So you want to get your knee down, eh?

[Tufbusa]

It's spring time (Well, almost) and many of you young whipper snappers out there will be heading to the track with one thing in mind, "Getting that knee on the pavement". If you have never experienced that warm rush of the first time your knee slider lost its virginity, here is a little info on making that chore become an easy achievement.

Dragging your knee comes down to one very simple but important fact, your body position. Of course you need a certain degree of lean angle. However, getting your knee on the floor has more to do with how you hang off than it does with lean angle. Although the length of your leg has some determination as to the lean angle you’ll need to touch down?

The biggest problem most riders face is when they push their knee towards the ground, they normally end up rotating around the back of the tank and push their leg up along the fairing. Your leg should be relaxed so it drops towards the floor and to achieve this, you need to have a good anchor position on the outside of the bike with your other leg. Stomp Grip tank pads will help with grip.

This is my suggestion to get you started. Put your bike on a rear stand or side stand if a rear stand is not available. Have one of your buddies steady the bike from the front while you mount up into your normal riding position. Your buddy’s sole purpose is to keep the bike from tipping over as you hang off.

Now hang off in your normal position. When you are there and feel comfy, turn loose of the bars. If you fall to the garage floor like a wounded duck, then you didn’t have a good anchor with your outside leg. You should use your outside leg to anchor yourself into those indentations on your tank, that’s what they are there for.

Make sure you don’t rotate your boys around the back of the tank. You may get enjoyment from that but it forces your inside leg forward and in towards the fairing. If you want to be fast, attend Jason Pridmore’s race school and he will tell you to rotate your hips and don’t worry about dragging your knee. If it’s getting your knee on the pavement for the first time you seek, forget about being fast and concentrate on achieving that sweet sound that only comes from a slider touching down.

You need a little room between the tank and the wedding tackle. Don’t crowd the tank, leave three or four inches of room between the tank and the goods. Now practice this procedure until you feel comfy, then go out and give her a try. If you feel a lot of tension on your outside leg, that’s okay. It means you are using that leg for its intended purpose, to hang on with.

Now just add lean until your knee finds its mark.

Oops, one other thing, place the ball of your feet on the foot pegs. Do not place the foot peg in the arch of your foot! Place the ball of your inside foot on the foot peg towards the outside of the peg. What you are looking for is to be able to rotate the foot to the outside as you push your knee down. If your foot position is right you’ll find the point of your foot peg poking into the center of the ball of your foot. As you push your knee down your inside foot should rotate and point towards the far inside point of the corner and the heal will be back against the heal guard.

Your upper body should be low with your head out over the inside hand grip and pointing your chin towards the inside of the corner, shoulder down with the outside forearm either against the tank or close. However, this is not mandatory to get your knee down. Until you get your knee down, don't get excited about your upper body. You can work on that after you are comfy with you knee sliders getting scuffed.

With a little practice you’ll be dragging your knee in no time at all. Add a set of sparky knee sliders and you’ll be turning heads on every thing in town wearing silk underwear!

The author of this post is liable only to the extent of the amount you paid for this information!

[Dino]

Also it is not recommend you try this while wearing blue jeans....


Good Write up!

[BBMykey]

Thanks for the detailed explanation. I am definitely saving this thread for future reference.

[rubber2burn]

Here is a pretty good video from a couple of our local boys down here in Texas they are both pro racers Ty Howard and Larry Myers they also teach for the local trackday schools

[racerV]

Good info, thanks for sharing. Can you see what I am doing wrong here?

[Big Red]

It's much easier to get your knee down on a shorter wheelbase sportbike like a 600-1000 cc model.

[rubber2burn]

Originally Posted by Big Red

It's much easier to get your knee down on a shorter wheelbase sportbike like a 600-1000 cc model.

That is an untrue statement. It is all about body position and lean angle Sir

Oh yeah Good write up Tuf

[Dino]

Originally Posted by racerV

Good info, thanks for sharing. Can you see what I am doing wrong here?

Riding the fastest color?

[jdsbusa]

turning heads of everyone in silky underwear?? So long as it's not some dude in silk boxers.....

[chevellesteve]

im gonna have to say the only thing i see wrong is your wearing a textile suit . are you nuts dragging knees in cloth no freaking way. are you nuts

[Pipefighter248]

Got my knee down last fall.
Thanks to the advice from Babusa. Helped talk me through some things.
Felt good; but still have to work on body position this year.

[Tufbusa]

Originally Posted by racerV

Good info, thanks for sharing. Can you see what I am doing wrong here?

More lean angle. Just guessing, I'd say your lean angle is only around 15 degrees or so. Although the track is the best place to practice, you can find yourself a nice tight slow speed corner with easy run off and a nice open view to make sure no oncoming traffic and practice. Keep going through the same corner over and over, adding a little more lean as you feel comfortable. Your body position is pretty good for knee dragging and you shouldn't need more than 30 degrees of lean. Always have a buddy with you in case you tip it over.

Also, if you have a friend who has a knack for dragging his knee, have him ride with you and critique your progress.

[Tufbusa]

Originally Posted by Big Red

It's much easier to get your knee down on a shorter wheelbase sportbike like a 600-1000 cc model.

Actually your busa is about as easy as it gets for dragging your knee. It's lower to the ground with a wide seat that allows you to hang off a bit farther.

[racerV]

Originally Posted by Tufbusa

More lean angle. Just guessing, I'd say your lean angle is only around 15 degrees or so. Although the track is the best place to practice, you can find yourself a nice tight slow speed corner with easy run off and a nice open view to make sure no oncoming traffic and practice. Keep going through the same corner over and over, adding a little more lean as you feel comfortable. Your body position is pretty good for knee dragging and you shouldn't need more than 30 degrees of lean. Always have a buddy with you in case you tip it over.

Also, if you have a friend who has a knack for dragging his knee, have him ride with you and critique your progress.

Thanks again. I think I need to get my torso lower to the tank as well. When it warms up some more, I'm gonna have to hit that corner a few times.

[Mr Bogus]

Having ridden with RacerV a few times, he keeps the bike very upright even at speed in the corners..

Running Hellbender in slight excess of the speed limit (IE leaving blackies around the corners tached out in 2nd gear), his style is to keep the bike more upright than most anyone I have seen ride.. (the guy has fat chicken strips and is fast at the same time) His body is off the bike most of the time as in the second pic.. maybe pulling his body down closer to the tank and head to the mirror?

He may not be draggin knee but there are not many here that could out ride him.. makes for a great rabbit

[neoBusa]

Detailed info Tuf, always good to read informative posts! thanks for sharing!

[skydivr]

Sensei, you got any still pics that might show what you are talking about? Maybe I'm just not limber enough, but every time I seem to slide my body off, my knee wants to point back up towards the tank....

I've seen some guys do the "hip-rotation" thingy, mind explaining that also?

Thanks again

[racerV]

Originally Posted by Mr Bogus

Having ridden with RacerV a few times, he keeps the bike very upright even at speed in the corners..

Running Hellbender in slight excess of the speed limit (IE leaving blackies around the corners tached out in 2nd gear), his style is to keep the bike more upright than most anyone I have seen ride.. (the guy has fat chicken strips and is fast at the same time) His body is off the bike most of the time as in the second pic.. maybe pulling his body down closer to the tank and head to the mirror?

He may not be draggin knee but there are not many here that could out ride him.. makes for a great rabbit

You make me sound much better than I really am but thanks

[skydivr]

humm...video no longer available?

[macon454]

Thank you TUF for the info.