Unlike cars, motorcycles, for the most part, require their drivers to be of a certain level of physical fitness and stature in order to safely and confidently operate. While a good number of super-skilled riders, such as Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, aren’t exactly what you’d call gifted with height, it goes without saying that a shorter person will generally find it harder to ride a taller motorcycle.
As a result, height-challenged folks tend to resort to lowering their bikes to make it just a tad easier to mount and dismount. Thankfully, a lot of aftermarket manufacturers have put the R&D hours in, and have developed various lowering kits for even the tallest of adventure bikes. For example, KoubaLink, an aftermarket parts specialist, has introduced a new lowering kit for the Honda Africa Twin. KoubaLink has built a pretty solid reputation in the off-road world, and has introduced lowering kits for various enduro and motocross bikes, allowing racing teams to alter the geometry of their bikes to suit various applications.
In the case of the Africa Twin, a rather tall bike out of the factory with its 34.3-inch seat height, KoubaLink's lowering link drops it to a slightly more approachable 33.4 inches. By reducing the bike’s rear suspension height by 22.2 millimeters, Kubalink’s lowering kit makes the Africa Twin just a tad more approachable, without drastically altering the bike’s suspension geometry. Furthermore, if you pair the lowering link with the adjustment of the front forks, you can probably lower the Africa Twin to be approachable even to riders under 5’5 in height.
KoubaLink's lowering kit for the Africa Twin is compatible with all models all the way back to the 2016 model year. It’s made out of a sturdy billet aluminum, and is meant to replace the stock support of the bike’s centrally mounted monoshock. KoubaLink also claims that the part is sturdier than the original part, and can very easily be installed. All the necessary bushings and bearings are included in the part, as well, so it really is just a bolt-on installation. KoubaLink is asking $179 USD for the part.
