KLR lowering kit input?

Finally! Time is making itself available to come back to the blog. I taught a class this weekend. Awesome group. There's some great stories I want to share later.

I've spent today doing a little bike shopping with Katie and then helping the kid work on his P.O.S. little creature.

I sat on an '08 KLR today. The thing is as tall as I've heard. Being 5'8 1/2" tall, I don't have the longest inseam. My legs have always been long enough to reach the ground so I haven't found it to be a problem. The complication is that they don't reach the ground as well from the seat of the dual sport. Since my legs aren't likely to grow anytime soon, a lowering kit might be in order if I were to purchase the bike.

The lowering kit offered is a wishbone type suspension lowering system. I'm told the bike can be lowered from 1 to 3 inches. Some folks raise the fork legs in the triple clamp but I'm not wild about that option. Does anyone have any input on how well the lowering kit works? Not just in actually lowering the bike but in handling, as well? I've seen these wishbone linkages create unfavorable angles in the suspension.
Any comments or experiences would be appreciated.

Here's the update on the Chinese bike.

At 29 miles most of the teeth sheared off the end of the starter shaft. The kickstart lever spun the teeth of the inside of it's mounting clamp. Somewhere in that time frame the needle came off of the tach spindle. The owners of the shop are making noises like they are going to cover everything under warranty. I've since discovered that NST has discontinued this model. Parts may not be available anymore.

We found a starter on a similar model and it works until you put the cover over the end of the shaft and the gears. The misalignment is just enough to put a bind on the shaft. We're "modifying" some things to get by, but it's time to have a serious talk with the shop owners. I think they mean well but don't have much experience in this business.

I'm very careful to not use my position as a trainer in unethical ways. I never stand in front of a class, for instance, and endorse a particular brand or dealer. I'm there to help people develop or improve riding skills. I remain neutral on other issues, at least, "officially". So I would not go out of my way to speak ill of this shop. If it came up in conversation unrelated to a class, however, that's a different story.

We're going to have a little chat about this situation. I'm looking for the right words to tactfully get across the point that it's not wise for anyone in the motorcycle business to alienate an instructor who sees almost a thousand students a year. Was that a long sentence, or what?

Doing the "right thing" will go a long ways towards helping us as well as themselves.

Keep you posted. Got some fun and interesting things on the list for the next few posts. All I need to do is steal time away from my two jobs and what little personal life I have to write them!

Miles and smiles,

Dan