys..

[Stray Bullet]

joe,

there ARE no kits available... for lowering, for air shocks, for this or that. yer only option is to fab/scrounge/buy/steal something. as you might guess, with the high seat level of the XS1100, lowering the tail end has been done quite a bit. the solution i hear about most is putting on a shorter set of rear shocks.

stock shock is 12.5" from eye-eye. there are concerns about going TOO low, as it puts unwanted pressure on the U-joint. i *think* 11" is the absolute minimum. dont quote me on that, as i havent done the mod.

hopefully, someone will chime in with more knowledgeable knowledge.

[Bill__Woods]

At 5'8" and 140lbs, do what I do - Wear BIG BOOTS.
or you could try reading this lowering an XS11
hope one of the two suggestions help

[Pat Kelly]

Wasn't there a post about Rob Reil making some shock relocating brackets for the bottom end of the shocks?
This might have been on the triples list though. I remember replying that I'd be interested in a set.
I'm 5'8" also and I tip toe both feet or (usually) have one foot flat.
I never feel unbalanced or unsure while stopped. I usually have my right foot up and tapping the rear brake (blinking my brakelight) as cages approach from behind while I'm stopped at a light. Fortunately the terrain is flat around here.

[Bob]

Joe.....the way I lowered my 79XS is a little different. I built a new saddle---pan & all. Rider's saddle is about 1 to 1 & 1/2 inches above the frame. I'm 6'3" tall & the ride is a whole lot more comfy than the factory saddle. So actually, I only lowered the saddle height....no worry about stress on the U-joint.

[Mad Dog]

Lowering Tricks

I'm 5'3" to 5'4"; Sometimes 5'5" in my boots. My Midnight Special was too tall for me; Too hard to control at a stop on my tippie toes. Kept dropping her. So, I reduced the shocks as low as they'll go, but still too high. Then, I cut out oodles of stuffing from the seat. That gave me a lot more control and dropped the seat a couple inches for me. Need to cut down some uncomfortable metal in the pan, though. Pad with some towels. Earlier I was riding just no seat and a towel which was a perfect height.

Now, if only, I can drop the rear suspension another 1 to 2"....she'll be just perfect for me! Hard to find a lowering kit. Was thinking of fabricating one, but then saw the shorter shock options in here. Thanks.

[John]

Read 'n Heed

This is how I did it.
http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...t=the+lowering

[Mad Dog]

Thanks!

Thanks for the info. This site is very helpful!