The Classic Topic, Dragging Knee

[DangerDog]

Hey guys,

Here's probably the most highly posted subject, but to my dismay I didn't really find a whole lot under searching for this that thoroughly relates to my dilemma...

I've been riding for about 2 years now, and I consider myself to be a pretty quick canyon guy and borderline novice / intermediate track runner at smaller tracks. I've been working on my body positioning since day one, and have constantly been concentrating on my form and smoothness through turns. I've had ride along footage done at the track to study myself, and I feel like I am doing everything right within my abilities. I've always slid across my seat, hanging at least half my ass off the seat, kept the balls of my feet on my pegs, looked through the turns, "kissed the mirror," and concentrated on keeping my torso over the centerline of the bike in turns, as well as trying to maintain good body weight distribution over the length of the bike. However, I just can't seem to get my damn knee down! Now, before I get flamed for this, I know this is not the key maneuver to being a fast rider, but it would be nice after two years of riding to be able to actually scarf up my knee pucks ya know?!! With the ride along footage I got, there are a couple turns at the Streets of Willow, mainly the banked turn at the back of the track before the first long straight, where I am like right there, I mean I am talking about what looks like an inch or even less off the ground, but it's at this point that I think I am either afraid or not physically strong enough to push past to touch down. Especially in the banked turn at SOW, I feel like I am really hangin it out there to the edge, and if I give it more I'm gonna either lowside, or not be strong enough to hang on to the bike. I mean I aint scrawny or anything, I'm 5'9" and weigh in at 180 right now, and I work out when I can, so I feel I can move the bike around, it just feels like I come to a brick wall when I get there and just can't scale it to get to the next level...

My main question here is, has anyone else experienced this, and what did you do to overcome this challenge? Did you just say "fork it" and push past your fears and throw the bike over that much further? Is it me psychologically thinking the bike won't handle it? Am I thinking the bike is at it's limit because I see I have hardly any chicken strips left on my rear, and about 3/16" a side on the fronts? I think it could be a combination of everything, but just looking for pointers to help me advance...

TIA everyone!!!

[2074]

Lets wait for a more experienced answer but im gonna wager its a psycological thing, youre just gonna have to say "fuck it" and do it.

refer to this post
http://www.r6mn.com/forums/showthrea...=dragging+knee

[drtymex]

It's in your head and doubt you're physically unable to this if you're riding a sportbike at the track. It's all psycological and the knee is the first thing to touch down, which is simply a gauge to tell you lean angle, which in you're case, the bike has plenty of lean left.

You kinda have to commit, and talk yourself into getting past that last inch. If that corner that you described is your favorite/closest point on that track to getting your knee down and that being your goal, on your next trackday try focusing on that particular corner and start increasing your speed at your comfort level and commit.
Look at your front tire. Are you scraping hard parts? Do you still have stock rearsets and not dragging them feelers? If you say yes, the problem is in your head.

I beleive carlitos posted "with speed, the knee will come". Very true.

[fjman]

Psychological.

Lean off the bike while on the side stand and you'll find yourself plenty strong enough to touch your knee down. And your shoulder, head, most of the bike....

[DangerDog]

Right on, thanks guys! Great advice, "With speed the knee will come!" I figured that could be the case, and was leaning on it being heavily psychological, especially seein guys almost pushing their knee through their freakin crank case and practially draggin head. As far as the bike goes, I've never drug hard parts, but in the beginning I did drag my toe a few times, until I learned better foot positioning. At the moment, I'm on stock rearsets, but I've removed the feelers from em, since they are dangerous.

I am headed back to SOW here in the next month, so I think I will take your advice and focus in on my favorite corner, increasing my speed and lean like you say...

Thanks again!

[Karonic]

Last time I tried to drag a knee, I ended up draging my body


J/k

[fjman]

Stupid as it sounds, that's good advice. Make sure your tires are up to spec before attempting this stuff.

[tetsuo]

do you ride with leather pants and pucks on? if so, that helps alot. just freakin stick that knee out as far as you can and exaggerate it. in time, it will come down.. and you wouldn't have to even try.

it just happens, like it just happened to me a few canyon rides back ago. ride safe.

[DangerDog]

Yup, I rock the full 1 piece, complete with unscathed stock pucks! Funny thing is, I think right now I totally exaggerate it, because I'm tryin to get it down. I swear I'll probably be pullin a groin muscle here pretty soon! And the tires, yeah always check em for pressure and overall condition before I run hard in the hills.

Also I imagine this is something that will be even tougher once I pop for some Sato rearsets, since they are higher and further back no?

Tetsuo, I think in Azusa I am running somewhere in the neighborhood of 65-75 average through the average radius of mountain turn, and will get up around a buck on the long straights if all is clear. How quick do you run there, and are you dragging through any of it? There's one right hander in particular before you get to the bridge that is like the perfect turn, def. my favorite in the canyon, nice bank, and super smooth, and it starts downhill and ends shootin you uphill for a left, it's like the perfect "bowl," for lack of a better expression. I try my damndest to get it down through there, but it hasn't happened yet...

Oh well, thanks again for the advice guys, much appreciated. I'll let you know when I get it down!

[fjman]

Stick your knee out like it's an in-law... and then lean the bike until it catches. NP!


I bet there's a big market towards selling pucks with pictuires of one's inlaws on them........