Alot of people "guarantee" that a newbie will "drop" their bike...not sure if that was more common before MSF or not. Most of my friends say they've never dropped their bikes or been down and they started on the bike they ride now (Suz 750 and up)...
So...what do we mean by "drop"?
Answers:
Most people think of a 'drop' as when the bike falls over at low speed or when nearly stopped. It does little damage (except to the rider's pride) and maybe a couple of bumps and bruises.
These drops usually (but not always) happen before the rider has complete mastery of the front brake, and may result from locking the brake up at low speed, causing the rider to lose balance and go down.
Another common drop is when the rider approaches a stop and puts his/her foot down, only to find loose sand or gravel underfoot, and the foot slides out from under, causing the rider to lose balance and drop the bike. Again... not too much damage, but maybe a few bruises.
Anything at a higher speed would be considered a crash, and may cause damage to the bike and rider. Crashes are not fun, and I highly recommend you don't try one.
Ride Safe!
Other Answers:
When I say drop, I mean having it fall over. Whether not moving or moving.
And I have. With both my bikes I laid them down in the driveway to make sure I could lift them, the best way etc. Very helpful, just in case.
I can laugh off dropping it, but not being unable to pick it up.
Dropping a bike is a number of things...but really comes down to dropping it on the ground...
Such as riding down the road and u hit a bump and fall off and the bike lays on its side, that is dropping the bike. or if you are getting off and it just falls over, that is also dropping it...
At any time it lays on its side but doesnt get totally wrecked that is considered dropping it, with the exception of being hit by a car.
Most people tend to lay the bike down on its side when they're learning to ride it. People, loose control, get panicked, and drop it to one side.
Ask for pictures, its usually just scratches and dents.
It Means Fall Down And Go Boom! I was always told by my bike-riding father and friends that dropping the bike meant to literally lay down your bike down and dumping it before it crashed into whatever you were headed for. I've seen a few guys do it, and it didn't make since to me to invest all of that money in your motorcycle just to scratch the crap out of the sides to save your life, when all you had to do was drive more carefully.
Drop means: DROP...
Notting more notting less.
Here's some useful info. If you stop your bike and your foot goes in a pothole or some loose gravel and you know for sure your going to drop it, start cussing loudly and give your handlebars a shove as it's almost on the ground. Then say something like, "Stupid piece of sh*t, I told you what would happen if you didn't straighten up. Now look where your at!". There's two kinds of riders, those that have been down, and those that will go down.