lowering FXDB
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,922
Likes: 826
From: Toronto Canada
back in the day (late 70's early 80's) a lot of guys went with 2" , 4" or even more overstock forks . the bike sat at a funny angle and i'm sure the handling was a bit off , but you sure saw a lot of them set up that way
i always liked the way my lowrider sat and handled so i never did it , but at least one of my buddies always told me i should go for 2" over tubes . he was right about the handlebars (sportster style buckhorn pullbacks instead of drag bars) and exhaust (staggered duals instead of 2 into 1) , maybe i shoulda listened
i always liked the way my lowrider sat and handled so i never did it , but at least one of my buddies always told me i should go for 2" over tubes . he was right about the handlebars (sportster style buckhorn pullbacks instead of drag bars) and exhaust (staggered duals instead of 2 into 1) , maybe i shoulda listened
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,572
Likes: 5
From: Templeton California
Here's the thing, I've done exactly what you're talking about and it didn't work out all that great.Lowering the rear without lowering the front will increase the Dynas tendancy to want to wobble or wallow when cornering at speed.But it's not that big of a deal it's pretty damn easy to slide the forks up in the tubes a little bit.It doesn't take much I only slid mine up 1/2" and it made a very noticable difference in stability. Also if you never go around a corner at anything over about 50 or are not bothered by a wobble at that speed forget about it.
Thread Starter
|
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 7,079
Likes: 21
From: Queens, NY
i plan on eventually going with a 21X3.25 wheel in the front so i'll more than likely save it all for one shot. i figure if i lower the front along with the rear and go with the bigger rim, it'll give me the stance i'm looking for without sacrificing my handling/cornering at all.
Road Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,168
Likes: 1
From: Cornwall UK
If you fit shocks that are 1/2" shorter than stock the ride height would not be reduced by 1/2" as the shocks are at an angle and not upright. I,m not sure what the difference would be, other than measuring before and after fitting the shocks.Then you could lower the front in the same way.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 275
Likes: 1
From:
Over the years I've swapped out the 12" stock Street Bob rear shocks for 11.5" 440s and 11" Skull Man (show quality) shocks. The bike looked great (esp Skull Man shocks) but the roads around here just plain suck. NEPA is about as pothole infested a place as you can find! If it weren't for all the dam sink holes I'd have kept the lowered shocks on my bike.
These days I'm back to the stock 12" Harley shocks and lovin' life. I'll still swap in the 440s on occasion for bike night. They have a continuous adjustment instead of the normal 5 positions. So you can dial them in pretty decent.
These days I'm back to the stock 12" Harley shocks and lovin' life. I'll still swap in the 440s on occasion for bike night. They have a continuous adjustment instead of the normal 5 positions. So you can dial them in pretty decent.
Club Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 10,815
Likes: 16
From: Virginia
I lowered mine an inch in the back with Progressive 412 11 inch shocks and I left the front stock height. I noticed a very small difference in handling but nothing to worry about. The bigger difference is the harsher ride with the shorter shocks.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider
Verdad Gallardo
The Best and Worst Harley-Davidson Moves of 2025
Verdad Gallardo
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,562
Likes: 11
From: Palm Harbor fl.
If you fit shocks that are 1/2" shorter than stock the ride height would not be reduced by 1/2" as the shocks are at an angle and not upright. I,m not sure what the difference would be, other than measuring before and after fitting the shocks.Then you could lower the front in the same way.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
dave the welder
Milwaukee Eight (M8)
20
Apr 28, 2019 06:07 PM
