Forget knee downs - got my toe down!

[discotex]

hmmm werid one person saying lean off one saying get on the balls of your feet... doesn't one just help the other? and moving your feet for the corner then back down on the straight isnt that hard. If your saying hang off more isnt that alot more movement then just moving your feet? and no point in just moving your feet and not changing your body position.

but dont mind me im tired 1/2 drunk and bored and only skim read this thread

yeah dude of course they're different things. Moving your body is about moving your weight so you can corner with less lean angle.

Moving your feet is so you have better control of the bike (and as a side effect your feet are further from the ground).

This is exemplary, he is even counter steering nicely.

While it is turning the handlebars in the opposite direction that is *not* countersteering as the term is used on bikes. You don't actively countersteer into a power slide on a bike or you'll crash - the back coming around does it for you.

[blackstars_10]

haha fair enough, in that pic not so much. Its a bit more obvious when you watch old videos of it. Pictures don't show the whole story.

I was more getting at how riding style(and body position) has changed over time. And i don't think anyone will argue with that.

[Maki]

yeah dude of course they're different things. Moving your body is about moving your weight so you can corner with less lean angle.

Moving your feet is so you have better control of the bike (and as a side effect your feet are further from the ground).



While it is turning the handlebars in the opposite direction that is *not* countersteering as the term is used on bikes. You don't actively countersteer into a power slide on a bike or you'll crash - the back coming around does it for you.

That was a bit "tongue in cheek"... It is counter steering, just not the every day bread and butter kind.

[Maki]

haha fair enough, in that pic not so much. Its a bit more obvious when you watch old videos of it. Pictures don't show the whole story.

I was more getting at how riding style(and body position) has changed over time. And i don't think anyone will argue with that.

Agreed. Like most things it has evolved and improved over time.

[StoneY]

same here, trip took longer though cos I had to go back and pick it up

Best post of the thread

Public road...knee down...dont sell that 250 dude....ever

[discotex]

That was a bit "tongue in cheek"... It is counter steering, just not the every day bread and butter kind.

Yeah technically it is but it's a fringe case the average rider will never encounter and definitely doesn't require rider input... Loads of newbies struggle to get to grips with what countersteering means so had to make the distinction so they don't get all confused

[IdunBrokdItAgin]

Ok, thank you all for the tips and pointers (and especially the pics Maki they were very helpfull).

So, what I've taken from this is:

• Make sure that my feet are not pointing outwards (duck feet).
• I don't think I'll use the balls of my feet on the pegs for now (but may try this on a trackday - if I ever get round to doing one).
• Leaning is not just as simple as thorwing your body over one side of the bike. There are a lot of different ways to lean. The Hagi example seems to have the whole body to the left slightly rather than the bottom half with the top half scrambling back over the bike (the next pic after the hagi one).

All good. I think I will try it slowly for now and hopefully it will feel a bit more natural.

Cheers

[bogan]

sounds like a good plan, also, concentrate on good technique rather than the speed, speed comes from good technique, not the other way round!

[koba]

Ok[*]I don't think I'll use the balls of my feet on the pegs for now (but may try this on a trackday - if I ever get round to doing one).

Make it happen, So many people put it off and then kick themselves for not trying it earlier.

[discotex]

[*]Leaning is not just as simple as thorwing your body over one side of the bike.

Use this simple tip - try to kiss the wing mirror on the side you're turning to.

Don't worry about moving your butt around as your upper body and head make the most difference.

[Morcs]

Toe-down means poor cornering body position. Noob.

[IdunBrokdItAgin]

Toe-down means poor cornering body position. Noob.

Cor, wow, really?. Didn't bother to read the rest of the posts in the thread did ya?

And there was a reason I posted it in the 250 forum - because I am a noob but thanks for pointing that out as well.

[blackstars_10]

Cor, wow, really?. Didn't bother to read the rest of the posts in the thread did ya?

And there was a reason I posted it in the 250 forum - because I am a noob but thanks for pointing that out as well.

don't worry wild_weston
If morcs profile pic is of him, then he could learn a thing or two about body position aswell. Instead of just ripping on ya

[cheesemethod]

When I started using the balls of my feet rather than arches or heels, I was quite surprised at how much of a difference it made. I can't explain how it works at all, but it just felt more stable in corners.

Also I don't think it takes any longer to move your foot forward onto the brake than it does to get your fingers off the throttle and around the front brake. If you get the height of the brake lever set right it's just a matter of sliding your foot forward a few inches. If you have to lift your foot to get onto the brake you need to adjust the lever down.

[xr-rider]

I've got dainty little size tens.

So, leaning off the bike is to gain a sharper turn angle instead of (or in addition to) bike lean. Is that right?

Also, any tips for practicing hanging off the side? It's just not a natural thing to my mind (bit like counter-steering wasn't) - what's a good way to practice without too much risk of cocking it up?

just go to a track day. hang off a little more each time, relax and trust your tires