Trying to lower a CX 500 Custom

[Serizawa Tamao]

Ok so I just picked up a '81 Honda CX 500 Custom. I plan on turning this one into a cafe racer too while fixing my other bike at the same time. But the motorcycle sits a little high for my liking. I can put my feet on the ground on both sides but it's not enough for my taste. How can I lower the bike, is this just a tweak in the forks and suspension or is it a more in depth process?
~Serizawa

 

[DesertKZ]

You should pm cxman, he'd have the input. For what it's worth, you can slide the forks up an inch and also turn the adjusters on the rear shocks. If you want to go even lower, you can remove the upper spring in the fork tube and replace it with a spacer to lower. You run the risk of adverse handling and possible "tank slapping" due to bottoming out the forks, but it'd look cool. I did this on my KZ and have never looked back.

 

[cxman]

you can lower the rear one inch with a shorter shock

you can lower the front by at max 1.5 inches then it will all get real sketchy

you could also go to a 80 series tires

 

[HerrDeacon]

I personally wouldn't lower it at all just to help you flat foot both feet better. You never really use two feet while on a bike anyway, I only ever have one foot on the ground when stopped (right foot is on the brake). It can be helpful if backing up the bike I guess, but that wouldn't be incentive enough for me to lower a bike.

 

[mydlyfkryzis]

Unlike a car, lower is not better handling either....And just moving the forks up or compressing the rear more degrades handling.

 

[cxman]

one of the big issues with "lowering" a cx in the rear is you can cause u-joint binding in the drive shaft

the one thing i forgot to mention is you can rework the seat and seat pan to lower the sitting position by a couple of inches

this has no impact on handling or equipment