Lifestyle Cycles Product Review: Kodlin Lowering Kit

Today, I've got Holger here from Codin USA, bringing in some of the great products that he's got. We're going to go over a few of them with you today. I really appreciate you coming in, making the trip, and seeing us. You bet! Um, let's get right into it. I know you've got the raising and lowering kits for the newer Softails, the M8 Softails. What can you tell me about the kit itself?

Well, we have two different categories of products there. We have the lift kits for somebody who wants more clearance on the M8 Softail, or we have the lowering kit for simply getting the bike closer to the ground.

Right, so how easy are they to install?

It's actually super easy to install. What you do need is a compression tool for the M8 Softail. We so happen to offer one; it’s a Cotlin tool, very simple to use. You take the stock shock out of your bike, you compress it, and then you take the stock eyelet off. For the lowering kit, you also take some of the spacers out. Make sure to put some Loctite on it to ensure it doesn't loosen up. Put it back on. It comes with Preston bearings already; put some grease on it. For the back of the bike, if you know what you’re doing as a mechanic, it will take you maybe an hour, hour and a half.

Oh, that’s not bad.

Yeah, and that’s the lowering kit. The lift kit—we’ve got two different models. One of them lifts the bike by an inch; it’s for all M8 Softails that do not have the extended shock. So when you have a Low Rider ST, or a 22 and up Low Rider S, or a Fat Bob, they come with an extended shock from the factory. That’s when you need a 9/16" lift kit that we offer, which is basically the maximum lift you can do without hitting the ring.

Gotcha. It sounds cool. Now, I understand that, just out of necessity, you even made a spring compression tool that you offer to our customers.

Yeah, we do. It’s a simple tool. We like to put it in the case; it makes it easier to handle. The best part is that the thing doesn’t jump on you, and you don’t lose an eye. That’s an added benefit there.

That would certainly ruin your day, wouldn’t it?

It would, yeah.

So, what are some of the feedback you’ve gotten from your customers around both your lifting and your lowering kits?

Well, besides the quality that people compliment us on, and the ease of installation, I remember one year—I think it was two years ago—we went to Durango for the Four Corners Rally, which is a really cool event. There was this guy with a brand-new Low Rider ST. He was looking at some of our products; I think he was interested in our engine guard. He bought the engine guard, was all happy, and then talked to me. He said, “You know, my wife is not so crazy about me riding this bike.” I asked, “What’s going on?” He said, “Well, it’s pretty high. I have some struggles. We have a deep driveway, and I sometimes struggle to get on and off. She’s a little nervous.” I said, “Well, do you know that we actually have a lowering kit that lowers your ST by an inch and a half?” He had no idea. He was just focused on that engine guard. He said, “Oh, yeah, can you put it on?” So we threw it on. An hour later, he was taken off and came back with a huge smile on his face because he felt so much better on the bike. He felt so much more in control. Actually, he came back every morning, brought us coffee, chatted with us, had a big smile, and was just happy. I was just waiting for his wife to call me, which didn’t happen, but he was super excited about it.

That’s a really cool story. What I like about it is that, for lowering a bike an inch and a half without sacrificing any ride quality, that is absolutely huge. For so long, once you lower a bike, you’re losing the travel that you have for compression and rebound. You’re not losing any of that; you’re actually just giving the person a bike that’s more suited for their stature and height.

Exactly. And you know, same with the lift kit. We think the stock shock on M8 Softails is actually pretty good. Now, if you want to go for maximum performance, you buy yourself a Legends or an Arlen Ness or something like that—that’s 800 bucks or more. If you’re happy with the stock application and just want to get more ground clearance or lower it, you spend 150 bucks on our kit. Get it installed by a professional mechanic, or do it yourself if you know what you’re doing, and you save yourself a lot of money. Just go back to riding.

And an hour to an hour and a half job is really nothing to change the bike to really personalize it for your ability, how tall you are, or the performance of what you’re looking for.

Exactly. Everything we do, by the way, comes with instructions. They’re very detailed. There’s a bunch of install videos—we have our own, but there are also a bunch on YouTube for people putting these kits on—to make sure you’re not doing anything wrong.

Well, I know that we’re going to be adding it to our QA videos as well, doing an installation video. One thing that’s really important and dear to my heart is that one of the great things about this company is it’s now made in the USA. A lot of our followers and customers really want to focus on supporting American jobs, so it’s great that you brought the product here for us to be able to bring it to our customers and the public. I love having it here in front of me and being able to play around with it.

Great, thank you.

Thanks so much for coming out. I enjoyed having you here.

Same here. Thank you.

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