Proper knee-down or a pussy one?

[mynameis]

You be the judge, but I think he's got some good points like dropping your shoulder.

But I don't see the guy going any faster with his knee down so my vote is it's a pussy one lol..

Sorry if it's a repost!

QCg3BMGe52M

mynameis

[bugjuice]

getting your knee down doesn't mean you're going fast. I used to follow people at speed, they were grinding their knee down and I couldn't do it.. I can do it now, and I only feel a fraction faster cos I know the tyres can take that extra lean and speed. Doesn't mean I need my knee down to do it..
tis fun tho..
and great job teaching on public roads!

[onearmedbandit]

He quotes racers as an example yet Mick Doohan used to get his knee down and he didn't have to hang off the bike, he always believed in keeping his head in line with the bike which he felt gave him better control if the bike broke loose. In saying that, the vid is correct. If you want to get your knee down lean off further (easiest method).

[Bonez]

In saying that, the vid is correct. If you want to get your knee down lean off further (easiest method).Looks funny when you see it done around the streets of Pahiatua though.

[onearmedbandit]

To be honest, I don't really lean 'off' my bike much, and being a short bastard I don't do the knee down thing. Hanging off too far with one arm doesn't sound of great appeal either, but I can still corner with most riders. However I am starting to experiment with moving off the bike a bit more, so it may happen on the thou yet.

[Grahameeboy]

To be honest, I don't really lean 'off' my bike much, and being a short bastard I don't do the knee down thing. Hanging off too far with one arm doesn't sound of great appeal either, but I can still corner with most riders. However I am starting to experiment with moving off the bike a bit more, so it may happen on the thou yet.

It's bloody amazing you manage with one arm mate.............guess you get used to it but just the front forks diving on braking.....respect:yes:

[R6_kid]

on my last day at taupo i experienced the difference between what you call 'proper' knee down and 'pussy' knee down.

The pussy knee down started halfway into my first lap and would continue for the rest of the session on any corner that i decided to hang off enough on.

Later in the day (3rd of 4th session) i came into a corner really hot, didnt lean off anywhere near as much and got my knee down with the inside of my knee just off the fairings... 'proper' knee down.

I'm sure you can guess which one felt 'right' and was more exciting!

[kevfromcoro]

go to youtube and have a look at ghostrider.....this one loose goose...got a suzuki hayabuasa and turboed it,,,,,,takes a while to download if u are on dial up.......this guy is crazy..348 ks ..wheel standing the thing in traffic.....hes dead now..wonder why....there is also another german site ,,which shows a real good ride of him...c if i can find it.......regards KEV

[onearmedbandit]

No one knows just who Ghost Rider is, but despite varied reports of his death it would appear to be unfounded. The guy with whom most confuse GR's death with was a guy called the black prince or something, died doing the Paris ring.

[mynameis]

In saying that, the vid is correct. If you want to get your knee down lean off further (easiest method).

Can you explain any logic behind that besides the shear fact that you had your "knee down". Any advantages? I don't think he was any faster though so don't see the point aye.

mynameis

[Hitcher]

Looks funny when you see it done around the streets of Pahiatua though.

And around the square at Martinborough.

[onearmedbandit]

Can you explain any logic behind that besides the shear fact that you had your "knee down". Any advantages? I don't think he was any faster though so don't see the point aye.

mynameis

That's it, and only it, you get your knee down. I'm not suggesting in any way whatsoever that it made him faster. As I said I don't knee down yet I can corner faster than a lot of riders I know. In fact I'm sure if I set out to with the intention of getting my knee down I'd probably be slower initially. The only reason I'm experimenting with moving off the bike now is that it feels like it allows me to transfer direction quicker and with more stability. Whether it is or isn't I'll find out when I get back out to the track.

[NordieBoy]

It's bloody amazing you manage with one arm mate.............guess you get used to it but just the front forks diving on braking.....respect:yes:

How about Motarding with one arm then.
Now that would be fork dive under braking :D

[onearmedbandit]

Yup, met Nigel before, guy has got my respect alright.

[idleidolidyll]

You be the judge, but I think he's got some good points like dropping your shoulder.

But I don't see the guy going any faster with his knee down so my vote is it's a pussy one lol..

Sorry if it's a repost!

mynameis

knee down only counts if the rider is a miget or the handlebar is touching too

tall bastards with long legs can get a knee down at a 10 degree lean

[Wenier]

Gotta agree with OAB, i dont tend to always lean off and i can go jus as fast as most guys.

Have to experiment bit more, jeans dont help thou.

[The_Dover]

i'll take what I can get.

boomer get's both knees down.









































when he's sucking my cock.

[McJim]

Knee down just seems to be one of those rites of passage for motorcyclists. Watching the vid though it's good to hear reference to getting as much mass as close to the point of pivot - a bit like figure skaters and their pirrouettes (sp?) and he mentions Jamie Witham - between him and Niall Mackenzie that's what got me into bikes in the first place.

I haven't even got knee sliders - won't buy them until the knee gets close to the deck - looks a bit poofy wearing sliders with no scrapes....:dodge:

[Pumba]

looks a bit poofy wearing sliders with no scrapes....:dodge:

Thats why the ones that came on my pants are sitting in the cupboard. Might have to get them out for the next trackday tho

[oldguy]

This is how to put your knee down, looks like he needs sliders for his elbows soon

[mynameis]

i'll take what I can get.

boomer get's both knees down.



when he's sucking my cock.

Lol hahaha I'll give you 10/10 for being a funny bastard and boomer, well he can have whatever he fancies!

mynameis

[quickbuck]

There have been a few times when I had my knee down for a purpose other than a pose. That was at Shirrifs road Kart track on my bucket.
Trick was to put knee close to the deck, and then save what ever wheel let go!
Worked well (as I had plastic road tyres on the bucket), until it started to rain. Then I binned :doh:.

I have got my knee down on my old 400 many times, and very close on my 600, but don't hang off unnaturally just to do it. This tends to upset the corner way too much!
Great feeling, but makes you no faster.

[Big Dog]

Appalling video.
The guy seems to know about how to get knee down but now why and does not seem to have any idea about how to teach.
He does have some good points but he is not a very organised tutor for someone who knows he is about to be filmed.
I have a much better (read that proffesional) DVD I got from Superbike Magazine.

Funnily enough the racers interviewed reckon that hanging off the side to get your knee down should be a baby step to knee down.

[Big Dog]

I have got my knee down on my old 400 many times, and very close on my 600, but don't hang off unnaturally just to do it. This tends to upset the corner way too much!
Great feeling, but makes you no faster.
Definately. By all means hang off the bike if thats your thrill but if things go west it is bloody hard to do anything about it.
Watch the motogp and they all hang off but they almost all keep at least on cheek firmly planted.

Big ups to anyone who can genuinely hang off that can do so stably. I pretty much only do this when I can see a slick in the rain surface and want to keep the bike upright because of the limited choices should you need to change line.

[Monkeyboy]

No one knows just who Ghost Rider is, but despite varied reports of his death it would appear to be unfounded. The guy with whom most confuse GR's death with was a guy called the black prince or something, died doing the Paris ring.

I read an interview with Ghostrider in Performance Bikes a few months ago. He said the Police in Sweeden know who he is but since they can't prove it's actualy him doing the stunts at the time they don't harrass him. Obviously when they eventually scrape him off the road they will know won't they? I borrowed Ghostrider 4 off a mate and it's hillarious, he paints his Gixer to look like a Police bike complete with blue flashing lights and siren and chases people it's obviously all set up but quite funny anyway. He also rides between two trucks on a motorway at something like 200 km/h, but going the wrong way, silly but impressive, worth a look.

[Indiana_Jones]

well pussy or not, he's done better then me lol.

-Indy

[boomer]

Lol hahaha I'll give you 10/10 for being a funny bastard and boomer, well he can have whatever he fancies!

mynameis

I don't fancy Dover.

getting your arse of the seat actually helps turn the bike in quicker.. try it; don't shove ya knee out, lean over the bike, drop ya shoulder, look through where you want to go and nudge ya bum over(well before teh turn, so you don't upset teh bike inturn).. it helps navigate corners quicker.

I found at Taupo that havin ya knee out helps with gauging lean angle, a little further teh toe goes down a little further teh bike goes down...

Now Enigma on the other hand is just a lanky saffy who hasn't a clue where to put his legs.

ps.. i look fukin good doing it too, i don't know who the other fag is tho :dodge:


lookin good (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=872533&postcount=104)

[MazTLR]

How about this for a knee down.

[jade]

He also rides between two trucks on a motorway at something like 200 km/h, but going the wrong way, silly but impressive, worth a look.
when he does that he passes through them at 284... its pretty loose..
when hes going the same direction as them he does the 200km pass...
a little over. ...on the back wheel

as for knee down ive got my first set of sliders so hell yea I want to get it down... I liked the vid

[quickbuck]

Watch the motogp and they all hang off but they almost all keep at least on cheek firmly planted.



Keeping your cheek firmly planted is fine on a GP bike (or such like). What everybody (well, not quite, but some here) is forgetting is that:
1) MotoGP bikes have radically different tyres to your road bike.
2) The rear sets put the pegs well out of touch with the ground.
3) The rear sets also put your knee in a very different position on a race bike.
4) There are no hero blobs on the pegs of a race bike.

This is why you need to hang off on a road bike (even if it is slightly).

Near the end of a training session at Manfeild I was going through the corner formally known as Coke (Now Toyota).
I was getting tired, and couldn't be bothered getting off the seat as much as I had been. Result was my peg was firmly on the deck, and much loss of alloy was suffered. Could have I put my knee on the deck then? Yell, no. I was wearing my Cordula pants (no sliders). If I was wearing leathers? Probably.

I still maintain though, it is very silly to put your knee on the deck on the public road.
I did it once, and an undulation on the inside of a corner just about tore my leg off!

[quickbuck]

... it is bloody hard to do anything about it.

************************************************** ******* I pretty much only do this when I can see a slick in the rain surface and want to keep the bike upright because of the limited choices should you need to change line.

Hang on?
Isn't this a contradiction in the same post?

If it is so hard to recover when hanging off, then why do it in the wet of all places???

[avgas]

knee down isnt as fun as grinding pegs, so i dont bother with it

[boomer]

knee down isnt as fun as grinding pegs, so i dont bother with it

Reads.. "I can't" :lol:

[NighthawkNZ]

getting your nee down... hmmm does it give you any performance advantage other than looking cool and to say you did ... I can get round the corners just as fast with out doing that????

[boomer]

getting your nee down... hmmm does it give you any performance advantage other than looking cool and to say you did ... I can get round the corners just as fast with out doing that????

yup it does, for all the above! ;) but i wouldn't try it on a vtr.. you'll fall off.

[mynameis]

I don't fancy Dover.

getting your arse of the seat actually helps turn the bike in quicker.. try it; don't shove ya knee out, lean over the bike, drop ya shoulder, look through where you want to go and nudge ya bum over(well before teh turn, so you don't upset teh bike inturn).. it helps navigate corners quicker.

I found at Taupo that havin ya knee out helps with gauging lean angle, a little further teh toe goes down a little further teh bike goes down...

Now Enigma on the other hand is just a lanky saffy who hasn't a clue where to put his legs.

ps.. i look fukin good doing it too, i don't know who the other fag is tho :dodge:


lookin good (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=872533&postcount=104)

Don't lie Boomer I know Dover fanices your fine Euro ass lolz..

Yeah I do agree that dropping your weight into the corner helps like moving your shoulder slightly, moving your ass a little bit and in some peoples case sticking their knee out.

But the critical bit here is, and in which I am a firm believer of, is going with the flow and doing it naturally as opposed to haning off like a baboon. Lolz.

On the other hand I guess it's whatever that works best for an individual biker, we all have different riding style :)

P.S. Dover says he loves your style!

mynameis

[NighthawkNZ]

yup it does, for all the above! ;) but i wouldn't try it on a vtr.. you'll fall off.

but then I can say i scraped my knee, elbow, shoulder, helment... :innocent:

[Big Dog]

Hang on?
Isn't this a contradiction in the same post?

If it is so hard to recover when hanging off, then why do it in the wet of all places???
"I pretty much only do this when I can see a slick in the rain surface" is the important part.
I only do it in practice and when I have a choice between to evils.
E.G.
No suitable traction it is already messy vs get this wrong and it could be messy.

[Big Dog]

Just to clarify I shift my weight to the side in lots of different situations. But that is quite a high proportion of my total mass (bike plus rider) to be putting off center.
Moving off the seat is a desperate measure, moving across the seat is not.

[boomer]

Just to clarify I shift my weight to the side in lots of different situations. But that is quite a high proportion of my total mass (bike plus rider) to be putting off center.
Moving off the seat is a desperate measure, moving across the seat is not.

Unless your Shirley Crabtree moving your ass on the bus aint gonna make any difference anyways; snot like the busa is meant to go round corners 'fast', is it:nono:

[The_Dover]

Unless your Shirley Crabtree moving your ass on the bus aint gonna make any difference anyways; snot like the busa is meant to go round corners 'fast', is it:nono:

Showing your age now Big Daddy......

[Big Dog]

Unless your Shirley Crabtree moving your ass on the bus aint gonna make any difference anyways; snot like the busa is meant to go round corners 'fast', is it:nono:

Dunno who Shirley crabtree is but it does move 150 kg into the pendulum arc.

[boomer]

Dunno who Shirley crabtree is but it does move 150 kg into the pendulum arc.


thats equivelant to shoving Dovers dick up the Mersey tunnell mate.. nada.. zilch.. nowt ;)

[vtec]

Unless your Shirley Crabtree moving your ass on the bus aint gonna make any difference anyways; snot like the busa is meant to go round corners 'fast', is it:nono:

Hmm, I had a go on my dads Hayabusa round the new Taupo circuit recently with merely Pilot Sport tyres on it, and I had the peg and knee on the ground at the same time, and this was on my first ever hard ride on the bike. Surprisingly easy bike to throw around the track. Admittedly, I wasn't the fastest guy in the fast group, but I still would have been top 5, whereas on our race GSXR600 I was definitely the fastest until the rear tyre got fried. And moving your body weight does help.

With regards to getting the knee down, well it is important, but only once you have the confidence to get near the limits of lean angle on a bike, which I am still not quite at that level where you need the knee sliding on all corners. What the knee on the ground does, is if you get the front tyre sliding, you can save a it from crashing if you catch some of your body weight on your knee, it takes enough downwards force off the bike to let the wheels regain traction. It's like making it a tricycle for a split second. I still have to lean my bike further if I want to be any good, so I'm going to need to incorporate more knee slidage in my future racing, but only when I'm ready to try and get the extra lean angle where my front wheel traction is going to be compromised.

I've only been racing for less than a year, but I'm steadily progressing. And knowledge of this kind of stuff is helpful, and lets you know what you need to achieve.

[enigma51]

thats equivelant to shoving Dovers dick up the Mersey tunnell mate.. nada.. zilch.. nowt ;)

Arent you the boy that said you only gay if you receive! :gob:

[boomer]

...

I was joking mate, don't take me serious :innocent: I saved mine at Taupo in December on the knee :shutup:



Arent you the boy that said you only gay if you receive! :gob:

i've been called many a thing before, but never the mersey tunnell:kick:

[NordieBoy]

Dunno who Shirley crabtree is but it does move 150 kg into the pendulum arc.

Big Daddy of course :D

[DEATH_INC.]

I'm gonna dissagree with most of ya, getting my knee on the deck was a pivotal point in my riding, once I had acheived it I picked up pace at a huge rate. It really helps (on the track at least) with stability at high lean angles. Dunno about saving a bin though, I've still had a few wif my knee down....

[Mooch]

It's bloody amazing you manage with one arm mate.............guess you get used to it but just the front forks diving on braking.....respect:yes:

Grahameeboy , check out some earlier postings by onearmbandit , has a couple of videos of him doing track days and not that far of the pace of racers.
If I could ride half as well on a track I'd be happy. The vids a good example of knee down only gives you an 11/10's advantage.

[boomer]

I'm gonna dissagree with most of ya, getting my knee on the deck was a pivotal point in my riding, once I had acheived it I picked up pace at a huge rate. It really helps (on the track at least) with stability at high lean angles. Dunno about saving a bin though, I've still had a few wif my knee down....

Thats just showing off Andy :gob: Nice pic! Keep at it mate, you'll be as fast as me before you know it :yes:

[The_Dover]

I'm gonna dissagree with most of ya, getting my knee on the deck was a pivotal point in my riding, once I had acheived it I picked up pace at a huge rate. It really helps (on the track at least) with stability at high lean angles. Dunno about saving a bin though, I've still had a few wif my knee down....

but wasn't that back in the day of cross plys, kick starts and leather helmets?

[MazTLR]

This pic shows all the different angle's of lean when cornering, quite a few styles, any of yours there.

[rwh]

This pic shows all the different angle's of lean when cornering, quite a few styles, any of yours there.

Interesting. It doesn't seem to say much about what's good and bad about the different styles. I think I often ride a bit like the second pic (above the bike) - partly so I can see further round the corner, and partly so I can wear off my chicken strips without going faster :dodge: Except of course my lean angle is more like the bike in the third pic.

The other interesting thing is it says you can get strap-on sliders, but the shops I've asked said no you can't and they wouldn't work (would slide around). Does anybody know where I can get them? Might be handy for track days, without having to have them on my leathers. I'd have to improve a lot before I'd need them, though.

Richard

[mynameis]

This pic shows all the different angle's of lean when cornering, quite a few styles, any of yours there.

Interesting one!

mynameis

[MazTLR]

I wondered what my style was, so looking back at my old racing photo's found this one, Brands Hatch, paddock hill bend, first lap, I'm number 5. Notice know one has there knee down, and all the different styles, no knee sliders and armour padding then.

[mynameis]

I wondered what my style was, so looking back at my old racing photo's found this one, Brands Hatch, paddock hill bend, first lap, I'm number 5. Notice know one has there knee down, and all the different styles, no knee sliders and armour padding then.

Yes you are right, and jeez that's a old pic. Am i safe to say that back in the days bikes weren't as powerful as they are now hence not as fast as today's bikes therefore less lean angle and no knee down? :)

mynameis

[boomer]

Yes you are right, and jeez that's a old pic. Am i safe to say that back in the days bikes weren't as powerful as they are now hence not as fast as today's bikes therefore less lean angle and no knee down? :)

mynameis

back then they didn't know alot of things, knee down, counter steering, telephones, computers. Wisdom doesn't come with age

isn't that affmans dad on the left?

[Grahameeboy]

Grahameeboy , check out some earlier postings by onearmbandit , has a couple of videos of him doing track days and not that far of the pace of racers.
If I could ride half as well on a track I'd be happy. The vids a good example of knee down only gives you an 11/10's advantage.

I will have to haved a squiz...

I guess the arm side ie left arm, left bend is okay but it is the armless side that gets me plus on the road, how does he counter the braking forces, bumps....I mean the front must dance a little as there is only one hand holding the bars....truely amazing....like you say he would put a lot of us to shame...........

[onearmedbandit]

Hey, I am here! Sounds like your talking like I'm not around any longer!! Don't have dramas with either direction corners, hard braking etc. Sure the front gets a little flighty at times, but no more than when I had the use of both arms. Bikes generally want to go straight on, the only thing dfferent to my riding style to most riders is I use the 'push/pull' method for countersteering, whereas most of you will use either 'pull/pull' or 'push/push' or a combination of both. Riding again didn't happen over night though, it's been a hard path to get where I am today, but I was determined (and still am) to do the best I could.

Thanks for the comments guys, really appreciate it.

[NordieBoy]

Yes you are right, and jeez that's a old pic. Am i safe to say that back in the days bikes weren't as powerful as they are now hence not as fast as today's bikes therefore less lean angle and no knee down? :)

mynameis

You force me to upload this...

:D

[Toaster]

I'll have to give it a crack on the Boulevard then....

[The_Dover]

I'll have to give it a crack on the Boulevard then....

i dont think you'll earn much, even if you get both knees down

[MazTLR]

mynameis, yes old photo about 1979 my road bike Suzuki GS750 racing in production only had about 70hp on road tyres, which were crap compaired to todays sticky types, the bigger bikes had about 30hp more. But we had more trouble with the Yamaha's LC250, LC350 and RD400's overtaking us around the bends 2 or 3 at a time, then we would get them back down the straights, till the next bend all good fun, lots of swearing under the helmet.

[nadroj]

I wondered what my style was, so looking back at my old racing photo's found this one, Brands Hatch, paddock hill bend, first lap, I'm number 5. Notice know one has there knee down, and all the different styles, no knee sliders and armour padding then.

You the one holding the tail of the field up?

[MazTLR]

No not me, the races had 40 bikes on the grid plus 8 reserves to replace those who did not turn up, all races were off your bike and a push start, not nice pushing up hill if your bike was hard to start, but it made for good racing as the fast bikes might be at back. They should have kept it that way now instead of siting on the bike with engine running

[Kittyhawk]

Maybe try getting your knee down on a bucket racer, I tried one of those and got my knee down quite confidently. Even tho it was a small bike of 125cc or so, it was still a buzz.

That really brought up my confidence and now on my 600 I know a bit more about how far to lean her down and not feel so scared.

It's just practise where you feel comfortable, weather it be just leaning over, or sliding off and leaving half ya arse on the seat.

I find when I corner leaning off the bike is alot better. Perhaps try on a stretch of twisty road, and go back and fourth till you feel your confidence grow.

Have to agree with Death inc on this one.