My other half is a little vertically challenged, which can make most motorcycles a bit tricky to ride. At 5’1″, she is only just on tip-toes when sat on her stock CBF500, so lowering was essential. Lowering a bike can be achieved by reducing the seat and/or lowering the suspension. Her CBF500 needed both!
Suspension Lowering
Lowering the rear suspension of a bike can be achieved either by swapping on longer ‘dog legs’ – the struts that go from the bottom of the shock to the swing arm, or by shortening the overall length of the shock. The CBF500 rear shock mounts directly to the swingarm, thus the latter approach was needed. MFW sell a number of lowering kits, including a replacement lower shock linkage for many Honda’s. This replaces the stock linkage of a standard Honda Showa shock, shortening its entire length. The linkage came in for £65, however, similarly parts by other brands sell for £100-120. Alternative approaches involve replacing the spring on the shock for a shorter one.
