To hang your ass off your seat or not?

**mynameis** · 30th August 2006, 10:11

Originally Posted by Lou Girardin

What it does do, is place you in the wrong position should you need to take evasive action mid-corner. Racers do it because they know every corner that's coming up and position themselves accordingly. If little Sebastian runs out in front of you when you're hanging off the left of the bike and you need to veer right, you and he are in deep shit.

Cheers Lou you're right when I go out on the roads I ride often I get into this a bit more, because I know all the corners pretty well. A very good valid point as I now realise that when doing this on familiar roads you kinda tend to prepare yourself for the corner and it does take way longer to get out of it compared to not doing it. I guess it's not going to be beneficial in sticky situations

Originally Posted by beyond

It is also beneficial to get your arse off the seat in the wet. This means the bike stays more upright for the same cornering speed and means less chance of a sideways slideout.

Originally Posted by Quasievil

Point is relax focus on power, brakes and lines and smoothness, then it will come to you, If you try It probably wont happen, or you will look like a Knee poser (you will look dum).

Thanx Quasi, Beyond and Frosty. I'll mention what my main concerns are. Been riding for about 9 months now. Not a complete noob as I can now pull little wheelies as well

Anywayz not going off topic. About 6 months ago my strips were about 35 mm and I worked hard on it to get it down to 25 mm and it's about 18 to 20 mm now bearing in mind I am 6'3 and 100 kg's and probably too big for a ZXR 250.

But in the last few months I just haven't been able to make any progress at all in terms of leaning and taking corners faster which is kinda frustrating me a little bit hence I guess I've been trying all sorts of silly things and as highlighted, unnecessary and perhaps wrong practice method.

It's not fun when you can't push yourself further and lately I've been thinking of giving it a go on tracks to see if that makes any difference. Perhaps it's my riding or something which I am not doing right that I can't make progress. Or maybe it will come with time and experience.

**mynameis** · 30th August 2006, 10:26

Originally Posted by roogazza

I often wonder what guys think while they are trying to hang off and an old fart on a Bandit slips by and disappears !!!! ????
Why even bother trying to smash your knee into the road, I should imagine it would hurt ? G.

Shuush you !! Don't you know you're not allowed to say this in my thread? You must have been that old fart which went past me the other day on SH 17 when I was trying hard hanging my ass and knee out aye? Bugger!! Lol ehehe .. nah that was just more horsepower mate

ehehe cough cough !!

Originally Posted by R6_kid

Watch me when you come out for a ride next week dude. The physics of it mean that having your weight inboard does make the bike slightly more stable, and in some cases it makes it turn the same radius corner with less lean (talking like 2-3deg).

The most beneficial things i've found for high speed riding are weight over the forks as much as possible (get it forward and low), and leaning into the corner, looking for the exit, but not with my knee out.

Agreed but I've only ever experienced that once which was a long 3 hours ride from Mt Manganui to Auckland. I think I did pretty well on that though. I did have my head low and my weight forward. Hmmm ..

maybe I should just go offline now and give the damn thing a go. 0oh opps no helmet .. lol ..

**Pwalo** · 30th August 2006, 10:28

[
Pwalo - I agree with you there but perhaps I wasn't clear in my initial post, I don't really stick my ass out completely all the time but I tend to do it often now. With the subject of counter steering which I know has been raised on KB a million times but doesn't that happen naturally and sub consciously without you realising it most of the times?[/QUOTE]

Indeed it does, which is why I mentioned dropping your shoulder into the corner. This sets you up to use counter steering, and should get you set up to be looking through the corner.

I probably shouild have repeated the first rule of riding - LOOK WHERE YOU ARE GOING

**Deano** · 30th August 2006, 10:40

I never had my knee down (road or track) until I got some leathers with knee sliders. Now it just happens sometimes.......without really trying.

It is a good guage for how far I am leaning and inspires confidence IMO.

**terbang** · 30th August 2006, 10:47

I remember following a bloke on a Gixxer.????? on a coro loop when I had my bandit and he was climbing all over the place sticking his arse and all out into the breeze. Looked real impressive but didn't make him corner any faster than me on an old shitter. Couldn't see why he bothered apart from practising his track skills. Sometimes I shift myself into the corner a bit, especially on my old 1100 as it has a ground clearance problem or when on a wet road but mainly I keep my ass in the seat and if anything, just shift my shoulder into the turn. But I don't ride on a race track.

**sAsLEX** · 30th August 2006, 10:57

One thing I didnt see in the guys initial post that both Quasi and Frosty latched on to was his want to get his knee down.

Instead he was refferring to shifting his weight about something you can do at any speed and simply adjust for the conditions, hell we all do it putting more weight on one peg etc coming in to a corner in town or dragging a knee through a hairpin its all about the situation!

Originally Posted by terbang

I remember following a bloke on a Gixxer.????? on a coro loop when I had my bandit and he was climbing all over the place sticking his arse and all out into the breeze. Looked real impressive but didn't make him corner any faster than me on an old shitter. Couldn't see why he bothered apart from practising his track skills. Sometimes I shift myself into the corner a bit, especially on my old 1100 as it has a ground clearance problem or when on a wet road but mainly I keep my ass in the seat and if anything, just shift my shoulder into the turn. But I don't ride on a race track.

One of the more important things in riding especially on the road is to do what you feel comfortable with, if you like moving move if you like sitting planted on the seat do that, no one should really be judging you if you are safe. Who gives two shits if you look like a right knob if that is what you are comfortable doing then that puts you in the right frame of mind in my opinion.

**Quasievil** · 30th August 2006, 10:57

Get a copy of twist of the wrist, very helpful

**mynameis** · 30th August 2006, 11:25

Originally Posted by Quasievil

Get a copy of twist of the wrist, very helpful

Um sorry dumb question but is that a book or DVD ?

And what is it all about?

**Big Dave** · 30th August 2006, 11:31

Originally Posted by Deano

I never had my knee down (road or track) until I got some leathers with knee sliders. Now it just happens sometimes.......without really trying.

It is a good guage for how far I am leaning and inspires confidence IMO.

Mate - if you are getting a knee down regularly on the completely untrustworthy NZ public roads you are heading for trouble.
They will betray you before too long.
Save that stuff for the track and controlled situations or consult the Orthopaedic dept of Wellington hospital and make sure the have a good supply of Femoral nails, pins and plates in stock.

**Quasievil** · 30th August 2006, 11:56

Originally Posted by mynameis

Um sorry dumb question but is that a book or DVD ?

And what is it all about?

Well I got the book, Im unsure if there is a dvd, it is worth the read and it explains a great deal about information you should know, you can then practice the advise and you WILL become a better rider.
By the way , good on you for asking some questions dude

**Nutter34** · 30th August 2006, 11:58

Keep your arms bent at the elbows. It sounds simple enough but it makes quite a difference. More often than not, by sliding off the seat and leaning off, you arms would be more bent than if you were sitting on the bike. It could be this little bit of difference which changes the perception of corner speed comfort.
For years I rode sports bikes and I just couldn't corner without shifting around on the seat. The impression of lots of weight on my wrists just never gave me confidence. By shifting on the seat, my elbows automatically bent more, which changed the dynamics of what my body was doing.

I'll admit, since getting a naked bike, it's become more clear and I hardly ever shift around on the seat now, except when I really try hard...

Not saying this is the case but in my opinion, it's more comfortable sitting upright and begging when it comes to cornering, riding position-wise....

**Fishy** · 30th August 2006, 12:26

Originally Posted by Big Dave

make sure the have a good supply of Femoral nails, pins and plates in stock.

I have a few of these on my shelf at home to remind me not to ride anywhere near South Korean drivers here on an international licence that can't read our road signs.

**Big Dave** · 30th August 2006, 12:52

Originally Posted by Fishslayer

I have a few of these on my shelf at home to remind me not to ride anywhere near South Korean drivers here on an international licence that can't read our road signs.

Thanks for not quoting 'Orthopaedic'
which I have corrected.

**pritch** · 30th August 2006, 12:56

There are already some good replies here but if I may add a couple of points:

Emulating Rossi and sliding yer arse all over the place in town will posssibly gather the unwanted attention of a tax gatherer.

Basically the only time moving that much weight inboard will help you, is when you are already at the point where something would be scraping if you weren't.

OK you have to practice, but routinely riding in the last small percentage of the adhesion envelope on public roads is not the way to reach old age Grasshopper...