Damping Rod
Look to upgrading springs or add a fork-lowering kit. Another popular mod is the addition of cartridge-fork emulators . These are tunable valves that sit between the damping rod and the spring and help control compression damping. In other words, they mimic the operation of cartridge forks.
Cartridge
For cartridge forks, look to changing springs as a good potential mod and consider playing with oil weights to adjust damping to your preference. You can upgrade just about every component of your cartridge-fork set up to better quality than OEM if you wish.
Steering Damper
Upgrading your stock steering damper (if you have one) or finding a universal model that fits your bike is a great mod if you’re into track or regular spirited riding. The great thing about a lot of the aftermarket dampers is that you can dial them into a setting you prefer. You can pick up a steering damper for as little as south of $300 , or you can go all the way north of $900.
Lowering Straps
If you like hitting the strip to work on those quarter-mile times, then lowering straps can’t be beat as far as an affordable and effective mod goes. Lowering straps help keep the front wheel down, which is key, especially during those crucial opening seconds of a pass. The straps easily attach to the brake caliper mounts and the lower triple tree and can be left on at a looser adjustment even when you’re not on the track.
Rear Shocks
Just as with the front forks, there are loads of rear shock upgrades out there. Whether you’re looking for classic dual shocks for a cruiser or the latest in race-ready single shocks, there are lots of aftermarket and high-end products to choose from.
Lowering Links
This is another great mod for the drag strip, or simply one for shorter riders who lack confidence on taller bikes.
Lowering links replace part of the OEM shock linkage with an adjustable component that allows the rider to lower the rear of the bike. This in turn makes it easier to get both feet down.
It’s worth noting, though, that as well as lowering the bike’s clearance (an important consideration in cornering), lowering links can also cause spring compression changes by making the ride stiffer than before the mod. This will probably require some adjustment to the pre-load settings.
Before contemplating lowering your ride, it’s a good idea to consult with the manufacturer of your machine to see what they suggest.