Knee Down (again)

[Stormin Ben]

[I bloody well would if the damn thing would put itself back together again!!

Bloody Hell ben you having probs with that aprilia still???
Do you think you have inherited some ones incompetents with that one then m8??

There's definitely a bit of that showing through!

But mostly its the original couple of niggles that I've not had time to work on yet.
The nesting instinct is strong with the other half and the baby is now 5 days overdue!!


Water leak was the common RSV radiator mounting made of cheese and the oil is a pinched gasket and loose neutral sensor (I hope)

[biggus]

Any tips for knee down then? Peg goes down, difficult to keep feet out the way enough and just not happening. Feels odd - I like to sit forward on the seat - do you slide back or wot? Once pegs scrapes, is there much lean left (I know it depends on lots of things, but do people keep on tipping in or just keep it there?)

Pegs on my storm have lost the hero blobs and are wearing out the pegs now not all my doing I have to say...

The whole point of knee down is as a lean angle gauge, there's a bit left after pegs go down, but not loads - racing rearsets don't have hero blobs so the knee gives an indication of lean angle(in other words how much you have got left ) Road bikes have hero blobs as their lean angle warning gauge, most race bikes don't!!!

With "correct" body positioning your knee will skim the tarmac before the peg/rearset goes down. The reason many can't get their knee down is because they are "moto-crossing" i.e. keeping their body vertical and pushing the bike under them rather than dropping their weight to the inside. The knee is just a gauge, many racers will touch their knee down and lift it slightly - particularly endurance racers where sliders have to last a 40 minute to hour stint, and besides anything, anyone who has like me gone roung clearways at Brands, or Coram at snetterton dragging their knee all the way will testify ye olde sliders can get a tad warm

What i do (by no means textbook I'm sure...) Outside knee in the tank cut out, outside elbow resting on tank, outside foot instep on peg, inside shoulder dropped, toes on inside peg, butt off seat to inside, head doing make-up in the inside mirror knee out. scraaaaaaappeeeee

This pic is yours truly at California Superbike School last year...



Now I have enough lean there to have gotten my knee down, however, body postitioning is a bit off. Right knee should have been locked into the tank for starters.

Typically the photographer wasn't out in the last session when I got it cracked

A bit later last year - Clearways at Brands - not sure why my left elbow is doing the funky chicken mind...



Evaluating pics/videos is a great way to see what you're doing right/wrong

Tyre's I use are Metzler Z6's great all rounder IMO

[Zakalwe]

Head/Chest position is the key, I reckon (in my very limited experience).

Try getting the position correct when in a straight line.....Toes on pegs, Knee out, left leg "locking" you into the tank (easy on an SP1/2 as they have really deep scallops on the tank). Now this is the crucial bit....head and chest down low and then slide your whole body to the inside......your head should be level with and looking into the mirror. Practice this in a straight line, then when you come to a corner you wont have to think about body position (muscle memory and all that). Keep a nice light touch on the bars....your outside leg should lock you to the bike, o that you have no weight on the grips (this is the bit that I struggled with on the CBR...the tank cut-outs are much smoother than my old SP1, and I find it hard to lock in.

At the end of the day, and in common with so much about biking, it is all in the head. Your tyres *will* grip, the bike *will* get round the bend.....

When you see racers, they position themselves for the corner before braking. Then their leg braces them against the tank as the put on the anchors. As they near the turn in point, all they have to do is lean the bike over.........I make the mistake of trying to brake *then* move into position, which upsets the bike's balance.

[Stormin Ben]

....head and chest down low

Nooo. Thats what the journo's do to look fast for the cameras
It moves your centre of weight back towards the middle of the bike and requires more lean for the same speed
If you are sat up the weight is more inside, lean angle is reduced and your lower half is unaffected so it makes no difference to your knee down

When you see racers, they position themselves for the corner before braking. Then their leg braces them against the tank as the put on the anchors. As they near the turn in point, all they have to do is lean the bike over.........I make the mistake of trying to brake *then* move into position, which upsets the bike's balance.

Excellent point
I move my elbow over so the inside of my thigh is ont he back of the tank. Makes it REALLY easy bracing for braking

Hopefully the first pic shows you dont need to be hanging off like a gibbon or have your knee right out to get knee down



And the second shows minimal hang off, hips perpendicular to the bike, upper body in line with it & arms bent and relaxed

[stevevtr1]

Great ,clear instructions ,Ben ,be keeping them in mind next time out.
Cheers
Steve

[storminateacup]

Do bear in mind Ben is 6' 5" and can get his knee down while riding in a straight line

[Beamish]

Ben, have you got adjustable rearsets? your feet look well back? I need to lean fwd to get good positive feedback from the front. But I am on road tyres with standard suspension set up. When I take other bikes out ZX6R for example I keep the weight neutral. Spose its all in the set up.

[Stormin Ben]

Ben, have you got adjustable rearsets? your feet look well back?

Nah, just big feet
I've got home made fixed footpegs on (made from M&P replacement footpegs bolted directly to the standard hangers) that actually put your feet slightly lower but are shorter so no grounding out problems