Getting your knee down

[Pope]

How did I know that you would post up the clip where I had METAL sliders and not plastic ones on for the first time....

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

you'll be telling us it's your first time on rubber tyres next 

   Just yanking ya chain

[UK Bike Forum Member]

The majority of riders I see climbing about trying to get their knee down are hardly leaning the bike at all ,  the style does seem to help with some bikes though (big jap fours in my experience) its pretty much a track technique IMO, the "system" style of riding is generally the best way to make progress on the road IMO
 right off to the garage to rough up my knee sliders with a belt sander 

Stewart

[UK Bike Forum Member]

im happy to wear virgin knee sliders, it will make it even more satisfying when they finally become scrubbed - probably with the rest of me leathers and bike at 100mph into a bush

[UK Bike Forum Member]

Nearly-down is the new knee-down 

[UK Bike Forum Member]

I remember reading an article in a bike mag a couple of years ago when this question was asked and if I remember right top riders use their knee as a guide to how far they have left and as a way of keeping the bike from low siding. As the picture show Lorenzo and Rossi don't have their knees down, just hovering, and if you watch the MotoGP boys closely you'll see their goes down and they immediately lift it to the hovering position. Also if you think about it getting your knee down causes drag (however small). I think they hang of to help with shifting their weight around in order to keep as much rubber down as possible. I honestly cannot see how getting your knee down on British roads can help with speed, although I can see how it helps you bin it though!  I'd concentrate on how to keep safe on the road while still enjoying yourself and keep those shenanigans for track days  Saying that being behind someone with their knee down does look kinda cool 

[Pope]

But who took you down to Cleppa so you could refine and hone your technique on the SV1000???

Here's a clip of Felix "refining" his technique 

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

(ignore the propoganda at the start)

Just reading this thread again.  Still makes me laugh watching BigJ in this vid 

The only time i've ever seen a knee slider smoking! 

[youtube]LgNhuc2g1ms[/youtube]

[UK Bike Forum Member]

But who took you down to Cleppa so you could refine and hone your technique on the SV1000???

Here's a clip of Felix "refining" his technique 

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

(ignore the propoganda at the start)

Just reading this thread again.  Still makes me laugh watching BigJ in this vid 

The only time i've ever seen a knee slider smoking! 

[youtube]LgNhuc2g1ms[/youtube]

Just a thought, who is/was felix/ The fella on the Hayabusa?

[UK Bike Forum Member]

IMHO I don't think dragging your knee makes you any quicker although it does look as cool as fook.

When I first got mine down I had been reading EVERYTHING in ALL the mags mcn etc and trying my heart out and when I finally got it down I lifted my knee and thought "what the fuck was that", never realised the sound or the feel that it would make.

A m8 of mine actually passed me on the outside of a bend when I was dragging my knee so I really don't think it makes you quicker.

Also a lot of people think you need to be going seriously fast to drag your knee...............nope.......a few MPH on your favourite roundabout, maybe 10-15mph.
Also the problem with sliders is there aren't many left hand bends so getting the left one down is harder cos it don't feel natural, and anyway who wants to walk around with one slider torn and one virgin.

What WILL make you quicker is countersteering, i.e. pushing the inside bar when your cornering, try it, it actually tightens your line.
If you think you're running out of road, then push the inside bar and watch your bike go further over than you ever though possible, and we all do it to a certain degree without even thinking about it.

[UK Bike Forum Member]

The majority of riders I see climbing about trying to get their knee down are hardly leaning the bike at all , 

Stewart

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Correct me if I'm wrong. The general idea of hanging off the bike is to keep the bike more upright in a corner...

[UK Bike Forum Member]

I totally agree with exuptoy regarding countersteering.

[UK Bike Forum Member]

The majority of riders I see climbing about trying to get their knee down are hardly leaning the bike at all , 

Stewart

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Correct me if I'm wrong. The general idea of hanging off the bike is to keep the bike more upright in a corner...

  What fuzzrr said the hole point in hanging off is to keep the bike more upright and use your weight to drag the bike around a corner i think MCN once did a video on how to get your knee down and thats how they explained it. Ive only ever got the right knee down but was grinning for days 

[UK Bike Forum Member]

Knee down is the by product of speed, lean angle and correct body position. The act of you knee touching the floor doesn't automatically make you 10mph faster, that would defy the laws of physics 

The only use for it is to gauge your lean angle and if you are super gifted or extremely lucky you may be able to save a low side.

Even on the track, there are plenty of very quick people out there not getting their knee down as often as you think. Usually because they are focused on achieving the correct line through the corners for the quickest lap times. The less time the bike is leant over, the more time you can be on the power.

Whereas there are lots of riders getting their knee down because they are sacrificing the fastest lines for more sweeping lines, just so that their knee can touch down for longer.

I'm just as guilty of this as anyone, just because it's fooking great fun , but be under no illusion that when you are prioritising on scraping your fresh virgin slider, there is usually someone trying to go around the outside of you with their knee off the deck on the quicker line.

[UK Bike Forum Member]

Knee down is the by product of speed, lean angle and correct body position. The act of you knee touching the floor doesn't automatically make you 10mph faster, that would defy the laws of physics 

The only use for it is to gauge your lean angle and if you are super gifted or extremely lucky you may be able to save a low side.

Even on the track, there are plenty of very quick people out there not getting their knee down as often as you think. Usually because they are focused on achieving the correct line through the corners for the quickest lap times. The less time the bike is leant over, the more time you can be on the power.

Whereas there are lots of riders getting their knee down because they are sacrificing the fastest lines for more sweeping lines, just so that their knee can touch down for longer.

I'm just as guilty of this as anyone, just because it's fooking great fun , but be under no illusion that when you are prioritising on scraping your fresh virgin slider, there is usually someone trying to go around the outside of you with their knee off the deck on the quicker line.

 

Bang on there.

Yes I get my knee down. But most of the time its just for a bit of fun, and to hear that satisfying scraaaawwwwwwp noise.

However, on the track, knee down is due to the speed, and bigger lean angles.

I very rare, get my knee down on the road when the pace is, how can I say, steady.    But it has been known.

However, I do move around on the bike, and use body position to keep the bike more upright than it would be if I wasn't doing it.

[UK Bike Forum Member]

some good points, in a nutshell dont try it if your a fuck wit

[UK Bike Forum Member]

GPWM.