Help this hobbit lower His Storm

[Nyccooldude]

So as some of you may know I recently got my hands on a Bashan Storm. It's a very good looking bike but I'm so short I can't really enjoy the ride.
So I'm looking for ways to drop it so can Safely come to a stop without having to completely shift to one side.

I'm doing the seat mod so that's going to be 2" lower from there but I'm wondering do they sell or have a lowering link that will fit this frame?

I'm 5'2" (Hobbit) about 165 so I'm thinking maybe 3-4" drop will be enough so at least my toes can hit the ground.

Should have gone with the Hellcat lol

Basically I'm asking if anyone has any idea or info I can use to my advantage.

[pete]

Front....
handle bar risers then slide the forks though the clamps...

Rear...
since these don't have linkage suspension... A shorter shock...

PS.... Don't forget to shorten the side stand....


.

[Megadan]

My suggestion. Do the seat first and see how it fits you.

Lowering the suspension should always be a last resort. Why? Well not only are you sacrificing travel, but you can also alter the chassis setup and potentially change the way the bike rides and handles in negative ways. Maintaining the rake and trail of the front suspension is a big part of that.

As far as the rear shock, measure the distance from the swing arm pivot center to the lower shock mount bolt centerline in the swing arm (draw an imaginary vertical line perpendicular to the swing arm and measure to that point). Measure the distance of the lower shock bolt center to the center of the swing arm. Then measure the distance from the pivot to the axle center. Finally, find the angle of the shock from vertical. You don't have to be super precise, but try to be as accurate as you can.

After that remove the shock and measure the following:
Length from center to center of the bolt holes for the mounts.
The type and width of the shock mounts (post a picture if you arent sure what type they are.)

With that info we can do some math and figure out some options for you. If you are wondering why I am having you do all of this, the reason is simple. It's something known as motion ratio. The wheel travels a greater distance than the shock does through the arc of travel. If we are wanting to lower the bike, then we want to lower the height of the wheel in relation to the bike. A 2 inch shorter shock might lower the bike 3 inches, just as an example.

[Nyccooldude]

So I did the seat mod today and lowered the forks about an 1'-1/4"

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by Nyccooldude

So I did the seat mod today and lowered the forks about an 1'-1/4"

Does that do it for you, or do you need it to be lower?

[Nyccooldude]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

Does that do it for you, or do you need it to be lower?

I got my toes with a slight lean so I'm ok for now

[jimwildman]

Originally Posted by Megadan

A 2 inch shorter shock might lower the bike 3 inches, just as an example.

Actually 40mm in the shock will get you 2" in the seat. It's a touchy thing for sure.

Also remember the idea is to not spend a ton of money on a bike, or we would all be riding brand new japanese bikes. So cheap chinese and used parts are the way to go. Chinese shocks are cheap, real cheap, so you can just try one and if ya hate it put the original back on. Surprisingly I pounded the heck out of one in the heavy whoops, and it never let go I was pleasantly surprised with the quality.

Id honestly avoid lowering the front as I feel it will exasurbate the geometry issues the bike allready has. My expertise is admittadly limited, but I have done an awfull amount of work on the hawk suspension, I probly know more about what don't work than anyone, Maybe.


Id hack my seat too but I havent seen one that didn't look wonkey to me after the mod, except for slicing the hump off the back, that seems to be workable, and Id love to be able to slide back there without running into the hump.


Also if you think about it you wont loose any travel in the rear, fact is there is far more height or clearance than travel. Youll bottom the shock way before anything touches the tire.

[BlackBike]

after you wear those tires out, you may consider researching smaller , street tires that will down size the profile a little.

it sounds like you got it fixed now with the seat mod/fork adj. you will probably get used to it and wont even bother you anymore.

[Nyccooldude]

Originally Posted by BlackBike

after you wear those tires out, you may consider researching smaller , street tires that will down size the profile a little.

it sounds like you got it fixed now with the seat mod/fork adj. you will probably get used to it and wont even bother you anymore.

Yeah it's ok for now but I don't feel comfortable enough to go on long enough rides. I've looked at street tires since I'm not going on trails in NYC soon

[NzBrakelathes]

Hi
Can you take a pic of the rear triple clamp part? Some of these bikes are the same as Chinese CQR based bikes and yes I have seen lowering/adjustable rear arm to lower a certain model (cant say I know which) bikes.
I might be able to supply an arm that lowers your bike etc. MAYBE

[Nyccooldude]

As soon as its I get home I'll snap a picture

[Nyccooldude]

So I did some work on her today

[blanc12]

Very Nice!
I have a shorter rear shock for my hawk. Just have to find the time to put it on.

[Nyccooldude]

Originally Posted by blanc12

Very Nice!
I have a shorter rear shock for my hawk. Just have to find the time to put it on.

I was surprised on how easy it was to swap it out. I actually ordered a new one so it'll be 10" exactly rather than 10-1/2"

[NzBrakelathes]

So the rear shock goes directly to the swing arm? It looks to be the same design style in most as the Honda CRV/Brazilian Honda or XR150 or around that design etc.