I was just curious about lowering the rear end of my Nightster. I know a lot of you guys have done it, and I was curious if it is purely aesthetic or if it serves a functional purpose. Also, I was wondering how it would affect my clearance and handling in the twisties being as that is the majority of my riding.,

 

Most ppl lower their bikes to better suit themselves. All of my wife's bikes are really low since she's short and needs it to get her feet flat on the ground.

I lower mine because I think it looks better.

Ride quality depends on the method of lowering. If you use the brackets in the rear with stock shocks it will ride better but if you ride a passenger you run the risk of the tire rubbing the fender, which isn't a problem if you move the wiring. Lowering it by replacing the shocks with a shorter pair makes the ride very stiff and if you're of average weight it's super stiff.

Lowering the rear puts components closer to the ground like your kickstand, pegs, pipes...but once you get used to your new ground clearance you'll be able to handle it like anything else in the "twisties". A friend of mine has a Sportster with 3" of ground clearance and a blown fork seal. I would wager on him against anyone around here in an aggressive course because he's been riding it that way for years.

 

pro's it looks better
cons u loose ground clearance