Front Fork Spacer, stock length?

beechum1

Vendor
Joined
Sep 3, 2024
Messages
38
Age
50
Location
Amarillo
Bike
ST1300
My bike was lowered by PO and when I go into them I'd like to measure the spacer and the springs to see how he may have done it. I see the stock springs length in the manual, but I didn't notice the spacer. Will someone provide the length please?
 
beechum1 said:
My bike was lowered by PO and when I go into them I'd like to measure the spacer and the springs to see how he may have done it. I see the stock springs length in the manual, but I didn't notice the spacer. Will someone provide the length please?
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Stock spacer should be 200 mm long. Honda calls them spring collars.
 
Just checked the ones removed when I upgraded my forks. 7 7/8 or 200 mm whichever floats your boat.
 
are the springs stock or aftermarket? If they're aftermarket then you'll need to find out their spring rate.
 
dwalby said:
are the springs stock or aftermarket? If they're aftermarket then you'll need to find out their spring rate.
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dunno yet. Haven't opened them up. I'm getting info so when I do, I can measure and have some decisions prepared about how to proceed.
 
Sadlsor said:
Just out of curiosity, how does your ST ride and feel to you, in its "lowered" condition?
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My first ST so I've no comparison to make, and to me it feels great. But for cone patterns I don't have the lean to carry speed for the tight turns. My friend who has ridden several ST's says it feels like an ST, but lower. For anyone interested, when I raise it I will be listing the lowered bits. The rear, I'm assuming at this point, is the 1" lower progressive 465. When I get it off I hope to find a part number.
 
Thanks.
I've never ridden a "lowered" bike of any kind, but have a 34-35" inseam and I'm comfortable if i have to put just one foot down which I've done on my tall adventure bikes.
Some bikes are easily touched down at lean, and on my 1300 I occasionally but rarely drag a footpeg.
The main reason I've never wanted to lower a bike -- i like the lean.
 
beechum1 said:
even with the top. he told me he lowered it, I just want to do my own measuring to ensure I know what's happening.
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What's the measurement from the bottom triple to the top fender bolt when on the centerstand? I have 20CM,
Im trying to figure out how you would lower the bike save the lower rear shock.
 
Willsmotorcycle said:
What's the measurement from the bottom triple to the top fender bolt when on the centerstand? I have 20CM,
Im trying to figure out how you would lower the bike save the lower rear shock.
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Why on the center stand? No stands, and with a rider on the seat would give the ride height better??
 
W0QNX said:
Why on the center stand? No stands, and with a rider on the seat would give the ride height better??
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My thought was/is the center stand takes out the preload and a lower rear shock variable. Wondering how you can lower the front with out bottoming it out, im thinking you can't. I've never been accused of being the smart guy in the room, maybe once at a doggy daycare.
 
Willsmotorcycle said:
Wondering how you can lower the front with out bottoming it out, im thinking you can't.
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One way to lower the front end is to modify the spacer/spring setup so that the forks compress more than the stock amount at rest with rider. The amount of fork travel available while riding is reduced by the amount of additional compression at rest compared to stock. This is the scenario where you are concerned about bottoming out the forks under hard braking.

Another way is to keep the forks stock, but raise their position in the triple clamp. In theory you still have the full stock fork travel available while riding, but in practice the fender will bash into the lower triple clamp sooner than it would in the stock setup, so your fork travel is reduced this way as well. One variable that's missing is how much distance there is between the fender and lower triple clamp compared to the available fork travel, all bikes are a little different. It may be possible to compress the forks most if not all of the way without bashing the fender, or possibly not, I can't answer that question.

A final consideration would be the chin fairing under the engine scraping against the ground under hard braking. Not sure how much margin there is for that variable, but this would come into play in either scenario.
 
I slid the forks up in the clamps 18 mm if I recall correctly. That was not to lower it but to get the steering geometry back to stock after installing spacers 16 mm longer. The spacers necessary to get sag to 36 mm.
 
For anyone paying attention and cares, 51402-MCS-G01 fork collar is on backorder from several different vendors. I had to find a used set of wrecked forks on the hee-bai to source them.
 
beechum1 said:
For anyone paying attention and cares, 51402-MCS-G01 fork collar is on backorder from several different vendors. I had to find a used set of wrecked forks on the hee-bai to source them.
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Paying attention... the riders that changed their springs and needed a different size used PVC or ABS. How long or short was yours that you need to change it?
 
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