[bradzdotcom]

matt is correct..as usual...dang, that kid knows an awful lot about bikes he's never ridden! he's gonna be a very knowledgably dangerous dude in coming years.

i don't have a clue about your bellypan, but i wouldn't waste time staring at the ceiling at night worrying about it.

here's what i've been told by two guys who have raced the BCR in the cup series (one of which slathered his name on the fairing), using the stock belly pan:

things that usually hit the ground...in order of appearance:

#1.
those little round knobs on the bottom of the footpegs.
if you have your bike set up right, they're the first indicator.
there's a reason for that. it's called the Department of Transportation (DOT).
they make up rules and stuff.
and that's the rule: little round balls under footpegs are always the first thing to grind.

it's just like the rule they have for mirrors (i'm para-phrasing) "rear view mirrors must be the widest element of the motorcycle".

and another favorite of mine: "a bike's primary gear and stated idle speed must result in the bike stalling (not moving forward), if the clutch is suddenly dropped".


anyway....
if you grind those peg knobs down to about 40% of original, you might (if your suspension/tire pressures are way off), do a "number two"

#2. Touch a cylinder to the ground.
this is not a good thing, especially if you're not anticipating it.
it takes the weight off the tires.
and since those cylinders are kinda, sorta in the front, it takes more weight off the front tire than the rear.

either way...in most cases....bad things happen.

i wouldn't worry about the bellypan too much.
even if the fairing is lower, you've got a long way to go before you smack a cylinder into the asphalt, admit defeat/stupidy and start looking for a good landing spot.

watch butch cassidy and the sundance kid.
"You can't swim? Why hell, the fall will probably kill ya."

....brad