LOWERING SOLUTIONS FOR 2020 GT

[betoney]

I don't know of many other bikes with the features or ergonomics of the Tracer GT and have the same light weight and agility.  If there is a solution to help out a fellow rider make a bike fit, I hope someone chimes in with some useful information.

[wordsmith]

3 hours ago, betoney said:

I don't know of many other bikes with the features or ergonomics of the Tracer GT and have the same light weight and agility.  

Add 'value for money' and I think you've encompassed it all, Betoney!

[wordsmith]

4 hours ago, Buggy Nate said:

Have you thought about the Xsr7/900’s wordy?

thanks, Buggy!   How's the pleece force?   Someone has suggested a look at Triumph's relatively new 900 Tiger GT, which has a low seat version with seat height of 760 - 780mm.   I'm looking into it.   Looks quite similar to the Tracer GT, with similar specs, etc. (but no std panniers on the Triumph) and quite affordable at $20,950 before haggling! TBH - I think I marginally prefer the looks of the Tracer GT, but probably only because that's what I'm most familiar with.

 

 

Edited May 6, 2020 by wordsmith

[dazzler24]

3 hours ago, wordsmith said:

Someone has suggested a look at Triumph's relatively new 900 Tiger GT, which has a low seat version with seat height of 760 - 780mm.   I'm looking into it.  

Apparently, it's not just seat height.  Triumph's Low version has also had the suspension reworked as well to get that significant drop in height.  Comparison below.

Wheelbase, Trail and Rake angle are all slightly different.  Maybe they've put the equivalent of lowering dog bones and raised the forks through the triple clamps - although the low version has lost a kilo in the process somehow?  Maybe it is a completely reworked suspension for the low version.

EDIT: - just found this in the brochure...

"The Tiger 900 GT Low Ride Height model (LRH) has a unique suspension set-up with an adjustable seat height, 50mm lower than the standard GT, to deliver superior road going comfort."

Standard GT                                                                            Low Ride Height GT

 

 

 

[Suu Kyi]

22 hours ago, wordsmith said:

With the possibility of my returning to the Tracer GT fold (oooh! – don’t get too excited, chums!) I have to address why I moved on from my last GT late last year.

Great machine, good value for money, and all that – but it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to mount the bike (side-stand down) with any degree of dignity: dismounting was equally tricky for me.   As for getting on or off with panniers fitted – might as well ask me to climb Everest, with or without oxygen!

Reasons: old age (now nudging 81yo) which has over time brought with it increasingly stiffening knee, hip, and ankle joints, all of which interferes with easy access.   And – shamefully – I simply cannot do the trick of standing on the left-hand foot-peg and swinging my right leg up over the bike that way.   Maybe practice makes perfect…

My question then is – what solutions proven and tested by others here can I consider to reduce seat-height?   I found the GT seat perfectly acceptable in terms of comfort and support, and would not wish to have it modified in any way, nor purchase another supposedly lower seat lest I leap out of the frying-pan into the fire. 

Aftermarket ‘dog-bone’ suspension linkages have been suggested as one means of achieving some seat-height reduction: can anyone who has gone down this road kindly offer their experiences?   I understand that Yamaha has available after-market dog-bones, and a UK specialist – Lust Racing – seems to have a range of high-quality suspension-lowering components too.

I had excellent K-tech suspension installed on my last GT, and the rear shock could be adjusted in length, which gave me a seat-height reduction of about 10 – 12mm (half an inch) from memory, and also allowed me to flat-foot at rest, so I would probably go this route next time, if only to improve the overall ride quality (which K-tech did in spades).  

Knowledgeable advice seems to say that raising the front fork in the clamps can also lower seat height as it lowers the front of the bike, but is not especially recommended as it can also affect the steering etc.  So, chaps, what say ye?  

All contributions will be gladly accepted.

Hi, I used to be 5ft 7.5 inches but lost half an inch due to gravity along the way. When I was looking to buy the Tracer last  year I could just flat foot with the lower seat position but would've preferred being slightly lower to aid in comfort, safety and manoeuvrability. The dealer set up the demo bike with the OEM lowering kit (dog bones as you put it) for me to try, this included lowering the front forks as well. Yes, made a big difference but also introduced another problem; it made it difficult to hoist onto the centre stand as the bike was now lower so less leverage and more lifting required, due to the centre stand being closer to the ground. Bike also stood more upright on the  side stand as that was also lower to the ground but not so much of an issue as the centre stand. 

Weighing it all up I decided not to have the bike lowered as it wasn't that much of an issue for me. You could go for the optional lower (thinner) seat. I also tried that on my previous bike (FJR 1300) where the dealer shaved off some of the padding but that also created another problem; I ended up with my knackers being pushed into the tank so he gave me a new seat which he ripped off a new bike on the floor. I have nothing but praise for Aurelio at 5 Star Yamaha in Hamilton Hill, Perth Western Australia, highly recommended for their service and friendliness. 

In summary; most modifications come with a trade-off and difficult to recommend as it's rarely one size fits all. In your case the more challenging centre stand lift may not work so maybe the OEM lower seat.

  

Edited May 6, 2020 by Suu Kyi

[wordsmith]

Thank you very much!   The centre-stand issue wouldn't be of major concern to me, I feel - after all my current bike has no c/stand.   I'm not sure that I'd want to go hacking into a new OE seat, and given Yamaha's history with the seats on the Tracer family again I'm not sure that I'd want to buy the optional/ lower seat, but am prepared to look at if later if necessary.   I await further advice and info from a dealer I have challenged with the issue...

Edited May 6, 2020 by wordsmith

[wordsmith]

1 hour ago, dazzler24 said:

Apparently, it's not just seat height.  Triumph's Low version has also had the suspension reworked as well to get that significant drop in height.  Comparison below.

Wheelbase, Trail and Rake angle are all slightly different.  Maybe they've put the equivalent of lowering dog bones and raised the forks through the triple clamps - although the low version has lost a kilo in the process somehow?  Maybe it is a completely reworked suspension for the low version.

EDIT: - just found this in the brochure...

"The Tiger 900 GT Low Ride Height model (LRH) has a unique suspension set-up with an adjustable seat height, 50mm lower than the standard GT, to deliver superior road going comfort."

Standard GT                                                                            Low Ride Height GT

 

 

 

Thanks, Dazz.   I'll be riding down to the Gold Coast on Friday to see the new Triumph 900 GT - tho' not the low version - on Friday.   Sales guy there seemed to understand my problem and seems anxious to help.   We shall see.   On the basis of the above info, the 810mm seat height on the 'standard' model would undoubtedly do for me.

[dazzler24]

13 minutes ago, wordsmith said:

Thanks, Dazz.   I'll be riding down to the Gold Coast on Friday to see the new Triumph 900 GT - tho' not the low version - on Friday.   Sales guy there seemed to understand my problem and seems anxious to help.   We shall see.   On the basis of the above info, the 810mm seat height on the 'standard' model would undoubtedly do for me.

I'm, and I'm sure others, are keen to hear your views and experience after the visit. Please keep us informed.

[dazzler24]

@Suu Kyi - It's been bugging me for a while now but I just have to ask... is your handle what I think it is?

 

[wordsmith]

25 minutes ago, dazzler24 said:

I'm, and I'm sure others, are keen to hear your views and experience after the visit. Please keep us informed.

Will certainly do!   I also plan to call into my K-tech suspension guy on the way back home from the Coast on Friday to pick his brains.   I also have an enquiry in to LUST RACING (dog-bone breeders) in the UK.   Good job I'm retired!

[wordsmith]

10 minutes ago, dazzler24 said:

@Suu Kyi - It's been bugging me for a while now but I just have to ask... is your handle what I think it is?

 

Me too - but I am too well-bred to dare ask!   The giveaway, I think, is in the above reference to knackers being pushed into the tank: or Crushed Nuts to coin a phrase!

[Suu Kyi]

20 hours ago, dazzler24 said:

@Suu Kyi - It's been bugging me for a while now but I just have to ask... is your handle what I think it is?

 

Hi Dazz, pardon my ignorance but I'm unsure what you mean by "handle" so can you please explain. Reading Wordsmith's comments on the same subject hasn't made me any wiser. Not keen to arrive at my own conclusion as I'll probably get it wrong and embarrass myself  

Look forward to being enlightened.

 

[bowlin01]

50 minutes ago, Suu Kyi said:

Hi Dazz, pardon my ignorance but I'm unsure what you mean by "handle" so can you please explain. Reading Wordsmith's comments on the same subject hasn't made me any wiser. Not keen to arrive at my own conclusion as I'll probably get it wrong and embarrass myself  

Look forward to being enlightened.

 

@Suu KyiI think they mean your forum name "Suu Kyi"

[dazzler24]

1 hour ago, Suu Kyi said:

Hi Dazz, pardon my ignorance but I'm unsure what you mean by "handle" so can you please explain. Reading Wordsmith's comments on the same subject hasn't made me any wiser. Not keen to arrive at my own conclusion as I'll probably get it wrong and embarrass myself  

Look forward to being enlightened.

I've taken this off line and sent a PM in case I've offended unintentionally and to clarify directly.

[wordsmith]

This grossly intrusive question from Dazzler is not one that any gentleman would ask, and despite being taken 'off-line' still appears here.   I am shocked, shocked!   (As spoken by Capt Louis Renault (Claude Rains), the crooked but likeable police chief in 'Casablanca' as he walked out of the gaming room stuffing money into his pocket.   My fave scene in my all-time fave movie).

Edited May 7, 2020 by wordsmith