Extreme Creations Lowering Link Review

[FZ07R WaNaB]

So I finally got the Extreme Creations (EC) lowering link installed on my 2016 FZ-07. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. You did not have to remove the rear wheel or the swingarm. You also did not have to suspend the bike. You did have to have a jack underneath the motor/exhaust. Both footpeg assemblies, the shift linkage and the rear brake assemblies have to be removed as well as the side frame covers. This allows access to the connecting rod 18 (in Yamaha parts sheet below) which is going to be replaced with the EC link (see attached pic with the EC beside the OEM rod). They provided detailed instructions with color pictures on how to do the replacement. I went with the bearings and seals being installed by EC which bypassed a good part of their instructions. One glitch is the instructions say to have the side of the link that has writing facing outwards. The problem is that both sides have the same writing, but fortunately one of the pics showed the right way to install it. Everything was going well until we tried to attach the EC link to the relay arm 10 (Yamaha words, not mine). It turned out that the OEM collar 16 was too wide to fit into the gap on the EC link. It was impossible to spread the arms of the link due to the thickness and strength of the arms. My mechanic and I agreed that the only thing to do was to mill/grind off about 2mm off the collar which ended up working perfectly. Obviously that collar worked find with the OEM link/rod, so I don't know what was up with EC on this one. Turned out not to be a deal breaker though. You need the jack to get the holes aligned which proved to be no problem. The only thing left to do was to reinstall all the parts.

The reason I got this link is obviously the bike is too tall for my comfort level. When I bought the bike, it was barely OK for my 29" inseam. Since then I added a Bitubo XZE 11 shock and Michelin PR4's, both of which increased the seat height. FYI, the Bitubo was at its lowest setting and it still added to the seat height. I ended up going from being on the balls of my feet to being at the end of tiptoes. It was OK at stop lights on flat ground, but anywhere else it wasn't a lot of fun.

That as a background, the EC link gives you the option of 4 setting: stock, -25, -35, and +25. I decided to go for it and went with the -35. I also raised the forks 20mm to help compensate for the drop at the rear end.

So, what did it do for me... I gotta say, quite a bit although some wasn't expected. I am now nearly flatfoot which is a very good thing. After riding 300 miles with this configuration, I'm definitely feeling a lot better about not having an accidental bike drop. I decided at the time to not shorten the kickstand. That was a mistake which is going to be corrected. The bike was OK as far as having enough lean as is, but it needed more for the ease of swinging a leg over it. In stock configuration, the amount of lean was greater making it easier for those who are short of leg to get on the bike. Another result of lowering the seat height is reducing the ground clearance, which is pretty obvious in this case. I'm not sure, but I think I may have scraped once. The problem is that the bottom of the motor is about the same as the bottom of the exhaust. So, I'm either going to need to be very careful and/or get a skid plate which I believe they make for the FZ-07. There was another unexpected surprise which was the chain became very tight as a result of the link, as in very tight. I made it about 10 miles before I realized it, and readjusted the chain. Neither my mechanic nor I thought of that one. Lastly, the perk that I like almost as much as the seat being lowered is that the handling has seriously changed for the better. When you play around with the suspension, it's going to ride differently. This bike now turns in so easily that I came close to making a mistake several times during the first 20-30 miles. It didn't take long to get use to the quicker handling. After riding 260 miles today of which half was pretty curvy roads, I gotta say this bike is more fun than it has ever been handling-wise.

Is it worth it... heck yeah if you are vertically challenged! The EC link is extremely well made, and not that expensive. Remember that the price on their website is in Aussie dollars, and they are essentially charging no labor to install the bearings and seals. To my place in the US, it was approximately $165 USD.

 

Edited May 28, 2020 by FZ07R WaNaB

[robbo10]

When I lowered a bike I got somewhat confused trying to work out how much to reduce the sidestand by! Turned out not much was needed. I ground it down by about 2-3mm, for the bike lowering  of about 30mm.

[FZ07R WaNaB]

Update: So I now have about 1300 miles with the lowering link. I did get my kickstand cut with it being reduced by an inch. Remember that my bike was not stock when I started this adventure with taller tires and a slightly longer shock, so how much you will need to cut off your kickstand may vary.

I had raised my forks 20mm above the top triple clamp. As I said earlier, the bike turned in very quickly which at slow speeds could be pretty unnerving. Between this and the lower center of gravity due to the lowering link, I really didn't like how it handled - just too quick. Today, I lowered the forks by 5mm down to 15mm. I could not believe the difference 5mm made. It didn't knife in quickly at slow speed, but yet still turned decently at higher speeds. Plus at 20mm there was a slight bit of shake felt through the handlebars (similar to the early feeling of a tank slapper) at higher speeds (70+). That is now completely gone - like I said, I can't believe how much of a difference 5mm made.

I did have to change my rebound dampening too as the lowering link created a bit of a pogo effect which was not there before. Two clicks on the Bitubo cured that problem.

I think I'm done sorting out this lowering link, and I am pretty happy with the end result. It's nice to know us shorter folks have a decent option to make the FZ/MT a much easier bike to ride.

 

Edited June 18, 2020 by FZ07R WaNaB

[le druide]

Thanks for the review and the update,  very helpful !