I was talking with a guy about draggin a knee in the corners (or attempting too)and the question came up about "What is the purpose of the knee puck hitting the ground" and I stated that it was for stability as well as indicator of how low you are to the ground. Is this a true or false statement. All you road racer and cannon carvers input please.
Draggin-a-Knee
- Thread starter Ross1
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vman1300
Never Forgotten
My thoughts exactly.
To take it to a different way of looking at the whole hangin' off the bike aspect. It allows more cornering speed with less lean angle due to a change in center of gravity.
I ofter asked the same question. Once I spent a few days at the track, I was shown how important proper form can increase both speed and smoothness.
vman1300
Never Forgotten
Some riders like to 'feel' the road so they know their lean angle.(You can't afford to look down). It doesn't hurt - they wear pucks on their knees to avoid damage. Only problem sometimes is the rumble strips on car circuits.
Top riders can use their knee to change the balance of the bike, for example taking some of the weight off the rear wheel when they want to induce a bit more slip.
Some will claim it also aids braking (because of air drag) going into a corner. Every little bit helps.
Others wear it for a fashion statement to show they have "arrived". Look close as they usually have wrong directional wear marks from putting them in your hand and scraping them in your driveway.
Just my .02
Top riders can use their knee to change the balance of the bike, for example taking some of the weight off the rear wheel when they want to induce a bit more slip.
Some will claim it also aids braking (because of air drag) going into a corner. Every little bit helps.
Others wear it for a fashion statement to show they have "arrived". Look close as they usually have wrong directional wear marks from putting them in your hand and scraping them in your driveway.
Just my .02
Aquaman
Banned Permanently By MC Mustang
Yea right!... I seen pics of you with sparks flying off yer knee!
I think all the about is true (including the sparks flying). But when I am draging a knee I do feel more stable. Its almost like having a third wheel. I know I go alot faster through the twistie stuff will a knee down. Just my 2 cents...
vman1300
Never Forgotten
Not me...I would never...OK maybe once.......Yea right!... I seen pics of you with sparks flying off yer knee!
The Busa is retired from all knee draggin activity.
vman1300
Never Forgotten
President and CEO of Fatt Kidd Racing!It is impossible to drag a knee on a busa... had a dozen kawi guys tell me this already....
Who was that helmeted man......
President and CEO of Fatt Kidd Racing!It is impossible to drag a knee on a busa... had a dozen kawi guys tell me this already....
Who was that helmeted man......
Not me...I would never...OK maybe once.......Yea right!... I seen pics of you with sparks flying off yer knee!
The Busa is retired from all knee draggin activity.
Typically it is used to judge distance to the ground - lean angle.
I have saved my Busa & RC51 from a low side by pushing down on the slider & allowing the tires to regrip. That scares the SH#* out of you.
The bike stays more upright thus giving a larger contact patch when you hang off.
Honestly it feels more natural to me to corner this way. It scares me to see these guys riding bolt upright w/ a 40+ degree lean angle.
You do have to be careful on the street, I had a slider get pulled off my leathers by a dip in the road - went flying by my Wife. She is still pissed.
I have saved my Busa & RC51 from a low side by pushing down on the slider & allowing the tires to regrip. That scares the SH#* out of you.
The bike stays more upright thus giving a larger contact patch when you hang off.
Honestly it feels more natural to me to corner this way. It scares me to see these guys riding bolt upright w/ a 40+ degree lean angle.
You do have to be careful on the street, I had a slider get pulled off my leathers by a dip in the road - went flying by my Wife. She is still pissed.
EtrnlSoldier
Registered
Totally true. It's like an "antennae" to let you know where your current lean angle is, as well as acting as a kickstand in the event that you go beyond the maximum lean angle. I've had it happen to me several times. Having that knee puck down there, when you lose traction because of too much lean, can pop you back up into the traction zone. It doesn't take much pressure on the knee to do it. They also teach this at Freddie Spencer's school. It's saved me a few times.I was talking with a guy about draggin a knee in the corners (or attempting too)and the question came up about "What is the purpose of the knee puck hitting the ground" and I stated that it was for stability as well as indicator of how low you are to the ground. Is this a true or false statement. All you road racer and cannon carvers input please.
vman1300
Never Forgotten
+1
I don't have to add anything else b/c Tuf nailed it. So did Vman and others.
Anyways....speaking of kneedragging....shall we post some of our own knee dragging pics??? Vman, apparently you've already got a few.
Pretty much all of the above.
First time at the track last year, I was draggin' knee fairly quickly. However, I was not an artist by any stretch of the imagination and in short order, ground off a fair amount of the puck.
Not what it's for; you're just supposed to gently feel where the road is.
Anyhoo, at one point, I slapped my knee down pretty hard and completely unsettled the rear of the bike. Felt like it popped it right off the ground and scare the ever-living he!! outta me!
But I know now: when they say you can lift up the bike with your knee, they ain't kidding!
--Wag--
First time at the track last year, I was draggin' knee fairly quickly. However, I was not an artist by any stretch of the imagination and in short order, ground off a fair amount of the puck.
Not what it's for; you're just supposed to gently feel where the road is.
Anyhoo, at one point, I slapped my knee down pretty hard and completely unsettled the rear of the bike. Felt like it popped it right off the ground and scare the ever-living he!! outta me!
But I know now: when they say you can lift up the bike with your knee, they ain't kidding!
--Wag--
+2. Everyone knows the Busa is only a straight line bike. Why would anyone be dumb enough to try it knowing its impossible.
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