[zj4041]

Hi all.

Much respect to all riders out there! The more I ride the more i realize the amount of passion and comradery within the riding community.

I have a 2005 crf 450x,im 210 lb at 5ft 8 inches.

I set the sag per manual and I my toes barely touch the ground when I sit on the bike.

I feel like im too high and I have hurt myself several times when coming to a sudden stop because i wasn't able to put my foot down firmly.

I feel like if i lower the bike to where my heels touch the ground (addtitional 2-3 inches) i would ride with much more confidence.

I ride a lil bit of everything, from trails to desert and alot of dunes. I do jumps but nothing over 10 ft.

I want to avoid someone tuning/valving/ customizing this bike for me because I want to be able to tune it myself without making permanent changes to the machine.

(I feel like this should fix the rear, if otherwise then educate me)
So far Im considering :

Shaving down the seat about 1-2 inches
and
KoubaLink 1.75" drop. (Increase preload to make
up for such a big drop and softer linkage system)

I would think with such a dramatic change in the rear the front would need to go down an inch or two as well. Is there a way to do this without taking my fork apart? Manual says the top of the fork must be flush with the top of the clamp.

What are your experiences, Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Rob

[crfsonly]

Rob...you are correct, when installing the Kouba link you will need to raise the forks in the triple clamp to maintain the desired rake. Raising the forks to adjust rake is a common way to adjust how the bike handles in corners and the straights. The instructions that come with Kouba link will indicate how much to raise them to offset the lower rear end.

Ken

[zj4041]

thanks ken, bare with me..as this is new to me

the manual says fork mush be flush with the clamp... so obviously im gonna have to disregard that and adjust the fork such that it protrudes the clamp...so what is a typical adjustment... whats is an extreme adjustment?.. is .5 inches alot or a little, how about 1 inch?...

my logic tells me that the shorter the front fork the more weight to the front and smaller turning radius, which means snappier turning.... right?

how do i know if ive shortened the front too much? what should i look for when test riding?


I also found out about subframe lowering kits... anyone have any experience with this?

thanks
rob