How hard is it to get your knee down

lusty · Derestricted Danger Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Karma :

i'm quite new to this biking business, i have got a zxr400 which i feel is an excellent first bike.

i was wondering how hard it is to get your knee down and if anyone has got any tips on how to get down there. I feel like i'm leaning over loads when going round, roundabouts but in reality i don't think i'm leaning over that much is it just a confidence thing.

White Noise · Mr Dudwee Joined: 17 Dec 2004 Karma :

just ask zxr400er, he has just done it on a zxr400,
it took me 2.5 months to do it on roundabouts, haven't done it on a proper bend,
depends on how tall you are and how much you want to hang off your bike, look at my avatar, that was on a yam diversion,
one pointer at first shift your arse right of the seat, also if someone video's you it give you a good idea of how much further you can lean,
WN
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Buy my wife: 96' Yam XJ600s (Diversion)
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Riding Tip #86: See God, then back off a bit: Problem is i haven't seen god yet, just a close up of tarmac on revett straight

lusty · Derestricted Danger Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Karma :

i'm about 5'10", i haven't tried hangin too far off my bike yet i its just that my mates taking the piss at my knee sliders being unscratched, think i will have to take the sand paper to them soon.

Git · Brolly Dolly Joined: 17 Dec 2003 Karma :

White Noise · Mr Dudwee Joined: 17 Dec 2004 Karma :

yeah i actually agree wit Git Laughing

leave the sand paper alone,
try not to feel presured into doing something you are not comfortable with and it will end in tears and a damaged bike! Thumbs Down

first time i did it i was by myself so i could just concentrate on what i was doing and not on people watching me.
Just go and play by yourself Laughing

WN
____________________
Buy my wife: 96' Yam XJ600s (Diversion)
Wing Commander White Noise - SE Clique
Riding Tip #86: See God, then back off a bit: Problem is i haven't seen god yet, just a close up of tarmac on revett straight

G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

Try and get some one to take pictures of you hanging off.
Watch other riders and maybe some pictures of racing etc. What you should be looking for is body position more than lean.
You definitely need to be going at a certain speed, though the zxr is quite small, so shouldn't need too much too initially touch it down.

I presume your friends are taking the piss out of you because you are slower than them. If that's the case, find some faster riders to take the piss out of them Razz

.

Suzuki · Roger Joined: 03 May 2005 Karma :

I've been riding for 5 years, and my knee has never touched the ground.

I ride with a mate on an R1, who gets his knee down all the time... yet he never takes a corner faster than me. He just hangs off like a lunatic.

If you *really* feel the need to scrape your knee on the floor - then go do it. Practice on roundabouts or something.

However, if you just enjoy riding (maybe even riding fast), then there's absolutely no need on a public road to get your knee down.

Lets face it, in all seriousness there is nowhere public that you can safely take your bike to it's absolute limit, requiring you to get your knee down.

But then there's no need for wheelies is there... but they're fun Wink

I'm still trying to get my knee down
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G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

houlsby · Traffic Copper Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Karma :

g im strugglin with this as well. any chance you can show some pics of next time ur racing? i really dont know what im doing wrong, i hang off and lean the bike to the point the peg touches down, i have the new corsas from sidi and the toe sliders are worn but still no knee! could the problem be im too big for the bike? im 6foot2 on an rs125. cheers kieran.

White Noise · Mr Dudwee Joined: 17 Dec 2004 Karma :

If your pegs are touching down you should be able to get it down you just need to hang off more, being tall is an advantage as you can hang off more, i'm 6 ft 3.
trying not to be a whore but here is a video of me

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=46913

not great but it may give you some ideas of what you need to do. same as G gave me more confidence to lean the bike further, especially after a low side i had!

WN
____________________
Buy my wife: 96' Yam XJ600s (Diversion)
Wing Commander White Noise - SE Clique
Riding Tip #86: See God, then back off a bit: Problem is i haven't seen god yet, just a close up of tarmac on revett straight

G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

The problem is you're not sticking out your knee enough. With that height it should be really easy on a tiny bike like the rs.
Your knee should go down well before the pegs do on that bike.
Make sure you knee doesn't point to far towards the bike. Hanging off can turn it around so that it's pointing more along the bike than towards the road.
Being fairly flexible definitely; practice doing the splits Smile

Been meaning to get Brands racing pics up, but was a bit crap there.

Note that I tend to try and not get my knee down on track too much as

Stew · Posted: 00:30 - 07 May 2005 Post subject:

houlsby · Traffic Copper Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Karma :

ahh think i know what im doin wrong now! cheers! dont mean to be crude or owt but how far do you al sit from the tank? surly u would crack your balls on the tank?

lol

G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

If I'm really hanging off my leg is almost at 90 degrees to the angle off the tank, however I'm quite flexible so I can still stick my outside leg out quite a bit.

Your arse should probably be fairly far back; definitely no need for you to be up against the tank.

houlsby · Traffic Copper Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Karma :

lol im cornering totally wrong then! im usually flat footed and i have my knee in alot of the time! ill try an get my m8 to vidio it next time im out! cheers for the help and sorry lusty for robbin ur thread! Thumbs Up

BlueNinja · Trackday Trickster Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Karma :

Get some more road experience before you try that! by sounds of things you arent quite ready..
Go at this too fast, and it WILL end in tears..

Thumbs Up

slowly does it, and you will be a safer, more skilled rider.
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epz · Scooby Slapper Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Karma :

ive never even tried to get my knee down or pull a wheelie, though i have pulled the odd stoppie by accident, its not even like im some boring git riding a like a div or something it just doesnt appeal to me. i guess if the roads were in a little better knick and i wasnt worried about going round, the pad hitting a pothole and getting the whole bike spun off around my knee i would be more interested.

Gazdaman · I did a trackday!!! Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Karma :

Mine goes down easily, even going straight across roundabouts I can do it.

Once you do it once you know you can push the bike that far in future! and after that is knee down here, knee down there.

Gaz

BLOFLY 636 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 18 Aug 2004 Karma :

I find it a bit easier if I try to get down nice and low like try to kiss the mirror and hold your self comfortably away from the bike and hang off it is off puting at first because you don't see the bike leaning like you do when you sit on top of it but it's easy to get your knee down plus when you hang off more and stay low it gives the bike a lower centre of gravity and can be more smooth and stable Thumbs Up

but you don't have to hang off it to get your knee down I have a habit of trying to push my bike up out of a turn with my knee and upper body because I am a crap rider and don't know what I am doing instead of using power alone to pull the bike upright Rolling Eyes

heres an example
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RealNinja · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Karma :

Gazdaman · I did a trackday!!! Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Karma :

Once you've crossed the bridge of getting it down the first few times it becomes ridiculously easy.

I can get it down at T-junctions from stationary, and in little circles in car parks.

Most people underestimate how far you have to hang off, and you can lean the bike a whole lot further than you think you can. If you're a nutcase, just go into a roundy too fast and slap it over.

Anyone else just keep lapping getting faster and eventually *ssccrrapppeeeee* and you'll shit yourself and sit the bike upright.

Gaz

jay12329 · Dr. Evil Joined: 02 May 2003 Karma :

Knee down is easy, the challage is 2 up KD.
https://www.evilbendy.co.uk/gallery/displayimage.php?album=35&pos=3
J

Chriss · World Chat Champion Joined: 07 May 2005 Karma :

Hey guys, first post here. Love the forum, just a few quick questions about knee downing. 1) Where's the best place to get my left knee down? My right knee slider is nearly all gone, but I use roundabouts. 2) Other than roundabouts, where's a good place to get your knee down, or can you do it anywhere with enough practice/speed?

Thanks alot all. Smile

Chriss
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Jrod · Page 3 Girl Joined: 02 Aug 2004 Karma :

It took me a while to do it, I just streched that little bit more and there was a scratch. Once you have managed to get that bit out of the way it just seems so easy! Smile

winwick · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Karma :

dont bother trying, it wont make you ride any faster and you certainly wont be riding any safer as you'll be concentrating on your knee down antics rather than the road ahead.
I ride pretty fast, (faster than any of the people i know with bikes anyway) and in the 28 years i've been riding i've only ever done it once and that was without trying when i had to lean off further to get it round a corner i'd screwed up the entry to on braking.
I've lost count of the number of people i've ridden round over the years because they where under the impression they had to do all the knee down crap to go fast.