Lowering link

I put a lowering link in mine and it worked fine. After I got comfortable with the height, I put the stock link back in and it felt better, not sure why though. It also wheelies better for some reason. FWIW I am 5'5" with a 30" inseam.

My understanding of lowering links: 1) It changes chassis geometry and can inpact a multitude of handling traits such as steering, headshake, bump absorbtion etc., etc. 2) It impacts the rear suspension by making it softer. Here is a link with good info. www.koubalink.com Marc B.

Info here:

http://www.motorcycleloweringlinks.com/

Sarah

I installed a lowering link 2.5 size. How nice it is to touch mother earth & not have to pick up the bike afterwards.
The link has enabled me to set up the rear shock to a setting which actually is not at the softest selection. Meaning my limited weight doesn't have to push the rear down just so I can tip toe at a stop. This firmer setting also make riding the rough stuff a lot more fun for me.
On my KLR650 I did the usual lower dogbones install but there was a lot of rock smashing under the skit plate. The lowered wrx actually has more room under it than the lowered KLR.
Once the knobbies are slipped on that space will increase even more.

Your weight will affect your compression of the rear & that may be enough for some of the more robust riders here. Others w/ less inseam & less lbs will continue to require links & adjustments to touch earth at a comfortable impact.

Honestly I have felt very little difference in ride feed back from a stock & lowered bike....should note this is only in the KLR, DR & now my WRX. We all have our zones of comfort, so keep that in mind when you read what is good for anyone else, even if they are the same size as yourself.

Let us know what is working for you so others may learn too.

28marcb wrote:

My understanding of lowering links: 1) It changes chassis geometry and can inpact a multitude of handling traits such as steering, headshake, bump absorbtion etc., etc. 2) It impacts the rear suspension by making it softer. Here is a link with good info. www.koubalink.com Marc B.

FWIW the Kouba site states that links for YZ/WR will 'NOT be available'!



BrooC

I lowered the stock rear shock clevis to it's lowest setting and lowered (raised) the forks about 10mm, and set my race sag at about 3" and that was all I needed to do. Bike is perfect height now. I would suggest trying this first, then decide if you need a lowering link..

I did the stock lowering, but when i added the 17" knobbies it raised it back up.
So i lowered the front some more & got the yamalink. It lowered it another 1" or so. I can touch both balls of my feet on the ground.. compared to the monster height of the drz i rode for 3 years, it feels like a minibike!

I haven't noticed any clearance issues.. it is less, but the suspension is good. I rolled down some pretty severe rocky drops last week, & had no problems with clearance.


scotty

I got a lowerlink coming.. i just know it will make a better fit for my 31" inseam. Seems like those YamaLink boys really did their testing with their lowerlink, this is good to know!

So has anyone measured how much the Yama-link changes overall ground clearance vs the "stock lowered" bike? I'd like to get down , but not if I can't clear downed trees & branches, small fat kids, etc...

I installed the Yamalink and have taken all the height out of the factory adjustment and have zero preload on the shock. I reckon that's got the rear as low as it will go. I have the fork tubes up 5/8" in the clamps. I propped the bike as upright as I could get and took a look underneath. Near as I could measure I've got 10 1/2" between the frame cross-brace and the floor.

Sarah

Sarah,
You should consider a little more from the front end.
I was able to squeeeeeezzz a full inch.
This will better level out your bike. But you riding it will be the best judge for what to do. I also put in some risers to give better clearance.
I found that that my head light was now good for hunting coons at midnight. The beam will be very high.
The adjustment was very easy....even for me.

Thanks, Poncho. So that's what's up (ha ha) with my headlight. I'll take another look at the forks, I wasn't sure exactly how much to bring the tubes up. Thanks again.

Sarah

USPS mail lady handed my yamalink to me today, woohoo! going to install this weekend for sure!

Sarah,
If you have no riser & stock handle bars; there is just enough room under the bars to snug the top of the forks against.

Be sure not to over tighten the four bolts that go into the squeeze clamps around the fork. You might consider some finger nail polish on the threads. Blue of course!

The adjusting screws (head light) are located in the bottom corners of the plastic housing around the head light.

greer wrote:

I installed the Yamalink and have taken all the height out of the factory adjustment and have zero preload on the shock. I reckon that's got the rear as low as it will go. I have the fork tubes up 5/8" in the clamps. I propped the bike as upright as I could get and took a look underneath. Near as I could measure I've got 10 1/2" between the frame cross-brace and the floor.

Sarah

Gotcha - it's quoted as having stock clearance of 11.8"... Hmmm, might just shave that ol' seat down first...

just FYI from the instructions i got with my Yamalink from Dan says to slide the fork tubes up starting around 10mm and adjust based on pref and total rear lowering & 18mm is the MAX you should go. Torque upper fork clamp bolts to 17ft.lbs and lower clamp bolts to 14ft.lbs. Tighten chain accordingly.

I have a seat which gives me another 1.5 inches.
Must say that at first I thought it to be a good short ride seat but after 300 miles I think it could be a good friend on a trip.

"Spiral" it's called & has a lower platform for the wr250r/x, it's a step seat.
W/ it's shark skin finish & special foam inside I think this set up is going to be w/ my bike forever.

interesting stuff. I do a lot of long distance touring with my street bike - I've learned that seat comfort has a lot to do with how well a seat fits/supports your rump. An oak and leather horse saddle can be all-day comfy - IF it fits. The firmer foams seem to work better than the soft stock stuff (which settles down so easily that you're quickly feeling the seat pan!).

In short (ha!), I'll likely shave all the foam off the seat and use some firmer material than stock. Hopefully this gets my feet where they need to be, without sacrificing ground clearance per the lowering link.

You're right BPG,
If you can lower the seat first & leave the lower hardware alone, the bike might be at its best. Then again I rather enjoy using the skid plate as a skid plate.

Having a comfortable lower seat is win/win, if you're to tall in the saddle.

But the seat is the best change for comfort under the rear end & comfort touching the ground. After that it is a give & take issue.

I used a belt sander to shave the hump off the top of the foam. Helped me reach a little better and made the seat more comfortable, in my opinion.

BPG, keep us posted on your seat work. I could sure stand a little more foot on the ground.

Sarah

Sarah,
When you sanded the foam, was there another lay of foam that either looked or felt as though it might be a bit firmer or softer?

Nope, just a solid chunk of foam near as I could tell. I didn't give a close inspection though, and I didn't try to take the foam off the pan.

Sarah

Is this the 225 seat or from an x or r?