well, had my first 'proper' weekend of racing now the bikes working properly. although as soon as i find the cash i'm buying a second set of wheels to put my wet tyres on. going round aintree and darley moor on my rennsports when a paddle would have been more appropriate was not fun. actually who am i kidding, it was excellent fun. havent exactly blown away the competition just yet but i'm enjoying it. plus during about the only dry race i got at darley yesterday i finally got my knee planted firmly on the ground for the first time.

http://www.gixxer.com/uploads/P1010188.JPG

actually the only part of the slider i got dragging is the area towards the top left. the big flat chunk right down the the middle of the slider is from where i slid round paddock corner on my side. oh well, least i've got my first binning out of the way and the only damage was a busted footpeg. you live and learn, when a corner looks dry it doesn't necessarily mean it is dry! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/squid.gif

Where was the kneedown, the scarepin or the start/finish corner?

I've Never done a track day but this is pure road work and my second set :

http://www.gixxer.com/uploads/DSCF0004.JPG

Yeap. I'm the man http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/spit.gif

knee down on the road http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif gets my respect. had days where i've hung off the gixxer as far as i dare and still not touched down.
when it finally happened on the track it was when i wasn't actually making a concious effort to hang off, was just putting a quick (for me) lap together. just heard this strange scraping sound, hmm "whats that noise" http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/idea.gif

first time was going into the right hander after the first chicane and a couple of times again in the same spot, then once all the way round the hairpin the one time i managed to get it right the whole day!!!

Nice one mate! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

I actually learnt on the road, but these are my sliders after a track day at Rockingham. I think roads are a lot grippier than people think, hence why some people only manage knee down on the track. That said, if you're not confident enough on the road, don't do it! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
You'll be doing it everywhere now as it gets easier the more comfortable you get hanging off the bike.

http://www.gixxer.com/uploads/Misc_0230.jpg

They were fooked! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

exellent neebor KNEEDOONS for every cunt , did ye get both sides http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Aye, fookin' reet I did! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Here's the left side......half road /half track.

http://www.gixxer.com/uploads/Misc_022.jpg

It's funny actually, but I hang off diffrently on the left side and I need to lean the bike over more to touch down. It's just down to how I rest my foot on the peg though. Does anyone else have this problem? Well, it's not really a problem, well it is actually, because I get through the left side slider a fook sight quicker than the right! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

come on noo they look different colours to me did ye buy them like that http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

All of those sliders look like they had some angle grinder work done on them. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/lick.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/lick.gif

Only joking......I really gotta get me knee down this summer. Just cant seem to get it right, I'm sure I'm getting the bike low enough just not getting my body position right, plus I got stumpy legs. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif so that dont help.

you don't 'need' to get your knee down on the road. I'll keep up with you without getting near, no worries............ http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/flipa.gif

anyway I tried but felt like I was going to fall off the fuuuker, looks like a track day for me. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/bash.gif

I was out last year with a few mates, same speed same bend, they had knees planted on the ground but mine (and Dave's ) were 3 feet off the ground, WTF happened there?
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/squid.gif

Andy
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

i agree with andy ,my friend goes as fast as me around corners with out his knee doon, i would say it only benifits you on a track as you can obviosly drive quicker, get further down and its a lot safer , the only reason i do it on the road is for the pose http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif as the sparks of the sliders look kind of neat , its more of the position you hang of the bike that gets the knee doon , i used to try and force my knee doon which made the bike unstable , and position my foot wrong, try putting your foot to the side like mini moto riders as i find it helps me hang of the bike a lot easier , good luck in knee doons http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Andy James said:

I was out last year with a few mates, same speed same bend, they had knees planted on the ground but mine (and Dave's ) were 3 feet off the ground, WTF happened there?
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/squid.gif

Andy
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif



Mind you, we were going a tad fast...!

Never managed to do it on the track, still can get past R6 and gixxer 6's on corners though.

Dave

davemfox said:


Andy James said:

I was out last year with a few mates, same speed same bend, they had knees planted on the ground but mine (and Dave's ) were 3 feet off the ground, WTF happened there?
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/squid.gif

Andy
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif



Mind you, we were going a tad fast...!

Never managed to do it on the track, still can get past R6 and gixxer 6's on corners though.

Dave



Oooops I tried to forget about the speeds, http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif well we never got caught so we couldn't have been going that fast http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif.....................Yeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaa http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/banana.gif Am I realy 36 years old ! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/bs.gif

Andy
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/burnout.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/burnout.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

scotishnut said:

come on noo they look different colours to me did ye buy them like that http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif




You may laugh, but I actually sold them like that to some guy on Ebay! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I put them on there for a laugh and he bought 'em for £5! Still, that's a fiver I got off my nice leather sliders i got now! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

'tis true though, knee down doesn't make a fast rider, I've followed people before knee down and I feel bolt upright. I guess some people just try to hard. As for why I do it, it's just how i ride. I tried once to cruise around and admire the view, but I got bored and soon found myself screwing the bike everywhere. Hence why I'm selling the Gix after summer to get a race bike for next year. Might be safer me thinks.... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Andy James said:

you don't 'need' to get your knee down on the road. I'll keep up with you without getting near, no worries............ http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/flipa.gif


Andy
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif




Fancy putting that to the test?? http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The fact of the matter is simple, you can hang off as far as you like but if
your body position is wrong, then the chances of you getting your knee down are
slim to non-existent.
You can carry extreme amounts of lean on your bike and have everything dragging
on the deck and still be nowhere close to scuffing your first knee slider. Let’s
get one thing straight right from the off, if you can drag your toe, footpeg, or
more then you have more than enough lean angle.
Let’s take a look at some basic facts.
If you ride around a corner and touch the pipe down, sooner or later it will
result in a crash as the undercarriage lifts the front or rear wheel off the
ground. With extreme lean you can’t use the throttle as hard as you might like because the further you lean the smaller the contact patch of the tyre becomes.
Smaller patch equals less grip equals useable power.
The only advantage to massive angles of lean is – none. There aren’t any. You
have less grip and the more upright the bike in the turn the more stable it will
be, the faster it will be and the safer it will be. Knee down might look fast
but it’s normally slower.
The proper reason for scrapping your knee slider on the deck is to gauge your
lean angle, not to impregnate your local roundabout with plastic. Racers do it
all the time because when their knee is on the floor then they use it to tell
how much further they can or cannot go before the bike loses grip and crashes.
Some racers are so good at this detection that they only use one set of knee
sliders over a whole weekend! Others have managed to save a crash by supporting
the weight of the bike on their knee when the front tyre loses grip. Journos do
it because it makes for a nice picture! (All lies – Ed)Back to the body position. The biggest single mistake that most riders make
is to hang two buttock cheeks off the seat in an attempt to get their knee on
the deck. The further you hang your backside off the seat the less chance you
have of getting your plastic to the Tarmac.
The reason is simple; you twist your body. And the more you twist the more your
leg is moved into the bike and up along side the fairing until you have no
movement left in your hip and your knee simply cannot stick out.
There are other problems with this. As your body is twisted it means your spine
is twisted and on sharp bends this makes it very difficult to look into the
corner. It also puts pressure on the inside handlebar, which in turn (sic) makes
the bike handle badly. If nothing else it feels bloody uncomfortable too. All in
all, not a good thing.Knee down enemy number two is to push the bike down and away from you
motorcross style. Your inside arm will be straight, the outside arm bent and the
bike will have a massive lean going on but because of your position you will think it's not leant that far over.
Enemy number three, bolt up right and just sticking your knee into the wind. Fat
chance. The only way you’d get your knee down is if you crashed.
The Cure
The key is to hang off a little, namely one bum cheek, and be able to have your
inside leg relaxed.
Easier said than done. Not really. It’s all possible with the use of anchor
points. A good one allows you to relax the inside leg, your upper body and
reduces input into the handlebars that will help the bike to handle better.
Your main anchor point is your outside leg. Ever wondered why sports bikes have
that sculpted tank? The reason is this - to wedge your thigh into that recess so
you can carry your weight on the outside leg. Don’t confuse this with weighting
the footpegs, this is another matter entirely.
The test
An effective but simple test for this is to put your bike on it’s
sidestand (Ducati owners will need someone to hold the bike as the
stand is weak), get into your hang off position and then see if you
can let go of the handlebars. If you let go and fall in an
undignified heap on the garage floor it’s a sure sign that you have
no anchor and have been riding your bike hanging on using the bars.
To get a good anchor you need to force your outside leg up and into
the recess in the tank. This may mean you have to put your toes on
the footpeg to get a really good lock. Another note to 916/996 and 748 owners – that lovely tank is hard to lock into. If you find that
your leg is pointed towards the sky, then you have it just right!
Now lift your hands off the handlebars and you should stay firmly in
place.
The positionSo that’s the first stage. The second stage is to move your bum
across into the correct position. If you hang off more than one bum
cheek then it’s too much. The edge of the seat (on most bikes)
should be right where the crack of your bottom is. Now, let your
inside leg relax as much possible and let gravity pull it down
naturally.
This is the perfect position to have. Because your inside leg is
relaxed it can cope with any changes in road surface, like a bump or
dip, without upsetting you or the bike. Keep it stiff and it’s like
the suspension being too hard; it will upset the balance of the
machine as it transmits the road’s imperfections through you to the
chassis.
The perfect body position is one that keeps your spine inline and
parallel to the bike at all times. Okay, some riders, namely Mick
Doohan and Troy Bayliss are able to get away with their bodies
completely crossed up or twisted but remember that these boys race
on extremely sticky slick tyres, which have enough grip to be able
to cope with the odd riding position. Go to any club meeting and see
a rider try and do it and they normally end up in the gravel, as
their tyres aren’t good enough to cope.
A good body position will not only help you to get your knee on
the floor but it has several other advantages too. You will be more
relaxed and therefore less likely to make a mistake. You will be
able to look into a corner better and be more able to predict where
you want to be. And you will finally be the local riding God with
scuffed, not polished sliders.
All you have to do now is practice!

d'ya reckon the zero tolerance the police have with bikers, then if they saw you knee down they would shoot to kill?? http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

LooneyonaWT said:

Does anyone else have this problem? Well, it's not really a problem, well it is actually, because I get through the left side slider a fook sight quicker than the right! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif



i can get much lower on the right hand side than the left
are you left handed ??
my mates left handed and he cant get down on the right

i reckon going left could be easier cos you arm is straighter on the throttle so you feel you have more control

knee down at track junkie (http://trackjunkie.com/features/articles/2002/0602/0602_001.htm)

GIXXERUK said:


i can get much lower on the right hand side than the left
are you left handed ??
my mates left handed and he cant get down on the right

i reckon going left could be easier cos you arm is straighter on the throttle so you feel you have more control

knee down at track junkie (http://trackjunkie.com/features/articles/2002/0602/0602_001.htm)



I am left handed actually. I have no problem getting both my knees down, i actually find it easier (require less lean) on the right, it's just my leg positon is diffrent when hanging off for left handers. This makes the sliders touch down in a diffrent spot than on the right. On right handers, the whole slider sits flat on the ground, but on left hand bends, only half of it does, which makes the slider wear quicker. I 'm not really bothered, it's just that I have to buy a pair of sliders when I only really need one. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/banana.gif

Strange......... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Enjoyed the reading in this post. Guess I need to run out and take some pictures of my pucks and post them.

If anyone wants view my knee dragging check out a couple videos from a May 21 Track day.

Just click on file and then view the two files called LEAN.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GSXR1000_riders/

Well that's clear now http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif, I reckon I've read that technique somewhere before....... that reminds me to get out on my bike this weekend. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/burnout.gif
Thanks
Andy
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Steven Showalter said:

Enjoyed the reading in this post. Guess I need to run out and take some pictures of my pucks and post them.

If anyone wants view my knee dragging check out a couple videos from a May 21 Track day.

Just click on file and then view the two files called LEAN.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GSXR1000_riders/



http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif That's class! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

I've got a track day at Mallory on the 29th so I'll have to give that a try! Although there isn't a decent left hander at Mallory Park to try it on...... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif and I'm not trying it on a right hander... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/bounce.gif