so there is a small canyon that i ride in the morning like every other day. its maybe a 15 min run, its a good time. I ride a gs500 just got it like 3 months ago, and i would take it really slow through there, and slowly just got better at it. i also have a 1pc suit, boots and all. So i normale hang my toe off just a bit so i wont scrape peg, considering i been riding 3 months i didnt expect that to happen anytime soon. So to get to the point there is one turn through there thats like a U turn, so on the way up the first time i scraped my toe slider...so i was like woooooWW wtf!! scaryy..!! then on the way down the turn gets alil more crazy cause its a downhill righrt hander, and i got low enough again to scrape. So then iam guessing its just luck, but then the 2 days after i go back and start scraping toe again and this time not geting scared of it happening. Now my question is since iam that low, if i put my knee out woud it touch ?( now iam not even gonan try that casue i think when my knee touches i should be on the track) but i realize that when i get really low and scrape my toe slider that i get scared and kinda bring my knee in. considering i have been riding 3 months i think iam doing really good( unless all you guys did the same thing in 3 months)...but yes iam also dumb for riding like that through a narrow as canyon. but iam smart for buying a gs500!!! man when i get my new bike one day iam gonna crazy knee draggin while all the squids dotn even know how to ride there shit. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/werd.gif

Who knows if your knee would drag, but your feet are definilty in the wrong position!

You need to be riding on the balls of your feet, heels basically up. When you are in the turn, ride on the balls of your feet and it should basically feel like your chin is resting on the mirror of the diretion of your turn.

Don't worry about draggin your knee, it will happen with time.

ya iam on the balls...thast what i mean. iam on the balls...and i got in a habbit of just leting the slider of the edge of the peg. all the big boys on this site say they do that so they can feel where the ground it. iam not dragging casue my feet are hanging off, iam on the balls of my feet.

Actually I'd say you DO want to drag your knee... Okay, some might think it's only for the track, BUT.... To drag your knee, your gonna have to shift yourself a bit... Right before the corners where your "draggin toe" http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Shift yourself off the seat to that side, and as you go around the corner, stick your knee out... You'll drag in. The reason I say your actually BETTER off doing that then "draggin toe" is because when you lean off like that, your actually straightening the bike a bit. This a) makes it more safer for you in general... and b) if something comes up in the corner you weren't prepared for (gravel, etc) you have the extra room (lean angle) to tighten up and avoid it... If your "scraping toe" you got no more to give and you'll be screwed, other than running wide and maybe losing the road or going into oncoming traffic..

Actually I'd say you DO want to drag your knee... Okay, some might think it's only for the track, BUT.... To drag your knee, your gonna have to shift yourself a bit... Right before the corners where your "draggin toe" http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Shift yourself off the seat to that side, and as you go around the corner, stick your knee out... You'll drag in. The reason I say your actually BETTER off doing that then "draggin toe" is because when you lean off like that, your actually straightening the bike a bit. This a) makes it more safer for you in general... and b) if something comes up in the corner you weren't prepared for (gravel, etc) you have the extra room (lean angle) to tighten up and avoid it... If your "scraping toe" you got no more to give and you'll be screwed, other than running wide and maybe losing the road or going into oncoming traffic..




Welp, you know as well as I do...that a skilled rider could drag his or her knee all day long on the street at 30 mph...BUT, to do it at speed...that strickly for the track...and on the track it serves a purpose....not just so you can brag about gettin a knee down..

Actually I'd say you DO want to drag your knee... Okay, some might think it's only for the track, BUT.... To drag your knee, your gonna have to shift yourself a bit... Right before the corners where your "draggin toe" http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Shift yourself off the seat to that side, and as you go around the corner, stick your knee out... You'll drag in. The reason I say your actually BETTER off doing that then "draggin toe" is because when you lean off like that, your actually straightening the bike a bit. This a) makes it more safer for you in general... and b) if something comes up in the corner you weren't prepared for (gravel, etc) you have the extra room (lean angle) to tighten up and avoid it... If your "scraping toe" you got no more to give and you'll be screwed, other than running wide and maybe losing the road or going into oncoming traffic..



Welp, you know as well as I do...that a skilled rider could drag his or her knee all day long on the street at 30 mph...BUT, to do it at speed...that strickly for the track...and on the track it serves a purpose....not just so you can brag about gettin a knee down..



Very true... But wouldn't you agree that if he's already at the point that he's "draging toe" and therefore most likely at maximum lean angle... If he has no intentions of slowing it down and reducing it a bit, that he'd at least be better off hanging off a bit and preserving a little more lean just in case? http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

Before I'd comment on that..I'd like to see pic's of his tires... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

It is possible to drag a toe and not be at max lean...Even if he has the balls of his footsies on the pegs, if they ain't parellel to the bike, and they are crooked, they could still drag..

I wouldn't want to encourge anyone to start experimenting on how fast they could go through a turn, or how low they could get, I've seen to many riders have serious crashes..trying...So I'll say this again, PLEASE, if you want to go fast, or learn how to go fast..go do a track day...You'd be surprised at how many guys "Think" they are fastm, until some dude on a little 125 tz come Flying around the outside of you in a turn..A track is where you can at least get some idea of where you stand in the skill dept. That's just my opinion..course, some riders will do as they please, but I try... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Using your toe for a feeler to where the tarmac is at is not the brightest thing to continue doing.

Before I'd comment on that..I'd like to see pic's of his tires... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif


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



It is possible to drag a toe and not be at max lean...Even if he has the balls of his footsies on the pegs, if they ain't parellel to the bike, and they are crooked, they could still drag..


True, I hadn't considered that. I was just attributing it to the pegs on the SV650... Lower and more forward set.



I wouldn't want to encourge anyone to start experimenting on how fast they could go through a turn, or how low they could get, I've seen to many riders have serious crashes..trying...So I'll say this again, PLEASE, if you want to go fast, or learn how to go fast..go do a track day...You'd be surprised at how many guys "Think" they are fastm, until some dude on a little 125 tz come Flying around the outside of you in a turn..A track is where you can at least get some idea of where you stand in the skill dept. That's just my opinion. course, some riders will do as they please, but I try... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif


Well said... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

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

i agree with all of the above i seem to be geting lower on my own daily. so iam really just gonna take it easy. I will put up a pic of my tire asap, when i bought the bike it had new tires of them i put 1000 miles on it, and there is wear all the way to the outside. But its thicker in the middle, considering i only need to get that low on the U turn all the other turns i do at like 60 at a good angle. the canyon isnt that agressive, but that one turn is nuts. but again i ask do you guys know of any good track days, casue i really need to get to one soon. i have a 1pc and my tires are brand new, iam ready to go. Also why did that guy say not to hang a peace of my toe off??? isnt that what the toe slider is for?? when i watch teh moto gp guys even they hang some toe off, so i just try to copy there style. correct me if iam wrong http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/werd.gif

i agree with all of the above i seem to be geting lower on my own daily. so iam really just gonna take it easy. I will put up a pic of my tire asap, when i bought the bike it had new tires of them i put 1000 miles on it, and there is wear all the way to the outside. But its thicker in the middle, considering i only need to get that low on the U turn all the other turns i do at like 60 at a good angle. the canyon isnt that agressive, but that one turn is nuts. but again i ask do you guys know of any good track days, casue i really need to get to one soon. i have a 1pc and my tires are brand new, iam ready to go. Also why did that guy say not to hang a peace of my toe off??? isnt that what the toe slider is for?? when i watch teh moto gp guys even they hang some toe off, so i just try to copy there style. correct me if iam wrong http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/werd.gif


Well basically because even with sliders on your boots, it wouldn't be too hard for it to get caught on something and make a bad situation fast.. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
As far as track days, where are ya from? If your on the east coast, NESBA is great. In fact, I dunno if he still has it going, but at one time, as long as you were a member of NESBA ($75 a year) and a site supporter ($10 a year) you could get a free track day compliments of gixxer.com through NESBA... NESBA also offers a free "intro" day too... Basically get some instruction, and like 15 minutes of track time... Then do a full day on the house (all you have to do is take some pics and write about your experience here on gixxer.com) and from then on you'll just have to purchase them when you want them.. (Usually about $150 - $200 a day).

It'd be HELPFUL, if we knew which state you are in... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/disappointed.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

iam in southern california, in LA area.

True, I hadn't considered that. I was just attributing it to the pegs on the SV650... Lower and more forward set.



Actually, he's running a GS500, and the pegs may be even lower and more forward still. I wonder if they make a rearset for the GS? Might be something to look into.

But, it wouldn't hurt to hang off even a little bit, just to reduce the lean angle some.

True, I hadn't considered that. I was just attributing it to the pegs on the SV650... Lower and more forward set.



Actually, he's running a GS500, and the pegs may be even lower and more forward still. I wonder if they make a rearset for the GS? Might be something to look into.
But, it wouldn't hurt to hang off even a little bit, just to reduce the lean angle some.


Ahh crap.. That's right... I dunno where I was thinking SV650... Anyway, yeah, I don't "hang off" like I would at the track on the street, but I do like to shift my ass over a bit. If I do encounter something mid turn, that way I have three options... a) If the "obsticle" is on the outside, (I never use maximum lean on the street anyway), I have some "lean angle" preserved so I can trail brake and lean a little more if need be to tighten the line, and b) if the "obsticle" is on the inside instead of outside, I can brake with the front and straighten up a bit to widen the line (in both cases, by being on the edge of the seat, I can quickly shift my weight to "hang off" giving more traction for braking while maintaining the line)... And c) in a worse case scenario, for say sand, gravel, etc.... I can "hang off" and get the bike as upright as possible to go through it. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

pegs on my gs arnt low to the ground at all, compared to other bikes out there. either way i think iam pushing it to its limit i have used up all the way to the outside of the tire, but i remember asking on the gs500 boards and not to many people gave me a strait answer on if i can knee drag it stock. they said you would scrape something first, i guess they where right. i hang off a good amount, i can feel the floor right under my knee but for some reason my knee wont touch. but iam in know hurry, i happy to be using the whole tire in just a few months. but iam taking it down a notch, to agressive for street riding. so anymore enough on the track days would be greaT thanks guys.

so i dragged my knee today in a right hander, felt wierd. but it kinda just happend, and man did i feel good after that. I cant wait to get on a track, so i can try more of that. so any good track days ? coming up?

so i dragged my knee today in a right hander, felt wierd. but it kinda just happend, and man did i feel good after that. I cant wait to get on a track, so i can try more of that. so any good track days ? coming up?




Where are ya located...?

There's a bunch of track days commin up...but I cant tell ya yet... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

in southern california, in the Los angles area.

in southern california, in the Los angles area.



Ahhh your near me...here's a list of all the track days in So. cali..

http://www.biketweakers.com/trackcalendar_2005.html

i know those offer instructions, but are they all free? or do you have to pay more for that??

i know those offer instructions, but are they all free? or do you have to pay more for that??



It depends on which org you go with..some of the org's that offer tracks at a lesser cost usually don't offer to much in the way of instruction, though they do offer some basic stuff..othes that charge more $$ for their track day, have instructors that will work with you through out the day.

It's best if you contact an org that your interested in, see what they offer.

Then again, you can attend a regular riding school like www.classrides.com (http://www.classrides.com)

any orgs you like? or think i should look at?

any orgs you like? or think i should look at?



Yup, for the new track rider http://www.mtctrackday.com/home.shtml has some good things to offer, these are Same folks that teach the MSF course here in so.cali.

There's really no class room stuff, but any of the instructors will be glad to help you in any way...Their tracks are mostly confined to Willow Springs, both the big track, and The Streets Of Willow, better known as SOW...

The cost at SOW is 115.00 icludes free water, gatoraid, a great lunch..and gas if ya need it.
The good part for new riders is, there's NO passing on the inside, and they run a 2 group day, which means way more track time for you...Although they don't have anything going on at willow till Sept...cuzz they think it's to HOt up there...

If I were you, I'd try to get in on the first day they are back at SOW...as that track is patterned after typical mountain roads, and it's not all that fast, like the big track is..

Keep in mind there are other great track day org's out there, I think once you get comfy on the track...then try out some other org's like www.trackdaz.com (http://www.trackdaz.com) Dustin and his team run a top notch track day...and all of his staff are racers...and great people too. If you want a basic track day, at a low cost, then give trackdaz a look...

sweet thanks alot hammer, you have helped alot. Good thing there are people like you on this site, we would all be lost! thanks again man.

sweet thanks alot hammer, you have helped alot. Good thing there are people like you on this site, we would all be lost! thanks again man.



No problem...maybe I'll see at the track.. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif