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knee down with less lean angle ?


RHill
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How can I get my knee down with less lean angle?  Lower pegs(only have one peg that is adjustable), change foot position, grow longer legs, rain pucks? 

 

Don't want to grind up knee pucks to look badass or anything like that, but I'd like to use it as a gauge....and a gauge doesn't work well if it only reads 0 or 100%.

 

During the 600 sprints I was bumping on the curbing, through 7 and the carousel reguarly....if I hit 2-4 perfect it is a constant tap-tap tap. Saturday; I could count the number of times my knee touched down on a single hand.  Left knee never touches, period, ever. 

Edited by RHill
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it's my philosophy that a knee down is a symptom of riding not a reason to attempt. I get what your saying but.. correct riding position and so on will get the knee down..trying to get the knee down with less lean angle could cause bad body position and so on..

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Matt Carr comes to mind, watch some youtube of him, esp if there's any Jennings that Twisted can upload or link you to.  He doesn't drag knee often as he keeps his legs tucked in more than a lot of other guys.

 

 A lot of it is personal riding style.  I am fat and 5 11 and on a small bike I really didn't have much room to keep the leg in like he does, and when I did it felt funny.  I also didn't like burying my knee though and would try to adjust the leg in and up/forward more but never felt right.

 

 Also watch the SV guys, especially in the caresoul I found watching them through there helped me work more on thinking of lines and not burying my knee as much and taking that to other places on the track.

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I used to drag a knee all the time on my SV650.. then I switched to kart tracks on a CRF100 and couldn't touch a knee to save my ass!!!  I'm 6'2 on a 100cc bike.. I am lanky as hell but couldn't get a knee down!   My last race at Beaver / PIRC something clicked and BAM knee was down in all the right places.

 

I agree that the knee down give you a feeler gauge!

 

How about shoulder down?  :)

 

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Cant access picasa at work or I'd put up a photo....check the video below at 11:22, I'm in the lead.  Broke early but had just a tiny bit slower corner speed than my "all out" pace.  Didn't touch down.  The carousel is one of the places I can tap down on entry every lap unless I overbrake and have too slow of corner speed.

 

I've only ever ground my knee hard when I first was able to touch down because it felt awesome...then I bought a set of pucks and didn't think it was as fun anymore.  Don't have a problem not sticking my knee out when it isn't really necessary, or just tapping down.  Never really cared about grinding up pucks, just going faster.  I just think it is one of those safety factor things that helps you judge how far you are leaned over.  What I'd love to be able to do reguarly is tap down and continue to lean the bike over further as I lift my knee up to gain lean angle.  I've been able to do that twice in the carousel at Nelson.  Maybe I just need to go faster.

  

 

 

 

Edited by RHill
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I'm way too "swoopy" onto the front straight...need to straighten that shit out and go more point to point

 

 

Just to point out something else...saving a front slide by planting a knee down to keep the bike from flattening out.  Nearly did that at Jennings, but the front never caught traction.  If I could have had my knee down when the slide started, there is a much better chance it would have been saved IMHO.

Edited by RHill
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I agree that the knee is a gauge but 0-100% isn't what should happen, at least not with me. Normal riding position knee starts to touch. Lean further and you bring your knee closer to the fairings. That's the gauge. Guessing here, knee touching might be 65-75% then keep going. Knee up against bike (or crash) 100%.

I've never been a grinder. Just a skimmer of knee. Don't see the point in grinding, especially on minis as it slows you down.

If it saves a front tuck then grinding makes sense in those limited instances.

Chris

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^agree completely.  by 0 or 100% I meant that I'm pushing when I touch down(right knee, left never)...not much margin at least mentally.  If I could hit down at 90% I'd probably pick up pace much quicker because I would know where I'm at and the margins.  For perspective, 1:03's at PIRC is where I started to tap down on the curbs in 2-4.  T7 was tapping in the 4's and carousel hits around mid 5's.

 

I know so many fast guys that never ever touch a knee... and vice versa so man overly slow riders that drag like no one's business. . Of course personal height does play a role

 

I think dragging knee slows some people down because they are not willing to lean any further when they touch down.  Can't begin to count the number of tall guys out there with their legs at 90 degrees from the bike grinding through corners.

 

I'm not willing to sacrafice body position to drag knee, it isn't that important, but it would be nice to touch down as I'm leaning in and lift it up for more lean angle.

 

I'm 5'7" BTW, so no lanky legs here.

 

 

My left peg is set all the way up and forward....so I may experiment moving it

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Get your ass off the seat farther, use the ball of your foot on the peg, and stick your leg way out.

The more you do this, the less lean angle your bike will require to negotiate the turn.

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Getting your ass off is mostly useless, it tends to force you into getting crossed up if you shove your ass off. Ryan, I would have to look at some pics but you may be able to twist your body towards the corner more which tends to let your leg open up.

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Get your ass off the seat farther, use the ball of your foot on the peg, and stick your leg way out.

The more you do this, the less lean angle your bike will require to negotiate the turn.

 

Inside cheek is off the seat pad, ball of foot is on the peg, leg is out as much as comfortable. I also tend to get my upper body over more than most people I see out at the track.  

 

Shout out to Marty for the photos!  

 

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Body position and knee out/down = lower center of gravity. This allows less lean angle at a given cornering speed or more corner speed at a given lean angle.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

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