Knee-down trainer frame?

**CookMySock** · 23rd November 2009, 03:46

Any suggestions on making a "knee-down trainer frame" ?

The idea is to weld together some sort of frame and attach it to the footpegs or wherever, so as to support the bike and rider laid over doing circles with their knee on the ground to build their confidence and set their posture when doing the same thing for real. I'll probably put it on the Hyo Comet 250, as its a cheapie and not too catastrophic to drop.

Doesn't have to be as elaborate is this, but same idea ;

Steve

**Highlander** · 23rd November 2009, 04:13

I must have missed something. I don't understand the whole fascination you guys seem to have with getting your knee down.

**CookMySock** · 23rd November 2009, 05:00

Perhaps you didnt notice, but this is the mechanics forum, and not rant and rave or PD.

There is no "fascination." The issue is, riders new and old alike, are completely unaware of "how it feels" to corner a bike fully, and thus have this unresolved fear of ever leaning a bike past their comfort levels. This does them a huge disservice, as in an emergency (and many other times), they are unlikely to corner the bike to its' full potential and saving their own miserable lives.

The whole point is to support the rider past this stage, so they can use whatever angle of lean they choose at their whim, rather than just being a product of their fears and beliefs.

All this should have been taken-as-read from my first post, but for your benefit and others, heres the long explanation.

Mechanical stuff please, or start your own thread in rant and rave.

Steve

**YellowDog** · 23rd November 2009, 05:13

Maybe the ones with really "miserable lives." don't want to be saved

The contraption looks interesting. I wonder what kind of speed it would support. A You-Tube thingy would be good. I guess it is there for support only, but if you really screwed things up you would end up wearing it.

Neat idea.

**Highlander** · 23rd November 2009, 05:13

Originally Posted by DangerousBastard

Perhaps you didnt notice, but this is the mechanics forum, and not rant and rave or PD.

Quite right I didn't notice where this thread was. But now that I'm here....

Originally Posted by DangerousBastard

There is no "fascination." The issue is, riders new and old alike, are completely unaware of "how it feels" to corner a bike fully, and thus have this unresolved fear of ever leaning a bike past their comfort levels. This does them a huge disservice, as in an emergency (and many other times), they are unlikely to corner the bike to its' full potential and saving their own miserable lives.

The whole point is to support the rider past this stage, so they can use whatever angle of lean they choose at their whim, rather than just being a product of their fears and beliefs. .

Would putting the bike into a frame to support it when tipped over that far really give me the confidence to tip it that far when not in the frame?

**koba** · 23rd November 2009, 06:10

Why?

Sounds like you are overthinking the "problem".

My mechanical solution is a CB125 single in a clean carpark, if someone can't get their knee down after a day of trying on one of these they are probably always going to have problems with it.

**Quasievil** · 23rd November 2009, 06:37

I seen some stoopid shit but that takes the cake.

if you need that fucking thing get off ya bike and buy a car, get half your arse of the seat and lean the bike, job done.

**White trash** · 23rd November 2009, 07:02

Originally Posted by Quasievil

I seen some stoopid shit but that takes the cake.

if you need that fucking thing get off ya bike and buy a car, get half your arse of the seat and lean the bike, job done.

I'm in agreement.

When you're ready to get your knee down, and it becomes neccessity, you'll be able to do it. If not, there's no point.

**StoneY** · 23rd November 2009, 07:10

Looks like the Chuck Norris Patented Strething assistant

Back in the day a guy brought one along to the club, telling us all we needed one too...instructor sat on his shoulders for 3 sessions, no need for gizmo!

**R6_kid:Me** · 23rd November 2009, 07:12

Grow some balls... 'Knee down' happens when it happens, though I've heard that wearing white boots increases your chances and 'style' ten fold.

I think that frame you've posted isn't for 'knee down' but for practicing sliding the rear.

**Tony.OK** · 23rd November 2009, 07:16

Originally Posted by Quasievil

I seen some stoopid shit but that takes the cake.

if you need that fucking thing get off ya bike and buy a car, get half your arse of the seat and lean the bike, job done.

I'm pretty sure that thing is from the Californian SBK school, and its more for learning to control powerslides.

**rwh** · 23rd November 2009, 07:20

Originally Posted by DangerousBastard

There is no "fascination." The issue is, riders new and old alike, are completely unaware of "how it feels" to corner a bike fully, and thus have this unresolved fear of ever leaning a bike past their comfort levels.

I've never done it (I touched my toe down once), but "how it feels" isn't going to be remotely the same between this and the real thing - the forces will be all out of balance, so you'd be hanging on to the bars to hold yourself up.

Richard

**Usarka** · 23rd November 2009, 07:23

Can someone build me a frame on wheels to hold my front wheel up? I want to practice wheelies but I'm too noob.

**paddy** · 23rd November 2009, 07:35

In defence of "The Contraption" I use about the middle 2" of my tyres. I slowly becoming more confident leaning the bike over but I doubt I will ever lean the bike THAT far (I just don't ride that aggressively). So from a purely academic perspective it would interest me to ride it although I doubt I would learn anything much from it.

A couple of thoughts - I would think a simple pyramid shape (with a wheel on the end) sticking out of the bike would do it.

I'd be interesting to know how it behaved compared to a "real" bike as it would keep tire on the ground beyond the point where you would normally have lowsided. I don't know how you would simulate that for except perhaps to set it high enough so that it only touches down beyond the lowside threshold. But then that threshold varies with speed. I can also imagine that, in that scenario, the jolt when it catches you would be enough to throw you off. I wonder if that's why the one in the picture has hydraulics? Maybe there is a clever brain in it?

As for the carpark idea. If there were a clean flat carpark with a bike that could be dropped and helmet/codura/whatever supplied, I would definitely try that (in the context of a riding course). I wonder if a better project would be to figure out how protected you could make a GN125. No lights, oggy knobs, crash bars, bark busters....