How-To: Lower both front and back of your PCX 4FREE!!!

[dem0nk1d]

Well its been awhile since i wrote a killer how-to So here goes nothing.

If your like me and your constantly broke i'll show you how to lower both front and rear of the bike for free granted you already have the tools.


Tool List:
1.) grinder / die grinder or electric angle grinder with cut-off wheel
2.) ratchet and sockets 10mm , 12mm, 14mm and a 19mm
3.) 7/8 open end wrench for the rear shocks
4.) a pick for the snap ring in the front forks
5.) custom 2x4 scooter stand and a floor jack



Here is my simple and very effective center 2x4 stand




Placed directly under the engine mount feet


Floor Jack under the front belly of the beast!



Create this 2x4 stand it will come in hand and it's dirt cheap if not free if you have some old 2x4's around the house. Also this thing is dead on stable and feel super comfortable when the bike is off the ground front or back with this thing...


Anyhow on with it....


The front end dismemberment is pretty straight forward

remove the front wheel and caliper




remove 10mm holding on the front fender


remove both 14mm on the triple tree



Clamp shock tube into vise and press down on this round plug once you see the snap ring insert some angled picks and pry it out






Once you remove the plug, you will have access to pull out the fork spring also you can change out the fluid if you decide to now





I took a total of 8 coils from the tightly wound coils & then reassembled


quick picture of the height differences right off the bat, then repeat on the other shock


Front end is now down... Now lets move onto the rear!

Rear Shocks

Remove the bottom 12mm bolt from the lower end of the shock


IF we lift up the spring with the hulk strength you'll notice a 7/8 NUT! Slip in your 7/8 wrench and back off the bottom part





expanded view of everything once apart



Keeping parallel with the end of the stock spring i counted 6 coils up and removed them. Then reassembled the shock





That's pretty much it nothing to difficult i think. Takes about 1 hour for everything.



Garage photos of how the bike sits now, sorry no before pics




Hope this helps you guys out that don't want to spend a fortune on the fancy stuff. Mind you its low no much suspension rebound, but i couldn't tell you how it compares to the aftermarket stuff. I'm 6'1 and now i'm able to be flat footed at stops with my knees slightly bent. so i love the feeling too!

[you you]

Excellent. I like the custom stand. I've got something similar for my other bike.

Wouln't be lowering the springs but now I'm tempted to change the front fork oil as Sunday afternoon job...

[Indyglow]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! When I first got my PCX, I took it to a bike shop and they told me this couldn't be done.

[dkazzed]

Cutting springs is truly a Honda thing.

Good job though. I like the stance although it could use a teeny bit moar low. Let us know how it rides.

[dem0nk1d]

I put a solid 20 miles on it last night. Ride is as expected with a lowered bike. Didn't bother me once. Look out for pot holes and your good.

[you you]

I put a solid 20 miles on it last night. Ride is as expected with a lowered bike. Didn't bother me once. Look out for pot holes and your good.

You're

Surely your spellchecker must pick this up?

[dem0nk1d]

I put a solid 20 miles on it last night. Ride is as expected with a lowered bike. Didn't bother me once. Look out for pot holes and your good.

You're

Surely your spellchecker must pick this up?

You are (You're) correct. It is my phone, and sometimes i don't notice these things until later, and the board doesn't let you reedit i post. Oh well... =P

[you you]

I put a solid 20 miles on it last night. Ride is as expected with a lowered bike. Didn't bother me once. Look out for pot holes and your good.

You're

Surely your spellchecker must pick this up?

You are (You're) correct. It is my phone, and sometimes i don't notice these things until later, and the board doesn't let you reedit i post. Oh well... =P

Teasing aside, sometimes the spellchecker makes worse and you can't re-edit. I've made some howlers and no-one has noticed.

Probably because I'm an @rse..

[Urbanfreestyle]

How's the ride on this? i always thought cutting springs was a bad idea as it reduces the efficiency of the rebound?

[dem0nk1d]

By lowering the bike it hasn’t compromised much. The handling of course is stiffer, or better in my mind. The rebound is less, but overall it’s not horrible. If you’re not into launching the scooter over speed bumps, potholes etc…. This mod if more than fine for a daily driver. I drive 60 miles day just for work. 30 to work and other 30 back. So if I’m willing to do it, it can’t be that bad right?? =P

[gn2]

So if I’m willing to do it, it can’t be that bad right?? =P

Wrong.

[dem0nk1d]

So if I’m willing to do it, it can’t be that bad right?? =P

Wrong.

Gn2,

I think it all depends on the individual. For me there is no issues with the dropped suspension. Also they say " To each their own." Now granted if you live in a place that all the roads are in terrible conditions, would never do this. For me it's mostly highway riding, and side streets that are all in pretty fair condition.

Now what I'd like to know, is how does the same bike feel and preform with aftermarket lowering springs and shocks??

[dem0nk1d]

Side note

What got changed?
Nothing just modified stock springs

Can you back to stock?
Yes if you have stock parts in your inventory

Performance springs?
Possibly a vendor sells performance springs that you can swap out

[gn2]

I think it all depends on the individual.

Your thinking equipment seems to be malfunctioning in that case.

[Urbanfreestyle]

I might have to do this then, wonder if it would go nicely with the 3 inch stretch from webbike?

[Mel46]

So if I wanted to buy front struts that were already shorter, who or where would I get them? This looks like a cheap way to lower the bike, but we already have Takegawa lowering shocks on the rear that are adjustable. I think I would prefer lower front shocks that are professionally done so that they would have better rebound.

[Urbanfreestyle]

I'm sure i've seen some about.
http://japan.webike.net/ps/#!p.m=6188&p.c=1080&p.sk=1

[dem0nk1d]

Even if you go with the aftermarket springs for the front shock, it’s still going to be lower and thus not have that much travel. The end result is all the same. The only thing that differs from the stock cut spring and the aftermarket is the spring strength. How much force does it take to compress it. Right now my front shocks still have some give.

Notice the aftermarket springs less bigger space out coils and more tighter wound coils. Some of these spring sets come with spaces. Some of the dirt bike guys have been known to use pvc pipe as spacers to do the same thing.

There is nothing mechanically wrong with this mod, or i wouldn't do it, and nore would i share.

So here it is point blank.

This mod is either for you or not for you. Other than that this does give you the info, on how to create a really cheap PCX stand out of old 2x4’s, and how to change the fluid in the shocks. The fluid weight can change the dynamics of how the stock shocks respond in the front.

[Alibally]

Put some ep80 in the forks, that'll stiffen it up.

[Urbanfreestyle]

i wish you lived in the uk so you could do all this to my PCX, i don't have the balls.