'01 GSXR 600 questions

[Summmer.]

YEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAA !!!!!!

After weeks of hounding CraigsList I finally scored a GIXXER.

'01 600 GSXR 3,300mi, one low speed lay down, otherwise nice. White/blue. Still has the warning stickers (those are coming off like right now).

Questions

It has Dunlop Sportmax D207 tires. Are these what came on it stock? Other than how old they are, are they any good?

This thing has been sitting in a garage for over a year, is there anything to look out for in this case? The battery was replaced not too long ago but was dead from sitting.

It has a Yosh RS-3, I assume this is a slip-on so the ECU doesn't need mods? The header up to the muffler is black.

Can this thing be lowered using stock suspension settings without compromising handling/ground clearance too much? The rear shock and I assume the front forks have provisions for adjusting the spring pre-load. I'm on my toes and from reading the other option is to change the seat padding. Or some boots with thick soles.

I want to raise the clip-ons a little bit, just an inch, (gettin old) I'm short anyway so I can still crouch if their higher. What's the best way to do this?

[Craig G]

Congrats and welcome! If they are the stock tires, that's too old to be safe. Rubber naturally dries out with time, making them brittle and prone to slipping and cracking.

The proper way to set up any suspension is to adjust the "sag", or how much the bike settles under load, to the correct dimension, usually around 20-30 mm depending on the bike. You do not adjust ride height. That's done with "dog bones", the rigid steel links that connect the suspension to the frame or by lowering the forks in the triple clamp. Either of those options can change steering and handling for the worse. You can also change seats to lower the top surface or narrow the width for decreased apparent height.

There's plenty of great information in existing threads on both suspension and lowering bikes, so spend a little time at the search buffet.