Best way to increase cornering clearance?

[beemerphile]

What's the best way to gain cornering clearance with the R1150R? Shorten the paralever arm or use a longer shock? Are there any ill effects from monkeying around with the length of the arm? Thanks for any help - Lee

[DJ Downunder]

The biggest drawback and the thing that stopped me doing it is that the bike leans way over on the side stand and when on the center stand both wheels still touch.

You could fix those issues but I decided not to bother...are you constantly scraping your pegs or something.. ..why do you have the need to change it.?

DJ

[sshallen]

I put the GS paralever on when the bike was new, 27k ago.

No ill effects that I've noticed.

The few (five?) times I've used the sidestand, it does lean WAY over.

It's VERY easy to the bike on and off the center stand now... I can get either tire about 1" off the ground, which is all I need.

Hmmm... winter project... I should extend that sidestand or install one from a GS...

[Pat]

Though I'm short, one of the better things I did to my Roadster....... was make it taller. It was not what I intended, but the result may offer YOU what you're looking for.

Consider upgrading the suspension to something after-market.

I couldn't afford the expensive Ohlins or Bitubos that the other guys were opt'ing for, so I ordered some springs. I placed my call for a pair of Hyper Pro Racing Spring Technology springs..... they arrived a half year later, and MORE to my surprise..... they were PURPLE ???! They make racing components in Europe, and their thing is all about "Purple Perfection".....

Anyway, in addition to being a progressive wound spring, the rear (in particular) was taller. The pre-load on my beemer allowed me to lower the bike when I was 'around towning-it', and when I cranked it up..... that Hyper Pro had my ass-end up in the air like a cat in heat!

I wouldn't mess with that torque arm too much, been a couple horror stories around here of unintended consequences from people who didn't know what they were doing.

Just go for a complete after-market suspension set-up with a taller rear shock.

[Kevin50r]

I use the the GS torque arm on my R and have an Ohlins shock which I think allows for more preload than stock.

I welded about 1.5" of bar stock and a new foot piece on my sidestand and added a 1/4" piece of flat stock to each foot of the centerstand. This allows the bike to lean just enough on the sidestand and gets a wheel off the ground on the centerstand.

Torque arm and shock made a significant improvement in my handling.

[beemerphile]

I put the GS paralever on when the bike was new, 27k ago.
...

When you say "GS Paralever" do you mean just the torque arm, or the entire unit? Are the swingarms the same length on the GS and R?

Thanks for all the suggestions. Yes, I am dragging the bike quite a bit when cornering. I am quite comfortable with upgrading or replacing both stands. I am beginning to wonder if someone has short-shocked mine before I got it. I understand the seat height is supposed to be 32" with the tall seat. I have a 32" inseam, but I've got lots of leg left when my feet hit the ground.

If I put Wilbers custom length shocks front and rear, how much over stock overall length could I go without having issues? I intend to fix this if I have to put a complete GS suspension on it. My old R100RT had more cornering clearance.

thanks 2 all - Lee

[solitario11]

you can hang off, by lining your head with your left wrist ( your making a left) and just get out of the sadlle one cheek at a time as needed, but reallyyou dont really need to mess with anything. just the head line with the left hand, that alone makes a big different. you be suprise how much body weight gets tranfer and how you can keep the bike upright! Please guys remmeber that you can increase the lean on the bike BUT not the TIRES,,,there is only so far you can go on the tires. when I go to play with my son inlaw ( he has aBUSA) I take him inthe twister all the time. the least the bike is lean the faster you can go on a turn. you can do a search for pics of track days and you can see guys hanging off and the bike is so much upright then guys who dont.

[sshallen]

When you say "GS Paralever" do you mean just the torque arm, or the entire unit? Are the swingarms the same length on the GS and R?

Doh, I meant "GS Paralever torque arm".

[riceburner]

I"ve fitted a custom Paralever Torque arm to my Rockster recently - it's a full 1 centimeter (100mm) or 2.54" shorter than stock. Now both wheels are on the ground when it's on the center stand.

Not had anyone ride behind me to check lean clearances - but I'd imagine it's a big improvement.

[BobFV1]

What's the best way to gain cornering clearance with the R1150R?

GO to the Yamaha dealer and trade it for an R6.



More information on the added ground clearance on this model at this link - NOT WORK SAFE or Politically Correct:

http://www.floridapartygirl.com/jamie-r ... C_3584.JPG

[scottybooj]

bob, that's not a pic of anyone in your family is it? 'cause she sure got some gap in those front teeth!

[geogridshorthair]

I also changed my shocks on my 04 R1150RT. I wanted it slightly lower. I found a pair of unused Wilbers from an 02 RT and bought them for $500.

The front fit fine but the rear needed to be replaced. Wilbers took the rear back for $350 and sold me a new one for slightly more.

As a result of the shorter shock I needed to cut my side stand (easy job cost me $30). Center stand still works but rear tire is 3 ro 4 inches in the air. And it is very hard to get it on the center stand (but i can do it myself).

My problem is I had the shock lowered by 2 inches. I would have been just fine with 1 inch. Now the RT is too low. I need to contact Wilbers and ask what the cost would be to change the height.

I like the shock performance, but I want my bike higher.

Steve
aka geogridshorthair