How Low Will I Go?

[DrHeathenScum]

so, contrary to advice from most people, I lowered the Night Train about an inch front and rear (FLST upper fork tubes, 1.5" shorter than the FXST tubes and Progressive rear shocks). Putting in the Progressive front springs and 20W fork oil tightened up the front end quite a bit and with a bit more preload over stock, the bike sat about an inch lower.

now, contrary to even more advice, I lowered the front end another inch with the Progressive Suspension lowering kit and adjusted about another half inch out of the rear. The bike rides good and sits even a bit lower.

I'll probably leave it this way for good, but I could still like it a bit lower. Funny, I can stand up, flat foot, and roll the bike out from under me now.

BTW, to all the people (not you guys) that advised me against lowering it the first time, and the second time....
--THHHIIPPTTHHTTHHHHIIIITPH.
I would do it all over again, in a heart beat.

[Bucket13]

PICTURES,PICTURES,PICTURES,PICTURES,PICTURES,..... .....I bet it looks COOL!

[sumday]

Nice!!!
I lowered my TRAIN using 4" under FLT tubes on the front end with Progressive springs on it. Used SE race fork oil in it and an inch of preload. This setup shook my teeth on the freeway. Just adj. the preload to 0.25" and now it rides perfect. Those mods with a 16" front wheel brought the front down I would think ~3.5" or more. For the rear I went with a set Works Adj. shocks and lowered them all the way down. I then trimmed the rear bumper ~1/8" to gain back some travel. The rear probably went down a good 2". These mods along with my thinly padded solo seat brought the seat height down to ~23". Low's the way to go.

[BlackWS02]

I got pics of a bad ass night train that is dropped 4 inches in the front and rear.

[Bucket13]

4"???????? is that even possible? Is there enough clearance under the fender? I slammed my springer 2" with progressive 413's. Huge difference. I think any softail (excluding FatBoy) which remains stock height in the rear looks goofy, although it is probably more comfortable over rough roads. They gotta design the softail rear fender so it doesn't look like it is sooo high off the rear wheel.

Originally Posted by BlackWS02

I got pics of a bad ass night train that is dropped 4 inches in the front and rear.

[Carrie]

Originally Posted by BlackWS02

I got pics of a bad ass night train that is dropped 4 inches in the front and rear.

Post them!!

[DrHeathenScum]

4+ inches??? does it only travel in a straight line?

[ricky]

Originally Posted by DrHeathenScum

BTW, to all the people (not you guys) that advised me against lowering it the first time, and the second time....
--THHHIIPPTTHHTTHHHHIIIITPH.
I would do it all over again, in a heart beat.

Bet you change your song and dance the first time you take a normal turn and the back end hits a dip in the road that you didn't see and the frame grabs, tossing both you and it into the guardrail.

[DrHeathenScum]

Originally Posted by ricky

Bet you change your song and dance the first time you take a normal turn and the back end hits a dip in the road that you didn't see and the frame grabs, tossing both you and it into the guardrail.

are you speaking from experience?

I know I've whacked the frame on the ground a few times already... lowered and not lowered.

[ricky]

Originally Posted by DrHeathenScum

are you speaking from experience?

Yes.
Not my bike but my friend with his 130lb wife on the back.
Happened right in front of me. 30mph, cruvy road, sunny day.
The guardrail stopped the bike from a 300 foot plunge.
He broke his leg and she wound up with gravel in her hip and shoulder.
Turns out the road did have a hidden dip in it. The frame caught when they went into the turn and...

Just a word of warning for you.

[DrHeathenScum]

Originally Posted by ricky

Yes.
Not my bike but my friend with his 130lb wife on the back.
Happened right in front of me. 30mph, cruvy road, sunny day.
The guardrail stopped the bike from a 300 foot plunge.
He broke his leg and she wound up with gravel in her hip and shoulder.
Turns out the road did have a hidden dip in it. The frame caught when they went into the turn and...

Just a word of warning for you.

yeesh.

gotta get some rear shocks with alot less dip and dive than the Regressives I have now.

[dwarthog]

Be careful in the corners with a lowered bike like yours, please!

On this past Sunday, I witnessed a rider behind me unable to hold his bike in the corner slowly move to the outside edge until he hit the narrow soft shoulder then lose it over the edge, with his girlfriend on back.

I immediately turned around and went back and thankfully neither was seriously injured. Some buddies I was riding with and I managed to get his bike out of the ditch. Damn thing would high center on a freaking pebble.

The guy had built a 2003 fatboy into a bar hopper, lowered and with a blower. The floor boards on both sides were almost completely ground down. I had never seen anything like it.

If it hadn't been for all of the rain in this area and the tall grass in the ditch, it could have been a real bad scene.

Take care and ride safe!

[uspatriot]

My nighttrain is not lowered at all and I am constantly dragging the pipes. I don't know how you are going to do it. It is a cool idea, but I don't think it would be practical for me.

[GrayRider]

My neighbor kept lowering his Heritage more and more. A couple of weeks ago the frame dug into the pavement while he leaned into a curve of a clover leaf on ramp, and down he went. He's ok, 5K in damage to the bike. Hey, but don't let that spook ya. Enjoy.

[swmnkdinthervr]

Originally Posted by uspatriot

My nighttrain is not lowered at all and I am constantly dragging the pipes. I don't know how you are going to do it. It is a cool idea, but I don't think it would be practical for me.

I have a Softtail Springer at stock height and the pipes (BuB Jug Huggers) are pretty high too...I've scraped it many times hard enough to make the rear jump out a bit...I won't lower mine no matter how good it looks...