WHY CANT I GET MY KNEE DOWN

[jonko]

Had pleanty of goes around roundabouts but i just cant get there. Anyone got any advice like foot position, how far off the seat you have to be. The back tyre is scrubbed all the way to the edge but i still seem miles away.
Any advice welcome

[mad4it028]

must try harder d-
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[THCi]

Because you're on a Gold Wing? (what an image!)


We need more info's!
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[Dazbo666]

Recently been trying this myself, although I don't go all the way, cos I've still only got textile trousers (with no sliders). However it's got to the point once or twice where I've had to tuck my leg back against the bike to avoid scuffing the knees tho'

IIRC, I've got the ball of the foot on the peg, with just the toe slider over the edge of the peg as a precaution against scraping the peg down.
Heel against the heel plate, predictably.
Just over half a cheek off the seat with your inside leg almost perpendicular to the bike.
Grip the outside of the tank with your outside leg, and make sure your body position is correct (courtesy of Gman)

Above all, make sure your tyres are up to temp and that the road surface is sound. Take it a step at a time and try not to let the red mist descend, cos if you get it wrong, it can be a painful lesson.... ask me how I know

Just my altho' I'm sure there's plenty of more experienced riders on here that can give you some pointers too

HTH
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Word of the day : DILLIGAF

[jonko]

Thanks for the advice. I ride a zx6r g1 by the way

[Hawksy_CBR]

Trick is to leannnnn, lean as far over as you can without coming off (obviously)... First try going at bends without trying to get KD, just trying to get the bike as vertical as possible. Then try them leaning as far over one side of the bike as you can, im talking the back of ure leg pretty much where ure ass was.

Then put them together and hay presto. I can probably get my knee down but no sliders and thats on a CBR125, i can even get the peg down on the crappy tyres that it has.. its all about trusting ure bike.

Warm ure tyres up first, ride about a bit and do some swerves side to side on the road, not while cars are coming the other way mind. should be pretty easy on a ZX6R

[NSR Mick]

How tall are you?
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[Jebus]

Knee down on the roadis a bit dodgy IMHO a lot of racers that ride on the road say they never get their knee down on the road and really you dont need it. Common advice is to pratice and get as smooth as possible then knee down and stuff comes later.
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[Groove]

Dont try and rush it, my first summer on a bike and it just sort of happened on my way home one evening. Since then i can do it on anyroundabout going straigt over Worn the slider out pretty much in 3 days

One cheek on the seat, stick your knee out towards the back of the bike, not towards the floor if you know what i mean. Look where your going and speed up.

Large roundabouts for me i need to be going 35/40mph for decent scrapage.

In 2 days i went from not being able to get my knee down to shaving my footpegs

BTW, i ride a '02 CBR 600 F Sport
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|| Past: 1991 Kawasaki ZXR 250 ~ 2003 Honda CBR 600 F Sport ~ 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R B1H 636 ~ 1999 Yamaha R1 ~ 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R J ~ 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R B1H 636 ~ 1998 Honda VTR1000F Firestorm ~ K1 GSXR 600 Track bike ~ K6 GSXR 1000 ~ 2006 Speed Triple 1050 || Current: 2005 R1 https://www.adrucore.co.uk

[jonko]

Im 5.9 does hight make a differance. Also how much weight is on your knee when its down

[akaDAVE]

I admit to trying to scrape my knee but stopped after having a dodgy moment when the peg scraped instead.
I was sure I was in the right position well off the bike so was a suprise to say the least.
For me that proved that I was leaning the bike far enough and anymore and I'll be off.
I've given up trying for now because I can see myself coming off and will kick myself.
I still like to practice on roundabouts but need to be much looser and comfortable before I start to lean to that degree again.
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GSXR600

[Slickfish]

You need to have someone there to help you out.

The link posted earlier about body position is great, thats the guy who I spent some time with to correct my position on the bike, and on the way home ground my sliders!.

[LondonBiker]

maybe your just a short feck

[Groove]

im short
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|| Past: 1991 Kawasaki ZXR 250 ~ 2003 Honda CBR 600 F Sport ~ 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R B1H 636 ~ 1999 Yamaha R1 ~ 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R J ~ 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R B1H 636 ~ 1998 Honda VTR1000F Firestorm ~ K1 GSXR 600 Track bike ~ K6 GSXR 1000 ~ 2006 Speed Triple 1050 || Current: 2005 R1 https://www.adrucore.co.uk

[Black Knight]

Mike Hailwood never needed kneedown and neither do I!

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/Stealthdog/Hailwood.jpg
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[loply]

I've always been in the same dilemma, despite being 6'3" and riding a tiny bike I just can't get my knee near the floor.

I move myself right off the bike, but I think my hip/thigh just wont rotate correctly.

I've been around bends following my mate, on the same bike as me, where he's got his knee down and I've been nowhere near, despite doing the same speed and trying my best.

Perhaps some of us just aren't "shaped" for it?
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[Grubby]

It's cos you're gay!
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[paulyzf600]

I know where you are all coming from but after the first down it's easy.
To be honest you lean the bike more on normal road rides out! it's not a case of getting the bike right over most ppl try their hardest to lean the bike as far as pos then feel they are going to fall off if they stick a knee out!
on a right hand corner i.e a round-a-bout you left arse cheek should be nearly off the seat! but the ball of your foot on the peg and the heal right up into the kick plate to the point where your foot feels vertical this allows your knee to stick right out!

The bike is not that far over but you will feel like you are off the bike.

Now for bike control, go to thrid gear ( well this is for my bike) this will give you smooth progressive acceleration not snappy sharp bursts. If you can't keep the speed constant you will shake the bike and force it up!
if you have a nice round-a bout you can keep it a around 30-40 and the bike feels like it's not working at all.
check out my pic of me getting my knee down from behind you can see how far off the bike I am.
Once you start getting used to it the more you can bring the knee in and lean the bike more but get that KNee right out first, it will hurt your hips trying the first time.

DOn't forget smooth constant throttle in about third gear at about 30-40 hang off the bike with arse just about off the seat and foot vertical knee right out!
If you live in or near newcastle I know a perfect round-a-bout to learn on and would happily teach!
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[feef]

[paulyzf600]

You don't need to at all! but it acts as a good gauge if you do lean the bike around a long corner.
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[feef]

never had a problem with leaning the bike around long corners...
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[paulyzf600]

No niether have I though when you get your knee down it's easier to see how much further you can go. Like I said above most of the time you lean further on the roads.
Knee down is more just a feel good thing it's not necessery but it's fun, like wheelies you don't have to do them but it's good laugh to pop the front wheel up every now and then.
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[feef]

if you say so
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[paulyzf600]

Don't get me wrong before I got my knee down I used to say it was pointless but now I can see it can come to some use specially on track days!
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Yamaha YZF600 Thundercat

[feef]