Lowering a V85tt

[dxhall]

Anyone tried this lowering kit?  I’d be a lot more comfortable if the bike were an inch lower.

https://www.wilbers.de/shop/en/Motorcycle/Moto-Guzzi/V85TT-KW/Promoto-Lowering-Kit-25-mm.html?year=2020

[Huzo]

I’ll admit that’s interesting..
Mine is 30 mm lower than stock. I just slid the forks up and wound the pre load off on the Ohlins.
You can see the difference here.




mapbox add geojson

[dxhall]

No one I can find in the US has the kit, but Wilburs USA will order one for me from Germany.  I’ve asked for the price and shipping cost.  If anyone is interested, let me know.  I need to order before next Tuesday to get the kit in the next shipment.

[Vagrant]

I looked at that kit but settled on dropping the forks three lines ( about 1/2") removing the rubber bumpers under the seat. You will have to shorten the kickstand with that kit.

[kballowe]

Not a V85.... not yet anyway

But, I am slightly familiar with the shorter kickstand concept

[egschade]

I have a 30" inseam and use the low comfort saddle. Is your issue getting your leg over the saddle or reaching the ground when on it? I find when sitting on the bike it's fine as the suspension is somewhat compressed. Mounting the bike can be a challenge with my back so I stand on the foot peg to get my leg over - learned to do that with tall dirt bikes back in the day.

[dxhall]

The problem for me is standover height.  I ordered the Wilbers kit.  Not the slickest website, but the kit looks well made.  I’ll post photos when I get it.

[dxhall]

The Wilbers “kit” is actually a collar that takes the place of the preload adjuster.  Installation is simple but requires a spring compressor to remove the spring.  Measuring vertically from the axle to the rear subframe, the collar dropped the seat by .875in.  I dropped the front tubes .800in, which given the different angles of the shock and forks should give about the same drop on both ends.

Pre installation, when sitting on the seat, I was on the balls of my feet.  Post installation, I can flat foot (almost).

Downside of this mod, obviously, is that I’m no longer able to adjust rear preload.  I’m about 160lbs and don’t ride with a passenger, so that’s probably ok.

Not sure the collar is worth $165.  I could make one on my lathe for $10.  Oh well.  Here it is:

[Huzo]

The Wilbers “kit” is actually a collar that takes the place of the preload adjuster.  Installation is simple but requires a spring compressor to remove the spring.  Measuring vertically from the axle to the rear subframe, the collar dropped the seat by .875in.  I dropped the front tubes .800in, which given the different angles of the shock and forks should give about the same drop on both ends.

Pre installation, when sitting on the seat, I was on the balls of my feet.  Post installation, I can flat foot (almost).

Downside of this mod, obviously, is that I’m no longer able to adjust rear preload.  I’m about 160lbs and don’t ride with a passenger, so that’s probably ok.

Not sure the collar is worth $165.  I could make one on my lathe for $10.  Oh well.  Here it is:

IF and I mean IF, you have lowered your front and rear the same, then the rake will remain unchanged.
Of course, reducing the shock length by “x”, does not lower the rear by the same amount.
But anyway, there it is..

[SLDMRossi]

Call Jim Hamlin at Hamlin Cycles in Bethel, Connecticut. I think he has both a lower rear shock and low seat in stock.

Steven Rossi

[Cranky Inline]

I am 5'6 with a 26" inseam. It is hard to find any bike that I can jump on ride without changing. The V85tt advertises a 32.7" seat height but seat height isn't the full story regarding reach to the ground with my short legs. I have a custom seat made at Rich's Motorcycle Seats that helped allot. I currently have a Hyperpro progressive spring to lower the rear and I have slid the forks up threw the triple clamp and I am still on my toes. I have one more change available to drop it one more inch and have ordered a Wilber's shock to to drop the back of the bike 50mm from stock and I will use Hyperpro progressive springs to lower the front. The front springs are important to keep my forks from requiring too much adjustment threw the triple clamp. I chose Hyperpro for the front instead of the Wilber's because Wilber's provides a spacer that reduces travel and stiffens the front. I think this set up will solve my reach to the ground but will substantially reduce ground clearance and rear shock travel.

 

[Pridanc]

Cranky, although I'm 5'8 (wet on a good day) my inseam is close to 30" so still chose to lower everything I can touch attemtpting to get my feet on the ground best I  could.

Clearly the WIlburs collar looks great but as someone pointed out, you lose any ability to adjust rear ride height if the need ever arises (like a passenger, travel trunks full of gold bars etc) so needs to be considered if you feel that might be a need.

And don't be afraid to move the forks up and down in the triple clamps as they are meant to do so and have lots of adjustability! This does not mean that shorter springs won't be of even greater help to you however.  I've raised my forks in the triple clamps the equivalent of 5 lines (there are some lines cut into the forks as indicators for this very thing which you may know already)



and have installed a one inch shorter straight-wound spring on my rear shock. I've also re-contoured the stock OE adjustable spring perch's lowest setting to get a bit more over all lowering. Remember, any amount you lower/shorten the rear shock (when loaded), because of its mounted angle, will lower the back to the bike at roughly 1.5 times that amount. So if, for example, the Wilburs non-adjustable spring perch allows the spring to move .8" up on the shock body, the back of the bike will lower 1.2" . Make sense?   I've actually graphed it but don't have that in front of me much less remember but I say this as an example.

Sadly there is a down side to us having/wanting to do this and that is loss of rear wheel travel. Guzzi did their home work designing these bikes because when the rear shock is fully bottomed out, the rear tire on my bike is just shy of kissing the inner fender liner up under your butt!  In my case this loss of wheel travel is hardly noticed as my off road riding is generally held to nice fire roads with only the rare occasion of any rocks or sudden elevation changes. Most air I've gotten was rolling off a curb. Which has nothing to do with age

I'd love to see a picture of your seat as I gather ideas of what to do next. I have the Low Comfort factory seat with the little rubber nubbins underneath the seat pan removed. The seat and the removal of the rubber bits has moved me closer to the ground making it easier yet to keep both feet more engaged with mother earth. I'm still wanting a seat that is more comfy for both me and the missus which is why I ask about your own seat and experiences with it.

Look forward to hearing more. All the best, PC

[Vagrant]

Great thread!
Where did you find a straight weight spring? Were you able to change it yourself w/o a compressor?

[Pridanc]

Vagrant, you do need a spring compressor to remove the stock spring since it actually has some preload in it. (IE, when free, the spring is longer than the distance between the shock collars that retain the spring). Thus, when the OE spring is installed it is now pre-loaded with energy!   However, the 1" shorter spring is just short enough to allow installation onto the shock without compressing it so long as the stock spring perch adjuster is all the way down. It is fiddly but doable.

Springs. There are many folks who make springs out there and I know some of them well only because of my past life. And to add to the confusion I chose to go to some friends who typically sell/carry two different spring brands, Hyperco and Eibach (there are other great brands as well) and I wanted red so it was Eibach for me. The main reason for me to go with my friends is that they have a slew of pre-rated bump rubbers I wanted to use.  The bump rubbers become an additional "rising" rate to that of the spring as the shock collapses so that I can easily get away with a kind-of-soft single rate spring for the bulk of the time with the bump rubber coming along to help when needed. A great side benefit to the bump rubber is that while installed on the bike, I can add or remove shims from the shock shaft between the bump rubber and the shock body to change the timing of when the bump rubber comes into play.  In my old life we used to call these shims packers and they come in varying thickness.  All of this adds another level of tune-ability to the whole thing.  Confused yet?  I was before I started typing.

I will try to get a picture later and will post it here. My way is not necessarily easier, but a path I know well so is easy for me to do and with few tools. Oh, installing the bump rubber is a relative PITA however since you need to remove the shock shaft "eye" so the rubber can slide over the shaft. The hardest part is breaking the jamb nut loose!  Again, none of this is hard but you need to de-pressure the shock before removing the eye to re-pressure the shock when done. Clearly you don't have to add the bump rubbers but I enjoy the added level of adjustability. While I was at it, I also chose to change the shock oil with a slightly heavier weight so there is a modicum of bump damping as well as more rebound control.

And lets never forget that I truly believe none of this has to be done. Just fun for me to do so.

[Vagrant]

I know there is an outfit N. of Atlanta that specializes in front and rear suspensions for bikes. Popular with the Goldwing crowd, but the name escapes me. As usual! I might see what they want to do it. I'm just getting too old and shorter by the minute to tippy toe!

[Pridanc]

Vagrant, I'm always looking for a more compliant suspension so if you have yours modified, let me know how it all works. BTW, it was you who educated me on the rubber snubbers removal from beneath the seat which works so well. TY.

[Cam3512]

Hamlin’s installed  1” shorter Bitubo shock on my V85 and raised the front forks to match.  Requires a shorter side stand that they also installed.  Jim tweaked the suspension for my weight.  Damn near impossible to put on the center stand now, especially with the loaded saddle bags.  Still,  I’m very happy with the setup.

Did I mention new tubeless wheels and tires?  Totally different bike.

[twowheeladdict]

I know there is an outfit N. of Atlanta that specializes in front and rear suspensions for bikes. Popular with the Goldwing crowd, but the name escapes me. As usual! I might see what they want to do it. I'm just getting too old and shorter by the minute to tippy toe!

Traxxion Dynamics.   I've had them do several bikes and have their cartridges in the V7.

[Huzo]

  Damn near impossible to put on the center stand now

That can be sorted fairly easily.

[rudyr]

Everyone knows how I have talked about my V85.  Take it to Guzzi dealer in OK city.  He can fix you up.  New shorter shock(made in OK city) and dropped about a 1/2” below the last mark on front fork tubes.  So far it’s doing real good, booth feet on ground(5’8”). About$600. Just throwing money at it.Rudy

[Cranky Inline]

 Pridanc,

I've been away for a while and just read your response to my post here. Took the bike from here in the Seattle area to down around San Francisco. Used 101 all the way. The Oregon Coast has some great riding! In this coming week I will be taking the next step to lower the bike by 2" in suspension. I think this will be about all I can do. Managing it with loaded for travel was not without problems but once it's rolling I had a blast. I'll get pick's of my custom Rich's saddle for you and post them. The only down side to the saddle is it holds you in one position but I had about 6 hours of comfort in the saddle. I think we are both still breaking into one another.

[twowheeladdict]

Clicked on the original link in this thread. 

Don't forget to order the recommended parts to go with the order.






Good for mowing the lawn during ragweed season. 

[Cranky Inline]

Pridanc,
Here's pics of my lowered seat



looks like this isn't going to work. I tried.

[Canuck750]

These types of suspension link lowering kits have been offered for the KLR 650 for twenty years. They work great and are dead simple to install. I have used both the fixed and adjustable type, I think you will find the kit for the V85 TT to work for you.

[janguzzi]

Lowering a Moto Guzzi V85 TT with a Hyperpro Spring SP-MG08-SSB003:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0guE2AIXpI

I did it - works without any changes on the side- or center stand!

[guzziart]

FWIW, my '12 Wee Strom had an oem seat that was unbearable for a ride lasting more than 20 or 30 minutes so, I went and got a Corbin.  The Corbin saddle lowered me about 2-3" but also moved me aft a few inches which created another problem...reaching the hbar.  I ended up installing bar riser to move the bars back.  All in all, between the Corbin and moving the bars back made for a ride that was comfortable for me between fill-ups on all day rides & trips.

On another note, the Wee was totaled last month as a result of me getting hit from behind.  I'm considering a v85tt and configuring it to run a Corbin but wonder if hbar wiring, cables, hoses, etc. have enough slack to accomodate bar risers.  Are any of you guys running bar risers on your v85?

Art

[egschade]

FWIW, my '12 Wee Strom had an oem seat that was unbearable for a ride lasting more than 20 or 30 minutes so, I went and got a Corbin.  The Corbin saddle lowered me about 2-3" but also moved me aft a few inches which created another problem...reaching the hbar.  I ended up installing bar riser to move the bars back.  All in all, between the Corbin and moving the bars back made for a ride that was comfortable for me between fill-ups on all day rides & trips.

On another note, the Wee was totaled last month as a result of me getting hit from behind.  I'm considering a v85tt and configuring it to run a Corbin but wonder if hbar wiring, cables, hoses, etc. have enough slack to accomodate bar risers.  Are any of you guys running bar risers on your v85?

Art

Corbin doesn't make a V85TT seat but will build on your seat pan. I bought a 'tall' Corbin on eBay and took 1.5" off the top. As you found with the VStrom it's very comfortable but puts the bars too far away. I'm going to try some Rox bar risers to move them further up and back.