what would be the advantages of lowering the bike for a new rider. does this make it easier to handle/control??  

I'm just getting into riding as well so I can give you info. from exprience. I've been doing a lot of research both online like you and through mags. I hear that it is mainly for looks and it makes the sitting postion a bit more comfortable. But as far as proformance that it makes a difference. But if you have any other question I would be more than happy to help you. with what I can with the knowledge that I have aquired and will countinue to learn until then i wish you the best.  

I just Found out that by lowering an bike it has a negitive affect it makes it hard to corner. I was told that if I planned on doing that to get good insurance and good protective gear. When u corner u have to counter steer hard. So I would say as a beginner its a horrible idea.I gusse thats way most streched and lowered bike are for show and not daily drive..  

I am a short rider and wanted to lower my bike when i first started to ride.  Most people told me not to and i did not.  What i did to help me is buy an old seat and take some of the padding out.  I also had the suspension lowered a little.  Very Little.

After a few months i put the original seat back on and raised the suspension.  Taking some padding helped enough to make me more comfortable when i was learning.

I hope this helped.  

it did help. thanks. i guess i can understand why it make it more difficult to turn. aside from other factors the center of gravity has been altered. i just know i would feel more comfortable and in control of the bike if i could put both feet flat on the ground. but anyways thanks a bunch. smooches    

The reasons it makes cornering hard is b/c by extending the bike. is the same difference between a car and a pick up truck . you can't corner as tight so u have to lay a bike down further and make corners wider. so i'm sure for highway travel it not much different or harder but turning at lower speeds like town travel intersection it makes it harder to bring the bike back up to the upright positions sry i wasn't more specific the first time i told you. but i hope this explains it better but as far as lowering it i'm not sure what that has to do with it but maybe its not as smooth of a ride .but i'll look futher into the lowering of the bike and the effects it has and try to get back to u on that.  

It does change the geometry and handling of the bike. You can try to make up for it by changing sprockets and chain size to bring the rear wheel back closer to spec.
The first thing you should do is look into changing the seat height. You can buy aftermarket seats or remove the cover and shave the foam down a bit to gain some room.
Lowering the front forks is fairly easy too.
here a link how its done on a honda crf 450x
http://crfsonly.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9212&highlight=koubariffic  

thanks so much this is very helpfull. very appreciated. one more question- how the hell do u add a pic to this joint?! lol  

haha idk i could figure that out either so if u find out let me know. i try everything under the sun...  

i now! its crazy! oh well too bad for this site they wont get too c my super sexy self! lol