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All 650Rs Lowering CB650r suspension thoughts?

l3omtz

2019
CB650R ABS
Jun 26, 2020
Riding Since
2020
Hey everyone!

I'm thinking about lowering my suspension to lower my ride height since I'm 5'5. I've been looking online to how to do this and din't get far.
Do I also need to adjust the front forks too?

should I just get a lowering kit instead?

Any advice is great!
 

Uncle Meat

2018
CBR650F ABS
650 Alumnus
May 11, 2020
London
Riding Since
1979
I'm no expert but being only 5'6 (ish) i've always steered away from changing the steering geometry.
My boots give me an extra 1" and that allows me to flat foot one leg.
To be honest once you get used to it that's all you really need.

If you do go for a lowering link then you definitely need to lower the front forks. Link below.
CB650R - Lowering kit
 

l3omtz

2019
CB650R ABS
Jun 26, 2020
Riding Since
2020
I'm no expert but being only 5'6 (ish) i've always steered away from changing the steering geometry.
My boots give me an extra 1" and that allows me to flat foot one leg.
To be honest once you get used to it that's all you really need.

If you do go for a lowering link then you definitely need to lower the front forks. Link below.
CB650R - Lowering kit

Yeah I've been worried about messing with that. But thanks for the advice! Still have a lot of research to do in that
 

Enrico

2018
CB650F ABS
Mar 28, 2019
I had a Lust Racing links kit to lower the seat in relation to the ground on a Honda NC700X which required the steering head dropping down the forks by about 12mm and the side stand shortening to suit. It all worked ok.
I would like a lower seat on my 2018 cb650 and slightly raised bars but my dealer thinks this would risk straining the cables.
 

channel

2019
CB650R ABS
Nov 17, 2019
There is a few good resources on dealing with motorcycle if you are smaller:
MotoJitsu:



Doodle On a Motorcycle:
 

Enrico

2018
CB650F ABS
Mar 28, 2019
I usually put the bike in neutral if I am stopped for any length of time, so always putting the left foot down at standstill doesn't work . Keeping the clutch pulled in and the foot on the rear brake is a good idea on a hill though. I don't know how the lowering kit would work on the cb650f but I found it better on the NC700X just getting on the bike for one thing, and it handled ok with the front end lowered (only by about 12mm, not as much as the rear end was lowered by the kit ) With the side stand shortened and headlight aim readjusted it was fine. I would be interested to hear if anybody does lower a cb650.
ps I didn't hear anything in the video where she said there was anything actually wrong with her lowered bike , just that she wanted to feel confident on taller bikes.
pps isn't she lovely.
 

baugustine

2014
CBR650F
Staff
May 21, 2016
Ventura, CA
I usually put the bike in neutral if I am stopped for any length of time, so always putting the left foot down at standstill doesn't work . Keeping the clutch pulled in and the foot on the rear brake is a good idea on a hill though.

Not trying to start any fights here, just commenting based on experience: we have lane splitting and filtering here in California, and one of the main reasons is to get to the front of the line at a stop light (dramatically reduces your likelihood of getting rear-ended by inattentive driver not stopping). Sitting a traffic light in neutral is not very good road strategy, because if you need to make a sudden getaway you will probably not get going in the 1/2 second you need to react. It’s easier to sit in neutral, clutch out, but definitely riskier.

 

Enrico

2018
CB650F ABS
Mar 28, 2019
Point taken on the clutch in technique at traffic lights or stopped in traffic, but as far as the other videos go, I can't see how the jumping off the bike at every stop is practical ,and I can see setting off with a foot on the left foot peg leading to trouble. It wouldn't work in stop/start traffic anyway !
ps Whatever technique I had used it wouldn't have made any difference to the car driver following me who rammed me from behind after I had set off from a junction and was on the move !
 
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Underworld Taco

2019
CB650R ABS
Mar 23, 2020
Portugal
Riding Since
2019
Not trying to start any fights here, just commenting based on experience: we have lane splitting and filtering here in California, and one of the main reasons is to get to the front of the line at a stop light (dramatically reduces your likelihood of getting rear-ended by inattentive driver not stopping). Sitting a traffic light in neutral is not very good road strategy, because if you need to make a sudden getaway you will probably not get going in the 1/2 second you need to react. It’s easier to sit in neutral, clutch out, but definitely riskier.


the reason why in portugal every rider do this and not even legal, police just understand the risk and let us do if we are not being assholes doing it, i already saw one biker get rear-ended and i can tell, was painful hearing him making pain noises
 

baugustine

2014
CBR650F
Staff
May 21, 2016
Ventura, CA
Point taken on the clutch in technique at traffic lights or stopped in traffic, but as far as the other videos go, I can't see how the jumping off the bike at every stop is practical ,and I can see setting off with a foot on the left foot peg leading to trouble. It wouldn't work in stop/start traffic anyway !
ps Whatever technique I had used it wouldn't have made any difference to the car driver following me who rammed me from behind after I had set off from a junction and was on the move !

agreed. I almost got t-boned about 2 years ago when I was first at the light and the truck approaching the intersection failed to stop at their red. I always look twice for traffic not stopping.

i actually hit a car on my bicycle a few years ago that ran a red. I saw her coming, locked up both brakes, hit her front fender and ended up on her hood, still clipped in. She was texting. I was injury free, other than a small cut on my elbow. Front rim was pretty mangled and I left a HUGE dent in her fender...
 

Enrico

2018
CB650F ABS
Mar 28, 2019
I've just thought, the shock is a direct mount to the swingarm so not sure you can lower, without a new shock.
The cb650 lowering kits don't use longer links to lower the bike because it obviously doesn't have a suspension linkage, Lust Racing provide a different adjuster thing that fits under the shock spring. T rex also do a similar thing. They would seem to be more involved than replacing the links on a suspension linkage though.
p.s (Why did they stop using suspension linkages on these bikes ?!)
 

Emempee

2017
CB650F
Feb 14, 2020
Maybe this would help. Raises the lower shock mount which lowers the seat height. Current selling for 1568฿ Which is approximately 50$ or £40.35. Shipping is 79฿ (2.54$ or £2.03) Available on Lazada, ships worldwide
 

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Enrico

2018
CB650F ABS
Mar 28, 2019
Maybe this would help. Raises the lower shock mount which lowers the seat height. Current selling for 1568฿ Which is approximately 50$ or £40.35. Shipping is 79฿ (2.54$ or £2.03) Available on Lazada, ships worldwide
That looks interesting and should be fairly easy to fit ! The thing is how does it affect the performance of the suspension when the shock is almost horizontal ?! Has anybody fitted one ?
 

bishop

2014
CBR650F
Mar 17, 2018
Hey everyone!

I'm thinking about lowering my suspension to lower my ride height since I'm 5'5. I've been looking online to how to do this and din't get far.
Do I also need to adjust the front forks too?

should I just get a lowering kit instead?

Any advice is great!
WOW! I'm 5'6 and I find the CBR650F too tall, how do you fit the CB650R??? o_O

I used the T-rex lowering kit for the rear suspension. They don't have one for the CB650.
 

bishop

2014
CBR650F
Mar 17, 2018
Maybe this would help. Raises the lower shock mount which lowers the seat height. Current selling for 1568฿ Which is approximately 50$ or £40.35. Shipping is 79฿ (2.54$ or £2.03) Available on Lazada, ships worldwide
The Third picture is similar to the one I got for my CBR650F, I had to trim the rear hugger to make it fit. I've been riding for 2 years with it. Work great for me.
 

jfgarro

2019
CB650R ABS
Jun 20, 2018
Costa Rica
Riding Since
2017
In my 2019 CB650R, I installed one of this lower shock mount (from T-Rex Racing), effectively lower the back +1 inch. This, combined with a lower seat (I trimed the foam about 1 inch), lowered front suspension, and my tall Daytona boots, allow me to reach one foot to the ground (no flat footed indeed). All of this, because I'm 5'1", with a 26" inseem. But a word of caution with this shock mount: because it raises the shock from the swing arm, the shock spring is now less than 1/2" apart from a lower transversal reinforcement of the rear chassis (the tubular structure holding the seat, battery and everything under the seat). Too much weigth, or hit a bump going too quickly, and the spring hit the reinforcement, causing a temporary "lockout" of the rear suspension, giving the same sensation of a very stiff shock (besides it's adjustment). Caught off guard, you can be thrown out of the seat. This lower reinforcement can't be cut, because it holds the rear plastic cage with the battery, electronics, etc. I'm conscious of this, and only speed the bike in very know roads....but in new ones for me, I'm very careful. Take in to account my weight is 59 kg (130 lb), and adapted my riding style for this situation...but at the first opportunity, I'll change this lower shock mount for a Lust Racing lowering kit.
 

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