| Author | Message | ||
     1125chick |
Y'all know how to make a girl feel welcome. Charlie, I think were on the same page with the seat. I think if I let anybody tinker around anymore with the suspension I'm gonna regret it. Please if you can send an e-mail to me at kevmik@sbcglobal.net with pics and the contact info for the seat guy. Bads1, e-mail me and hubby if you guys ever want to take a ride together, nice to hear from locals. | ||
| Bobup |
Michelle, Bratmanrider had some work done on his suspension...he might have a good source for having your rebuilt to your specs (hey, what are your specs ?  ) | ||
| Nickcaro |
try these; the bombshells | ||
| 1125chick |
First day out yesterday for some real riding and I'm happy to say, no spills despite my vertical challenges. The gears took some getting used to compared to the XB9, 1125's much tighter and shorter. Fast braking was smooth and trouble free. I do kind of miss the speedo because it's hard to maintain steady speed with the digital (in known cop zones), not that I'm speeding of course, lol. I bought some ridiculous platform boots and it only hindered the experience (and shifting gears). Adjusted the front preload again and got a few more centimeters. I think Charlie is right, the final ticket is going to be a custom seat. I contacted Tobin's and we'll see whats up. Ordered some XB handgrips cuz the 1125's suck. I'm feeling the pain today in my hands. Thanks to all for suggestions. Bobup if the seat thing doesn't pan out I may contact your guy. Let me know how everyone's doing now that the weather is breaking. | ||
| Baggermike |
Hi 1125rchick, spencer seats might be able to help you and can do your stock seat for around 75 dollars, I would think about lowering the bike by buying a shorter rear shock and sending the front out to be lowered, you can get it set up to your weight and riding style have the bike lowered and get maybe a better ride to. Mike | ||
| Court |
Follow the seat option. Do NOT modify the suspension geometry of an 1125R. | ||
| Bobup |
Michelle here is the thread with reference to having the suspension customized http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/290 431/336721.html?1202918080#POST1069263 here is the shop he had it done at Boykin Suspension : http://www.boykinsuspension.com/about_us_main.html | ||
| Baggermike |
lowering the bike the same amount on both the front and rear does not change the suspension geometry. | ||
| Court |
.Do NOT modify the suspension geometry of an 1125R. | ||
| Reepicheep |
How do you figure that Mike? Lower the suspension and you shorten the wheelbase. Wheelbase is a HUGE factor in suspension geometry. | ||
| Court |
Do NOT modify the suspension geometry of an 1125R.  >>>lowering the bike the same amount on both the front and rear does not change the suspension geometry. That's a patently inaccurate statement. It would be closer to true **IF** the front forks legs were perfectly vertical. Changing the ride height can make the handling of a motorcycle very unpredictable and compromise the designed in positive dynamic stability. I was once sent to ride a motorcycle after an American Airlines stewardess had experienced three crashes. She brought it to a dealer. When I spoke to her, she just thought that getting tossed off from time to time was part of riding. I flew to the dealers, did my normal pre-ride inspection and set out. The first time I went to turn I got the surprise of my life. The bike was nearly impossible to control. I asked if it had been modified and sure enough a "friend" (odd use of the term) had fitted it with a pair of lowered rear shocks and lowered the tubes in the triple trees what they thought was a similar amount. There is a reason that a group of folks spent better than a year dialing in the precise geometry of your 1125R. It represents the BEST comprise between safety and spectacular handling elements of the continuum. I'd change it only with input from a qualified suspension person, not advise from the internet. I mentioned yesterday, in another post, about one of the most exciting test bikes I'd ever ridden. It was a R&D S3 test unit that had the fork tubes relocated 1/2". It was a very stable ride. . . .that part worked. But suspension is a bit of a zero sum game. When you change one thing, you change many others things. . . . intended and unintended. There are a couple of better ways (My SCU is quite experienced in Buell get-offs) to deal with shortosity. Court | ||
| Baggermike |
OK so lets say a 500 lbs man would sit on the bike and would change the geometry because he weighs to much by compressing the suspension to much, what would you tell him? not to buy it because he weighs to much and will change the bikes geometry, and then I guess we should not corner fast because the G forces compress the suspension and alter the geometry, so if she is to light and short and is not compressing the suspension enough which also changes the bikes geometry she should sell the bike? I agree start with the seat, but if she can not feel comfortable riding the bike with a lowered seat that can put her as low as possible and she is still uncomfortable then what options does she have? sell it? I am sure she does not want to sell the bike, I would not, and I am sure you would not, so in the end it is her decision and hers alone and if she needs to lower it then it is not a bad thing like you are making it out to be. I think that is called nick picking. 1125R chick go for it girl, do what you have to do to make the bike fit you, call some suspension experts and listen to them, I recommend Wilbers suspension products Gmbh, email address. wilbersusa<usa@wilbers.de>; write to Dirk he is in Germany and say Hi to him from me, really nice guy and knows his business, they are also here in the usa. They sell a book on suspensions so you can understand what the suspension does and how to fine tune it. Any more info just P M me. Mike | ||
| Hughlysses |
It sounds like she's doing OK with the bike as-is. I hate to see anybody dump hundreds of dollars into suspension mods to lower a bike if they don't have to. At the very least you're gonna give up some lean angle. Nobody's mentioned thicker-soled boots which is another worthwhile alternative to investigate. | ||
| Baggermike |
Hey Hughlysses I did and she tried them but did not like how they were to shift and brake with them on. | ||
| Ducxl |
sort of off topic but,one of my bikes has adjustable steering head rake and also adjustable rear ride HEIGHT independant of travel. I'd be extremely(can't stress that enough) cautious of messing with an 1125r suspension that way. | ||
| Cat3 |
Court, no offense, but your partially correct and incorrect. Suspension geometry shouldn't be up to one's interpretation, but better left to those who are qualified, true. Altering the forks and shock, for a lowered ride height, will not cause frustration in geometry. Unless of course, as in the case of your Indian MC friend, the forks are not lowered the same amount side to side. FWIW, dialing in pre-load on forks or shock lowers/raises the bike, thus altering the geometry. Now if some shade tree hack lowers the forks say 1" and the shock 2" then you will definitely have a push to turn ride....the rear sitting higher makes for a quick turn-in. However, the relationship b/w OEM geometry and lowered is important and integrity must be maintained. Rambling, yes. Sorry. Hughlysses..since she stated in the original post she tried platforms I wouldn't think of mentioning it again  | ||
| Baggermike |
Also there are two lightnings with everything the same except for, one has 4.71" of fork travel, and the other has 3.12" of fork travel, Both have 5" of rear shock travel. | ||
| Wademan |
 | ||
| Bearly |
no kidding | ||
| Towjam |
try these; the bombshells Then post pics!  | ||
| 1125chick |
Wow!! Passionate opinions from alert Buellers, thanks for engaging. H-D did the original adjustments and after further discussion approved an additional adjustment to the pre-load. I test rode her after and there were no overt handling issues. I'm not comfortable having anyone except Erik himself hack into the suspension so I'm taking the safe option which is to hack into the seat instead. Much cheaper if it gets screwed up! | ||
| Baggermike |
1125chick I just bought my son a dvd called ride like a pro and is really about riding the bike slow were you need your balence, I had got his new on and it two hours long, I think this would help you to and is only 29 dollars on bikers highway, I hope the best for you and hope you do not have to go the suspension route it is expensive. Mike | ||
| 1125chick |
Thanks Baggermike. Let me know how he likes it. | ||
| 1_mike |
For what it's worth, done correctly, carefully, no perceivable change in handling will be noticed by the average person. I've lowered several (5 maybe 6) for friends and one for myself with no ill handling effects. Granted, these were Japanese sport bikes, but the shocks and forks have no idea what brand chassis they are holding up. Mike | ||
| Ccryder |
Mike: You are correct about the hardware not knowing what brand it is supporting. What you are missing is that the 1125r has suspension geometry that is very different than those Japanese sport bikes. This difference may make a vast difference in how these change effect the handling. Please watch out making general statements like this without first hand experience with this particular M/C. Time2Work Neil S. |
