the secret to getting your knee down safely

[Smudge]

ive seen lots of bikers trying to get there knee down just by sticking it out whilst cornering, and most of them slide right off the road but if you want to do it safely get your **** over and just have the opposite cheek and leg on the seat, cos the more you put of yourself off the bike and in the corner the less your bike has to lean and the less likely you are to slip off the road:smt051

[Dan]

Or ride on the track.

[stuartyboy]

That's not a secret but there's a lot more to it than getting your **** off the seat.

And it should be left for the track IMO

[kwak zzr]

That's not a secret but there's a lot more to it than getting your **** off the seat.

And it should be left for the track IMO

stuartboy is right its not a secret but i find it ok on the road as long as theres no cars about:) keeping the bike in a more upright position is the idea;) then theres more tyre on the road.

[MeridiaNx]

Practice makes perfect I think. When I first started trying I was horrendously unstable, the action I was making, including all the tips I'd read, because it wasn't coming naturally. The movements I was making were interfering with the bike's cornering ability and as a result it felt really hairy/dodgy. I really was hanging 'off' a bike that was trying to do something else.

For some reason when I kept trying it suddenly clicked and I found that there was a position I could get to that wasn't extreme, and in fact it felt a very comfortable, natural position to be in. Perhaps the most useful tip I put into practice was leading with the inside shoulder and dropping body and head as though looking in the mirror.

Only got my knee down once so far (a year ago with only jeans on, very stupid I know but the elation might have been worth it), even though I can get over far enough to do it now but I can't go all the way as I don't have any sliders on my leathers :mad:. Still get it wrong sometimes but I think it's about finding that eureka moment where you get your balance all right and it feels comfortable.

[DanAbnormal]

Yep, no real secret other than hanging off like a wally and getting your speed up. Oh and practice. Looks good, feels good. :cool:

Why do it on track when you can do it on the road for free! Besides, how many tracks have roundabouts!?

[Stu]

Looks good, feels good. :cool: .
with only jeans on, .
:shock: S&M Whatever turns you on I guess :???:

[MeridiaNx]

:shock: S&M Whatever turns you on I guess :???:

Hehe, yeah I was a tit. Was out on a brief 15 min ride and found a deserted little roundabout, brand new tarmac in the heght of summer (remember that?). Decided to do a few laps to try leaning off and did it well enough that there was a brief touch and a hole in my jeans :rolleyes:

[kwak zzr]

Yep, no real secret other than hanging off like a wally and getting your speed up. Oh and practice. Looks good, feels good. :cool:

Why do it on track when you can do it on the road for free! Besides, how many tracks have roundabouts!?

:winner:

[stuartyboy]

Why do it on track when you can do it on the road for free!

I'm not against it on the road - just think it's less safe if you don't know what you're doing or know the road well. All too easy to catch a pothole. Ouch!

[DanAbnormal]

I'm not against it on the road - just think it's less safe if you don't know what you're doing or know the road well. All too easy to catch a pothole. Ouch!

Now that I 100% agree with.

[RhythmJunkie]

keeping the bike in a more upright position is the idea then theres more tyre on the road.


Doesn't that depend on how hard you are pushing dude? I mean, I take the rubber to the edge but the tyres are designed to put the same amount of rubber down when cornering (if not slightly more) so you don't go slidey! The track guys are trying to get the absolute maximum speed and therefore the last 'degree?', of grip so they are forced to hang off, otherwise they literally run out of rubber!
I see riders hanging off but I take the same bend without hanging off with a pillion while catching them up. Sometimes its just showmanship......"can look cool if done correctly though!" ;)

[kwak zzr]

I take the same bend without hanging off with a pillion while catching them up. Sometimes its just showmanship......"can look cool if done correctly though!" ;)

i must agree, i'm faster without the knee down stuff, does look good tho;)

[DanAbnormal]

i must agree, i'm faster without the knee down stuff, does look good tho;)

On long bends I am much faster when hanging off. Roundabouts are just for sparkyfun though!

[kwak zzr]

my knee down sillys are only happening on roundabouts at mo. on long bends you have to transfer a certain amount of weight on the sv1000 or you end up going straight on:)

[Smudge]

wont be getting it down for a while im gonna be scratching in some Z6's

[stuartyboy]

my knee down sillys are only happening on roundabouts at mo. on long bends you have to transfer a certain amount of weight on the sv1000 or you end up going straight on:)

You should come up to knockhill mate and play on the hairpin. You'll get the KD without thinking about it.

[kwak zzr]

i really really really want to do a track day just dont seem to get the time, and my riding buddy needs a leather jacket to go on a track.

[lukemillar]

Why do it on track when you can do it on the road for free! Besides, how many tracks have roundabouts!?

Easy. Doing it on the road i.e riding round and round a roundabout at 30mph, isn't impressive, whereas doing it on the track because you are going that quick that you need to, is!

keeping the bike in a more upright position is the idea;) then theres more tyre on the road.

It's not that there is more rubber on the road, but more to do with the reduced lateral force acting upon the tyres when you are keeping the bike more upright rather than leaning it right over.

[northwind]

Knee extensions. Chewy22 makes them. Get your knee down like a pro, even on straights.

[stuartyboy]

Get your knee down like a pro, even on straights.
lol

:winner:

[RhythmJunkie]

It's not that there is more rubber on the road, but more to do with the reduced lateral force acting upon the tyres when you are keeping the bike more upright rather than leaning it right over.

Oooh! Look what I found! :D

http://www.horsepowergeek.com/forum/index.php?action=recent;start=10

[Stu]

Oooh! Look what I found! :D

http://www.horsepowergeek.com/forum/index.php?action=recent;start=10
And what is that trying to prove?
a) that the contact patch is not the same when you lean a bike?
or b) that the lateral forces are not less if you hang off a bike?

Lowering the C of G doesn't mean that the lateral forces are not reduced.

Stop trying to blind us with science. Northwind has already answered this thread definitevely. Now I just need to find the part number...

[Blue_SV650S]

It's not that there is more rubber on the road, but more to do with the reduced lateral force acting upon the tyres when you are keeping the bike more upright rather than leaning it right over.

It is even more complex than that still ;) … there is a sweetspot between lateral forces, ‘contact patch’, rotational force (power) and downward force … if you can increase downward force, you can increase lateral force or rotational force before it ‘sheers’ … hence trying to get the weight rearwards on corner exit and the bike sat up a bit …

Its all clever stuff when you think about it!! :D

But nothing is a ‘secret’ :D … a mystery to some maybe, secret, no!! ;)

I like it when you get the lean angle meters on TV when watching MotoGP …. Way 8)

[kwak zzr]

hoppers lean angles are just class:)

[stuartyboy]

Oooh! Look what I found! :D

http://www.horsepowergeek.com/forum/index.php?action=recent;start=10


Gulp!

[SVStu]

If you're gonna do it on the road be aware that any more than 3 times round a roundabout and the law takes a very dim view, also knee down can be interpreted by some officers as riding without being in full control of vehicle.

See you at the local industrial estate of an evening practicing :cool:

[RhythmJunkie]

And what is that trying to prove? Uh? You didn't read it?
a) that the contact patch is not the same when you lean a bike?Obvious?
or b) that the lateral forces are not less if you hang off a bike?True...so?

Lowering the C of G doesn't mean that the lateral forces are not reduced.Double Uh?

Stop trying to blind us with scienceI'm not...but it looks like someone else is doing a pretty good job!

:rolleyes:

[Blue_SV650S]

If you're gonna do it on the road be aware that any more than 3 times round a roundabout and the law takes a very dim view, also knee down can be interpreted by some officers as riding without being in full control of vehicle.

See you at the local industrial estate of an evening practicing :cool:

Kneedown IS illegal on the road. The charge is 'due care' IIRC.

And yep 3 times round a roundabout ... nothing stopping you from doing 3 twists then riding off and coming back again though!! :D

Lets face it, if you are attempting KD and a copper shows, its not like you will keep trying to do it in his presence!! :D So I can only really see the former ever being a problem.

It makes sense doing it at a deserted roudabout anyway ... if there is a flow of traffic, it'd probably be wise to move on ;)

[thedonal]

Damn right there- I've had someone nearly start in front of me while I was on a roundabout increaswing my lean angle (don't have the legwear for kneedown- if I did it currently, I'd not have any legwear- or knee, probably!).

Made me think very carefully about the roundabouts I use for this and time of day!!!

Anyway- if the rozzers get you, you could always argue that you were ensuring that you keep the tyres round by using the sides of them- makes cornering safer etc!

[rigor]

Pah, knee down is so 80's! Elbow down is the new knee down :D

http://www.mcnews.com.au/MotorcycleRacing2007/MotoGP/Rnd7_Catalunya/Gallery_B/images/Hopkins_07GP07_0967_AN.jpg

[Blue_SV650S]

hopkins pic

I love Hopkins riding style!! 8)

Watching him in action with a 'seat hump' tail view onboard camera is a marvel!! He is literally FULLY off the bike!! He is well 8)

[kwak zzr]

he is class and just look at the lean angle of that suzi:)

[RhythmJunkie]

If he leans any further the brake discs will be sparking!