Pitfalls and problems with lowered bike? 98 R1100RT

If I lower my 98 R1100RT by one (1) inch with matched shorter front and rear shocks, what are the pitfalls of such a thing? Is handling affected? Do I have significant less shock travel? Will the center and/or side stand need to be modified?

Please, those of you who have done this, what am I in for?

Most of the time you need to shorten the center and side stands.

When the Wilbers shock was installed on my K, the bike was lowered by either 1/2" or 3/4". Apparently my old K could not be lowered more. It was such an infinitesimal amount that Nick's BMW mechanic, John, told me there was no point in attempting to lower the centre stand.

Now when touring, unless the cases are off the bike, it is impossible for me to put it on the centre stand. At home in the garage, I have a board for the rear wheel to stop on. This is what I do to get my old K onto the centre stand in the garage.

Of course I don't put the R1100RT on the centre stand at gas stations, as I'm too short to see the gas as it gets near the top of the fill neck. (I think maybe beemers might be made for tall people )

Not being able to put my K on the side stand while travelling isn't a hardship for me as for different reasons, I don't use the centre stand for either bike when touring.

Ideally the centre stand should be shortened if you intend to use it on a lowered bike, although the R1100/R1150s stands are a lot easier to use than the old Ks.

I lowered a 2003 R1150rs 3/4 inch with Wilber's front and rear. The side and center stands still worked fine with really no perceivable difficulty to put it on the center stand. The main thing that I noticed aside froom the lower seat height was the lower center of gravity. Even that slight lowering made the bike handle better and like it was on rails. I never had a problem with dragging anything and I did a bit of spirited riding on that bike.

milump said:

Even that slight lowering made the bike handle better and like it was on rails.

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I'm going to hazard a guess that the improvement you felt was due to the new Wilbers shocks.

BC1100S said:

I'm going to hazard a guess that the improvement you felt was due to the new Wilbers shocks.

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I second that guess. After installing Wilbers on my RT I was quite amazed at the difference in handling. Not just the bumps, holes and heaves but cornering improved dramatically. Great shocks and new slippers are the greatest handling improvements you can make on oilheads IMO.

Where does a person buy these new Wilbers?
Slippers really work, every time I put new rubber down it is a completely different bike!

BC1100S said:

I'm going to hazard a guess that the improvement you felt was due to the new Wilbers shocks.

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Exactly. Less suspension travel will, in and of itself, do little to nothing to improve a bike's handling. The impending loss of ground clearance would have me searching for other ground-reaching mods (lowered seat, thinner seat, lower profile tires, etc.) prior to shortening the shocks.