Finding shorter shocks for a cb125

[SirFallalot]

Heya,

Mum wanted her 2020 cb125f lowered as even after some good practice, the tiptoeing is preventing her from confidently practicing manoeuvres, and she's dropped it twice already on uneven surfaces due not finding the ground on time She's got big girl boots already but it's not enough.

Not sure where I can get some shorter shocks. I set preload to min already, don't want to lower just the front and make the bike too fidgety.

Cheers
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Lexmoto Valiant 125; 94 CB400; 96 CB750F2; 81 CB750 (restoring, lol not gonna happen); 2001 ZX9R(It's about to go :c); 2012 R1200R; 2015 R1200RS

[stinkwheel]

You can buy shocks by length on ebay. I had some fairly cheap and cheerful Chinese ones and they were actually ok. If you search on ebay for CB125F shock, you'll get a selection of lengths.

Just something to be aware of. It looks like it's a rod-activated drum brake on the rear of that bike? If you start altering the rear ride height by too much, you can cock-up the aligment of the braking system which is set so the brake rod is pretty much paralell with the swingarm and runs through the centre of the pivot. Because it is mounted further forwards then the shock pivot, the more you move the swingarm away from its normal position, the less paralell the rod becomes.

I experienced this on my trials enfield, I fitted significantly longer shocks and the net effect was when the suspension compressed, it made the brake cam-on harder. To the point it actually locked-up as I went off a drop-off and ripped the anti-torque bolt out of the swingarm. Cue me landing on my arse and scrap one swingarm and one rear brake-plate.

I'd guess if you fitted significantly shorter ones, it would have the opposite effect, causing the brake to cam-on when the suspension unloads, making it easier to lock the rear under braking.

It will also make it harder to keep the chain tension correct throughout the travel of the swingarm and can make the chain rub on the swingarm at the extremities of travel.

Don't be put off by this, I've moved mine by an extreme amount, to the point I need a chain tensioner. An inch over/under probably won't make much difference but it's something to be aware of and check before you send your old dear out on it.

Making the seat narrower also helps greatly with flat-footing.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.