Dropping The Front - How Low Can You Go.

[Little Pink Steve]

Question for those that have swapped their front ends or dropped their forks.  How much have you dropped the front (or jacked up the rear), how's it handle?

[Pat Conlon]

To each his own, but in my opinion:
1) The secret sauce is the shock, replace it. The FJ's oem shock was weak the day it left Iwata, Japan.
2) Leave the front ride height alone.
3) Replace the weak oem fork springs and get the proper fork valves.
4) Raise the back.
5) Put the bike on it's center stand. About 3/4" clearance between the ground and back tire is perfect.

The FJ's handling is improved by transferring more weight on to the front tire.
Don't over do it. As stable as the FJ is, you can make it a twitchy critter if you try hard enough.
Experiment for yourself.

Cheers

[andyoutandabout]

I remember reading about dropping forks and most sources came in with 5mm max, so that's what mine has.
Certainly a good rear spring unit helps out. Luckily mine came with a Fox double clicker, which does kick the back up slightly.
You can spend a lot of time/money tweaking suspension and it's time/money well spent. The biggest improvement I found was front fork internals, like RPM valves and race tech springs. That addition was night and day difference.
Like Pat suggests, it's a fun and involving project getting your Fj just right for you. You don't often hear an Fj referred to as twitchy, but if you find one that is, get off and park immediately

[Pat Conlon]

Yes, a big heavy FJ that is twitchy is not what you want.

[Sparky84]

So how would you raise the rear on a stock FJ1100?

[Motofun]

The only way I know to raise the rear of a totally stock FJ1100 (original shock) is via the dog bones.  My Penske shock was adjustable and I raised the rear end to the point where the tire was 1/4" off the ground when on the center stand, however, it also has 17" wheels so that also factors in to the equation.

[ribbert]

Question for those that have swapped their front ends or dropped their forks.  How much have you dropped the front (or jacked up the rear), how's it handle?

My bike tips in more easily than any FJ I've ridden, I also have a stock one myself for reference.

While shockers and forks obviously matter, in this instance we are only talking about lowering the front and the effect that has on the bike.
My bike is probably subjected to as much challenging and extreme conditions as any bike here, and I can't fault it's behaviour in corners. Nothing unsettles it, it's not twitchy holding a line, it stands up nicely, it self-centres well and there is no hint of straight line instability at any speed or load/weight configuration. Even if the need to brake hard through the corner arises, doing so is only limited by grip and it maintains the line and neutral feel at the bars. I also attribute this mod to not needing a fork brace, not having broken tabs on the front guard and having only been through two sets of fork seals (it needs the third set now) in 265k.

Dare I say, it now might even be an easier ride over many hours of non-stop corners than the BMW!

I have said here many times, I can steer my bike with my eyes. It's an absolute delight to ride through corners at any speed or conditions as it's set up. A better shocker, forks and tyres only improves things further.

After much trial and error I dropped the front 17mm, added risers to bring the bars back up (photo) and have the rear raised (but not too much) It really is in a sweet spot.





I've removed the technical info to make the target smaller, but if you are interested in how raising one or the other or both ends affects a bike, I'm sure there are plenty of write ups on net, it's a fascinating subject if you like that sort of stuff.

If you just want it to turn in better, just do it!

Noel

Opinion disclaimer......

[Pat Conlon]

The only way I know to raise the rear of a totally stock FJ1100 (original shock) is via the dog bones.  My Penske shock was adjustable and I raised the rear end to the point where the tire was 1/4" off the ground when on the center stand, however, it also has 17" wheels so that also factors in to the equation.

Jack, no dog bones on the '84-87 FJ's. Unless you convert the shock linkage over to the '89/90, the only way to raise the rear up on the early FJ's is thru an adjustable shock....like the Penske.

[fj1289]

Question for those that have swapped their front ends or dropped their forks.  How much have you dropped the front (or jacked up the rear), how's it handle?

I've messed with the suspension quite a bit - lowered the front about 3/4" when I swapped early R1 forks.  Also raised the rear enough that the center stand was useless.   No "twitchy-ness" and no mis-behaving as far as I can tell.   (also an FZ1 swing arm and FZR1000 shock with an FJ1100 spring if I remember correctly).   So your results may vary - but I wouldn't be too concerned about it!

[FJ_Hooligan]

Jack, no dog bones on the '84-87 FJ's. Unless you convert the shock linkage over to the '89/90, the only way to raise the rear up on the early FJ's is thru an adjustable shock....like the Penske.

Penske Sport Shock was my solution.  Forks (with RPM springs and valves) and rear tire on the ground on the centerstand.

[Little Pink Steve]

Thanks for the replies guys. 

I should have given more details.  My front end swap drops it 30mm inch and a quarter to my colonial cousins and intend knocking up some shorter adjustable dog bones.

I could raise the front with a new offset billet yoke or by removing or shortening the anti rebound springs. 

[jvb_ca]

Jack, no dog bones on the '84-87 FJ's. Unless you convert the shock linkage over to the '89/90, the only way to raise the rear up on the early FJ's is thru an adjustable shock....like the Penske.

Penske Sport Shock was my solution.  Forks (with RPM springs and valves) and rear tire on the ground on the centerstand.

This is my exact setup on my 86 except my rear wheel is just off the ground when on the center stand. No shakes or shimmies, and handles like a dream.
Friends who have modern sport bikes cannot believe how stable and easy steering it is. My buddies stock FJ11 handles like a heavy truck compared.. 

Jake....

[Dieselman7.3]

Thanks for the replies guys. 

I should have given more details.  My front end swap drops it 30mm inch and a quarter to my colonial cousins and intend knocking up some shorter adjustable dog bones.

I could raise the front with a new offset billet yoke or by removing or shortening the anti rebound springs. 

How does it handle/ride that low?

[Little Pink Steve]

No idea mate, ongoing project

[giantkiller]

I really can't remember how much the gsxr front ends lowered the front. I have them set the same. But the 86 has the Honda shock on the back. the tire is lightly on the ground on centerstand. Not twitchy at all. I had my neighbor who was a very good super bike racer. Since moved on to factory sponsored snow cross racer. Take it for a ride to see what he thought of what I had done. I could tell he really didn't want to but he did. He was gone so long I was getting quite worried. And when he came back up the driveway. I could see a shit eating grin. Through the visor of the helmet. He took off his helmet. And said " I don't know what you did with the geometry but you got it just right." He said he was expecting a big wallowing heavy bike. He said it actually turns in better than his race bike a gsxr1000. Said he took it through the corners he uses to test suspension settings on the race bike. One corner has some stutter bumps. And couldn't get it unsettled.