Lowering front end by slipping fork legs through trees?

[andyxlh]

Hello all again
Stock sportster 39mm front end with progressive springs. Evo rigid mount cafe racer project.
Thinking about lowering the front by slipping the fork legs through the trees about 40mm, enough to put the clip ons above the top tree. It looks like the compression of the forks won't cause the front guard to hit the bottom tree. Has anyone done this?
Thinking of 14" rear shocks to flatten out the bike and make the geometry of the front end steeper for sharper turn ins.
Any thoughts out there?
Cheers
Andy
Sydney

[Racepres]

Just bear in mind any change in ride height... front or rear changes Trail Numbers... "Frame Level" should be just Fine!!!

[PC_Hater]

I still have assorted info that Ed Svitil posted on the long dead Sportster.org website.
One was a spreadsheet that calculated the new rake, trail, wheelbase, lean angle figures when changing wheel sizes and shock lengths and fork lengths.

Ed ran 17" wheels front and rear, not sure on dropped forks or longer shocks.
The handling was described as 'most un-Sportster like'!
ie, proper sportsbike handling.

I will drag it all out and post it here. Ed won't mind, he died some years ago.

There is so much trail on the Sportster you can easily lose an inch of trail and still not be as twitchy as a Buell or Ducati.

My forks are dropped about a quarter of an inch, after that they hit the handlebars! After nearly 10 years I still can't decide if I want to fit an 18" or 17" front wheel... Maybe next year.

[andyxlh]

Thanks guys. Agreed re the rake, on my 89 with stock front and lowered rear I can ride the freeway with my arms folded, the bike runs so straight. I'd say a little less rake might make cornering a whole lot easier.
Also, if I stick with the 16/19 wheels that should reduce the effect a little
Clearance is the only issue, my new (old) bike arrives this week so I'll be able to get a good look at it then, it is a 1991 model 883 dx

[PC_Hater]

Two pics of Ed's bike and the spreadsheet for calculating rake and trail changes.

[andyxlh]

Great thanks! I remember sportster.org, used it to do the 1200 conversion in 1999. Wondered what happened to it, it just disappeared

[PC_Hater]

Great thanks! I remember sportster.org, used it to do the 1200 conversion in 1999. Wondered what happened to it, it just disappeared

The original owner of the website sold it in 2006 or so and then it went downhill fairly rapidly.

[andyxlh]

Oh, I didn't realise it was something to sell. Very useful site

[hogpipes1]

It was a veary good site with a good Classified section. What''s out there now  for any  sporty site with good tech and  buy / sell  parts  .?

[andyxlh]

Final upshot... Bought 2" over tubes, fitted with a 2" lowered spring kit do I can pull the tubes through the trees to mount the clip ons and also get forks to not bottom out