jhendr3702
Silver Level Site Supporter
can i run the ltr 124's on the 07 ?
lowering link on the 07
- Thread starter jhendr3702
- Start date
jhendr3702
Silver Level Site Supporter
at 5'6"... every bike is a little tall for me.. i put the ltr 124's on the 01 and really liked the results.. I can tip toe on it now, just some of the crap we ride it is nice to be able to get a foot down at times..
i have always ended up lowering everything... i usually can get by with around an inch.. I am really working on keeping my feet up on the pegs no matter what after the broken ankle last year..
jhendr3702
Silver Level Site Supporter
i have the stock 122's off my 01....how about i send them to you, you swap and send back the 124's..
i still have your address...
jay
GMP
Active member
JMO, but I would not do it to an '07, as the rear is lower than the early bikes the links were designed for. In addition to lowering the static ride height, they also place more leverage on the spring, causing you to use the first few inches of travel faster, effectively making the rear ride lower on average. Great on the older bikes though that were more tail high.
I would shorten the shock a few mm to drop the rear instead, and do the fork to match to preserve the steering.
I would shorten the shock a few mm to drop the rear instead, and do the fork to match to preserve the steering.
jhendr3702
Silver Level Site Supporter
bchatt
Bronze Level Site Supporter
I am a similar height, and weigh 70kgs. I have found a softer rear spring helps a fair bit, though I do have race sag set at around 105mm, which is pretty normal. Having had various lowering links on my previous kdx, i would be reluctant to go down that path with the gg. These bikes (mine is also an '07) steer so nicely, especially when standing, and fitting lowering links alters the rake so much that it can't be compensated for sufficiently by dropping the forks.
I know exactly what you mean by wanting to put your foot down sometimes - I ride with a tall friend who has an xr250, and sometimes envy those great gangly flailing legs as he paddles his way up impossibly slippery rocky greasy hills while sitting on his arse. ( you gotta love those xr's)!!
My solution is to work on the top 2 inches and forget about the bottom 2 inches. i.e get your head to recognise the capabilities of the "consumate trials rider, lurking within". After all, your legs only need to reach as far as the pegs, which they can easily do - anything below that is of little concern!!
jhendr3702
Silver Level Site Supporter
great points Barry.. I was pretty amazed at how good this bike turns.. it is way better than the 01 i have now.. i dont want to do anything to change that for sure.. Just got to take a Shane Watts class.. it was awesome on the basics we have all learned wrong... my riding "position" and corners have gotten alot better.. confidence is growing also.. the "inner trials rider" is getting there....."oh great.... a rut.... this will be awesome..."
this is the "crap" i am referring to.. of course it is not every minute on every trail ride, but you get the picture.. both of these are taken from the same place waiting on the kid on the kdx whos is stuck...
i am the shortest one in my group.. my buddy who rides a wr450 sets flat footed, both sides...
fun little hill jump..
this is the "crap" i am referring to.. of course it is not every minute on every trail ride, but you get the picture.. both of these are taken from the same place waiting on the kid on the kdx whos is stuck...
i am the shortest one in my group.. my buddy who rides a wr450 sets flat footed, both sides...
fun little hill jump..
jhendr3702
Silver Level Site Supporter
oh.. and the hill jump picture... this is at lake mackenzie, by tulia tx.. G has rode there.. i am the short one in the picture.. the other guy is Johnny, who also rides a 02 gg 300..
this day, there was a huge rain about a week before and big ruts.. we came to this hill, which i will admit, the first time it was spooky.. done correct, you leave the ground about 6' from the top and fly over.. it is sweet..
we came to this hill, there were 3 guys pushing their bikes up a rutted hill.. we stopped and talked to them for a minute, i told them there was an easier way up, just a second and i would show them... Johnny kinda smiled, fired his 300 up and launched up that hill... there is no run at it at all.. you got to go.
one of the guys lookd at his buds and said..."see... i told you there was no other way up" and walked back over and started pushing their bikes up the rutted trail...
still giggle about it..
this day, there was a huge rain about a week before and big ruts.. we came to this hill, which i will admit, the first time it was spooky.. done correct, you leave the ground about 6' from the top and fly over.. it is sweet..
we came to this hill, there were 3 guys pushing their bikes up a rutted hill.. we stopped and talked to them for a minute, i told them there was an easier way up, just a second and i would show them... Johnny kinda smiled, fired his 300 up and launched up that hill... there is no run at it at all.. you got to go.
one of the guys lookd at his buds and said..."see... i told you there was no other way up" and walked back over and started pushing their bikes up the rutted trail...
still giggle about it..
gasser
New member
Great story.
jhendr3702
Silver Level Site Supporter
no bfe.... well some people call amarillo that... but yes it is still in tx..
I'm also 5' 6" and put the lowering link on my '03 250. I lower all my bikes too. It instantely builds confidence. I also have a friend who uses his legs to paddle up extreme stuff. People who don't have a height issue don't seem to realize the challenges we occasionally face if not able to put a foot down.
Glen is right about shortening the spring height though. I did this to my xr400 and it rides and handles really well. My GG250 blows thru the rear suspension too quickly and it's noticeable. I either need to get a stiffer rear spring or lower the front a bit to make it better, or the best thing would be to take it to the suspension guy who did my xr. I used to cut my seat foam down, which worked really well until eventually it was too hard on my knees when going from sitting to standing. Just thought I'd chime in on a fellow short guy.
Glen is right about shortening the spring height though. I did this to my xr400 and it rides and handles really well. My GG250 blows thru the rear suspension too quickly and it's noticeable. I either need to get a stiffer rear spring or lower the front a bit to make it better, or the best thing would be to take it to the suspension guy who did my xr. I used to cut my seat foam down, which worked really well until eventually it was too hard on my knees when going from sitting to standing. Just thought I'd chime in on a fellow short guy.
GMP
Active member
I'm 5'9" and get along well with the stock height, a big reason I always liked GGs so much. A lot of it also has to do with the overall action of the suspension, and how the travel is used. If you have too soft springs and jack the preload up to compensate its just as bad as too stiff a spring. In the slow tech stuff is where the height is an issue and you want the bike to use the right amount of travel without blowing through like it tends to do with the longer pull rods. Get the right springs, use minimal preload, and lower properly if necessary. Its easily reversable if all your doing is an inch, just simple spacers on the fork damper rods and shock shaft to limit top out length, and adjust preload spacers to compensate. This is the right way to do it if your going to keep the bike for awhile and want to enjoy it. My 12 yr old son is now 5'6" with size 11 feet. He will be at least 6'2" they tell me. What he lacks in skill he can make up for with his legs, paddling his 85 up hills when it ran out of juice. I'm envious.
