Lowering a DRZ 400 SM is so easy!

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I ordered some lowering links for my DRZ and took some pics of my installation. Okay, so, start with your standard DRZ...

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...Then, add some lowering "dog bones." These are from KoubaLink as you might have guessed. The links come with full instructions so that even I could install it.

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The first thing I did was to make marks on the front & back of the bike so I knew how tall the bike was stock. Then, I sat on the bike and measured it's height with me on it. This step tells me how much the bike will "sag" with me on it.

After it's lowered, I'll check the two measurements again. The instructions tell you how much it should sag when you're done. If the sag is wrong, you adjust the clickers on the back shock.

Oh, since the links only lower the back, I'll have to loosen the bolts on the forks and slide the forks in the triple clamps to lower the front. That's why I measured the front and the rear of the bike: so that it will be "level" when I'm done.

Here's a picture of me measuring how tall the front of the bike is and a pic of the rear.

On the front, I measured the total height of the triple clamps & I also took a measurement of how much the forks stick up out of the clamps when stock. This way, I know how tall the front is compared to the rear and I also know the stock settings if I ever want to set it back.

On the rear of the bike, I measured from the tape mark to the axle.

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This is what the stock dog bones look like in the bike. They're right underneath the kick stand and the chain. I put the bike on a stand so I could get to both sides easily.

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Next, I grabbed some wrenches and started wrenching on both sides...
(pics of the left & right side of the dog bones)

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Here are the stock links removed. Notice the gold insert where the holes are. They're gonna have to be removed & reused.

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Here is a pic of all the removed parts. The new links will go in just like the stock ones. There are washers between the gold inserts and the suspension parts that are still on the bike.

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Here's a comparison of the stock links with the lowering links right next to them. These links are the longest (most lowering) links. The links don't need to be much longer than stock to drop the bike 1.75 inches (with the DR3 link). Other lengths are available.

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The gold inserts in the links need to be removed & reused. This step is covered in the instructions included in the kit. They even tell you what size socket to use if you don't have a "punch" tool.

Basically, you put a socket that's the same size as the thing you want to remove, but is not any bigger than the hole. Then you beat the heck out of the link until the piece pops out.

A little WD-40 makes the parts pop out easily.

In the pic, two sockets are underneath the link & I'm about to smack the link with a mallet.

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The gold bushings pop right out under my manly swings.

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...in case my explanations didn't make sense, here's another pic of how the socket was used to drive out the bushing...

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Now, take the bushings & beat them into the new links...

(again, some WD-40 makes this easy)

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Bushings fully installed into the links.

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Now, just put the links back on the bike and tighten them up. Here's a pic of the left & right side already installed.

Make sure to use those washers in the original locations. The kit's instructions are pretty good here and they even warn you to check for the washers before tightening everything down.

Not shown: I then loosened up the pinch bolts on the triple clamps on the front fork. You can see the pinch bolts in an earlier picture. They are just below the ignition switch. There are two more pinch bolts on the lower triple clamp that are loosened, too. Once all the pinch bolts are loose, you can move the forks by hand. Then, I moved the forks up or down until the bike was lower than stock in the front and was level with the rear.

Now, sit on the bike and measure how much everything "sags." The amount of sag changes depending on the size link used. Check the instructions and adjust the "clickers" on the shock to make sure it's at the right height.

That's it! That's how easy it is to lower a stock DRZ!

[FrigginChi]

Being able to reach the ground does wonders for confidence. I'd rather trade ground clearance for more confidence!