Dragging a knee

orionburn · Post by **orionburn** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:42 am

I've dragged a peg once or twice, but that's about it. I realize getting a knee down is more about proper body position than lean angle, but still something I haven't been able to do. Granted I'm leary of trying to lean too much on public roads. For one, you never can be sure what's going to be in your path, and two, I don't want to go sliding across lanes in a worse case scenerio. Hopefully someday I'll be able to do a track day to get some real practicing in.

One question I've always had lingering in my mind....is there a "minimum" speed in which you can drag a knee? I've read stories where guys have said they've literally gotten their bikes upright again from pushing off with their leg/knee.

YZFRob · Post by **YZFRob** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:13 pm

I've dragged elbow.

Of course it was followed by dragging shoulder....
dragging helmet...
dragging clipon...
tumbling across track....

orionburn · Post by **orionburn** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:48 pm

Want me to add some more choices to the poll, Rob?

Post by **Hooligan** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:18 am

hahahahaha, good post rob.

silver · Post by **silver** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 1:02 am

Call me careful but I usually keep my knees inboard. Now I have scraped the sides of my boots a time or two !

Post by **FZRDude** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 1:05 am

I haven't touched a knee in................ . 16-17 years I guess its been.

YZFRob · Post by **YZFRob** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:52 am

FZRDude wrote:I haven't touched a knee in................ . 16-17 years I guess its been.

Ya know Jenny Craig can help you be able to touch your knees again.

silver · Post by **silver** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:57 am

YZFRob wrote:
Ya know Jenny Craig can help you be able to touch your knees again.

She can stretch his arms ?

Post by **FZRDude** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:20 pm

YZFRob wrote:Ya know Jenny Craig can help you be able to touch your knees again.

At 6'3" and 155 lbs, I doubt that I have a weight problem.... well actually I do have a weight problem... not enough of it.

silver · Post by **silver** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:52 pm

So perhaps we should call you "Stringbean Dude" !!!

190 @ 6'. But unfortunately most of it's around the middle

gane · Post by **gane** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:19 pm

Never on the street, 3 or 4 times a lap on track. does't make you any faster, just lets you know whats left.G

yamaweezle · Post by **yamaweezle** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 9:27 am

gane wrote:...does't make you any faster...

dragging a knee has made me a faster track rider...it's built my confidence some, and it gives me reference as to what the lean angle of my bike is...

owdamer · Post by **owdamer** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 5:45 pm

Yes, but it was 9 years ago!!. I did both knees on consecutive bends on the road after lots of practice. Could I do it again?? Hmmm, probably not.
I'm older, wiser, definately slower and the roads are a whole lot bumpier!

Yoniboi · Post by **Yoniboi** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:46 am

I recently did a track day on the EXUP1000 with instructors at Cartagena in Spain (where they're going to be setting up the new 1098 SuperStock Duke in March) and despite hanging off completely, riding right to the edge of the Pilot Powers and keeping up with a load of guys dragging knees I never got mine down.

I wondered if it was anything to do with the dogbones, you know, with the arse of the bike higher perhaps you run out of tyre before your body gets that low. In the end I decided that that idea was crap and that it was a flexibilty thing, I'm not flexible enough, or my leathers aren't, and when hanging off the bike I simply can't stick my knee out far enough.

Simple as that.

John

dragracer1951 · Post by **dragracer1951** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 9:29 am

I can get a knee down. Thing is though...the street sure ain't the place to be doing it.
I used to ride the boat in the morning to work. There were a couple guys that one might have considered "Squids" Big strips on the tires and they were talking about getting a knee down. Well...the rest of us listened to this for a couple mornings. Now mind you there were sport riders and cruser riders and dual sport riders... So one day when getting off the boat. About ten of us dropped a knee almost touching the ground leaving the boat. Crusers and all. Sparks flying nad those guys were hanging WAY off. Funny stuff

djalbin · Post by **djalbin** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:15 pm

when hanging off the bike I simply can't stick my knee out far enough.

Having the knee out is primarily a lean angle gauge. If you're getting the lean angle feedback you need without your knee touching the ground then you're knee is out far enough. Watch the professional race videos closely. You see them in some corners hardly hanging off at all with knees in. In other corners their knee is out but not touching the ground. Some corners their knee is out and touching the ground. And then there's the more extreme corners where their knee is barely out and they're touching the ground. It varies depending how much is enough to give you the lean angle feedback you need. Hanging off is to weight the bike so you can use less lean angle through the turn. The knee is used to gauge the lean angle.

Don

Post by **Hooligan** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 1:12 am

two funny posts by rob in this thread. the boy's on a roll.

owdamer · Post by **owdamer** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 6:44 am

I used to keep going through the same set of bends over and over again trying different things. I think the fisrt time i touched down I nearly crashed because it made me jump!. After a while I could do it easily, but it never felt entirely natural.
Here's a pic of me on the bend in question, but i'm wearing jeans and not getting the knee down.

Stig · Post by **Stig** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:39 pm

owdamer, where is this...it really looks familiar, can't make out the name of the pub behind

owdamer · Post by **owdamer** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 4:44 pm

Its the A62 between Huddersfield & Oldham. That bend is just past Delph on the way back to Oldham. Its a lovely uphill S bend. The Pub just behind is the Cross Keys Inn. Dunno if its any good, I've only ever ridden past!!!

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi? ... 521&icon=x

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Dragging a knee

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Dragging a knee