Lowering will increase the possibility of dragging hard parts and crashing at speed. Unless you absolutely have no choice, do not lower a bike. I would buy a different bike before I had to lower one.

 

Let me tell you about my worst nightmare crash -

Taking a mid speed 180 degree curve at high speed and fully leaned while travelling on a road which joins to the highway, bike slides from beneath me and i slide over the asphalt under oncoming traffic. I am not too afraid of crashing in other ways but this situation yes lol.

 

well...ive...sadly, dropped my bike a few times...all while at a stop or barely moving...im a tiny guy, 5'7", 130 lbs...and not very strong, so 400 lbs of bike is alot to handle on tip toes

1st time: rode my bike home from the dealer, went to park it at work, went to back it into my 1st parking space, the spot was slanted, so i was a little up hill wen backing it up...i started off bad b/c i misjudged the turning radius, as it was my 1st time w/ the bike. i started backing it, got too close to the car next to me, went to re-adjust by pulling forward a bit, and backing it...went fine for a while...but i started to loose my balance...knew it was coming, and it went down, on the left side...just barely missed the car next to me, but got so close i couldnt get around it to get it up...so in my attempts to right it, it kinda slide along the ground a bit...luckily, not too much damage, a little scratches on the fairing and thats about it

2nd time: my 1st time at the gas station...went to get off the bike, leaned it on the kickstand...cept the kickstand wasnt down...again, fell on the left side...but my mirror slide along the pole on the side, u kno the ones to protect the gas pump? so i have a nice silver streak on the front of it...luckily the guy pumping gas on the other side was an ex-bike cop, in full uniform...helped me up, and made me feel better by telling me that hes done it a thousand times, a few times even w/ the police bike in front of ppl

3rd and 4th time: i park my bike on my lawn...bc i dont have a garage and the driveway is used for...well, driving...so both times the grass/dirt was slippery and it fell over...luckily no damage there, once on each side...just some dirt and grass stuck on the pegs


so there ya go...ashamed to have dropped a brand new bike so many times, but im very lucky there not too much damage...and my biggest problems r these:
i am a brand new rider, and not very strong, not used to the proper way to do thing, so not used to having so much weight to contend with....but ill tell ya this, i learnt quick!

hope this helps

ride safe

 

I'm about your height and find I can just put both feet down at the normal height. I've just raised back my bike to normal, and find it easier to turn...

Lowsided at an intersection when the bike had been lowered. Loss of concentration - trying to think which turn I needed to make. Didnt see red light. Thought of running it but saw an suv speeding thru her green at right angles. braked hard and probably turned the steering in reflex, braked to low speed before falling. Bike slid about 5 feet, enough to put a small crack in front fairing, snap the gear lever and beat up the turn signal. Little rash on the pegs and left slider. No injury to me except, as someone said before, my pride . Wearing helmet gloves and a thick (winter) jacket.

Lessons learnt? alertness, knowing my braking distance and wearing gear at all times.

I also agree with the steering locking while turning in parking lots/gas stations. and braking in reflex doesnt help either. You need to actually give it gas if you want the steering to straighten out/ regain balance, which is nonintuitive.

 

Haha, funny story just happened this weekend....

I went to a party and had uh, "fun"![sm=icon_cheers.gif] I had my bike parked in the back of the driveway and my friend thought it would be funny to pull it down a hill to his basement and hide it on me. Well i found it (I was like, what the f*ck is my bike doing in the basement?)....left it there overnight cause i couldnt ummm...ride it in the state i was in....anyway... In the morning i went to drive it back up the backyard and i forgot the grass was wet from the morning dew, and the rear tire started to spin, and i started falling to my left. On my way down i grabbed the throttle in reaction and reved it to 9-10 and she was on the ground! It was soft grass, so no damage, actually i laughed at myself and muscled it back up and pulled the grass off my shift lever and rode off...lol[sm=oopssign.gif]

 

You Gotta Sing This ---She was comming around the mountain doin 90 when the chain on her motorcycle broke, she landed in the grass with the muffler up her *** and her **** were playing dixie on the spokes.

 

lol that beats my nascar style interview

 

7:30 am, riding to work, helmet n gloves, no jacket. I look thru the glass of the minivan in front of me to spot traffic up ahead and notice the angry soccer mom is yelling at her rear view at me and shakin her fist. I guess she thought i was too close, so i back off a few more car lengths and look down at the clock for 1/2 a sec, and when i look back up, all i see is smoke rollin out from under her rear tires !! We're both doin about 65-70. Hit the brakes HARD, rear wheel locks n starts to come around so i let off it n hit the front brake even harder, tail comes up just before i face plant into the back glass. Bike goes who knows where, and when i come to, i'm still sliding down the hwy on my back. I put my hands down (mistake) to try to stop myself and start rolling instead. Watched a ford ranger lock its brakes and stop about 3' from me. Got up to go get my bike and realized my left boot was gone, and my ankle was in bad shape and bleeding. Thought i must have broken it, but it just got punctured on s/thing. Had to have surgury to fix it, went thru the joint. Guy in the ranger helps me pick the bike up cuz my wrist was broken. Told me there was no one in front of this lady and he was gonna tell the cops for me. S/one sent a helicopter to get pics of the d/*** spread on the hwy which caused a back up on both sides of the hwy, and while i was getting morphine in the ambulance, a truck that was rubber-neckin rear ended a lady that was stopped and killed her. Not one of the proudest moments of my life, but my point is that takin your eyes off the road for a split sec can kill you, or s/one else. Was really angry at the minivan lady, but if i was paying as much attention as i should have been, it never would have happened. Becase of the accident on the other side, the cops didn't take any statements and angry soccer mom got off scott free.

02 f4i, did fix it and ride it for two years, but will never forget what happened on that bike.
me: lots of rash, broken left wrist, punctured left ankle, concussion, vertigo for about a month, and a very clear understanding that an angry soccer mom in a minivan is nothing to f**k around with.

 

Oh, and not a scratch on the minivan !!

 

Cruising at about 50 lady in a saturn cut me off leaving me the choice of rear ending her or swerving into road construction. I chose the road construction route slid for about 25 ft, watched the lady drive away, and watched my baby leak oil all over . Its ok she's all better now

H