templar x lowering link

[dgmartin]

does anyone know what lowering link will work for a 2024 templar x?

Thanks

[GypsyR]

I don't know that anyone has found one yet. Most of us have found it easy enough to drill holes in the OEM link and drop the seat height a couple of inches. Worked for me.

[dgmartin]

tried that but it throws off the geometry of the bike too much. low speed handling was poor. thanks for the reply

[Thumper]

You can keep about the same rake (frame geometry) by shimming the fork tubes up. Yes, it works great. Shortening the shock by less than an inch doesn't even change the geometry of the linkage, which a lowering link does.

The dimensions of the original link are posted in the resource if anyone wants to try to find a compatible lowering link.

[dgmartin]

yeah shimmed the forks but i could feel it right away just didn't work on mine. bad geometry. been riding dirtbikes for 50 years. thanks for the reply

[Mumen Rider]

If you've been riding dirt bikes for 50 years why would you want to get a lowering link? Maybe try some boots with a lift.

[GypsyR]

I wonder how many of us here have been on dirt bikes for 50 years now? Popped into my head.
I dropped my forks a bit along with the drilled hole and it ain't no Wombat but suits me well enough for what the bike is.

[Thumper]

Originally Posted by dgmartin

yeah shimmed the forks but i could feel it right away just didn't work on mine. bad geometry. been riding dirtbikes for 50 years. thanks for the reply

If you want the same geometry, you have to do both.

Lowering links actually change the angle of the triangular linkage connector that connects the shock to the swingarm (and main frame), but no one seems to complain. Installing a slightly shorter shock (or drilling a new mounting position) brings the swingarm a little closer to the seat WITHOUT affecting the linkage geometry at all.

Whether you use a lowering link (changes the linkage geometry), or shorten the shock (which does NOT change the linkage geometry), you have changed the rake (angle of the steering head).

But if you want to preserve the rake (original geometry), you need to ALSO shim the forks up to level the bike (fore and aft).

Or you can find a lowering link. Here is the info you need on the link:
https://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=32177
Look at posts #56 and #57

If you find a compatible link, please do post!

Oh, my first bike was a 2 stroke Suzuki TS250 (16 years old). I am approaching 70, so I guess that's 50 years. More than 50 motorcycles along the way. Hmm.

[dgmartin]

TS100 here i was 9 yrs old. 495.00 brand new. that was sticker shock...LOL. if the feel of the bike doesn't bother you then drill away. it'easy enough and cheap.

[dgmartin]

i've been short the whole time. no growth spurts in my 40s or 50s....lol all i really need is about 3/4" i can make do with it as is. just thought it might be a little more comfortable to lower it just a bit.

[Still Riding]

I removed about 1" of the high density seat foam and replacecd it with a gel pad from ebay. Cheap fix for the too hard seat and it lowers your butt too! This may give you the little bit of lowering you want. I'm happy to share details if wanted.

[dgmartin]

I might be interested in that. I have link arriving tomorrow if it doesn't fit then yeah i will take you up on that. thx

[dgmartin]

what ending up doing was fill in the stock hole in the shock and redrilled only 10mm from the original hole. This gave me just enough lowering with geometry of the bike unchanged.

[Crossbar]

Nice work. How did you fill the hole, weld? After drilling mine it ended up a bit lower than I wanted. 10mm sounds about right.

[dgmartin]

used a rat tail file to prep the sides of the stock hole then took a 10mm bolt coated the threads with original formula jb weld stuck it the hole then let it cure, then cut it off. filed it down to flush and shot it with some black paint. worked great.