I'd like to lower my 99 Fatboy due to being vertically challanged, but I just had back surgery, (should be able to start riding again by April),& don't want to loose the ride comfort that I have with the stock shocks. Is it possible to achieve both, or at least get close?
Frank

 

I put lowering bolts like these on the wife's Deuce and lowered her a good 2-2.5" and upped the preload maybe one turn. Rides as good as it did when it left the dealership. (That's on the stock shocks)

[IMG]local://upfiles/5927/5615DF1C5BA04EADBA59AE14734B92B7.jpg[/IMG]

 

Like I said above, I lowered my FXST as low as the bolts would let it with the stock shocks and it's prabably 2.5" lower than stock but at the same time I stiffened the preload as far as it would go to resist bottoming and a belt clearance issue that I was having. I probably could have experimented with the preload, but the bike riding like a shopping cart doesn't bother me.

As far as Trash Rat goes, you may be better suited to a lower seat. Lowering and stiffening the rear may play hell on your back. The beauty of the new bolts is that you can put it back if you want, like benson said, and it won't cost you an arm and leg.

Put them on, lower the bike to where you like it and test ride. If it's bottoming, stiffen the preload until it either stops bottoming or it gets too stiff for your back. If you can't get the ride good enough just crank the bolts and raise the rear a bit and mess with the preload some more. Although messing around laying on the ground that much may be a killer on the back by itself.

 

mine is set as stiff as it goes right now and i only weigh 150lbs so it cant get much worse lowered haha, ill probably adjust the shocks to be softer even after i lower it, i got a solo seat too so most of the time i wont be riding 2 up

 

Oh, I'm 205lbs so without stiffening the preload the bike would drop another inch with me sitting on it. Now it barely moves.

 

yah mine doesnt move right now when i sit on it haha

 

I used the HD rear lowering bolts...cost $80....if you have access to a press, they're very easy to change out....the instruction where very clean....but without it (press)I don't know how you would get the shock apart....It's an inexpensive way to lower your ride 1" to 2" without buying Progessive Lowering Shocks, that cost big $$$$$$$

 

i bought this arlen ness lowering kit... it came with everything for the front and rear witha new kickstanddesigned for a lowered bike... i installed it myself but i had to use a friends press for the rear shocks.lowering the front and rear reallyimproved the look of the bike and did NOT affect ride quality at all because instead ofputting in shorter springs, you're just adjusting where the springs sit. bought my kit from eastern performance ($139) and got free shipping... good luck...

 

you will lose some of the tavel and bottoming out may happen a little but its worth it for the looks

 

do you think that i would have a problame with the arlen ness kit riding 2 up alot on my 04 fat boy? im 190 and my wife is 120 lb