[spotswood02]

Ok, I brought this beast home and I know I need to lower the suspension. I have a 29" inseam and just my toes touch on both sides. Since chemotherapy I have no feeling in my feet so it is not comfortable. I need to lower to at least get the balls of my feet on the ground or more.
I never plan to track the bike or lean it over to the point of dragging anything on the street.
How much lower can I get it from stock setting by just adjusting both front and rear forks and shock?
Dealer is going to help me do it at first inspection.
Do I need to be adding any type of lowering bracket?
I want to keep same level geometry it has now.
No, I do not want to wear lift shoes so forget that option
What is the best way to get this done?
Thanks

 

[halcyononon]

lowering the suspension, and retaining the stock geometry, are more or less mutually exclusive ideas.

if you really want to lower it, check out: SATO RACING | Suspension Link Rod - Ducati 1199 Panigale / S

but you'd need some actual geometry work to return it to a "stock" feeling.

 

[spotswood02]

I have read some negative things about sato quality on this board.

I thought if I lower the front fork to whatever I can and lower the rear with the corresponding amount without adding any odd aftermarket brackets or pieces the relationship would be the same other than having a little less clearance when leaned over as I would have a little less clearance.

I do not want to make the bike less agile.

Thanks

 

[garrettjkubiak]

What in the heck did you buy an R for?

 

[[email protected]]

I thought the R model already had the adjustable rear ride height link??

 

[spotswood02]

I believe it does. My plan is to lower the rear height to the amount I am able to slide the triple clamp on the front forks.

I bought the R because many years ago I bought a Ducati and after tearing half the parts off to replace them with billet aluminum and carbon fiber as well as a term system I had an attic full of parts. I wanted to buy the version that has the most trick items on them as well as close to race ready even though I have no plans to race this one.
Its an itch I had to scratch to replace my old one I have always missed. Now when I crash it hurts more and its harder to get back up so I am not driving as fast as I used to but I still love the race bikes the best.

 

[219R]

Yep, I get your drift, trying to make the bike comfortable and easy to physically handle... understand,
But and R is a R, and the R ia short for Racing. You bought a Ducati homogulation Panigali 1199R, ie set-up to race, or go fast like a race, or sumpin... If you start jacking around with the suspension/geometry to fit your short body, you may upset the fine handling characteristics of a well-designed purpose built 1199R.
I too, am vertically challenged, 5'7", with 29" sleeve length, and 29" inseems, so I understand where you are coming from... when I bought my 1098R, I could just barely touch the ground on my tippy toes, precarious balancing act, to say the least. During the "break-in" 600 mile ordeal, I almost tipped over a dozen times... but when I got to the curvey part of the world I absolutely loved the way the bike handled, especially going faster than I ever have before, with a smile on my face you could not knock off with a baseball bat...
So, LSS, learn to balance your bike @ a stop, go through the break in procedure leaving the 1199R as it was designed... go to a trackday, or your favorite go fast place, learn your R, then after you have mastered the OEM, rest assured there are many, many modifications to make your 1199R handle soooo much better, and you will go soooo much faster than you ever imagined.
Of Corse, the above suggestion comes with a bit of experience, and personal opinion... there are many others on this forumn who will disagree and have an entirely different way of going about,....
but that's what makes the Forumn fun....for the most part!...just sayin...

 

[Shazaam!]

You can probably drop the front forks in the clamps about 20 mm before you get interference with front wheel travel (under maximum compression). The rear ride height adjuster comes from the factory set at its shortest length so in order to lower the rear the same 20 mm you need to install a shorter aftermarket rear ride height adjuster rod or machine 4—5 mm from the stock rod.

The result is not just a loss of ground clearance. Lowering the bike lowers the distance from the ground to the bikes center of gravity. This affects the bikes willingness to turn because less of the bike's weight is being used to create the moment (force X shorter distance) that tips the bike into turns. In other words you loose "flickability" within a chicane — you get degraded handling.

A more sensible approach would be to make sure that your spring rates and sag (ride height) are set at the low end of the spec for your bodyweight.

 

[[email protected]]

I find myself on rides with a girl on an 848 Corse SE. Bike is at full height and she is 5'2" and it took her a while to get the balance and trust but she basically sits on it like a tall person does on a tall dirtbike. Off to one side. She backs it out of places by getting off and pushing. I also ride with a fellow instructor who is 5'6" and rides a Multistrada 1200. He does the same to push it around but for mounting he has it on the stand, swings himself in to the saddle and does what needs to be done until it's time to push off. He tilts the bike just enough to get the stand up and powers off. He's had a lot of close calls but strong legs help a lot.

 

[spotswood02]

Thanks you guys.
The last 2 posts make a lot of sense. I guess that is why the dealer wants me to ride it the way it comes for the first 600 miles.
I had read that the back comes at the most lowered position, if that is the case I plan to leave the front alone and just get used to riding the bike at this height, but adjusting the sag and rebounds at the first service.

Sorry for all the dumb questions. I know they might not make sense to many.
The last few years I have spent fighting cancer with not good results so I am fulfilling my bucket list now with the time left. One was to get a new race ducati again whether I race it or not.
Thanks for the sound advice.

 

[rmc777]

Good advice...!

Yep, I get your drift, trying to make the bike comfortable and easy to physically handle... understand,
But and R is a R, and the R ia short for Racing. You bought a Ducati homogulation Panigali 1199R, ie set-up to race, or go fast like a race, or sumpin... If you start jacking around with the suspension/geometry to fit your short body, you may upset the fine handling characteristics of a well-designed purpose built 1199R.
I too, am vertically challenged, 5'7", with 29" sleeve length, and 29" inseems, so I understand where you are coming from... when I bought my 1098R, I could just barely touch the ground on my tippy toes, precarious balancing act, to say the least. During the "break-in" 600 mile ordeal, I almost tipped over a dozen times... but when I got to the curvey part of the world I absolutely loved the way the bike handled, especially going faster than I ever have before, with a smile on my face you could not knock off with a baseball bat...
So, LSS, learn to balance your bike @ a stop, go through the break in procedure leaving the 1199R as it was designed... go to a trackday, or your favorite go fast place, learn your R, then after you have mastered the OEM, rest assured there are many, many modifications to make your 1199R handle soooo much better, and you will go soooo much faster than you ever imagined.
Of Corse, the above suggestion comes with a bit of experience, and personal opinion... there are many others on this forumn who will disagree and have an entirely different way of going about,....
but that's what makes the Forumn fun....for the most part!...just sayin...

This is good advice...I have an R and it does handle like a dream (unmodified)

I also have a heavily modified ZX10 with huge power....I changed the geometry at the front end with different triple clamps I now cant seem to get that last bit of lean I require.....I need to play around with it bit more.....but the R is spot on for me out of the crate....!

 

[spotswood02]

OK, I am convinced.

I am leaving it as is and will get used to sliding my ass over to get a leg further down when I have to stop. It does handle great the way it came from the factory from what I can tell on the street.
Thanks all.

 

[garrettjkubiak]

And get her to the track. Fight the good fight!!

 

[Khmer1199]

I’m the second owner of my Panigale. The original owner, and don’t ask me why, lowered the front ½”. The Ducati shop manual calls for a setting of 253.87 +/-0.5mm (10 inches) measured from the top of the triple clamp assembly to the top of the fork tube. Additionally, the difference between the two fork tubes should not exceed 0.1mm. The distance on my bike measured 10 ½”. This would be about as far as you could lower the bike if you ever chose to do so… any further and you’ll encroach on the tapered portion of the fork tube. I drove my bike a couple thousand miles like this and only recently returned it to the recommended setting. I thought that returning the bike to factory specifications would be a plus… but now I’m not sure if it was or not. I don’t know if it’s my imagination or if it’s because I was accustomed to riding my bike set at 10 ½”, but the bike definitely felt more responsive when it came time to flick it into a turn. It seems like I have to work it harder at 10”. Maybe it’s just me.

 

[[email protected]]

Lowering the front is a bit of an old racer trick. Alters the trail a bit to create a quicker turn in at the sacrifice of stability. More bias on the front. Causes issues else where.

 

[Khmer1199]

The original owner may have raced the bike… or perhaps he lowered it for the same reasons mentioned in this post… I can’t say one way or the other. I intend to leave the forks positioned correctly as they are at this time. I’m quite certain that the steering geometry of the Ducati, or any manufacturer’s bike for that matter, results from extensive research and development efforts and rigorous testing, and that any deviation from this point would take away rather than add to the performance of the bike… at least with respect to its intended application.

Yes, positioning the triple clamps lower on the fork tubes would decrease the rake angle and the trail distance and as you noted this should result in improved cornering. However, a decrease in trail distance should also affect straight line stability. You probably wouldn’t notice it a low speeds but at higher speeds these seemingly small adjustments made to your steering geometry are magnified and are often readily apparent. I never experienced any high-speed instability with the triple clamps positioned lower on the fork tubes. There are a number of items/factors that can influence rake and trail. I have an Ohlins steering damper on the bike… maybe I was able to run at a lower rake angle and not notice any high-speed instability because of the damper.