I have a stock 06 1200R and would like to lower it 1 to 2 inches. My problem isthe o/l has a bad disc in her lower back. She did ok last year but I want to make it ride softer for her. I'm about 185 and she is about 130. My preload is set in the middle, would putting it to the bottom help or are the stock shocks not so good?

 

Moving it down will not help to lower it. You can't lower it by adjusting the shocks firmness, which is all you're doing by adjusting the setting on the stock shocks. On the lowest setting, itmay ride smoother 1up but may bottom out while 2up, and riding on the highest setting will need more weight to compress the shocks causing a rougher ride 1up. New shocks are probably in order for the compromise...

 

Don't lower it. You'll eat up about 1/2 your suspension travel.

Also, in many cases, adding preload or stiffer springs actually creates a better ride because you minimize bottoming out. The stiffest springs are still softer than bottoming out.

But again... don't lower it. I've got 4 herniated discs (only one is "really bad") and there's no way I could ride a bike that wasn't setup right.

 

I think you could easily lower your bike 1.5 to 2 inches and still have just shy of 3 inches of shock travel. If I remember, your shocks are 13.5" eye to eye. stock 1200C of that age are 11.75" - I have 12" on my 1200 Custom. If you wanted to try them you could have my old 12.75" shocks real cheap. You may want to adjust the front to even thingas out - someone else may weigh in for that.

 

I would go with different shocks, especially if you go over train tracks or something that could bottom them out, or you could try a stiffer ride by changing the setting which would help when riding two-up, but you still need to be careful.