Front Suspension on my new NT

[schwartz]

Hey guys, so my first weekend with the bike and bish79 was changing his oil and had his bike sitting next to mine and there is a noticeable difference in his front fork height over mine, something around 2 inches higher then mine.

Does anyone know if there are modifications that can be done to lower the riding height of the stock front suspension? If so can they be reversed? Its still has 2 months of the factory warranty left on it but I doubt it would be covered under that.

Also bish79 also told me to tell you I have a toolkit that came with my bike.

 

[Phil Tarman]

OK Schwarz, so he told you to "tell" us you have a toolkit that came with your bike. Does that mean you did have a toolkit that came with your bike or does he just want you to jerk our chains?

Look at the top of your forks in the triple clamp...have they been slid up through the triple clamp? If they have, it would be easy enough to slide them back down. The only other thing I can think of (and I don't know if this would do it or not) would be if your bike had something like a shorter spacer or less shock fluid. Call Kathering for help! She knows more than most of us combined. Plus she explains it better than most of us.

 

[elizilla]

Actually I think dirtflier is probably more likely to know the answer to this one - didn't he lower his NT? I never lower anything. But yeah, I'm thinking either the forks have been moved in the triple clamps, or else someone shortened the spacer/springs.

Did you buy it from a dealer or was it a private party sale? If it was a private party sale, maybe drop the previous owner a line and ask them if it's been lowered, and if so, how?

If it's the spacer, here's a link to the parts diagram, where it is #3. People cut these spacers, sometimes. You could order replacements, or just make new ones from PVC pipe and fender washers.

 

[JQL]

Erm... Just a thought. he might have had something heavy in the panniers and the bike on the centre stand, so was his front wheel on the ground?

 

[DirtFlier]

Two inches lower is quite incredible and I'm surprised the front fender doesn't hit the radiator over big bumps!

I'd first look at the upper triple clamp and check the position of the fork tubes. In the standard position, the bottom of the aluminum fork caps are flush with the top surface of the triple clamp. Without handlebar risers, the fork tube can only be raised around 30 mm before they'll contact the handlebar. If the fork caps are flush and the bike is really that low, I have to wonder if someone removed the fork spring spacers? They are around 100 mm long.

Katherine - the lowering kit only recommends raising the fork tubes by 12 mm so it's hardly noticeable from the outside. Phil - reducing the amount of fork oil won't affect the ride height. It just makes it easier to bottom over hard bumps.

 

[schwartz]

OK Schwarz, so he told you to "tell" us you have a toolkit that came with your bike. Does that mean you did have a toolkit that came with your bike or does he just want you to jerk our chains?

Look at the top of your forks in the triple clamp...have they been slid up through the triple clamp? If they have, it would be easy enough to slide them back down. The only other thing I can think of (and I don't know if this would do it or not) would be if your bike had something like a shorter spacer or less shock fluid. Call Kathering for help! She knows more than most of us combined. Plus she explains it better than most of us.

I do indeed have a tool kit under the seat of my bike.

 

[schwartz]

Two inches lower is quite incredible and I'm surprised the front fender doesn't hit the radiator over big bumps!

I'd first look at the upper triple clamp and check the position of the fork tubes. In the standard position, the bottom of the aluminum fork caps are flush with the top surface of the triple clamp. Without handlebar risers, the fork tube can only be raised around 30 mm before they'll contact the handlebar. If the fork caps are flush and the bike is really that low, I have to wonder if someone removed the fork spring spacers? They are around 100 mm long.

Katherine - the lowering kit only recommends raising the fork tubes by 12 mm so it's hardly noticeable from the outside. Phil - reducing the amount of fork oil won't affect the ride height. It just makes it easier to bottom over hard bumps.

I am not entirely sure its exactly two inches but its a noticeable difference. I will have to go and measure with a tape measure the travel with the bikes on the center stands and see if they extend the same difference. I havent noticed it bottom out yet, but I have seen it get quite close on larger bumps.

 

[bish79]

I am not entirely sure its exactly two inches but its a noticeable difference. I will have to go and measure with a tape measure the travel with the bikes on the center stands and see if they extend the same difference. I havent noticed it bottom out yet, but I have seen it get quite close on larger bumps.

Its enough of a difference that I noticed it immediately when I first sat on the bike. That's what prompted me to start looking closer at the suspension. Ironically I like it better that way, but my legs are much shorter than Schwartz's.

 

[schwartz]

Since its lower, that means its more aerodynamic and henceforth faster then the red one...