BigBob said:
So what are the ramifications of putting lowering links on my bike. Getting one inch more foot/toe contact would make things like pushing backwards out of my garage so much easier. But what else does it do?
I put lowering links from Ride On ADV, (Jaxon), on my '12 S10 for my wife to try. She rides a '11 F650GS2 with stock, (not the low model), suspension and a custom seat that is cut to make it easier for her to touch the ground at stops.
I have ridden my S10 in that configuration as well as the wife riding it. I'm 260# w/o gear fwiw. I moved the forks up in the triple trees 13mm, which from my research at the time was a proven sweet spot for 1" lowering in the rear. With the upside down forks, (USD), you can't raise the forks too much before you don't have the clamps all on a strait part of the forks.
The bike mostly handles the same as before, but it's much easier to tag the pavement in corners, especially if there is a dip or pot hole mid corner. What RideDualSport.com, (Dude, shorter user name, eh?, just put it in the sig line), wrote is spot on about the shock feeling softer, etc.
In a very basic set of terms, if you lower the rear w/o doing anything to the front, it will slow turn in and the bike will feel sluggish. If you raise the rear w/o doing anything else up front, you'll quicken turn in and the bike will feel a bit sharper and more tossible, or twitchy, depending on your personal taste. Regardless, 1" of change is something you will certainly notice!
For what its worth, the wife loved the brakes and power, and had no issues riding the bigger bike with it lowered 1" and a factory low seat. If we buy her a Super Tenere next, she will do the custom seat and probably not lower the bike with dogbones in order to get the easier foot down, but not compromise the suspension. The same choice she made with the BMW, for the same reason.