I did it: lowered links on the TT

[Trumpet]

Originally Posted by cropbiker

You are so right chaos....

I think it was Einstein who said... "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Ha!ha! I think you hit it on the nose cropper, I must be insane, because I kept asking myself while I am ordering the links: "why am I doing this crap again?" Ha!...well, in actuality, I think what motivates me to fart-around with this is that I like bikes with longer rake. I am an ex-chopper-dog from the 60/s and I guess old habits die hard. The feel of the longer rake is a bit different than the 'quick' nimble maneuverability of 'shorter' rake designs on crouch rockets and sports-touring bikes.

The first time I rode a crouch rocket I remember fearing I was gonna fall over the handlebars in front of the cycle, and run over myself. Ha! So, I will probably enjoy the little extra rake the lower links give the TT, at least for a while.

But I ain't gonna pull no punches on the result. The matter of fact is that the TT maneuverability is definitely degraded by lowering links. I won't justify my insanity by saying otherwise.

This is a great community built around a great bike... ...here is looking at you kid! 

[w8d4it]

Originally Posted by Trumpet

I don't look at modern engineering in a sanctimonious way nor do I like to think pessimistic thought about cycling.

First of all, if you work very close to engineers you ought to know their balls are more often than not, in the hands of the marketing department, who at will, quite often dismiss great designs and efficacious products in favor of marketing trends that would, either sell the product, address more the mass of a particular consumer, or cut costs. Why? because in modern manufacturing money does the talking, not the engineers.

Engineers are not infallible Popes of the vehicle manufacturing world. Most likely, they get told what to do right from the get-go: what to produce, what market to target, and a budget restrain to stuff all the demands in...often, causing the familiar vehicle-recall resulting from making sh#t too fast without enough forethought nor trials.

Many folks in the Honda forum, in the Kawasaki forum and other bikes are sort of Brand Apostles. They have a sort of consumerism faith that their brand (of bike in this case) is the best in the world.

Secondly, the statistical probability that the lowering of the TT would be the reason for not making a turn quick enough to avoid catastrophy is about 'zero'. Traffic, other drivers, cell phones, weather, your own distraction, rider skill...there are a million possible variables involved in such speculation. And most importantly, the turning ratio of the TT lowered 20mm versus stock is so freaking minimal that you would need to see through the universe in order to detect that a wreck's fault was due to the lower link.

I do not worship Triumph. It does rides too light on the freeway at high speeds which is what touring guys do. It does not even have a rear fender and gets trash all over, including the passenger. Having taking the muffler off, I will tell you that damn thing weight a ton and as soon as I can find a comparable quiet muffler I will replace it. Cal-sci makes better windshield than the OEM. I am sure you have heard the problems with some bikes on this board. And this bike does not have nearly the torque of a Kawasaki Concour, nor the comfort of a GL...Ok!, but it beats the sh#t out of an RT on every count....wait,wait, the fairing on the RT is easier to take off. I 'll give the RT that.

Now be that said, the Triumph Trophy is MY ALL TIME FAVORITE BIKE...EVER! and I have been jocking these damn things around since 1963.  I would not trade it for anything.

For me, the lowering link is just having fun with my bike, trying something out to see.
And I would agree with anyone in the sense that the TT rides better stock like every stinking bike I have lowered--they all ride worse afterwards.

But that is relative. To the guy who cannot reach the ground and every time he stops he is inches from dropping the bike, to the guy who want to ride his babe on the rear and balance more securely, and to those who rather have a heavier handling to feel more sure in not over-steering a turn, then, there is nothing wrong with them altering the height of the bike. Besides, all you got to do is put a fat chick on the back and there: you lowered your Triumph 20mm--or more depending on the chick. The lower links are not that weird that they turn everything into disarray.

I am perfectly good with someone trying it, and saying it sucks. But it irks me to hear brands/engineers being glorified or to hear paranoid scary perspectives about cycling in general. The engineers profession, (unless they are working for themselves doing something creative with a huge benefactor support) are hardly glorified professionals in the manufacturing world. And cycling is such an inherently dangerous thing to do on these metropolitan roads that if you have paranoid visions you might as well ride a car.

Poof! puf! puuf!...there, I got it off my chest...puff...man! I am getting too old for this.

Father Triumph, forgive me cutting down your rear fender   
Everyone is entitled to his opinion as long as presented in a civil manner.  However my posts regarding handling are not based on engineer worship.  I worked my way through undergrad as a motorcycle mechanic.  I can't count the number of bikes that have been cobbed (and I mean cobbed, not cobbled, for those of you old enough to know what cobbed means).  In the worst cases the darn things handled badly enough to be dangerous  and in the best case the ride was ruined.  I'm not talking only about Triumphs.  Like I say everyone is entitled to his own opinion but I seriously doubt that anyone who knows what he is doing will seriously assert an improvement.

[Trumpet]

w8,
I am pretty sure I am old enough,  but,  I still dont know,  what is "cobbed"?

Which ever way one says it,  you are right in that it dont improve nothing... on the contrary.

[w8d4it]

cobbed as in rough as a corn cob, and if you are a farmer, or come from a farming background, be imaginative about the use for corn cobs. 

[Trumpet]

Originally Posted by w8d4it

cobbed as in rough as a corn cob, and if you are a farmer, or come from a farming background, be imaginative about the use for corn cobs.

In the old days,  a chopper was a bike that was striped of all 'unnecessary'  things: fenders, mirrors,  borns, lights... or things were replaced with minimum requirements... like very small tail lite etc. I guess the idea was to simply be rebellious against tradition and law. Today a chopper is a blink-blin oversize jewel on two wheels that some else makes for you and you pay 40 grans for. The yuppy generation has turned a 'cobbed'  into a 'shiny corn'.... is that imaginative enough? ha!

Then came extremism... I remember riding chopper with super long forks.  The wheel base was so long,  that if you did not slow down on the freeway to make a curb,  the damn thing would keep going straight off the road  inspite of your efforts to turn.  Now that was far-out cobbed,  wasnt it?

[47BarnsleyLad66]

I think that if you have a problem with getting your feet planted firm on the ground at a stop then lowering would make sense rather than dropping the bike.I agree with a lot of the comments made by trumpet and chaos,but having worked on the tools all my working career,you can tell an engineer,but you can't tell em much,LOL.

[kniterider]

I have lowered my wife's bikes,  She is only 5'04  But loves to ride almost as much as I do.
I have lowered several of my bikes because in stock form they were so far beyond my reach  ( most of my beemers, ST1300, and my last wing).  Only the wing required raising the front forks to maintain handling,  I really enjoy the dragon. 
I will lower the Trophy SE too. 
By the way I have over 1,000,000 miles on just wings, and am an Iron Butt rider.

[kurtmartin1027]

I too have lowered my Trophy, I see all of the comments and I take them into consideration.  And as Chaos said if you cant touch its the wrong bike...  Well I would be riding a scooter, I am only 5 foot 4 inches.  My work bike at work is too tall and my trophy is too tall.  They wont let me lower my patrol bike so I just don't stop very often,  LOL  but my Trophy I lowered and I have to say I enjoy being able to plant my feet etc.  That is my two cents.