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ryszardv57

Joined:

Aug 08

Posts: 1

ryszardv57 says:

Getting your knee down

Hi

I could really do with some expert advice on this one. I have been riding now for 2 years and I have a 2000 Yamaha R6. Overall riding is ok but I still after 2 years haven’t managed to get my knee down but my mates and cousins have all managed so I feel like the lonely sheep.

I have found a nice roundabout not to far from where I live, enough to practice on which I have just started recently. When I go round, I use 3rd gear about 20 MPH. Is this ideal at this speed to practice?

I have seen the instruction video which Michael Neeves says you have to put your feet on the pegs like tip toes which I am doing. But my only concern sometimes though is when I start to see cars start to come to the junction, I don’t know what it is by I have this thing where I see the car and I can't position myself properly and I feel like I will fall of.

I am doing my best to lean as much to look past the mirror but I cannot get my top half of the body of,

What’s your advice on trying to beat this fear of not falling of and leaning better?

Thanks very much for your time

Ryszard

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  • Posted 5 years ago (17 August 2008 17:47)

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kestrel69

Joined:

Nov 05

Posts: 437

kestrel69 says:

Safety police

If the trafic on the roundabout is scaring you then you are not ready for this kind of riding manouver!

You may think I'm a member of the above organisation by this reply but I assure you the road is NOT the place to learn how to get your knee down.

The ONLY safe place to learn this art is on a race track. Get yourself along to an organised track day & ask the instructors there for advice.

As far as riding on the road goes you will be far better looking into some advanced rider training with the IAM or ROSPA & improving your chances of staying alive rather than messing about with some poxy roundabout where the traffic seems to frigten the crap out of you.

ride safe & stay alive to enjoy it!

:smiley:

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  • Posted 5 years ago (17 August 2008 21:51)
shuggie1

Joined:

Apr 07

Posts: 1568

shuggie1 says:

Why the need?

Don't follow.. Never had my knee down, no need, get round corners fast enough anyhow...

Blade goes well enough and can't understand the need to put another part of me in contact with crap road surface, plus better to concentrate on line and positioning rather than seek the 'holy grail'... I do move a tad on the seat but knee not dragging...

Then again I'm an old git who rides at theback of the group not the front, and always arrives 20 seconds after the others but less flustered and calmer with less near misses...

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  • Posted 5 years ago (18 August 2008 07:41)
aphmitchell

Joined:

Jan 08

Posts: 283

aphmitchell says:

I have found...

That MCN is a quite conservative site when it comes to Wheelies, speed and general stunts. Why not join a Yammy R6/R1 specific website. From there you will get I'm sure some good advice to getting more comfortable and confident riding style. Can't help you on that as I'm a gixer rider...


Im not here to offend any people, its just something I have noticed whilst using this site, you are all lovely people and just looking after your fellow bikers. :tongue:

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  • Posted 5 years ago (18 August 2008 19:58)
BikerBladerAsh

Joined:

Nov 07

Posts: 589

BikerBladerAsh says:

mate

i certainly agree with the above comments,

i am a member of the IAM, i ride a ninja 600 g1 and been riding 5 years, i'm 22 years old, there is a roundabout near me where i learnt to get my knee down,this was on a 1993 gpz500s by the way.

 3rd gear is correct as this alows for plenty of drive on the exit. the one i learnt on is more like an oval rather than a circle though, 20 mph is probably a tad slow though. arms relaxed elbows bent to the point they nearly touch your knee. and look around the screen.

be careful and only go for it when the road is clear, remember to put some temperature in the tyres first aswell.

but would highly recommend joining the IAM infact i can preach to riders about this and for the price the things you learn are priceless and if you ride like a nutter this will keep you alive, i ride a bit mad sometimes but i dont put myself in danger, that is the key

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  • Posted 5 years ago (18 August 2008 22:18)
f3experiment

Joined:

Jun 05

Posts: 6

f3experiment says:

Knee down.

One of the 50 things you must do before you die! :blink:

But not on the road though... :shock:

I'm lucky enough to have access to the large tarmac areas next to an airfield so i'm off the main road and i'm safe. No roundabouts or cones, i just have space to ride.

I agree with the video about the toes on the pegs but also make sure your knee slider is in the correct position on the velcro. I have had friends do the advanced rider days and they easily got their knees down in the same fashion. Get off the seat!

You need to feel the bike wanting to lean. Turn late and put it on it's side as if you were going to turn left or right at a 90 degree angle.

Get some crash bungs so you don't trash your bike if she does go down and warm the tyres up.

I have toured in both hemispheres and can ride fast into corners and agree with the previous comments that pre riding position and corner setup is important. Pay attention to your vanashing points. Is the road going away from you (are you chasing the vanishing point) or is it coming towards you quickly! (not good slow down)

I don't get my knee down on the road really but when Julian Ryder and Toby Moody say that only a few of us minions will ever get our knees down in real life. Thats a gauntlet to me...or is it red rag to a bull. lol

Good luck and ride safe please, all the best.

F3

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  • Posted 5 years ago (28 September 2008 20:50)
rob11circuitjunky

Joined:

Sep 08

Posts: 14

rob11circuitjunky says:

Not really necessary

Hi Ryszard,

There is not really a need to get your knee on the ground on the streets. I know it's fun to do and it can be very frustrating when your friends can do it.

But I have to agree with kestrel69 that it's better for you to try it on a trackday. There the road is clear and you can get professional advice.

If you want to do it on the road, ask you friends to stand on the look-out for traffic. That's what I did, when I was trying to get the knee down, my nephew raised his hand when traffic was coming.

Good luck with it and don't force it!!!
If it doesn't feel good and you are tensed that stop for a while.

All the best,
Rob

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  • Posted 5 years ago (08 October 2008 11:28)
freeman_nufc85

Joined:

Oct 05

Posts: 215

freeman_nufc85 says:

agreed

I went through as stage where Thats what i wanted to do all the time on every coner.  I went to an idustrial estate with roundabouts that wernt used at weekends.  Then when as one of us tryd to get our knee down the others kept a look out.  Though the only trafic was the security gaurd who didnt mind what we were doing. well untill we tryed to get the left knee down that was.  I dont think i ride any quicker with or with out my knee down to be honest with you.  But yes it does feel great when you do.  Have fun riding and stay safe

 

Oh yeah and it took me 7 miles round the round about to get the slider to touch the ground first.  I set the clock:biggrin:  And it feels soooo odd to begin with but after a while its normal.  You just got to get through the working process.  Oh and doing it on a roundabout and on a corner are 2 different things aswell but ill let you get your knee down first.

 

good luck

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  • Posted 5 years ago (08 October 2008 12:17)
mikekwaka

Joined:

Oct 08

Posts: 132

mikekwaka says:

not on the road!

save it for the track mate, let the rest go n play then clean ya bike when u get home, cant get ya tyres warm on a or b roads more so just finding a nice roundabout!  do this....................

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  • Posted 5 years ago (27 October 2008 17:48)
Steveyman

Joined:

Jan 08

Posts: 600

Steveyman says:

Knee down

Nope!  I have never done it either.

Been riding some twelve years and never needed to do it.

Having said that yes I would like to do it and I know how to do it. Toes on the pegs, one cheek on the seat, stick your knee out and most importantly look down the side of the screen and look where you want to go, its easy.

But I have still never done it. :wacko:

Like Bikerbladeash I am also in the IAM and did some track training at Mallory and had the same instructor as Ash, a police rider (racer) known as Woody, he's advice is supurb, having the right leathers improves your chances of getting your knee down, if they are too tight they can restrict your leg movement.

What a lot of riders don't realise is that they already have the bike at the correct lean angle it's just that they need to change the position of their body a little and theyv'e done it.

I will have to admit that Bikerbladeash was quicker than me on the day, but I put that down to the fact that I am older and wiser.

If you are trying to learn something knew make sure you have a more experienced rider with you who knows the dangers involved in what you are doing, Keep it safe!

There is nothing wrong with learning something as long as it is done safely. (meaning you and everyone else around you)

Oh by the way Ash and myself are not old gits who ride BMW's

Safe riding :biggrin::biggrin:

  

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  • Posted 5 years ago (28 October 2008 09:18)
forklift

Joined:

Apr 08

Posts: 298

forklift says:

Knee down.

I too was desperate to get my knee down eventually did it on the right side about 5 years later on my SV650s on a trackday with my mate. it took balls at first then i found i was trying to hard on the road. After my friend got killed in a 'head-on' i changed my attitude and style. I now sit on the bike and just ride. I get the bike over more by just not moving but when my toes go down that tells me where i am. I ride faster now than before and better (i believe). Smoked a guy on a ZX6 last summer. he was hanging off like a monkey going round bends, i smiled cos that was me years back. I was on a Bandit 12 at the time. All i'm saying is just ride and with time it may happen. if not who cares you can get the bike over more by just relaxed riding and not trying to hard. But then i'm not an instructor so others may want to come back to me on this one:wink:

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  • Posted 5 years ago (12 November 2008 20:20)

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