I am buying a 600RR and as it stands factory I barely touch the ground tip-toed. I am 5ft.3in. (girl) first bike..... Is this ok or not????

 

I was the same way when I recently bought my '06. I'm 5'7" and I lowered my bike 1" b/c I want to have full control when I stop, and I'm still not flat-footed. You'll find people who say the handling changes significantly when you lower it, however I feel my bike handles amazing and I notice no difference. If you are 5'3" and its your first bike, I def. recommend you lower it at least 1" if your tip-toes barely touch, either that or consider a different bike, b/c the 600rr's do sit higher than most in the 600 class. Good luck

 

It will change it some. It has to. Factory wouldn't put it where it is if they didn't have good reason. That being said, it still might be OK. I have no idea what a 3 inch lower RR is like to ride. Maybe someone here does???

 

I agree with you Jet Jockey...I myself don't know what the bike would ride like after being lowered 3". I'm just suggesting what I know from having lowered mine 1". If she's never riden a stock 600rr, she may not notice any difference in lowering it compared to the stock setting, which is just as it was for me. I def. think its all w/in opinion and I guess how much experience you've had on this bike. I def. agree with you tho....performance does change, whether you are lowering a bike or replacing/upgrading something else.

 

Well said, Wellsy04. It's kind of interesting to watch the mod world - both in cars & bikes. I drive a Z06 (obviously), and have raced cars for years. Miatas, RX7s, Corvettes. I've modded mine - some a little, some a lot. Everything from bolt-ons to superchargers, etc. What folks don't realize is that when you mod something away from OEM stock, you're playing engineer. The manufacturers spend BIG bucks getting something to a certain point where it handles a certain way, accelerates a certain way, etc. It is supposed to reach specified targets that are good for a certain majority of riders / drivers.

Then a guy comes along & throws a $100 part at the car / bike that completely changes it!!! This can be either better or worse. But it always changes it.

What is often not realized is that mods take something from OK to not so OK.

Please don't get me wrong - I DO mod my rides. But these days I pick mods with much, much care & thought & research before I do anything. B&M Ripper short shift kit. Racing foot pedals. Stuff that makes me drive better, not so much things that make the car different. Yes, I've even lowered my Vette. But it's on the factory bolts within the factory limits. And that also changes the car some. It is not as forgiving, but I can accept that.

One last word to slvr600RR -- whatever you do, if you buy one & lower it 3 inches, make SURE you can put it back to OEM stock for resale purposes. Don't throw away anything. Don't accept permanent lowering from a chop shop, etc. Otherwise your resale market will be very limited.

 

Before you actually lower the bike you might want to check out a "corbin seat" it will lower your body about 1 to 1 1/2 inches. I have seen discussion here about lower links and they are not all that good for the bike. If you are on the tips of your toes, getting down 1 to 1 1/2 inches will help a great deal. My $.02

 

I would try other things like shaving the seat, adjusting your suspension and getting use to slipping side to side to balance, but lowering the bike 3" is asking for disaster. As a new rider, you not only bought a bike meant for advanced riders, but you also got one that's way too big for you and the bike will suffer immensely if you lower it (along with the operator). It will handle like crap and that's exactly what you don't need as a new rider, you need a bike that's easy to handle and forgiving when you make newbie mistakes...and trust me you will!

I work in an emergency room and I received a female patient in our trauma bay once whom I found out was riding an '04 RR and lowered it 3 inches like you want to do...well, she hit a very large bump in the road going around 45-50mph and the bump hit the oil pan due to the reduced ground clearance, busted it open, oil spilled on the rear wheel and she went down HARD! She was pretty jacked up and it confirmed my belief to not lower the bike!

DON'T LISTEN TO THESE GUYS SAYING IT'S OK TO LOWER YOUR BIKE........DON'T DO IT!!!

 

I agree, a 3 inch drop is one heck of a drop for limited clearance to begin with. I think it could be a poor decision but I guess the final decision rests in your thoughts on it. I just don't want to see/hear about you getting hurt. Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck.

-Berg

 

purely on a performance standpoint, i wouldn't do it. sportbikes are not lowriders, and are meant for high ground clearance relative to other road motorcycles. like the others are saying, i would try everything else outside of physically lowering the bike's ride height, unless the recommended suspention settings for your weight/height deem it neccisary. its still a matter of personal opinion though, but i wouldnt want something that looks like a sport bike, but handles like a harley.

 

+1 on the dont do it. the jar head in me says "adapt and overcome"