Well, we all know there are two types of bike; those that have been down, and those that are going down. Now that mine is one of those that have been down I'm thinking about getting some frame sliders. I didn't really do much damage (scratched the mirror and a little cherry on the lower fairing). Do frame sliders really help on this bike? My bike went down while standing still. It looks like if I had slidwers then I'd have damaged the tank instead of the fairing.
The reason I droped the thing to begin with is that I'm short, 5'6". My legs are about two inches too short to touch the ground with both feet at the same time. This is not a problem when in motion, but as I'm sure you can imagine, it can make those right turns at red lights a little tricky sometimes. I think a lowering kit might solve this prob. I've seen them on ebay and most will allow me to lower the bike 2". What changes in performance can I expect ?

 

all I can say is I wish I had your 14 in my garage, j/k, seriously frame sliders normally help and are a small investment compared to the cost of new fairings. lowering the bike will change how it handles (take it to an expert) , another thing you might consider is having the seat shaved this can sometimes help.

 

Basically you had two questions.

Frame sliders: Do you prefer the frame to be dented or the tank? The tank is a cheaper fix. A good chance on a stand up ride falling over that the tank would not be damaged with a good slider.

Dogbones: Changing ride height and linkage really effects some peoples geometry and setup. Same as sprocket and chain length changes. 2 inches is a lot of lowering on the rear, you must be draggin' it then?

 

Thanks suprakawigrl I didn't think about the seat shaving thing..