1500 possible to lower


Information and questions on GL1500 Goldwings (1988-2000)
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fdxhawkr15374
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1500 possible to lower

Post by fdxhawkr15374 »



Is there a lowering kit on an a 1500 wing? what are my options ? I need an inch .


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RoadRogue
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by RoadRogue »

A 195-55-16 Darkside tire should do that for you. I believe a seat from the later model 1500's had a seat height that was lower than the 94. Others will chime in later to confirm what years are lower. 8-)
Ride safe, Todd
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dingdong
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by dingdong »

Consider it confirmed. 1995 / 2000 seats are about 1½" shorter.
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RBGERSON
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had every year from 75 to 83

Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by RBGERSON »

Cut foam out of the seat, wear boots with heels, shorter tires, you can drop the front forks a bit but it does effect handling in a big way can ve very dangerous/hard to handle so drop slowly and test at each 1/4" or so.
HAD LOTS OF GOLDWING 75-83
NOW INTO 1500'S..RIDING A 1998 SE

FAIR WINDS,
RB
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Uncle Fester
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by Uncle Fester »

The year WING DING was in Tulsa Ok, there was a company that made a lowering kit for the rear of our 1500s.
I am sorry I do not have any contact information, but if you contact GWRRA they SHOULD be able to get you that information.
Best of luck !
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Mh434
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by Mh434 »

Bear in mind that lowering a GL1500 may result in the sidestand being too long for the bike to have a decent lean angle when parked.

When I got it, my bike had a 3/4" thick chromed "foot" on the sidestand, and the bike had so little lean when parked, I had to always look for a side slope for parking. Once I removed the foot, all was well. Removing 1" from the suspension height might be a problem...
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Uncle Fester
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by Uncle Fester »

Mh434 wrote:Bear in mind that lowering a GL1500 may result in the sidestand being too long for the bike to have a decent lean angle when parked.

When I got it, my bike had a 3/4" thick chromed "foot" on the sidestand, and the bike had so little lean when parked, I had to always look for a side slope for parking. Once I removed the foot, all was well. Removing 1" from the suspension height might be a problem...
Thats a very good point, I have never looked at lowering mine as I stand 6'3" tall, so why would I , right ?
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore,
Dream,
Discover!

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Mh434
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by Mh434 »

Yeah...I'm 6'2", with really long legs, so height isn't a problem for me. I know others, though, who struggle with high saddles. My Kawasaki Concours had a particularly high seat height, and only the very-long-legged need apply! With the 'Wing, the width is also a consideration, so the narrow-of-hips (not an issue for me!) might have issues, too.

On my daughter-in-law's bike, I installed a lowering kit, but then the sidestand was way too long. I cut about 2" out of it & welded the foot back on - it was perfect for her after that. For the OP, this might be an option, too, if he's able to lower the bike otherwise (and can weld, or knows someone who can).
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WingAdmin
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by WingAdmin »

Also keep in mind that lowering a bike like this even just an inch will pretty much guarantee that you'll give yourself a hernia every time you try to get it on the center stand, if you can do it at all.
Jewood20
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by Jewood20 »

Would that also apply to just lowering the seat and not the bike itself?
WingAdmin wrote:Also keep in mind that lowering a bike like this even just an inch will pretty much guarantee that you'll give yourself a hernia every time you try to get it on the center stand, if you can do it at all.
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Mh434
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by Mh434 »

Nope - only to lowering the bike itself. If you can lower the seat, it won't affect anything else.
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by WingAdmin »

Jewood20 wrote:Would that also apply to just lowering the seat and not the bike itself?
WingAdmin wrote:Also keep in mind that lowering a bike like this even just an inch will pretty much guarantee that you'll give yourself a hernia every time you try to get it on the center stand, if you can do it at all.
No, just the suspension. What happens is that when the bike is lowered (via suspension), the center stand can't rotate forward as much when it is lowered to touch the ground, meaning you have to do a lot more of the lifting. It has to do with the leverage of the center stand as it is rotated, lifting the bike.
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by WingAdmin »

I had two people ask me where I found the picture of the lowered GL1500 in this month's newsletter, as they were interested in doing that themselves.

Unfortunately, I have to report that this picture is a fabrication - I photoshopped it myself just for the newsletter, to make it look lowered, with a ridiculously sculpted seat. :D

Photoshopped Lowered GL1500
Photoshopped Lowered GL1500

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offcenter
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by offcenter »

You did a good job with PhotoShop.
It looks real! LOL!!!
George in Jersey.
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FM-USA
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by FM-USA »



NYUK - NYUK - NYUK
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adsooter
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by adsooter »

Hi,
I lowered my 1988 gl 1500 by close to 2 inches. I am 5ft 4 in tall with 28 inch inseam and needed to get it on the ground. I tried a darkside tire and did not like the ride or handling so off it came. I was able to find a 175x60x16 tire that gave me a good inch plus, then I altered the shocks, I installed 12.5 in Harley air shocks on both sides. That gave me another 1 inch, so I was down 2.5 inches and my feet were flat on the ground. So dawning my helmet fired her up and went for a road test. It did ok until the first corner, the center stand drug on a mild lean and could also teater the bike on a hard turn. I added more air and went again, helped with the center stand draging but I was back up to where I started. So back to the shop and removed the Harley shocks and reinstalled to oem shocks. I took the seat off and installed a corbin lowered seat and got alot lower to ground, but the seat width was a problem. I took the seat to seat doctor and had him remove some of the side padding to get my legs closer to the bike at stops and that helped alot. So now my seat highth is 28 inches and with my ridding boots that have a thicker installed sole and heal I am ok with it. That's how I did it, hope this helps.
wingdings
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by wingdings »

hi - hope this may help your quest a little - you can get the rear shocks to match too !!

http://www.progressivesuspension.com/pr ... wering-kit


Metric
Off Road
Start Here - Your Ride


Fork Lowering Kit
Available for most models. These kits, when combined with shorter than stock rear shocks, will give you that low, custom look. Comes complete with Fork Springs, spacers, and instructions
fork-lowering-kit_6.jpg
adsooter
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by adsooter »

Thanks, I will look into it.
glk17l
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by glk17l »

To Mh434
Do you have any information on the lowering kit you put on your SIL's gl1500, the name of the company that makes them, and/or, a web sight or address, or any contact info?
thanks, glk17l.
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38wing
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Re: 1500 possible to lower

Post by 38wing »

adsooter wrote: Thu Dec 01, 2016 9:19 pm Hi,
I lowered my 1988 gl 1500 by close to 2 inches. I am 5ft 4 in tall with 28 inch inseam and needed to get it on the ground. I tried a darkside tire and did not like the ride or handling so off it came. I was able to find a 175x60x16 tire that gave me a good inch plus, then I altered the shocks, I installed 12.5 in Harley air shocks on both sides. That gave me another 1 inch, so I was down 2.5 inches and my feet were flat on the ground. So dawning my helmet fired her up and went for a road test. It did ok until the first corner, the center stand drug on a mild lean and could also teater the bike on a hard turn. I added more air and went again, helped with the center stand draging but I was back up to where I started. So back to the shop and removed the Harley shocks and reinstalled to oem shocks. I took the seat off and installed a corbin lowered seat and got alot lower to ground, but the seat width was a problem. I took the seat to seat doctor and had him remove some of the side padding to get my legs closer to the bike at stops and that helped alot. So now my seat highth is 28 inches and with my ridding boots that have a thicker installed sole and heal I am ok with it. That's how I did it, hope this helps.
so all u ended up doing was puting a diff seat on it?


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