Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Accessories Lowered shocks and handling

Hi, I've been considering lowering my TBA. In speaking with the dealer he says it will affect the handling,(he makes it sound drastic). Any experience from those who've done so? Also can it be rear only or does it have to be both?

If you want it to track pretty much as it does now, don't mess with it. Dropping just one end will make big difference in how it handles in turns. Lower fronts tend to be more agressive in turns, higher fronts only tend to "skip" out, (that means crash), lower rears only will bounce as well. Adjusting suspension is an art in itself and you can get some really good results by tweaking if you understand travel/return and load. There is an excellent chapter in Lee Park's book, "Total Control", about setting up suspensions for the track. Do a google search and you will probably find some good info too.
The biggest thing you need to consider is that the suspension is NOT there to make you comfortable. It is designed to keep the wheels pushed into the road at varying angles and heights using the very small contact patch. You can make your bike very smooth, or very unstable just as easily.
edit:
Here, I found one:
Excellent article about suspension setup

Why lower in the first place? If you want a bike that rides and handles like a Harley...buy a Harley. If you want to change your riding stance lower the seat and change the bars. Don't mess with a good thing.

i found the stock rear suspension lacking in lateral support and really like the way the progressive shocks feel. your experience may vary, of course...

I had my dealer lower my America... this was not for looks.. this was for my short-a$$ legs.
The front forks have Progessive stubby springs now, and the rear have shorter progressives. I think the ride is much better over the stock, which I demo'ed.

We lowered the rear of our custom 2-1/4 +" with our lowering brackets, and the front by almost 2" with shorter springs and modified internal spacers. With our 2-1/2" lowered seat, the bike rides and handles very well. Other than the occasional scraping, we have had no negative effects from the lowering.

I also lowered due to my height, but only the rears, using the Progressive 11 1/2's. It works for me...