Well like I said in my breakin thread I just purchased a 06 softail and Im spending my paycheck faster than I can cash it on my new bike !!! I bought the rear drop kit (the studs that go on the shocks) suppose to get you 1 or 2 inches of drop...Does this drop compromise your ride ? I wont do it if its going to make it ride rough....Also my wife is wanting to ride with me, will that cause the bike to bottom out after the drop (Im sure she would kick me if she knew I was asking that question !!!) Thanks again for your input !
Chris

 

Sloptails already scrape things on turns. Dropping the rear an inch or two will make that happen sooner. And adding a passenger will pretty much ensure you'll bottom out. I don't recommend dropping the rear on a bike that's going to be ridden two-up regularly. Others have done it. Some say it's a problem, while others don't seem to mind. Your call.

 

Will make the ride rougher not to mention more chance of draggin the boards(if you make sharp turns) Mine was lowered 2 ' ,changed it back to standard because of the hard ride for both myself and passenger.You can get HD lowered shocks or progressives that will provide a better ride but cost much more.

 

I suggest if your going to lower the ride, you do it with an adjustable shock and not with that stud kit. As stated above the softail already isnt big into heavy lean angles as it is pretty low to the ground. Do an adjustable shock and lower it maybe an inch, but I wouldnt go any farther than that or your lean angle will be really poor.

Poco: Whats up with your "sloptail" analogy?

 

Skip is right here, it depends on your riding style as to how much you can get away with.

 

My 2004 Heritage softail had the lowering kit shocks on the back and the lowering springs up front when I bought it. I did scrape a few times, either the floorboard or possibly my kick stand. The ride was very hard and not comfortable at all for two up riding for any distance. I first removed the front springs and replaced with the stock ones. This helped the scraping problem since it brought the front up about an inch or more. It helped the ride some since the front was more forgiving when I hit a bump, but overall my wife was still uncomfortable on the back. Sometimes when we hit a bump she would go airborne. It wasn't to bad riding solo. I ended up removing the lowering shocks and installing the stock swingarm ones. Rides much better. doesn't look quite a "bad".

 

I rode my 05 Std for about 500 miles before lowering it, and I saw/felt no difference in the way the bike handles or rode. I used the stud kit, and am happy with ow it looks and rides.

 

Just a little joke among old geezer Softail riders. And they are the wost handling modern HDs, mostly 'cause of more unsprung weight.

 

Love my lowered sloptail Poco geezer. Funny saying. The stud kit does make the ride more harsh. But i like looking at my bike lowered.

my .00432 cents.

 

who sells these stud lowering kits? I need to lower the Heritage, the wife rides it most anyways and she is vertically challanged