Trying to learn the best method of lowering a 08 XL 1200L. The wife is short and I need to find out really how low I can get that bike to the ground, or most importantly her azz. I want a bike that still handles well though and is safe. Thanks in advance for the help.
I told her to simply sue the city for building the sidewalks to close to her azz and go buy a Harley Trike...lol

 

Handles well and safe coupled with lower don't really go together very well. Get a lower seat or have the stock one modified by Mean City Cycles and have her wear 1"+ heeled boots. If I'm not mistaken the 08 low has 11.5" shocks and lowerd front springs as well.
I ran with 11" shocks and std. hgt. fork springs for several thousand miles (for looksnot for flat footing) and finally went with 11.5" shocks which ride a hair better and handle better but if I did it over I'd go 12-12.5" but thats me. If she corners rather gingerly and watchs for speed bumps or bumpy turns and and such then you could go with 11" (some even get Licks 10" shocks) but hoenstly it becomes very, very easy to scrape pegs, kickstand, exhaust and such with a low bike even riding solo no to mention going lower you can rub the belt on the front pulley cover and bang your belt guard on the frame over every bump (I did and I only weigh 145).

Lots of folks really slam the bikes low for looks and necessity but there's no denying that you only end up with 3-3.5" of ground clearance and drag stuff in the corners. Even with 11.5" shocks and std. hgt. front springs I still scrape my pipes and kickstand going around turns unless I keep my preload bumped up on at least 2-3 and try not to corner hard and watch out for bumps or entrances to parking lots. When I ride with my wife on the back I run full preload and corner carefully.

 

I don't know how low a standard XL1200 is but I've never leaned mine far enough to scrape ****.

How much lean angle is lost with the lowering parts you used, Matt?

 

Hey downzero,

A std. XL1200 (not the custom low or nightster) has 13.25" shocks, the others range from 11.5-11.75 and lows/nighters also have lowered front fork springs. Technically speaking the lean angle with using 11" shocks is not reduced that much its when cornering or bumpy corners coupled with rider wgt. compressing the shocks that are already low with softest preload settingand having lowered front front fork springsthat causes the scraping sometimes.
Sure there are lots of folks that don't ride hard and dont even scrape with nightsters, I don't ride overly agressive eitherbut my kickstand and exhaust mounting bolts have touched down many times in the last couple years and 18,000 miles. I'm just stating my observations since I fell into that "gotta have it low look" and when I got the bike was reading all the guys saying how good the progressive 11" shocks were and those saying they dont lean enough or ride hard for it to matter. When I had had 11" shocks and lowered my fork tubes .25" I could cruise into a parking lot with the raised inclineand hit the bump going in and scrape my kickstand mount and exhaust bolts. Just wanted to mention that going too low is not a solution to those with short legs . The average rider probably will make out fine with shorter shocks especially if they ride solo.

Just a note, an 08 1200L has 4.40" ground clearance (thats unladen at the lowest point standing straight up), avg. shock sag when sitting on the bike with lowest preload is about 3/4"that takes it to about 3.65" now add heavier wgt. rider, bumps or typical 29 deg. lean angle and at some pont in time your bound to scrape something. Progressive recently had to add a an additional bump stop washer on their 11" shocks for low and nighster models due to tires bottoming out on the ECM or wiring under the fender. I'm not trying to say I know it all but I have had shorter shocks and merely suggest that going too low does not equate to best/safest handlingfor all riders.

 

What's the issue? Seat hight? Get some Arnott air-ride shocks. You can lower them as much as you want, hit a switch, you are back up to riding height..

 

I put a 1" REAR lowering kit on my wifes 883L and it works fine, The bike still rides fine and handles well. I wouldnt hesitate. It only cost around 50 bucks too.

 

The 1200L has 11.75 inch shocks.I put 11.5 inch Progressive 412s on my wife's 1200L. She's 5ft 1 and had trouble with the normal ride height. We also put a low profile seat on, can't remember what model. With the new shocks she's ok, but the bike does drag hard parts a lot sooner than it did before. On the right side its the bracket on the muffler that hits first.

Harley makes a good riding boot with a 1 to 1.5 inchheel, Icon makes a good boot also with at least a 2 inch heel.

 

My neighbor put lowering kit on his sportster and slid the front forks down in the tree clamps to level the bike. He said there was a little difference in handling. He also had to watch speed bumps, he would scrape on some he'd cleared before. I had the seat trimmed on an old Yamaha to lower the seat height.

 

Maybe I ought to save what I'm about to say on my hard drive 'cause it ain't the first time I've posted it...won't be the last, either.

Male. 26" inseam; 28" leg length. Wear men's boots with 1.25-1.5" heel, size 7-7.5 depending on brand. I weighed 142 at the doctor's today with gear minus helmet. Couldn't QUITE flat-foot the Low in normal configuration. I couldstill ride it without a problem, but backing upwas a challenge sometimes (no leverage). Got an HD Reach seat and 11" Progressive 412 shocks. I can comfortably flat-foot now. Shocks are on 3rd (middle) setting. I don't scrape hard parts very often, but do occasionally. I don't scrape frame over MOST speed bumps, and I've never scraped over an entrance curb to a parking lot. At least not yet.

Teek