View Full Version : Knee down
scracha
9th May 2007, 07:41
I know it's sad, I know it doesn't make you go any faster but getting my knee down is one of my "must do's before I die". The fact that I've been riding 14 years and now have a trackbike doesn't make this pill easier to swallow.
Help. Someone gimmie the learn.
HDTboy
9th May 2007, 07:42
Go faster and lean further, getting your weight off the seat will help too. Follow Avalon on the RG150
Put some new tyres on and it'll happen in the first session you get back on the track (Dunlop GPR A10)
scracha
9th May 2007, 07:52
Go faster and lean further, getting your weight off the seat will help too. Follow Avalon on the RG150
Avalon: - I tried. She was too quick, even when I asked her to slow down a bit for me on the straight bits I only managed to sniff her exhaust for about 2 laps.
Weight of Seat - I think I am...feels like all my weight is on the outer peg. Unfortunately my outside knee seems to go out further than my inside one.
Lean Further - I'll get new rubber first, the CBR's front keeps tucking under. Serves me right for ignoring your tyre changing advice and being a "tight Scotch git". My bloody feet keep touching down too.
I think my technique is completely wrong. Too many years of riding dual purpose bikes. I should have grabbed one of them guru bikers on Sunday and put a yellow bib on.
Keep your spine parallel with the bike and when you move, slide your pelvis and shoulder sideways, keeping your body in line. Currently, by swinging your arse around the tank, it automatically tucks the inside leg down and towards the bike, not out and toward the ground.
...and yeah, heaps more lean. Good racey tyres help if you haven't got some already. The boost to your confidence being on good tyres can be all that you need...
bugjuice
9th May 2007, 08:10
go faster and all that, what hdtboy said, but get the confidence of leaning heaps and trusting your bike and abilities. And what I found, is just stop trying. I tried for 2 years, I was getting faster and faster, but for the life of me couldn't get my knee down. I so decided to forget about it and just concentrate more on the corners and my lines. Then all of a sudden, I was getting my knee down everywhere..
next time you're at the track, just talk to some of the faster guys more about it, and watch other people and their lines
slinky
9th May 2007, 08:20
go faster and all that, what hdtboy said, but get the confidence of leaning heaps and trusting your bike and abilities. And what I found, is just stop trying. I tried for 2 years, I was getting faster and faster, but for the life of me couldn't get my knee down. I so decided to forget about it and just concentrate more on the corners and my lines. Then all of a sudden, I was getting my knee down everywhere..
next time you're at the track, just talk to some of the faster guys more about it, and watch other people and their lines
i 2nd the part about not trying, and just concentrating on corners and lines - eventually your gona start taking them faster, and you will be getting lower.
i aint got mine down either [i gave up after 2 sessions - not 2 years :p....kinda wasn't trying, but i was conscious about it...once i stopped thinking about it i had more fun anyway]
i kept scraping my toe sliders aswell..... gota get dem toes tucked in!
boostin
9th May 2007, 08:38
Also from what I have heard, a good suspension tune can go a long way to getting your knee closer to the ground.
Suspension setup may just tie in with higher speed, and confidence etc
CM2005
9th May 2007, 08:54
haha, i couldn't even folow avalon on my GP125 when she was on her XR100 at the buckets!! :0 get your ass off the seat? i've only done it 3 times. two i crashed and me knees touched the ground, the other time, i was right off, and almost off the edge of the tyre. your right, riding big dirt bikes doesn't help you get knee down!
sAsLEX
9th May 2007, 09:21
Latest superbike has bit in it about getting more lean......
Round the carpark is the way i learnt it.
But i cant do it nowdays as i wear big clodd-hopper steel caps which grind well before the bike is over.
Some day im gonna loose my little toe
HDTboy
9th May 2007, 10:13
For the record, it can be done on that bike. It's my old 400.
If you want to throw the lights and number plate back on it, we could go for a blast some time Steve
MOTOXXX
9th May 2007, 10:48
main thing is dont rush to get it down. Just keep trying slowly.
it will happen.
Kittyhawk
9th May 2007, 10:53
I could show you how its done, let me know and we can meet up as Im ment to be down your way catching up with Mental Trousers..
cowpoos
9th May 2007, 10:55
For the record, it can be done on that bike. It's my old 400.
If you want to throw the lights and number plate back on it, we could go for a blast some time Steve
infact...you lent that bike so hard mate...if I recall corectly...you got your knee down...followed by your shoulder..followed by your head...followed by the rest of your body!!! and it didn't take much skill at all!!! teheheheheheh!!!
Remember: It's nothing to do with speed mate - it's all in the steering.
I wrote some stuff about this about a year ago:
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=18611&highlight=sequel
Oh yeah, don't commit corner crime:
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=18719&page=2
...and keep it rubber side down. :niceone:
You do it like this: :D
But that bike's so bloody small, you can get your knee down with the thing bolt upright ;)
Get Shaun Harris to set your suspension up. Worked for me, worked for ArcherWC too.
But that bike's so bloody small, you can get your knee down with the thing bolt upright ;)
Get Shaun Harris to set your suspension up. Worked for me, worked for ArcherWC too.
its not that small.... your just too used to a thou.
main thing is dont rush to get it down. Just keep trying slowly.
not at all, I tried that approach, going round and round and round a roundabout all day and eventually got it down, best way is to just throw the bike into a corner at full lean, with your body position already correct for the corner and let the knee slam onto the floor and stay there :)
orange dog
9th May 2007, 17:01
Trust your tyres... that's one of the biggest hurdles to get past. Good tyres on a good surface will let you lean further than you think.
My first time on a track I decided to just lean it until I got the knee down or I low-sided (easy to do in full race leathers and someone else's bike).
Two hours late I looked down to see why I had a cold foot and discovered I had worn away: Knee slider, Toe slider and the side of my friggin boot, little pinki was getting some air time :shit:
Momentum
9th May 2007, 17:46
You do it like this: :D
well not really you want to get your knee down with out sticking it out from the bike
maybe abit more like this :P
http://multihull.photium.com/photo366325.html
one thing that helped me was not just hanging my ass off the seat you need to move your whole body. trying to kiss your mirror should help you get your head and the rest of your body in the right place
go faster and all that, what hdtboy said, but get the confidence of leaning heaps and trusting your bike and abilities. And what I found, is just stop trying. I tried for 2 years, I was getting faster and faster, but for the life of me couldn't get my knee down. I so decided to forget about it and just concentrate more on the corners and my lines. Then all of a sudden, I was getting my knee down everywhere..
next time you're at the track, just talk to some of the faster guys more about it, and watch other people and their lines
My first time cuaght me by surprise too. Caught me right out it did...I got a HUGE fright followed by running clean off my racing line with surprise, then followed by utter joy.
Just keep riding mate, and dont worry about getting your knee down...it isn't something to be done on the road anyway. Save it for a track. Get your speed up, work on line and lean angles...tyres will help a lot too. The current ones on my GSXR are marginal, and I sure noticed it at the last trackday...
Deviant Esq
9th May 2007, 23:03
Cool thread. :corn:
I've yet to get my knee down, which is why I take the knee sliders off my leathers, don't want to look like a poser :innocent:
Boots get a fair old scraping though. I agree with comments made about trusting your tyres, it's just a hard mental step to get over. Going round and round a roundabout to get your knee down is fun hehehe. The huge roundabout towards Mount Pleasant (where you can turn off to the Lyttleton tunnel) is great for that... not that I'd know... :whistle:
Fat Tony
9th May 2007, 23:21
I've yet to get my knee down
Shame the roads were so crap while you were over mate, otherwise we could have sorted that for you (2-up of course, no way you're taking my bike solo, lol)
Deviant Esq
9th May 2007, 23:25
Shame the roads were so crap while you were over mate, otherwise we could have sorted that for you (2-up of course, no way you're taking my bike solo, lol)
Get back to work Tony! :nya:
When you get to NZ for good you can come and do some track days with me. Won't that be fun... there's a "have a go day" this weekend at a track not far from Christchurch - $60 for the whole day. Nice price eh? ;) I'm thinking about a track day to practice cornering lines and the old getting the knee down thing. Might not be this weekend, but it definitely will happen! :D
Fat Tony
9th May 2007, 23:42
Get back to work Tony! :nya:
When you get to NZ for good you can come and do some track days with me. Won't that be fun... there's a "have a go day" this weekend at a track not far from Christchurch - $60 for the whole day. Nice price eh? ;) I'm thinking about a track day to practice cornering lines and the old getting the knee down thing. Might not be this weekend, but it definitely will happen! :D
$60? Jesus! I've just been looking at booking a day on Donington GP... the equivalent of $465 NZD for the day! Ouch!!
Do the trackday... concentrate on the lines... forget the kneedown until next time when you're happy you know the track ;)
$60? $60?? F**k!!
mikey
10th May 2007, 00:04
sucking a bit of cock every now an then makes it a lot easier to get your knee down.
also, try puttingf bumble bees in your tank.
and if your really keen take the shaun harris out to dinner ( waitara tavern0 and give the wee lepracaun a good rogering.
then youll be all set for your knee down VIRGIN IT Y CHERRYY RIPE BACKED BEANS HDFAGT BOY STYLKE KNEE DOWEN EXPERIENCEE
TygerTung
10th May 2007, 00:42
Put the balls of your feet on the pegs and shift your weight off the side of the bike and stick your knee right out.
You can stick it out really far and get it down when the bike isn't even very lent over and you're not even going very fast!
Blackbird
10th May 2007, 09:50
Have a look at this:
http://www.sasbk.co.za/kneedown6.jpg and http://www.sasbk.co.za/kneedown7.jpg
There are some good pictures with explanations
FROSTY
10th May 2007, 21:23
Mate relax enjoy ya riding--if ya do some club racing then eventually you'll get ya knee down. Theres heaps more important stuff to worry about.
If ya REALLY wanna get ya knee down collar one of the racer types and just follow/copy them --it willhappen as if majic.
boomer
10th May 2007, 21:31
lean more.. just a tad ** Edit, scratch that.. A LOT :p
get of the bike more
stick ya knee OUT! have a look at ya knee.. its facing forward.. shove it out
DONE !
then if ya tight Scottish fists will let ya.. buy some new rubber
Kittyhawk
10th May 2007, 22:13
Its like shaggin in a sideways position...:shutup:
Momentum
11th May 2007, 18:56
Its like shaggin in a sideways position...:shutup:
you must have a stange shagging position
Kittyhawk
11th May 2007, 21:28
you must have a stange shagging position
Lol....ever tried an adult swing? Now that's a strange position!
Momentum
11th May 2007, 21:34
Lol....ever tried an adult swing? Now that's a strange position!
cant say i have and by the sounds of it i dont want to :gob:
Kittyhawk
11th May 2007, 21:38
cant say i have and by the sounds of it i dont want to :gob:
I havent, and yes.....yes I want to lol:innocent:
DMNTD
11th May 2007, 21:52
As mentioned by another one or three...just ride ya bike man and enjoy it.
The time will come that it'll happen when it does.
I've been riding for many moons and can get along quicker than the average gimp and have never had my knee down...
I havent...
I have and it's freck'n awesome especially if you've exhausted all the boring "ways"
_Gina_
11th May 2007, 22:02
I haven't got my knee down either dude, it will happen though....
Just a question from looking at the pic you posted, have you tried sliding your knee down into the fairings with your arse cheek hanging off and then flicking your knee out slightly?
It worked for me to get the bike leant over further without actually having to conciously lean the bike....
Good Luck
G
The Pastor
11th May 2007, 22:30
getting your knee down is so you don't have to lean the bike as much right? So you can go around the corner faster?
The Pastor
11th May 2007, 22:32
and are you sussposed to put heaps of pressure on the out side peg? why/why not?
bugjuice
11th May 2007, 23:33
getting your knee down is so you don't have to lean the bike as much right? So you can go around the corner faster?
by shifting your weight to the inside of the bike, you allow a little more tyre contact and change the centre of gravity, which in turn allows you to corner quicker. However, just the act of shifting the weight, not getting your knee down required, allows you to pick up the speed. The knee-down is more of an indication to the rider, of how far down the bike is lent.
Some of the real trick bastards can save a front end slide with their knees down, but that's a new kettle of fish.
Best advice too; keep leaning. You won't crash unless you think it, so just lean the fuk outta it, and you'll be fine. The reason pegs move? cos they can be ground into the ground. tink bout ii
JayRacer37
11th May 2007, 23:44
I know it's sad, I know it doesn't make you go any faster but getting my knee down is one of my "must do's before I die". The fact that I've been riding 14 years and now have a trackbike doesn't make this pill easier to swallow.
Help. Someone gimmie the learn.
Yea you shoulda grabbed one of us sunday :D
think about moving your arse off more, and your shoulders less. make sure your toes are on pegs, not soles. think about pointing knee into the corner, following it with your hip, like rotating round the tank. make sure you have your weight foward, thinking about leading the bike with your shoulder, this will keep your weiht foward and help the bike track a better line and give it more grip, mke it more planted..
as other people have said, you CAN try to hard...remember to relax and always have fun too! itl come.....:yes:
Yeah exactly how Jay said he was the one who taught me how to lean a bike back in the old bucket days
I slide my ass half off the seat put knee out toes on peg weight on peg to push bike over, move my weightto where I want to be going look for where I want to go and then bam its sliding and Im on 3 year odl slicks I mean once you getused to it you know your doing it
THe first time is wierd tho the scrape and the noise it makes
JayRacer37
12th May 2007, 19:03
getting your knee down is so you don't have to lean the bike as much right? So you can go around the corner faster?
The actual knee sliding on the ground part is more an indicator of how far your leaning, and a last gasp dig-it-into-the -ground to try and save it when yu crash...the weight transfer of hanging off the bike is what keeps the bike a little more upright and increases the tyres contact patch. so hanging off to keep bike upright, sliding as a gauge of lean. :D
HDTboy
12th May 2007, 19:09
What would you know? My brothers' aunties' nephew reckons you're slow
Two Smoker
12th May 2007, 19:26
What would you know? My brothers' aunties' nephew reckons you're slow
Does that make us cousins??? Im the one that said Jay was slow... I heard he has taken on my pie diet and quickly catching up to my weight....
As Jay said, Getting your knee down does make you go faster, this is due to being able to gauge how far over you are leaning, and for the quick dig in to save the front (similar to the road riders foot stamp), I first got my knee down on the Rg150 by hanging off like the monkey that is Jay... More weight off means the bike is more upright, meaning you can lean it further/get on the gas earlier...
I learnt to do it by practicing on a single corner - 2 roads over from my house there is a perfect 90 degree corner with a 25kph sign, The idea is to hang off the bike so you can leave the bike standing straighter so theres more grip, but the weight of the rider allows the bike to keep the same line as if it was banked over more, bring your outside leg hard into the seat and have your ass barely on the edge of the seat, you want to hang sideways, not forward
Make sure your in the right gear to accelerate as you need to be accelerating while you hang off.
You will probably find it easier to get your left down first because your throttle arm will be ' open ' rather than cramped when you go right
If you have your knee out, and you are accelerating but still not touching, you can lean further. by the way - its amazing how much weight you can put on your knee to hold the bike up - as you accelerate she stands up
btw on that 25kph corner - im knee down at 40-50km's in 2nd
SHELRACING
8th June 2007, 09:28
I've bee riding for 30 years and never got near to putting a knee down, until I started racing buckets. Some important points
Have confidence in your tyres you"ll be surprised at what they can do, give them a good warm up. Always make sure your tyre pressures are correct.
Ride with the balls of your feet on the footpegs it's much easier to move around on the bike.
Prepare for the corner early, move across the seat so one cheek of your ass is hanging off.
Drop your shoulder into the corner don't over do it though you'll over steer.
Practice this at a steady pace before going hard out. It doesn't matter if you don't get the knee down straight away get the technique right
I can get my knee down on the VTR now, I'd never thought it possible a year ago.
Good Luck
Steve
PS This is the technique that works for me, if your not comfortable with it ease up. Wouldn't want you coming off your pride and joy !!
pritch
8th June 2007, 10:33
Most guys who try to get their knee down do it wrong, they slide their arse across the seat but they sort of swivel their hips and the body remains upright. The body should remain parallel to the bike as someone already said.
I recently saw the advice "kiss the mirror" to explain the correct head position. If you look at my avatar that should give you the idea, #46 has pretty much mastered this knee down stuff:yes:
Having said all that if I ever get my knee down I'll be in serious shit.:shit:
scracha
25th August 2007, 08:27
Still not much closer to touchdown
http://www.speedsport.co.nz/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=26&g2_itemId=4301
Sketchy_Racer
25th August 2007, 11:04
getting there though
Just a few more degrees of lean angle, and you'll be sorted
Sidewinder
25th August 2007, 11:19
I know it's sad, I know it doesn't make you go any faster but getting my knee down is one of my "must do's before I die". The fact that I've been riding 14 years and now have a trackbike doesn't make this pill easier to swallow.
Help. Someone gimmie the learn.
you dont have to be a knee scraping homo. um lean your knee foward and down. dont tri and be a bird and poke it out sideways,
ps dont get your knee down with jeans on or u will be as dumb as me lol
Sparky Bills
25th August 2007, 12:14
Relax and dont rush it.
Just focus on riding smooth and it will hit the deck.
Deano
25th August 2007, 12:31
Keep your spine parallel with the bike and when you move, slide your pelvis and shoulder sideways, keeping your body in line. Currently, by swinging your arse around the tank, it automatically tucks the inside leg down and towards the bike, not out and toward the ground.
...and yeah, heaps more lean. Good racey tyres help if you haven't got some already. The boost to your confidence being on good tyres can be all that you need...
go faster and all that, what hdtboy said, but get the confidence of leaning heaps and trusting your bike and abilities. And what I found, is just stop trying. I tried for 2 years, I was getting faster and faster, but for the life of me couldn't get my knee down. I so decided to forget about it and just concentrate more on the corners and my lines. Then all of a sudden, I was getting my knee down everywhere..
What these guys said.
HenryDorsetCase
25th August 2007, 13:51
Get back to work Tony! :nya:
When you get to NZ for good you can come and do some track days with me. Won't that be fun... there's a "have a go day" this weekend at a track not far from Christchurch - $60 for the whole day. Nice price eh? ;) I'm thinking about a track day to practice cornering lines and the old getting the knee down thing. Might not be this weekend, but it definitely will happen! :D
I am going to try to organise a mid week "test day" at the Puna in the next few weeks.... apparently you can get track time on an afternoon for reasonable money. Not sure of the ins and outs but I will look into it. And the HAGD next Sunday is worth a look for sure.
Deviant Esq
25th August 2007, 13:59
I am going to try to organise a mid week "test day" at the Puna in the next few weeks.... apparently you can get track time on an afternoon for reasonable money. Not sure of the ins and outs but I will look into it. And the HAGD next Sunday is worth a look for sure.
For sure - I'll be keen. Not too sure on when I'll be able to attend though, my fork seals are rooted and will need doing before I get on the track... as well as my rear wheel, which needs to be "trued". Waiting on parts at the moment, so the wheels are in motion at least. I think they do bike days out there fairly often, but I've never really looked into it - anyone know how much it costs, and when they do it?
Kickaha
25th August 2007, 18:24
I am going to try to organise a mid week "test day" at the Puna in the next few weeks.... apparently you can get track time on an afternoon for reasonable money.
easy peasy, rock on up and pay your money, Tuesdays and Fridays
http://www.canterburycarclub.co.nz/The%20Track/Track%20Hire.php
HenryDorsetCase
25th August 2007, 19:58
easy peasy, rock on up and pay your money, Tuesdays and Fridays
http://www.canterburycarclub.co.nz/The%20Track/Track%20Hire.php
thanks for that I will give them a call. hardest thing will be organising a half day off at present :(
Monsterbishi
25th August 2007, 20:25
I learned 'kneedown' by accident, when I first got my YZF750R, rode it for a few months, then switched back to the CBR250R for a while, found myself riding it like it was a scooter, had got so used to the way the bigger bike wallowed when I went back to the considerably lighter bike I pitched it much further over.
scracha
25th August 2007, 20:33
What these guys said.
By gawd that 400 can lean more than my mind can cope with though. Was bricking it and backing off before that left hander going on to the (new for me) full track section of Manfield and then one one lap I forgot about the whole left turn thing until the last minute so had to throw the f#cker down and it went round quite the thing (in fact, it changed direction too quickly and I had to push the other bar).
I used to deck the pegs/exhausts out regularly on my FZ400 on public roads when I were a lad (TDM850 too but it decked out dead early so doesn't count) so it's all in my head why the hell I can't bring myself to do it on a racetrack with kitty litter and very sticky tyres.
Just so impressed watching a certain squid on his 150 crank it waaaay over in the rain at every corner. Felt a bit better when his bike fell over in the pits. :buggerd:
Too many years riding $hite old bikes on square tyres I reckon. Maybe I should take up drag racing like all the other old farts.
scracha
2nd November 2007, 08:37
I did it yesterday...it's only taken 15 years :banana:. Start of the day at Taupo a wee chirp on the left hand (wasn't sure if it was my knee or the top of boot). Early afternoon and Toast was giving me the learn (by Jeevus he can turn in quick) and heard the lovely scrawping noise of my right kneeslider touching town. He then gapped about 3s as I hit a fit of giggles inside my helmet. Good times and that Ducati does obscene lean angles as I wasn't throwing my knee out. I think I'm still all wrong with left handers though...my right foot(yes you read that correctly) kept coming off the peg on the fast left hander (T8?) at Taupo.
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