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99 FE400E CAN I LOWER THE SEAT HEIGHT?

Joined Mar 2013
6 Posts | 0+
I am only 5ft 8 and am struggling with the seat height on my 1999 FE400E, is there any modifications I can make to lower the rear suspension as I know I can push the forks through.
 
Can be done, yes.

The rear shock spring and internals can be lowered - the spring cut to shorten it and then (as far as I know) a travel limiting spacer is installed. This is how I understand it - haven't done it myself. (Note that when you cut the spring, you make it stiffer.) This is considered the proper way to do it.

Then you can of course - can!, not necessarily should - simply add rear preload to drop the rear. This will lower it but it may induce heavier steering (aka stabilize the bike) - and can give you a rear suspension that isn't working to spec. I actually have my DR-Z set up outside of the recommended sag range just to stabilize the bike and it's not at all that bad dropped a little. I'd try it, but try it before and after to get a feel for whether the handling quality degrades noticeably.

Then just to name something else, on DR-Z's it's popular to just shave a bit off the seat foam - i.e. lower the seat itself. Not sure if the 'Berg seats are good for this but it might be something.
 
Thanks Anton, think Ill get out the bread knife and tackle the seat foam first, probably the easiest to do.
 
Anthon Berg said:
Then you can of course - can!, not necessarily should - simply add rear preload to drop the rear. This will lower it but it may induce heavier steering (aka stabilize the bike) - and can give you a rear suspension that isn't working to spec. I actually have my DR-Z set up outside of the recommended sag range just to stabilize the bike and it's not at all that bad dropped a little. I'd try it, but try it before and after to get a feel for whether the handling quality degrades noticeably.

You really mean 'decrease the spring preload to drop the rear'. This can be balanced out by raising the fork tubes in the triple clamps a little to lower the front end.
 
Thanks Anthon
Its years since I rode offroad, I know how to set up a road race bike by measuring sag etc but is there any equivalent measurements I should be aiming for front and back do you know?
Thanks
Paul
 

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