Squid helpline

[Jinx3d]

G'day,

My life long ambition is to get my knee down.

Further to this dubious goal in life, I was on the kopu-hikuai rd last sunday "practicing" and on a med left hand downhill corner, my front tyre started sliding.

I rather thought that I would have had the knee down well before this happened.

So, tell me what I'm doing. Perhaps I need to hang off more, or maybe it cant be done on my tyres?

Bike TL1000s
Tyre Metzeler Z6 sport/tour

CHeers ears.

[MattRSK]

Try practising on a track. Thats what I did.

[Big Chim]

G'day,

My life long ambition is to get my knee down.

Further to this dubious goal in life, I was on the kopu-hikuai rd last sunday "practicing" and on a med left hand downhill corner, my front tyre started sliding.

I rather thought that I would have had the knee down well before this happened.

So, tell me what I'm doing. Perhaps I need to hang off more, or maybe it cant be done on my tyres?

Bike TL1000s
Tyre Metzeler Z6 sport/tour

CHeers ears.

Perhaps get on the track, its the only place I've had knees and pegs down.

and if you do lose the front you dont have fences and power poles to contend with

[boomer]

The roads not the best place to practise mate, get on a track.

get off the bike more, one of the reasons for gettin the knee down is so you don't have to lean the bike so much. (My ears prik up when i'm out riding with the fast boys and hear there stories of how they pick the bike up off the ground with the knee... IF ONLY huh!!! )

if like me you try and try and try, then the reason is because your knees not stikin out as you think but actually huggin teh fairing/tank..ahhaha.


ps. got my left knee down at Puke and both down at Taupo... Never on the road

[kiwifruit]

yep, take it to the track :)

[Jinx3d]

Sure, been before and going again in Feb.

Consider my naughty hand spanked.

No leaning the bike over on the streets, never would sir!, course not - upright all the way.

Now back to the problem.

Its gotta be the tyres yeah? Touring rubber? Getting too hot?

Maybe it was the downhill bend, loading up the front?

Front suspension, poor damping?

Neutral throttle the whole way round, corner was a decreasing radius, so I was tightening the line as I went round.

[boomer]

get..your ... ass.. of.. the .. bike... and SHOVE .. ya knee.. out!!!! ( try and look around the side of the bike, as if theres something blocking the blade )

Done :kick:

[Jinx3d]

if like me you try and try and try, then the reason is because your knees not stikin out as you think but actually huggin teh fairing/tank..ahhaha.



Hmm, yeah, I wasnt really hangin off or anything, just sliding my r-se off the seat a bit and rotating round the tank. No swinging gibbon antics or anything.

Kinda disturbing when you see shots of racing guys with the elbow down uh?

:-)

Might have a go in a deserted car park somewhere at low speed before I continue in my pursuit of a knee slider sacrifice.

[Big Chim]

the down hill corner could be putting alot of weight through the front tire causing it to brake traction, try a corner on the flat.

Also what boomer said

[boomer]

There's a post of a 'you tube' vid with the guys from sbk mag in the uk showing some squid how to do it..i cant find it and it may even be on here more squid action (http://sportsbike.co.nz/forums)

[cowpoos]

look simple as shitting in a dunny......ignore these dumb arses.... find a roundabout thats flatish...and vacant of traffic [new suburbs are good for this] and just go around and around...one bum cheek on the seat...knee out and lean...you'ld be a idiot if it didn't touch down before you got bored or dizzy....

and BTW....getting your knee down don't make you fast....if thats what your trying to achieve....if you want to get fast.....go play on the track with fast riders....and forget about your knees

[R6_kid]

look simple as shitting in a dunny.....forget about your knees

thats about all you need to know, stop thinking about it, hang off, stick it out and let it happen. Safest place is the track, but roundabouts work too, or empty car parks.

[slopster]

If you can't get out on a track find a deserted roundabout. Good ones can often be found in industrial areas with real smooth chip and often deserted in the weekends. Make sure your tyres are warm Then just go round and round practicing. No good for getting your left knee down.

[bugjuice]

as a recent knee-down-cherry-popper (see profile pic), the best advice is; stop trying. I've been trying since last summer, really concentrating hard on making an effort. I gave up. Wasn't happening, bollox to it. I was as quick, if not quicker than some, and they were getting their knees down big time.

So I just put more effort into learning more on the corner and bike. Then, without warning, my knee hit the deck big time. Awesome, was a really cool moment. Now it's sorted. And yeah, it's a buzz (for now, I know it'll wear thin as do the sliders!). Just relax, and don't over-think it.

Also, the TL.. dunno if that's the easiest bike to learn on. I know it can be done, seen it myself in the flesh, but it doesn't look the most easiest to start with.

And as for the front wheel sliding out, how are you taking the corner? Don't just chuck it in, be graaaaaaceful.. smooooth... clean. be fluid-like, and it'll come (along with some more grip!)

[cowpoos]

I learnt on a TLs....piece of piss.....lemmme hav a go!!!!

[R6_kid]

Don't just chuck it in, be graaaaaaceful.. smooooth... clean. be fluid-like, and it'll come (along with some more grip!)

im sure you can be more poetic that that mr 'juice, i fawt u woz englesh


on a side note: i did manfield on my R6 with a Z6 on the back, M1 on the front, i got to the 'edge' of the rear and wasnt knee down... I've since changed tyres and learnt a lot aswell... it'll just take time, but some sportier tyres might help (maybe try the M3's)

[Toast]

Like the others say, knee down doesn't equal speed, but if you really want to, go for it, it gives you good feedback on lean angle and more confidence.

To stop you front tyre sliding out, you want to have a bit of gas on, to shift some weight to the rear. A very fine and gentle roll on of the gas right after you flick the bike on its side should help here. Read a Keith Code book for reasons why.

[Fishy]

Panmure roundabout at early hours in the morning. Perfect!.

[RC1]

its fairly easy on the tl just do it a bit at a time practice getting your ass off first around the corners then lean off the bike a bit more each time and it will come,im still trying to get my left knee down at the mo right knee no prob as for tires not sure if it makes much diff but i got pilot sport on mine

[Jinx3d]

Thanks for the advice.

Been trying for a while now. I was using the work car park at 6am, but have found I'm sliding there as well, and that IS hanging off like a demented gibbon.

I attributed that too oil on the car park..but maybe its just these tyres.

I havent read Keith codes book for 10 years now, maybe a refresher is in order uh?

Oddly enough, I prefer left hand corners so I have never really hammered round abouts. (queer, but there you go, what can you do but practice practice practice)

Actually, the more I hang off, the less in control I feel, more like a passenger than actually riding.

I wouldnt say I'm slow, my lines are okay, smooth (I think?). Passed some guys on Kopu-hikuai, but some passed me too. Not too stressed about being fast, its all for a laugh really innit!

Anyhow, thanks for everyones ideas.

I think I'll get some Pilot powers on for Taupo.

*mad grin*

[MazTLR]

Here you go here's that video
http://media.putfile.com/MCNs-Knee-down-guide

[mikey]

just crash proper an your knee sliders will get a good rough up.
then the boys wont look at your virgin sliders an laugh.

[bugjuice]

Thanks for the advice.

Been trying for a while now. I was using the work car park at 6am, but have found I'm sliding there as well, and that IS hanging off like a demented gibbon.

I attributed that too oil on the car park..but maybe its just these tyres.
2 quick points then; the surface of carparks isn't great. The road and track get pounded in the right groove, carparks don't. That will make a big difference. If you're sliding on the road/track, then start wondering.

And were your tyres up to temp? If you just jump straight on the bike and slam it over, ya gonna slide. Get the tyres warm before you go too far over

[Shaun]

Here you go here's that video
http://media.putfile.com/MCNs-Knee-down-guide



That twat just contridicts the way the Great Mick Doohan raced a bike, Doohan always sat Twisted on the bike, that was his style and his two brothers style as well, purely a Doohan family thing

There is no correct riding style, same as there is no correct line through a corner, take a look at any race video, and you will notice most of the riders on different lines

There are correct theories for lines and styles, but they are only theories!

BUGJUICE got it write I think

Relax, stop trying to hard and it will come

[Jinx3d]

just crash proper an your knee sliders will get a good rough up.
then the boys wont look at your virgin sliders an laugh.

Lol

The worst of it is, I did all my crashing when I didnt have any decent gear. Now I can afford decent stuff, I have lost the habit of running off the road and banging into things....hopefully.!

But yes, my knee sliders are virgins. Still, at least everyknows I didnt scrape em up with a bench grinder!!

:-)

[boomer]

..bench grinder!!

:-)


i use a circular sander... :Whistle:

[bugjuice]

BUGJUICE got it write I think

Relax, stop trying to hard and it will come
*picks himself up off the floor..*
i got summat right..??

[ghost]

Keep it on the track, and stay away from the down hill bits when trying to load the front (turning or braking) to much. if youve got the time or place try emergency braking down hill and then on the flat and then up hill. You;ll be surprised at the extra distance required down hill compared to up hill...........

[cowpoos]

i use a circular sander... :Whistle:
no shit....coz the grain is going the wrong way!!!! bwaaaahhhhhh!!!!