The bike I don’t believe the seat is higher then the old bike. The seat may be narrower overall but it is wider at the tank end. Other people have complained about the same thing.

 

Seat height on the 08 and the 18 wing is the same; 29.1 inches.

:doorag:

 

Maybe sergeant’s seat who use their own seat pans can make a seat that is narrower at the front.

 

Lowering

Schroader's Honda has 2" lowering
links. They won't sell them unless they install them. Had mine done there.
$199 installed.


Bakerbuilt (Baker Wings) has some 1" links on their website. I don't remember the price. They will sell you the links, and there's only 2 bolts per side to install.


Take your pick.

 

Have a question on videos of guys test riding 2018 talked about dragging stuff in the corners ! ? 2 inches lower is "whole bunch " ! Would like to hear some reviews on bike lowered .

 

Thought you might like to know that I’ve worn off set of foot peg slide and half way through the second. I have also drug both engine guards and worn holes in the plastic covers. On top of that in a turn on the Dragon I even had the chrome 3 to 1 cover on the left exhaust pipes scrape the road.

All I’m saying is plan your corner entering speed and plan on throwing your rear inside on sharp corners. Oh yea, sole, no bags put the suspension 1+bags. Oops, that just raised the bike up again and I need to do that on my bike here in the Great Smokey Mountians!

? this bike, never drug the 82 or 08 wings I had. Riding style may have changed in my older age.

Just saying.

 

There is only way to properly lower a motorcycle, and that is through the shock absorbers.

Every time a new bike come out, some shadetree takes a bike, pulls a bolt out of the connecting links (dogbones) and lowers the bike down to "where it looks right" and drills a new hole, and then sells unwitting people a "lowering kit".

Altering the length of the connecting links completely alters the suspension function. It changes the rate at which the linkage controls the rear shock and can move the range of the wheel travel, dramatically altering the handling of the bike, and the geometry characteristics that are required for safe handling.

The only way to correctly lower a bike is to lower the shock absorbers internally. Since the stock shocks are not rebuildable, this must be done through aftermarket shocks.

The shocks are lowered internally by a spacer that prevents them from fully extending back to stock ride height (this is reversible, by the way, when you sell the bike at a later date). Using this method, the linkages and chassis geometry can remain balanced, and the bike will "bottom out" in the exact same location and at the exact same attitude as stock. This is critical for safety.

Past that, you will then need springs and damping in the shocks that can work properly in a much shorter range of travel. This requires higher rate springs and damping.

In other words, you can't safely change the entire design character of a motorcycle to compensate for shorter stature and have it ride safely and comfortably for $200 (or less).

I always recommend shorter riders start with boots with custom thicker soles. There are many on the market, or you can have some custom made. Adding an inch to the bottom of both boots goes a long way!

Then if that's not enough, I recommend a custom saddle, to help compensate.

THEN, if that's not enough, we can build shocks that will meet your height requirements.

The goal is to still be certain you are driving a safe bike that feels like $30,000, not $3000.

 

Anyone here lowered their 2018 yet? If so via what method?

 

Tick-Tick-Tick

opcorn:

 

How about the 3 seat options for the 18, anyone know about that

 

Thank U. I've asked this question over and over again and each time I've gotten a different answer. Nor believing the answer I would ask someone else and would get a different answer. Your answer makes sense.

 

I have the same issue and intend to get the seat altered to suit me better. Adjusting the seat itself is a lot easier than messing with suspension.

 

I drug every hard point on this wing and I’m not a real hotrod. Lowering this wing I think would be a big mistake. Would limit your corner speed and ability, even some of the slow speed stuff. It’s something I will recommend against. OMPO!

 

There is a lot to consider when lower a Goldwing. I lowered my 2005 to fit me but not without a lot of study. I purchased my lowering kit from Lower Wing Products, LLC. The Shock Link was almost identical in every way to the OEM Shock Link. Very sturdy. I also purchased the shim for changing the angle of the sidestand. Without the shim the bike would stand to erect and could fall over easier.
I lowered my bike by 1 1/4 inches. To keep the bikes geometry characteristics, I also raised the front forks in the triple tree components to compensate for lowering the rear.

I would never think about tearing a shock apart and adding spacers or shims. Doing this in my mind puts more preload on the internal spring. The only true way to prevent the shock from traveling it's full distance is to take it apart and cut the spring and rod down. But it would be easier to just purchase a new shock with same weight carrying ability that is shorter and has same bolt on pattern. But, keep in mind a shorter shock does not have the same travel has a longer one.

A lowering kit angles the shock a bit. Remember your Algebra and Geometry in school. A triangle with a right 90 degree angle is easy to compute the length of any of its sides. Side A is vertical, side B is horizontal and C is the angled side such as a shock. Your objective is to lower A by say 1 1/4 inches, then side B needs to change and C is the OEM shock and remains constant. A longer B will shorten A. A squared plus B squared equals square root of C.

There are some issues needed to consider lowering the bike even with a kit such as I purchased. (1) I love my bike and my feet are almost completely flat on the pavement while sitting on the seat. When I stand they definitely are. (2) Don't forget the sidestand shim to allow the bike its proper lean when parked. (3) If you think your bike is hard to get onto the center stand, it is harder now. To solve this, I also purchased a ride-off center stand. But even with this I put a piece of board for the rear tire to run up on to help me get the bike up. Even if I knock the board out from under the tire, I can not spin my rear tire by hand to position the valve to check air pressure. That is where my Tire Pressure Monitoring (TMS) comes in handy. Raising the bike with the Suspension Control helps a bit also. (4) Speed bumps are something to be aware of. I have to creep slowly over them so as not to scrape bottom. (5) I only weight 170 so I don't worry too much about the smaller distance between the top of the rear tire and the bottom of the fender. This can also be helped with the Shock Suspension Control. I normally ride with a soft setting of just 5 but when needed can raise it to 20. (6) Lastly, and yes, cornering is something for those fast crazy riders to consider. I personally ride my Goldwing for its comfort. I have had other bikes for the sportiness.

 

I would never think about tearing a shock apart and adding spacers or shims. Doing this in my mind puts more preload on the internal spring. The only true way to prevent the shock from traveling it's full distance is to take it apart and cut the spring and rod down. But it would be easier to just purchase a new shock with same weight carrying ability that is shorter and has same bolt on pattern. But, keep in mind a shorter shock does not have the same travel has a longer one.

A lowering kit angles the shock a bit. Remember your Algebra and Geometry in school. A triangle with a right 90 degree angle is easy to compute the length of any of its sides. Side A is vertical, side B is horizontal and C is the angled side such as a shock. Your objective is to lower A by say 1 1/4 inches, then side B needs to change and C is the OEM shock and remains constant. A longer B will shorten A. A squared plus B squared equals square root of C.

DillTM,

These sections of your post are so completely wrong, that I have to post a reply for future readers of this post.

You don't understand what's inside of your shock. There is NO "internal spring". Sorry.

You NEVER have to cut down a shock rod to reduce the travel of a shock (lower the bike). It's clear you have no understanding of what's in your shock or how it works.

YOU might never think of tearing a shock apart and adding spacers or shims, but there is an entire aftermarket full of suspension companies and professional technicians that DO perform that type of work, and for professionals, it is both routine and is simple to do.

Your suggestion of "just buy a shorter shock with the same weight carrying capacity... etc, etc"... Where are all of the aftermarket shocks you are talking about? There isn't any. The Goldwing isn't a Ford F150. You can't walk into Autozone and pick between a dozen shock lengths and weight carrying capacities.

There's only ONE company that sell aftermarket shocks for the 2018 + Goldwing.... that company sells shocks that work far better than stock, and can be configured to lower the bike front and rear by an inch SAFELY, with several spring rate options, without messing up the geometry of the rear linkage. The lowering process is reversible in case the bike is sold to a taller 2nd Owner. That company is Traxxion Dynamics.

You are completely lost with your discussion of shock angles, and again, I am making this post because you are trying to "educate" people with terrible information about something you have no understanding of.

The angle a shock is mounted on a motorcycle ONLY matters if there is no linkage system on the bike, and the shock is mounted directly to the swingarm and the chassis in a triangle. On a motorcycle with a linkage system, the angle of the shock means nothing at all and nothing can be determined about how it will function by simply looking at it.

The linkage creates a very specific curve of pressure on a spring, and is far too complex to explain in a post on an internet forum.

 

Thank you Max, "when you speak", I listen..............(with "both" ears)

Ronnie

 

So what is the cost and how long does it take to do this correctly?

 

You replace the front and rear shock absorbers. We build lowered shocks at no extra charge for riders who need a lowered bike. The shocks cost $1650 and the labor is $800. It takes a day at the shop of a competent installer. At our shop we have 2 people work and the job gets done in about 4 hours.

Aside from your bike sitting lower, the suspension will be vastly improved over stock. Better tire wear, sharp bump absorption and chassis stability provide the owner with great comfort, confidence, and control.

Aside from the cost of labor, the shocks can be reset to standard height for resale to a future owner.