armourbl Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 First post, already asking questions....yeah yeah, I know. Seriously considering this bike for my wife. She has sat on one and had to point her feet to touch on each side. We've since got her some Daytona Lady Star boots that will give her some more reach, but I'm guessing she will still need the bike lowered. I know we could go the cheap route and use a lowering link, but I'd rather do it properly and not mess up the rake/trail, etc. figures. Curious what any of the short riders have done to address seat height issues? ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maikai Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 I just deal with it. I have to point my feet to touch my toes. It only gets sketchy around hills. I'm interested in lowering maybe a 1/2 in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmucat Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 I have thought about it. There is a suspension link on eBay that supposedly lowers the bike around an inch. http://m.ebay.com/itm/261585001287?nav=SEARCH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member hippiebikerchick Posted October 4, 2014 Premium Member Share Posted October 4, 2014 Welcome armourbl! I can't flat foot this bike either and might consider having it lowered but I'm working on getting used to having only one foot down. Tell us more about yourself! Illegitimi non carborundum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourbl Posted October 4, 2014 Author Share Posted October 4, 2014 Not a lot to tell. Been riding motorcycles for more than 20 years. Currently experimenting with a KTM 990 Adventure to try something new. My wife has been a rider as well at various times in our marriage. She started on an Aprilia RS50 that I heavily modded for her, and has even done some dirt. The biggest bike she has operated on her on is a Ducati Monster 620. She gave up riding on the street when she got pregnant with our third child. Gave up dirt because she doesn't like bruises and scars. LOL. We've been on the hunt for a very long time for the ideal bike for her. I think the FZ07 is the one, and was very surprised that she couldn't reach better than she could, even in flip-flops and shorts. I've just never been a fan of lowering links. I think the proper way will be to limit the travel internally at the right ratios front and rear. I will resist the urge to ride her bike, so it really needs to be setup for her. Right now, we are still in the research phase. Hoping to test drive one this November at the local motorcycle show. We'll see from there. ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member hippiebikerchick Posted October 4, 2014 Premium Member Share Posted October 4, 2014 Right now, we are still in the research phase. Hoping to test drive one this November at the local motorcycle show. We'll see from there. ben The International Motorcycle Show in San Mateo, CA? Illegitimi non carborundum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member motomeek Posted October 6, 2014 Premium Member Share Posted October 6, 2014 I'm 5'3" and make due using my tippy-toes. If you do plan on lowering the bike, I highly recommended going to a suspension specialist than purchasing a lowering link. They can get the bike comfortably for your wife and won't mess anything up in regards to the bike setup. I've gone the lowering link route on a CBR250R. It stiffened up the ride. And if lowered too low, pot holes/dips can lead to issues with the rear tire hitting the tail. It definitely helped with my confidence starting out, but I wasn't informed of the other option prior to buying the bike. Instagram: @meekmade | You don't need to flat foot a bike to ride it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviede Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I'm 5'8" but have very short legs and can only tippy toe with both feet, I would love to lower mine an inch or so! 2015 Matte Metallic Grey FZ-07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livestrong Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I lowered my mt07 with a lowering ring. Made it myself, took out the lower spring plate and made a ring with spring plate in aluminium that fits over the spring attachement. It lowered about 35mm. There are no side effects, just when riding with a passenger over a speedbump to fast the suspension hits the end of his lenght. Lowered my front suspension 15mm. Looks like this one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonaz1 Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 I know its a old post but did anyone ever lower the fz07? How it ride/look pictures? https://www.youtube.com/user/jasonaz1fz07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourbl Posted November 8, 2014 Author Share Posted November 8, 2014 Well, still don't have the bike yet. Hoping to test ride one tomorrow at the Phoenix Motorcycle Show. I have my fingers crossed that she ends up falling in love with the bike. Meanwhile, I got her some of the Daytona Lady Star GTX boots. They are an excellent boot. One of the few designed for women in my opinion that don't have a ton of compromises. One of the nice features about them for women is they have a rise on the interior of the boot. This helps achieve better reach to the ground without negatively impacting function. https://shop.helimot.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=70 Really hoping that these make the difference for her and maybe we won't even need to lower the bike at all. ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourbl Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 Well, we got to ride the FZ07 yesterday. Turns out, with the new boots, she can reach the ground adequately and comfortably. The bike was a hoot to ride. I really enjoyed it. I couldn't really fault the bike anywhere. It is fantastic build by Yamaha. We now know this is the long awaited winner for my wife's next bike. It is going to be very hard for me to stay off it once we buy it and respect that it is her's...LOL ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 HyperPro make springs and suspension kits for the MT-07, FZ-07. They do lowering kits with shorter springs, as well as the stock length in both linear and progressive wound. Here's a link to the eBay listing from CalSport in the UK for the rear lowering spring kit which drops the rear 20mm http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/141461019789?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 Hyperpro web site for Mt-07 'street box' http://hyperpro.com/en/2014/07/25/mt-07-streetbox-available/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourbl Posted December 25, 2014 Author Share Posted December 25, 2014 HyperPro make springs and suspension kits for the MT-07, FZ-07. They do lowering kits with shorter springs, as well as the stock length in both linear and progressive wound. Here's a link to the eBay listing from CalSport in the UK for the rear lowering spring kit which drops the rear 20mm http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/141461019789?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 Hyperpro web site for Mt-07 'street box' http://hyperpro.com/en/2014/07/25/mt-07-streetbox-available/ I appreciate the information. We really killed two birds with one stone with the boots we bought. She needed really good boots and they just happened to also solve the reach issue. She can manage the bike very well now. I may still entertain getting it lowered a bit still though because she really can't back the bike up from a parking space as it is now. Not a huge issue, but another inch might make all of the difference in the world for her. ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Really, how often does one need to go backwards on a bike? If you don't have to mess with the suspension geometry, don't. Even if you can keep angles correct, you lose ground clearance, the sidestand might set the bike upright to the point that it would have to be shortened, etc. and on it goes. This bike is just so light, for those times that it's gotta be pushed backwards, leave the side stand down, get off and push - left hand on the bar, right hand on the back seat. I have to do this with my Apriia and the difference in weight between the 2 bikes is, well, one of me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourbl Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Really, how often does one need to go backwards on a bike? If you don't have to mess with the suspension geometry, don't. Even if you can keep angles correct, you lose ground clearance, the sidestand might set the bike upright to the point that it would have to be shortened, etc. and on it goes. This bike is just so light, for those times that it's gotta be pushed backwards, leave the side stand down, get off and push - left hand on the bar, right hand on the back seat. I have to do this with my Apriia and the difference in weight between the 2 bikes is, well, one of me! Good point. If she is riding, I'm riding with her. So far I've moved the bike for her. But she needs to learn to do it by herself for sure. Just trying to get some easy miles on the bike before she has her first parking lot boo boo. ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Being just barely 5'5" and a bit beyond my weight lifting years (12" Ti in left hip, 3 surgeries on left arm and one on the right hand) , I feel that concern every time I push my Aprilia around especially when I wear my Sidi boots that leave my legs dangling in the air like a little kid. That bike carries it's 530 lbs pretty high - been tip-toeing it around now for 12 years. And my Futura doesn't fall well - don't ask how I know. Ultimately, she'll get used to the weight and tip-overs will be less an issue. I have a buddy who's been riding as long as I have - 44 years, it still happens, it still sucks. So, instead of investing in things that won't make the bike work better ( and will likely make it worse - and that's never good), maybe some crash bobbins and axle protectors would will go a long way toward lessening the consequences of one of those oh crap moments. As for dealing with an, erm, incident, most people go about it wrong. Our FZ's weigh just a bit less than the Sportster this young lady makes quick work with Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWP Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Lowering Kit from Wild Hare. 2" lower and the bike handles great. I had the bike for 500 miles, when the lowering kit came in. My wife now calls it her own. At 5'4", and 28" in seam, the stock bike was too tall for her. The 2" made all the difference. If you'd like more details and photos, let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolltide268 Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 JWP - I'd like more details and pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onuro Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Anyone who's lowering the bike please beware!: Lowering the stock chassis would seriously affect your cornering performance (based on Yamaha authority feedback) and handling capabilities. It's true the seat height might be high for some but they haven't made it 805mm for fun. Given the fact that FZ-07 has spinal aluminium chassis, it's very vulnarable and rather cheaper chassis production method that any modification could cause serious performance and handling issues. If your wife is not tall enough for this bike, I personally would rather highly suggest suzuki inazuma(GW250) or a relevant positioning bike (not sure if inazuma is sold in the US) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWP Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 onuro, [span] [/span]Thanks for the concern. I really appreciate the suggestion and information about the limitations of the FZ07. I had similar concerns, and I believe I've addressed them in the conversion process, but will remain vigilant for any issues that may come up. [span] [/span]A bit of history may be in order. Linda and I are empty-nesters, in our 50's and we greatly enjoy riding. I stopped riding about 30 years ago when we had kids with the understanding that when they were in college, I could start riding again. Five years ago I got a Vstrom 650 and started riding weekends and touring. Linda rode with me for a few years, then got her own bike, Vstar 250 (Virago in some parts of the world). We've been all over Northern California with several 1,000 mile long weekends. She's done fine on the Vstar, but a 250 is pretty limited. Fortunately, she didn't know any better. Two years and 8,000 later, she's ready for an upgrade, and the FZ07 was a logical choice due to its low weight and upright riding position. [span] [/span]So I got a red FZ07, which I really enjoyed. She tried it once and loved it. However, in the 5 miles she rode, she dropped it twice, both at stop signs. Please note the side guards I use as my avatar. The scratches were the only damage done. [span] [/span]After a good bit of research, we found the following solution from Wild Hare Accessories: http://www.whaccessories.com/Lowering-Kits-Yamaha.htm For what it's worth, the parts are German ABE or TÜV approval. I am not an expert on those certifications, but if it's good enough for the fussy German government, I feel a bit better. The 2" lowering link we got has a warning that it's for single riders only. Given Linda's 120 pound weight, I'm not too concerned about the loss of travel. They also have a 1" kit without the single rider restriction. [span] Below is her foot, before then after the kit was installed. Moving from the Vstar cruiser, she was very insecure about not being flat footed. As I've often heard, if you're not comfortable on the bike, you won't ride it.[/span] Being cautious, we had the linkage installed by a well-regarded local suspension shop with the understanding that safety was the first concern, followed by fit. They installed the linkage, lowered the front forks as well as shortened the kick stand. Since the conversion, we've been on a few nice rides (about 150 miles) in the hills, and Linda loves the bike. Most importantly, she feels confident she can stop safely. She loves the handling, power and control, and now understands why I thought she'd love an upright standard bike more than her little cruiser. I've ridden behind her and at her most agressive pace, she still has lots of lean clearance left. With that said, please consider that we're in our mid-50's and ride for fun and scenery, not for hooligan thrills. Any questions? Suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilkfz Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I went to a shop and they had a yoshi lowering link in stock that was up around 100 bucks. It lowered it 1 3/4 inches. Seriously considering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWP Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 That's about half of what I paid. Sounds like a deal. We just did a 130 mile loop and my wife is still in love with the lowered bike. The Mt. Hamilton loop is a great collection of swooping turns and twistir switchbacks. Great fun. Riding behind her, it looks like she still has about 3" of clearance left in her most aggressive turns. But keep in mind at she's not at race pace. If you go ahead, don't forget to lower the frond forks and cut the kick stand. Please us know how it works. Also, please say more about your size, riding style, and bike color. I know lowering kits work on red bikes for 120 pound, 5'4" women, but we need more data. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregjet Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 The biggest concerns with lowering a bike in general are: Lowering the rear only will increase the rake of the forks. This will make the bike more stable in a straight line and harder to turn ( or increase the lean angle for the same steering input). On this bike it will increase the risk of bottoming the belly and more importantly rearbias the weight on a badly rear biased bike with very soft badly damped rear shock. The change in geometry does not necessarily make the bike less safe ( in fact can make a bike more safe) only makes a change in the turning charastics. The big problem is that the rear bias decreases the front tyre load on a front that is already vague. However the increase in confidence and ability to not lose footing when stationary is a big plus. Lowering the front as well will help rebias the front tyre load, lower the seat height a bit more but keep an eye on the belly ground clearance as this is a reasonably low bike to start with. Extreme creations ( Australian) ( http://www.store.extremecreations.com.au/mt-07-jack-up-plates) make a beautiful raising lowering link with 4 positions( +25mm,0,-25mm, -35). It needs the stock bearings transferred ( or you could buy a second set) and they are not easy to get out and back in so a job for very experienced DIY well equipped or a pro. I bought one to raise the rear to get more front weight bias and improve the turn in, but it will lower just as well. NOTE: If you are useing it to lower my opinion is that you use a spring that will be much stiffer and allow lower preload so initial settle will allow the seat height to actually be lower but won't bottom as easy. A proper shock and spring designed for the rider would really be the smart way to do it. Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basmn Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_143163473916215&key=08e6540d4f97df80e11647242d7fb56d&libId=i9oma5100100xrdg000DA35f1a48l&loc=http%3A%2F%2Ffz07.org%2Fthread%2F1022%2Flower-fz07%23page%3D1&v=1&out=http%3A%2F%2Fm.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F261585001287%3Fnav%3DSEARCH&ref=http%3A%2F%2Ffz07.org%2Fboard%2F16%2Fyamaha-fz-07-suspension-upgrades&title=Anyone%20lower%20a%20FZ07%20yet%3F%20%7C%20FZ-07%20Forums&txt=m.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F261585001287%3Fnav%3DSEARCH Has anyone tried this lowering link >???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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