lowering help

[ZX600]

ok...here goes...i just finished my first season on a 2009 kawasaki vulcan 500 and while i love the bike, i'm looking to "upgrade" or "tradeup" for this upcoming season...few reasons why: 1) back and shoulders get tired after a few hours (four one day without stopping), 2) very skinny front tire means i feel every crack in the pavement (100/90r16), and 3) looking for more power when accelerating/shifting gears...i'm female, 5'4" and 105 lbs...i posted one thread about 500 cc sportbikes (Ninja 500 and GS500) and got some good feedback so went to sit on them...too tall i'm used to flat footing my cruiser and not sure if i like the whole tip toe thing when coming to a stop...

i'm on a kawasaki vulcan forum and asked about upgrading to a vulcan 800...guys there told me that because of engine design (mine is a parallel twin and the 800 is a v-twin) and higher rpm range on my bike, that the 800 wouldn't really be an "upgrade" if i was comparing performance only (apparently the horsepower difference is only 7 and the 800 weighs over 100 lbs more)...

now here's my question...i really love the look of the naked sportbikes (love the er-6n, versys, v-strom, bmw f800r) but they are all too tall for me...i know they can be lowered but want to know a) how much it generally costs to lower a bike and b) what effect it has on the bike's handling overall (i know it changes the centre of gravity but that's it)...

thanks in advance to everyone's input...

ivana

Pm Asia, she is a member here, she is about your height and got the BMW factory lowered. She loves it for what she told me the last time we spoke.

She also has had a lowered ninja 250, she would have some good perspective

[WoBblyCaT]

Pm Asia, she is a member here, she is about your height and got the BMW factory lowered. She loves it for what she told me the last time we spoke.

She also has had a lowered ninja 250, she would have some good perspective

Azia. She has the 650 GS in blue. She also has a matching handbag.