to all you knee draggers.
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The best advice I can give you is to tell you to buy Total Control and Twist of the Wrist 1 and 2. I'd had my 99 Katana 600 for about a year and thought I was handling the curves well, then I went to a track day. At the track day, I discovered that I had no clue how to ride. Luckily, it was an STT day and they taught me several things. Unfortunately, the day wasn't long enough and I didn't learn as much as I would have liked (I'm greedy 
). The next day, I was at Books A Million and was just browsing and stumbled on Total Control. The book re-emphasized everything the class taught me, but I was able to read the various sections at my own pace and not have to worry about the timing of other folks. I went to another track day a couple months later and drug a knee before lunch. I wore out a set of (cheap) knee sliders by lunch the following day and had to buy a set at the track. I've recently sold the 99 Katana and purchased an '05 R6 in the quest for a lighter, better handling bike.
I realize that was a lot to read, but I just wanted to try and lend a little credibility to the books.
). The next day, I was at Books A Million and was just browsing and stumbled on Total Control. The book re-emphasized everything the class taught me, but I was able to read the various sections at my own pace and not have to worry about the timing of other folks. I went to another track day a couple months later and drug a knee before lunch. I wore out a set of (cheap) knee sliders by lunch the following day and had to buy a set at the track. I've recently sold the 99 Katana and purchased an '05 R6 in the quest for a lighter, better handling bike.I realize that was a lot to read, but I just wanted to try and lend a little credibility to the books.
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Good question DLITALIEN. I have just ordered Twist of the Wrist 1 and 2 and now I am waiting for them to come in. Looking forward to reading them and getting to a track day to see if i learned anything. LOL :thumbs:
It took me about my third track day session. The books are good. I recommend reading twist 2 first then go back to 1. 2 is a little bit easier read.
On body position you obviously want to get your butt over, how much is different for different people. Your upper body has to get out there too. If you don't it counter acts the getting your butt over.
You almost want to get your upper body out there so your face is inline with the clip on in the direction you are turning. The rest of your upper body goes out and forward along the gas tank, your not just straight out to the side. If you watch race footage you pickup how they are leaning their shoulder into the turn and in the direction of motion.
The knee then goes out to the side in the direction you are turning. Once you have enough speed the knee should come down to drag on the pavement. It is a guage for you to know how far you have leaned over to keep that angle consistent during turns and a buffer on how much more lean before you are dragging parts.
Hope this helps. :2cents:
On body position you obviously want to get your butt over, how much is different for different people. Your upper body has to get out there too. If you don't it counter acts the getting your butt over.
You almost want to get your upper body out there so your face is inline with the clip on in the direction you are turning. The rest of your upper body goes out and forward along the gas tank, your not just straight out to the side. If you watch race footage you pickup how they are leaning their shoulder into the turn and in the direction of motion.
The knee then goes out to the side in the direction you are turning. Once you have enough speed the knee should come down to drag on the pavement. It is a guage for you to know how far you have leaned over to keep that angle consistent during turns and a buffer on how much more lean before you are dragging parts.
Hope this helps. :2cents:
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F4i...that was great. Sounds like its right from a book. thanks. :dthumb:
My first track day. First was a toe and then a knee down in the "Bus Stop" @ Gratten. Can't say my form was all that great but it is a feeling like you can't explain its so good. On another track day I had this great STT instructor which helped me loosen up and get my booty off the seat, which was going great till I wrecked (low-sided) but that was fun too, with the exception of sending the F4 to Honda Heaven :sob:
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How bad does a low side have to be to trash a bike? My 99 Katana took a low side rather well. It actually just slid along the pavement. I'm still not completely certain of what caused it though. I remember the footpeg dragging, then all of a sudden, the bike was out from underneath me and I was sliding around the turn. I *think* the footpeg hit the inner curbing on the track and that's what caused it, but the tire might have just slid out from underneath the bike first. I run it through my mind all the time, but I can't ever figure out the exact cause.Pippi said:
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Till WOS came down last august for our ride....we had no choice then!! :lol:
Very easily when your not wise enough to have put frame sliders on and then run hard on tires that were shi**y and 5 years old :flush: I was running close on inside of right turn, front end tucks and bike slides from one side of track to ther other. Bent forks, entire right side of bike basically ground off, bike was a mess. :sob:Captain Morgan said:
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Ouch. I lost the left side fairing, stator cover, and the rear passenger peg and bracket acted as a frame slider for the rear section. I had to buy a new fairing and stator cover, then had to spend some time on the passenger peg and bracket with a file, sand paper and paint. Just got it done and it looks like new. Of course, I had it sold before I ever had it back together. :lol: It will be gone tomorrow.
Oh, and sorry for the :jacked:
Oh, and sorry for the :jacked:
one other thing on dragging your knee....JUST BECAUSE U CAN DRAG YOUR KNEE DOES NOT MEAN YOUR FAST OR A GREAT RIDER...there, had to say it, i see so many threads on draggin your knee like it seperates the good/fast riders from the rest. learn to be smooth and learn how to position your body before entering a turn and as your speed increases and your lean angle increase, the knee will touch down all by itself....
you see so many squids or newbies and experienced riders, riding around a turn , hanging off the bike and trying to find the ground with their knee, and there not even close to going fast. all it it is doing is making them unsteady through the turn and not paying attention to the turnin point or apex....
so just keep that in mind, the knee will touch down on its own when your ready.....
you see so many squids or newbies and experienced riders, riding around a turn , hanging off the bike and trying to find the ground with their knee, and there not even close to going fast. all it it is doing is making them unsteady through the turn and not paying attention to the turnin point or apex....
so just keep that in mind, the knee will touch down on its own when your ready.....
Dragging a knee for some is goal and for others it is a tool. I have saved countless lowsides with my knees, it helps me find the angle of the bike in a turn, I know if my knee is pressed between the bike and the track I have use more countersteering to get the bike angle up more to keep from lowsiding.
it is a tool, just too many make a big thing of it in here and it makes it seem like a goal...it will come with faster cornering and more lean angle..twisty said:
I told you before, its not to be used as a pontoon, and if your using it to keep you from lowsiding "countless times" which i doubt first of all, it will turn a lowside into a high side faster than you can say ambulance ride.....you may get away with it once, but not twice... :wink:
now guys that ride 125/250 bikes may use it like a pontoon since there on their rims all the time anyways, but not street/race bikes...
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