Lowering the seat height in my Royal Enfield Interceptor

Visually, it is hard to find any difference but the bike immediately felt lower.

BHPian Torino recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

As much as I like the Interceptor, its weight and seat height were the two things that kept doing rounds at the back of my head every now and then. I’m 5.7ft and can only tip toe on both feet, a shorter seat height will allow for a better leverage while inching through traffic, during parking and reversing. As I was contemplating on modifying the seat which I didnt really want to and end up spoiling the seat, I came across the suspension raising & lowering kit from Way2Speed. The lowering kit is a one inch shorter lower shaft for the rear shock absorber, made from machined Aluminium. Looked like a nice proposition while looking bone stock at the same time. A pair of these costed Rs. 2700, placed the order sometime back in May this year and it’s been lying around with me ever since and only last week I was able to find a shock absorber mechanic close to my place and got it fixed. Since it is designed specifically for the RE650 twins, I didn’t have to worry about fitment or anything, it’s a simple bolt-on component but you need a proper shock absorber mechanic with dedicated tools to get it fixed. The mechanic completed the installation and did a great job at that and got me going in around 40 minutes. I could have simply shaved few layers off the seat to reduce the ride height and save more than half of the cost but I was a bit apprehensive about the thinner cushioning and looks and more importantly it’s not easily reversible.

Initial impressions

Visually, it is hard to find any difference but the bike immediately felt lower when I tried to reach the rear grab rail to get the bike off the main stand. There is a notable difference in the ride height now allowing me to almost flat foot on both feet, great! Since the rear is now a bit squat, I could feel the difference in rider triangle with the handlebar reach is a wee bit closer, got used to it after few short rides. Also the foot pegs feels less intrusive now since I can place my feet wider away from them. Haven’t noticed any drop in ground clearance.

Before and after pic. Can see the difference in the wheel well.

The stock vs aftermarket Way2Speed shock absorber lower shaft.

The shock absorber mechanic at work.

The difference is hard to notice.

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