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Cruiser
Posts: 135
Chesterfield, VA | For those of you that have lowered the front end of a Vision by raising the fork tubes in the triple Tees, I assumed I could do this by loosening the upper and lower triple tee pinch bolts with the front tire slightly off the ground and then slowly lower the jack and allow the front wheel to push the tubes up in the triple tee. Is this correct or do you have to remove the front wheel and maually adjust each fork tube?
The reason for my question is that I have loosened the pinch bolts and spread out the triple tees where the pinch bolts are, but the tubes will not budge when I lower the front wheel back down. Am I missing something here?? Oh, and by the way, since I have a 2011 Vision I installed the HMD spacers under the handle bar bracket to give me clearance to raise the tubes. |
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Central Wisconsin | I haven't lowered mine but I have my forks off right now. The triple tree looks smooth without any inside ridges to hold back the forks on my 2009. I'm thinking you might have to take the wheel off and tap on the bottom of the forks with a rubber mallet. You would think the forks would slide up with the wheel on but maybe with the rake angle and the weight of the front is bowing the forks slightly. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | You're going to lose some ground clearance under the motor there. Why are you lowering the front end? Just for looks? |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| Did you loosen all the bolts on top an bottom of tripple tree. 6 total.
Do right side first now turn wheel to left and do them. The reason is you want weight on kickstand.
Leave wheel on ground. Spray fork tubes with WD40 or what ever you have. If they still don't move press on bars and kinda bounce the front end.
You will need shorter kickstand. |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| Hey pull all your bolts and anti seize to the heads of the bolts that way they will not freeze in place |
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Tourer
Posts: 466
Grand Cane, LA | You might have to bounce on the front end a little to get them to move. Try some WD-40 on the tubes or put a small wedge in split to hold them open. Doesn't take much. Did mine a couple of years ago and seems like it took a little convincing the first time to get them to move. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 135
Chesterfield, VA | Thanks for the help guys. I had loosened all the pinch bolts and spread the trees open, tried bouncing/pushing on the handle bars and the tubes just wouldn't budge. The winner is Thomas...I had to beat the bottom of the tubes with a rubber mallet while using a screwdrive in the lower trees to spread them apart (although I didn't remove the wheel to do this). Finally got the tubes moved up in the trees, just wasn't as simple as I had though it would be.
Edited by sarvbill 2013-01-26 7:59 AM
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Tourer
Posts: 367
Cottage Grove, Mn | Am I the only that thinks this is a bad idea???? |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1066
Peru, IN | Probably not the only one who thinks it's a bad idea but it's not necessarily a bad idea. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | Blackjack - 2013-01-26 11:30 AM
Am I the only that thinks this is a bad idea????
No, I'm wondering too. Don't know why he's doing it. |
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Tourer
Posts: 466
Grand Cane, LA | Depends if you're a little short on stature. It does make it easier for the folks with shorter legs to be able to hold the bike at red lights with the bike lowered on both ends. You can only lower the front about an inch anyway. I personally did it to mine to help with the wobbling I was experiencing when approaching 18 wheelers at highway speeds from behind. Puts a little more weight bias on the front tire. Our bikes have plenty of clearance. I have yet to drag anything, but the tips of my mufflers that's only because I went straight off the sidewalk onto the street instead off it at an angle. |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| I agree lower front end semis wind doesn't bounce me around any more |
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Tourer
Posts: 367
Cottage Grove, Mn | I believe the only way to add weight bias to the front is to take it from the rear and i'm not so sure that's a good idea. To say nothing that it changes the
whole geometry of the bike. Not saying lowering the bike for short legged people is a bad idea just not this way. I'm just say'n
Edited by Blackjack 2013-01-26 8:59 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 135
Chesterfield, VA | Not that I need approval from anyone, but the reason I lowered the front (about 1 inch) is because I lowered the rear 2 inches. The bike now sits more level after lowering the front. And I lowered the bike to lower the CoG, I did this to my 2009 Vision and really liked the way it rode. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1066
Peru, IN | As good a reason as any. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | Yep. I was just wondering too. Low rider! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 108
Conneaut, OH | So how much did you end up lowering the front? Got any pics? I'd like to see the stance |
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Cruiser
Posts: 112
Denver, Iowa | Kinda looks like that's how HMD lowers the front end on the Visions, or else they wouldn't make the spacer kit to do just that! I'd like to see the pics, too! I assume you used a fixed length arm on the rear instead of an adjustable one... |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| Think of this the more weight you and your passenger put in the back lifts the front. I lowered my front 1" and now less turbulent from semis and high winds. Mine is lowered 2" in the rear
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Cruiser
Posts: 71
Bayonne, NJ | WARNING WArning!!!!!
Those who lower the rear have to be extremely cautious. If you hit a decent bump the swing arm still has the same travel which is great enough to smash into the bottoms of the saddlebag inners. a simple bump will crack the entire inside of your saddlebag compartment.
Edited by soprano13 2013-01-28 8:34 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 209
| I can vouch for cracking the inside of saddle bags. my rear shock was bad, and befor I had it replaced it, I hit a hole while riding my wife. I thot we hit pretty hard but didn,t much about it. Later when I had shock replaced at the dealer, they pointed it out to me. they said the 8-ball version has a modified inner compartment to accomadate being lowered a so much.. my rear is lowered 1 inch with no problems. would like to lower front 1 inch since i,m short. I have since repaired the minor damaged to inner comartment with black sealant.
Edited by Banjodan 2013-01-28 9:05 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 135
Chesterfield, VA | I don't have a picture of the bike since lowering it, but the stance should be very similar to Johnnyvision's as I also lowered mine 2 inches in the rear and 1 inch in the front. I used a fixed link for the rear and a spacer kit that fits under the handle bar mount for the front. I also install the bag inserts to prevent the bags from bottoming out. All parts came from HMD, and I have to say that Mike is a great guy to deal with. I called him several times with questions (once on a Sunday) and he was always available to answer my questions.
I also have the skid plate on the bottom of the engine which I had installed about a year ago. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 612
| I thought about lowering mine, even bought the one inch lowered link, but then changed my mind when I realized I'd be giving up some lean angle. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1109
| Thought about too Turk, and changed my mind for the same reason. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 33
South Carolina | What thickness are the handlebar spacers to get a 1" drop? |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 9
| CHANGING TO VISION 8 BALL SHOCKSI recently saw where some Vision riders are putting Vision 8 Ball shocks on there reg vision to lower them |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 880
Orlando, FL | Interesting observation on the semi buffeting. I have an 8 Ball. So my rear is lowered by the factory (smaller rear shock). I'm wondering what lowering my front might do for the buffeting that I HATE when I come up on and pass semi's. Any thoughts? |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| MaddMAx2u - 2013-06-12 5:22 PM Interesting observation on the semi buffeting. I have an 8 Ball. So my rear is lowered by the factory (smaller rear shock). I'm wondering what lowering my front might do for the buffeting that I HATE when I come up on and pass semi's. Any thoughts? You need a 6mm wrench and just loosen the pinch bolts and slide the tubes up. If you don't like it put jack under of bike jack up a little and with pinch bolts loose you will slide the bike up tighten bolts and back to stock. Make sure there even before you tighten them up. Once you go down you'll never want to go up. (she told me that) |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 33
South Carolina | When I lowered mine I expected the fork tubes to move in parallel - they didn't. Once I had one tube where I wanted it, I measured the height from the triple tree and then moved the second tube to that measurement. I moved mine enough that the bars interfered with the bottom of the dash. I took the dash off and rolled the black bottom portion up using a hot air gun. I got the plastic hot then putting just the tip in smooth vise jaws bent it out 90 deg from stock. I did this instead of cutting the bottom off. Front is just round spacers and longer bolts in the bars. For the rear link I cut off the stock end and then tapped the tube for a rod end. I haven't found a difference in handling and haven't missed the lean angle. I run the factory recommended shock air for the 2 up weight and haven't cracked the inner bags...yet. I did it for better stability at stops and I like the looks. I used a torch to rebend the kickstand at the foot. Only thing I had to buy were the new grade 8 bolts for the bars. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 691
Manchester, CT | Hey tkleroi
My buddy Marc Parnes (Marc is on this forum) turned me onto putting Vision 8 Ball's springs and cartridges on my 2013 Vision. The handling characteristics compared to the OEM setup are night and day. Maneuverability and handling dramatically improved. I keep my front end at the same high though using the victory spacers. You can omit the spacers and it will lower the front end by 1" |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 880
Orlando, FL | Street Eagle - 2013-06-17 2:09 PM
Hey tkleroi
My buddy Marc Parnes (Marc is on this forum) turned me onto putting Vision 8 Ball's springs and cartridges on my 2013 Vision. The handling characteristics compared to the OEM setup are night and day. Maneuverability and handling dramatically improved. I keep my front end at the same high though using the victory spacers. You can omit the spacers and it will lower the front end by 1"
Are you saying that the front end of the 8 Ball Vision uses different springs and spacers than the Tour? Just wondering as recently when I had my fork oil changed I noticed that the front end was higher than usual. Wondering what might be different. THANKS! |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 691
Manchester, CT | Marc can better answer your question. The springs and cartridges are definitely different. I spoke to Marc the other day and I know his business is keeping him hoping right now. I'm sure he will respond when he can. |
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New user
Posts: 1
| biermark - 2013-01-30 9:49 AM
What thickness are the handlebar spacers to get a 1" drop?
Was anyone able to answer this question? |
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Tourer
Posts: 341
West Salem, WI United States | Street Eagle - 2013-06-17 1:09 PM Hey tkleroi My buddy Marc Parnes (Marc is on this forum) turned me onto putting Vision 8 Ball's springs and cartridges on my 2013 Vision. The handling characteristics compared to the OEM setup are night and day. Maneuverability and handling dramatically improved. I keep my front end at the same high though using the victory spacers. You can omit the spacers and it will lower the front end by 1" Hey Street Eagle, did you happen to document this process ;-) Can we simply order the 8-ball springs/cartridges from ma vic and then do a fork service to swap them out? Oh, and does this actually lower the front end without needing to slide the fork tubes up the triple tree? Thanks! -Lance |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| just slide the tubes up to lower the front end. If you want spacers go to HMD. I found some at after market shop there 5/8 with a 3/4 i d and I picked up bolts from hardware store. I used SAE bolts with nuts
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