How low can I make a GL1000 without messing it up?

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Cervantes

Cervantes

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May 28, 2010
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Idaho - US
Hey All,

I was not sure where to post this, so I put it here. I hope that was OK.

So at the beginning of the season, I was thinking of fixing my 79 GL1000 up and getting something a bit lighter. It just seemed like so much bike to handle. I was thinking of maybe a V-Star 650 or 950... But as the months wore on, the old Wing and I have had several adventures, and I have found I like working on her, and, well... I am really coming to love this bike far more that I had expected.

But there is still one thing I am unable to get used to, and that is the seat height. On the freeway it feels really tall, but that is OK. But at low speeds and stops, it is just too tall. So I have been reading this and other things on the internet, and I am thinking. I would like to lower it as much as I cann without compromising the handling.

Perhaps I should have gotten a GL 1100 or newer. I think I heard they were lower. But at this point, if I can make this one lower without messing anything up, that is my first choice.

It sounds like I can take about 1 inch off the back shocks without causing any real problems. Has anyone had experience with this? would it be a concern to go any lower than that?

And then on the seat, I am thinking I could take off an inch, but wondered if 2 inches would be too much. I read that somone did that, but I did not see any comments on how it turned out. Perhaps I could also make the seat more narrow in spots.

Then I could lower the front if needed to match it up with the lower back.

Does this all seem reasonable? Any major red flags I need to watch out for? Other ideas?

Cervantes
 
I'd suggest you lower it first with the seat. Either modifying the seat you have or getting another seat and adapting to fit. If you lower the rear only you'll be changing the angle of the front a bit which will change handling some. You can drop the forks in the triple clamps some to lower the front. If you do lower the entire bike you will be losing ground clearance which may affect how much angle you can lean into curves. Some of these seats are really thick. Try removing yours and imagine your options.
 
well the 79 has a two piece rear shock ....it can be taken apart ant the smaller spring can be taken out ....this drop it down qite a bit ....i did that to mine but the shocks were so bad it didnt realy work good ...but that was the shocks ....it did realy handle good and feel good in the saddle ....i think the overall leanth of the stock shocks is 12 3/4" ...if one buys 11" shocks from eye to eye new thats what one needs .....i never did that and totaly did something else ....i install 1100 swing arm and shocks this to lower it from stock about a inch maybe more and changed findrive grearing ...

lowering the 79 will make it handle better in my opinion .....but it also lowers the motor to the ground some and its rather low to begin with ....

if i were you id take the seat off put something there to sit on that lower than stock and ride it to see what you think ....you will probably like it ....do a seat up that lower and have at it ...be thing to do id say and no lowering gound clearence...if later you feel you wnt more seat ..you can just put it back on and it all stock again ....thats what id do ...do it all in the seat ....
 
On a related question,
The shocks limit wheel travel upward. If they are shortened wouldn't that let the wheel go up too far hitting the fender or worse?
Is there a known "safe" minimum shock length?
 
after i did mu bs to my bike a friend bought some rather stiff proggresive i thinks shocks and they didnt bottom out ...but he was mostly a single rider and didnt realy weigh to much
 
I'd vote for seat also,GWs don't have a lot of suspension to mess with,rear is only 3.3",front forks 5.8".
So it isn't far to go to"inadequate". If your physical stature is the issue,ie:feet don't both touch...what is your footware? Most athletic shoes are pretty flat.A soled/heeled boot or shoe will often give you enough to do the trick. Back in the day :),dealers had pieces/parts to lower bikes slightly for smaller riders. Tire height/profile could make a difference.Lower profile tire(s) could give you a bit too.
My 76 is stock,77 has a Corbin (Gunfighter?) which I would gestimate is 1.5-2" lower in the buttbucket section.
 
Oh,I did ride a 305 Super Hawk for a couple seasons with a 2x8 board seat with carpet padding and shag carpet,but that was local trips not toouuuuring :)
 
This has all bee very helpful. I will pull the seat on Monday and see if I can make it lower without ruining it! I will hold off on the shock modifications until I see how the seat goes. Hopefully that will be enough.

I'll keep ya posted.

Cervantes
 
Try replacing the seat with a couple layers of carpet pad. If that works for you. Look for a seat low enough that you can fit or get a damaged one cheap to modify. I'd keep the stock seat in storage if it's in decent shape.
 
Well, it took me a long time to get around to it, but I finally got the seat apart and shaved off some of the foam and got it back together.

My feet now hit the ground better. (especially with boots on.) I am not quite on my toes, but not flat footed either. So it was a step in the right direction.

I do wonder if I shaved off just a bit too much. I can sorta feel the metal seat frame a bit through the foam. I think on a long ride it may be a problem. I may glue a single piece of carpet foam on it this winter. We'll see how I feel about it by the end of summer.

I still wonder if I should lower the front forks and the rear shocks just a bit. It seems like most people were taking about a inch or a little more off... I am wondering about maybe just taking off 3/4 inch off the back shocks. I won't start it until winter if I do it at all. Has anyone had experience with this? I was thinking, with just 3/4 inch, it wouldn't have much risk of bottoming out or goofy performance.

I think the new tires and maybe a carb rebuild are higher priority, but I sure wish it was a little lower. I would consider a full inch, but I am afraid to risk it.

Any thoughts?

Cervantes
 
mcgovern61":lxqu3gdq said:
I lowered my triple tree on the forks 1 1/2" and it made a world of difference!
Click to expand...

Gerry, did you lower the front 1 1/2 inches, but leave the back stock? Does that make it all kinda off balance? I wonder if I should give that a try, since it would be easy to put back if it did not have the desired results. I just assumed I needed to do both or neither.

Thanks for the feedback. Much better then jumping in to it too fast, then regretting it.

Thanks!
Cervantes
 
Cervantes":1d6ceuyo said:
mcgovern61":1d6ceuyo said:
I lowered my triple tree on the forks 1 1/2" and it made a world of difference!
Click to expand...

Gerry, did you lower the front 1 1/2 inches, but leave the back stock? Does that make it all kinda off balance? I wonder if I should give that a try, since it would be easy to put back if it did not have the desired results. I just assumed I needed to do both or neither.

Thanks for the feedback. Much better then jumping in to it too fast, then regretting it.

Thanks!
Cervantes
Click to expand...
I just loosened the fork clamps at each fork and lowered them evenly (gotta keep measuring or they will be uneven!). I also have a Vetter faring which I think helped keep the balance OK. Left the rear shocks as is with no problems. The good part is that if you don't like how it handles, just move them back up! No harm, no foul! (Lot cheaper than cutting down the rear shocks!)

If you find that you can feel the metal through you seat, just add a real sheepskin to the seat and you will not feel anything!
 

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