Just bought a juiced up 2009 street glide. I purchased a 1-3" lowering kit before i got the bike. I hvae not installed the lowering kit yet. Should I lower the bike? Have any of you guys lowered yours? Please give me some insight as to what to do. I love the way it rides but there is to much rear wheel showing, e****aly since i do not run duals, I have V&H big radious pipes. I want the rear on the ground! FYI, I am purchasing 4" extended bags and fender in the next few weeks. Please give me some feedback.

KGB

 

Extended bags and fender will hide the wheel you are concerned with. I'd be afraid of dragging my extended bags in turns or my fender entering/exiting parking lots with a lowered bike.

 

Sounds like you've already made up your mind. For me, I never understood lowering a touring bike. I have enough trouble with clearance on back roads as it is without getting closer to the ground. I like the look but only have one touring bike so I want mine to go where I want without lighting up the floorboards on the turns.

 

I wouldn't lower a Street Glide with stock bags, let alone one with extended bags. Seems to me you are just begging to grind 'em on the pavement at that point.

 

I lowered mine and I am shocked to find that the sky hasn't fallen as many had predicted would happen the minute I lowered it.

The ride quality isn't the greatest but it's not horrible....only the big bumps hurt.

 

Look at some of the pictures posted here on this site of bikes in turns and you will see them within inches of the pavement. Lowering the bike 1-3" and 4" lower bags will only allow you to go in straight lines, if that's how you want to ride. Plan on buying multiple sets of bags.

 

My 06 Ultra is lowered 2 1/2" in the rear and 2" in the front...I surely don't ride like ***** to the walls all the time but I do enjoy givin it quite often...can honestly say I've scraped a floorboard only 1 time...will go with extended bags this winter along with V&H big radius pipes....but I don't think I'll go with the 4" extensions....that might be a little too much.

As Hammer107 said....sacrificed some ride quality but there again if I wanted the the softest ride available....I wouldn't have bought a Harley!! JMO

 

Do you plan on touring with the bike? I have been on several roads where clearance could be an issue. For example, wife and I rented a cabin last month and it was a gravel road that was about a mile to get to the cabin. I bottomed out several times on my Ultra with 32 PSI in the shocks. There are situations like this that cannot be foreseen when touring.

 

As the Street Glide is already 1" lower in the rear , I wouldn't go more than 2 additional inches. I've only scraped once on mine in 17K miles . You could always opt for the PM adjustable ride height suspension...

 

I had a 2001 RG that I lowered as part of the customizing done to it. I found it to be a mistake unless I was riding solo and cruising locally w/o doing any serious turning, etc. If it were me and I was going to ride it like a tourer, I would not do it.