Dog Bones

Hi all,

We have purchased a red SV, and picking it up later in the week. The lady that owns it says it has been lowered using Dog bones. I guess these are some kind of suspenion modification.

I have a couple of questions

1) Does it alter the suspension / ride etc etc
2) are they easy to remove and will anything else need adjusting
3) My girlfriend has tried an SV with a lowered seat and finds it better than standard, whats a better option for lowering DOg bones of lowered seat (we already have purchased a lowered seat!)

Dog bones are part of the rear suspension linkage. To lower the bike you fit longer dog bones than the standard ones. I'd ask the seller if she still has the original ones.

Answers:
1: Yes, by lowering the rear you change the weight distribution of the bike. If all she has had done is the dog bones, then I'd guess that the steering will be slower. It's possible that the yokes have been moved down the forks to "level" the bike out again. But possibly not.

2: Relatively easy to remove, but you will need some standard ones to replace them with! You'll need some way of supporting the rear of the bike that doesn't load up the rear suspension (ABBA or NWS stand, or a pile of bricks I guess ). Then as far as I can tell it's 4 bolts (NOTE: I've never done this myself, someone will be along soon who has)

3: Horses for courses, depends on how much you need the bike lowering I'd guess. I'd start with just the seat, and get the bike back to standard dogbones. This way you end up with the suspension geometry as Mr Suzuki designed it. If she still finds it a bit tall, then you can look as adjusting the suspension. Samnooshka has longer dogbones, a lowered seat (I think) and the yokes dropped down the forks, but she's ickle

I got a set of curvey standard bones if you need them

Originally Posted by svrash

I got a set of curvey standard bones if you need them

Thanks for the responses. Is it an easy job for a retard (me!)?

SVRASH - do you want paying for them, or you going to be kind enough to give them to me

Ash - they my original ones?? Just curious

[dirtydog]

Originally Posted by rigor

2: Relatively easy to remove, but you will need some standard ones to replace them with! You'll need some way of supporting the rear of the bike that doesn't load up the rear suspension (ABBA or NWS stand, or a pile of bricks I guess ). Then as far as I can tell it's 4 bolts (NOTE: I've never done this myself, someone will be along soon who has)

It's actually 2 nuts and bolts but then i'm just being picky

and yes it is easy to do

Originally Posted by dirtydog

and yes it is easy to do

so when i screw it up, you'll come round and help me !! lol

What year SV have you got?

When I took in my K5 pointy SV to be fitted with longer dog bones, I was told they needed to manufacture some more as the supposed longer ones weren't longer. They didn't realise my standard ones were actually longer than curvey standard bones.

Originally Posted by darrens_here

Thanks for the responses. Is it an easy job for a retard (me!)?

SVRASH - do you want paying for them, or you going to be kind enough to give them to me

Enough to cover postage and there yours

Originally Posted by John Burt

Ash - they my original ones?? Just curious

Nah mate there mine, but if your saying that i might have a nother pair if anyone needs them

great thanks !!!

We are picking up the SV (2001 curvey) tonight, the owner says she has the dog bones but they are round her mates (who did the work for her) and she cant get them for a week or so, whihc is fair enough.

SO , I will wait for those, if they dont turn up Rash, I'll be after yours matey.............

Cheers all

darren