Dropping the front forks a bit...................................

[Chris Canning]

Umm. No. The rear shock is nearly new. Just 3000 road miles on it.

With what setting and how heavy are you.

[Ossian]

With what setting and how heavy are you.

As per the book, pre-load 3 and damping 5. I did try the settings for heavier but they were too harsh, I never carry a pillion, though I'm 280 lbs. and likely extra load would be about 30 lbs. max in a backpack and tank bag.

[Chris Canning]

And hence why you can get away with dropping the forks 15mm  :icon_wink:

By comparison I'm 180lbs in the time I had a stock shock on never set it anything but 5 with max preload and with the forks dropped 8mm the bike would steer like a mini moto the problem being 19' bicycle front wheel with a contact patch the size of a postage stamp hence why I went 17".

You can see by looking at the comparison setting mine was nose down at the front(because it was up at the back)while with your weight and settings you could probably drop the front 20mm and still be nowhere my set up.

[Ossian]

And hence why you can get away with dropping the forks 15mm  :icon_wink:
problem being 19' bicycle front wheel with a contact patch the size of a postage stamp hence why I went 17".

I'm running a 120/70 front on the 19" rim, this gives a meatier contact patch. Better for straight line braking performance I've found and no apparent handling downside. This combination should actually give a bigger contact patch than achieved with the 17" rim unless you are running a wider tyre ?

[Chris Canning]

17" is a totally different ball game and I say that after 2 885i's and 18 months with my 955 before I changed,admittedly it was a little more complicated than that but there isn't a snowballs chance in hell of me going back and with the addition of my XR 17" just another league for road riding.

But wouldn't want to go off-roading with either although I have done

[classvtony]

  Thanks for this after the second "Fuck it's going over" fall I really need to drop my unit. Till this I was thinking I need longer legs or a smaller bike.

[London_Phil]

Or some Heed Bars....

[Chris Canning]

Until someone shows me photo of a tiger that been thrown down the road with Heeds bars and as cheap and fancy looking as they are i'd Be going Touratech assuming you can still get them.

[SteveFord]

If I'm not mistaken the 17" conversion is bolt on a 1050 front end, correct?
My 06 handles fine with the tubes dropped an inch in the triple tree; I had to as I put on a Corbin seat and my legs don't go up to my armpits.  With the giant stock front rim I don't think the bike cares much what you do with the fork tubes!

What did you do for the rear shock and stands with the 17" front rim? 
I like my 06 so much that I'm willing to fiddle with it a bit to make it more of an upright Sprint type of Triumph.

[Chris Canning]

My 17" front wheel is a Dymag but i'm With some home work a cheaper option can be found,shortened the side stand a tad,center stand is stick Triumph takes a little heaving but works fine,rear shock is Ohlins.

Had a conversation with Timbox the other day about buying a flybywire 1050 sport but the thought of starting all over again and while the old girl lacks some HP it glides along like its on a magic carpet even compared to my X/R

[Mustang]

Steamers glide on that magic carpet too !