Hi I have read a lot of comments on the 48 rear suspension mostly about a harsh ride due to a short shock travel but nothing about ground clearance.
I changed my nightster recently for a 48 and now find my concern is getting around corners.
Where I live is rural consisting of narrow twisty roads where I want to go for a ride and flick the bike around, I have already had a few scary moments by having to drift wide as the pipes and bike bits grind the road with no give, the nightster did also but not to the same degree.
Slammed to the ground look (I think thats the expression used) doesn't work for me therefor I am going to have to raise the rear end by about 2- 2 1/2 inches and maybe the front somehow. has anyone done this for the same reason.
Its not good when I can ride my 09 RK along the same roads much quicker.
For those who the harsh ride is the problem I fitted the nightster seat just to try and it made a lot of difference but doesn't look as good.

 

Both the old style shock bikes(2015 and earlier) and the new emulsion shock 48's have 3.9" / 100 mm of clearance. Not a lot.

I would look into a set of shock absorbers ... the 2017 shocks for a 48 are only 11.220" / 285 mm tall. A set of 12.5"s would probably be just fine...Progressive 412's are a nice inexpensive choice at 299 USD here in the states, that's what I would recommend unless you want the high-$$$ stuff.

If you raise the front as well you will need a kickstand and a longer front brake line. Though it's probably wise to raise both ends at once to not upset the geometry of the bike.

 

Hello old chap and welcome to HDF from across the Irish Sea!

I've done two things to my SuperLow, to raise it. First is longer shocks, for which I used Hagons, around 13" long as I recall. They give a slightly improved ride quality, but not as much as I had expected, so recommend you try their Nitro model. They lift the rear quite a bit, which should solve things at that end.

Up front I found that my forks were sagging more than half their travel. I'm not heavy, so that was a surprise. I used Race Tech springs, matched to my weight, then set sag correctly, which raised the front an inch or so. Now both ends are raised a similar amount, the bike looks balanced and ground clearance is improved.

Hope that helps!

 

2013 48, I upgraded to 11 inch 440, that didnt work so i got 12'444, which was much better. now i have 13.25 pro actions. long story short, regaudless of what brand you choose 12.5 to 13.5 is where you want to be looking to see the "best" clearness, then the performance of the shock is what will keep the ride nice. you will also have to address your forks i did 4 inch mono tubes for the money i think there are great. springs are cheaper and work really great too. remember you will most likely always be albe to scrap your exhaust. unless you get a high mount tracker, or V&h grenades style exhaust.

 

you dont need to raise the front end as much as you need to keep it from blowing through all its travel going down a drive way. stiffer preload is a easy option as well. once i sit on my bike the rear of the bike is no longer pushing on the front of the suspension. break drive is the issue.

 

Instead of forcing the 48 into something else, why not trade it for a new Roadster?

Also... In terms of pipes and clearance... Say what you want about them, but never had problems with Side Shots.