450 Suspension Lowering

6'0"?

Try being 5'7".

I am tagging along to see what the answers are.  With my age and past injuries I have trouble swinging my leg over the last 2-3 inches to get on/off without starting platforms or a step stool.

All suspension company should be able to space the top out down 1" or maybe even more. As far as doing the best? I mean ultimately, you are talking about disassembling and installing a rigid spacer. I can't imagine any dude does it better than the next.

With respect to rear leverage ratio, shortening a shock a very small amount will result in very large changes in rear end height (and position in leverage curve). This applies especially to dude above that rides comfortably, but has difficulty swinging leg over rear fender/seat

I've had all my wifes 125's lowered around 50mm. The RM 125 she had was easy, my suspension guy installed a 50mm bushing in the fork to reduce travel and cut the tube the fork springs sit on by 50mm. He also installed a spacer in the shock that matched the 50mm lowering in the forks. With her YZ125's the fork springs had to be cut 50mm due to the different set up in the fork.

You can also buy lowering kits, I think Zeta does a -35mm kit depending on the bike, you can either install the parts yourself or take to a suspension shop.

Considering her bikes are valved and sprung for someone 30 lbs lighter than me they still handle pretty well. Make sure you do take it to a proper suspension shop though. If it isn't done right you'll end up with incorrect pre load on the forks and a rear ride height that won't match

Longer link arms, shortened shock, a whole different linkage or cutting the subframe down, or any combination, will lower it. Forks can be slid up into the clamps, be sure there’s room to bottom out hard without tire/fender contact.

Any suspension shop can do it, some will try to talk you out of it. I told my guy that if he was right, I’d pay for lowering and un lowering. 

I've lowered my last two bikes about 3/4” using a shortened shock on one and longer link arms on the other. There’s no downside for me, even at almost 6’ tall. It’s good to be able to reach the ground, and it’s a big benefit to handling if you get the balance right. 

Be aware that any fork using pneumatic springs should not be lowered. It compromises the location of the transfer port location for the negative (top out) spring in the fork. Lowering either prevents the transfer of air completely making the fork harsh at it's new full extension or doesn't allow sufficient pressure to build up in the segment of the fork for the negative spring to be effective.

If you must lower a bike that comes stock with pneumatic springs I would run a spring conversion kit before lowering.

Being RC's size, I have tried all of the above and more and never found the modified version as good as the original. Got myself a 2021 Husky with the lowered suspension, and ordered a lowered seat from SeatConcepts and I can now touch the ground, (albeit tippy toes) with both feet.To top it off I put a set of Ohlin inserts in and couldn't be happier. The seat is awesome and I love the lowered feel of the Husky. I won't buy anything else because of this feature. Modern MX bikes are just too dang tall.

Just under 6ft? Personally I would not lower it. Buy or make starting blocks or if you are trail riding then make use of what nature provides...a root or whatever. 

Don't get fixated on this I'm to short or the bikes to high. Hoggwash mate. 

Factory Connection did a good job lowering my bike. 

I'm 5'11" and ride a 2011 RMZ450, I've had both knees & hips replaced, I fitted a rear Kouba link, I love it, I slid the forks up as far as they would go, only problem was that it reduced 'trail', the RMZ was already a quick turner with head-shake coming down from speed, so I bushed & rebored the headstem hole in the top triple-clamp 1.5mm further rearward, giving 4.5mm more trail, yeh it flex's the lower clamp but I've never had an issue, infact it's an old production superbike roadrace trick, with the back jacked-up for ground clearance all the trail disappears, reposition the top headstem hole sneaks it past the machine examiners ;-)

Before I'd repositioned the top headstem hole, I fitted a CRF450 steering damper, damper not needed now.

Also with the RMZ being a kickstart affair, I fitted an RMZ250 kick lever top half to the 450 boss, it's an inch lower, real easy to kick now, even with a tall seat :-)

21+ Husky is a no brainer.  They are done correctly since they have a completely different linkage pull rods and knuckle.   The fork inner and outer tubes are physically shorter than the equivalent KTM.  It’s not simply spacers.  

You’re 6 feet tall man! You do not need the bike lowered. 
 

grow a pair. 

*grow a pair* maybe thats Paul's problem. Sitting on them ..da footsies ain't gonna reach the ground ...now the bikes to high.

I am 6' tall and have never felt like I needed to lower any bike, if anything I needed a taller seat ie. current yz450.

Maybe it's because of his knee/hip issues he has going on there, idk.

Try Tootechracing.

They lowered my 350sxf an inch, and revalved for VetMX/GNCC/hare scrambles.  It was outstanding.  Extremely pleased with it, and their communication after.