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I need some expert advice guys!

DeanRSV

DeanRSV

Joined Nov 2009
49 Posts | 0+
Leicester, UK
My question is this. How much lean angle do you need to get your bloddy knee down, my mates seem to be able to do it with the bike almost sitting upright. I have a 180/55 on the back which has been used right to the edge where i'm taking bits out of the corner of the tyre. i've got about a 5mm strip on the front tyre though still. If i put a 190/50 on the back will i be able to get more lean?

Ive watched MCN videos on body position and am pretty sure i'm doing it right. I'm still quicker than most of my mates who can get there knee down but it bugs me. which just leaves me thinking that i need to achieve more lean.
:dunno
 
lean off the bike more......half a bum cheek is sufficient.....get a good lock with your legs/knee and stick your knee out.
see below
tony-elias.jpg
 
Cheers, so you think i'm leaning enough? will i get more lean out of a 190/50?
 
Thats your problem- your trying to hard. Get relaxed and push your self back on the seat before hanging off- this will give my space to do it. The tyre issue has't got a thing to do with it. I would try on a track day first before on the open round.
 
It has to be your body position chap.

As you rightly say people can get their knee down with relatively little lean on the bike.

Get someone to take a pic of you and have a look at what your doing. Chances are your not off as much as you might think or maybe you need to get your foot on the end of the peg which will allow your leg to rotate out to a better position.

Having said all of that i am no expert. I can knee down one side but struggle the other side.
I have a bit of a hip issue which i'm sure makes my body position lop sided.
 
i've never gone into it enough to think how much i lean on a certain tyre profile....i just do the above and i get that scrapping sound....i don't think the tyre makes any difference,as long as your confident in them....its all in the mind.
do a track day and get someone to video/photo you and see if you can see anything wrong....it can be easier to tell than when your riding
 
you dont need much at all, this is meat croft..

picture.php


warm up lap n just because the camera guy was there, like you say though it dont make you faster, watch the TT and they hardly scrape knees..

You have more than enough angle, you might be rotating around the tank, you think your hanging off the bike but all you end up doing is running your knee along the bike n not out from it..
 
Cheers Lads, I'll have to give the track a try. Pretty sure i'll get hooked doing them! Can i just turn up with my own bike and a driving lisence? Will they scrutanise the bike? my back brake doesn't work!

Oli, are you the rsvzone famous decal man? I'm gonna have to speak to you next pay day me thinks!
 
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thatll be me..they dont look at your bike mate, just noise check it...
 
Dean, you'll need to do it on track so you work on the same corners lap after lap. I can get both knees scraping (er, not at once!) after just a few laps on a new track but I've never done it on the road.
As a rought guide to body position, if the crack of your arse is along the edge of the seat, you're over enough, then twist your ankle round and stab the end of the peg into the sole of your boot (just behind the toes) - sounds strange but it works.
 
Best bet is to find a medium size roundabout and go round 3 or 4 times to get the tyres warmed up first.

The one arse cheek off the seat and head in line with the wing mirror and foot on the end of the peg with your foot pointing outwards if you can, then stick it in the 3rd gear and try to look round the roundabout as your riding.

Alot of people dont move their head forward or to the side and the more upright you are the less you can move the inside leg out to touchdown. You should in reality be able to hang off like this with no hands on the bar as the opposite leg should be locked against the tank. Its all about confidence in the tyres and allowing them to carry you round.
Try and relax aswell, as not only will the bike settle more but youll enjoy it as you want be shitting bricks as much. Nothing to worry about just makes sure you do a few laps first to suss the roundabout, looking for diesel, gravel manholes etc etc

Although knee down on the road wont make you a better quicker rider.
 
Dean, in truth mate, you`ll probably have to be prepared to lean over further than you thought possible.....ie: we all have a safe lean-angle in our heads when we ride, and it`s just a case of breaching that lean-angle.

Having said that, it`s paramount to ensure (as others have said) that your technique is everything it should be first, but taking it that your technique is fine already, then you`ll have to lean further than you think you can.

I know it sounds harsh, but it was what worked for me, and eventually you`ll be doing it more and more, as your "head" lean-angle becomes more acute than it was, simply because you`ll now know it to be possible.

At the end of the day though mate, there`s EVERYTHING to be said for coming home with you and your bike in one piece, so........good luck, but stay safe. :thumbup
 
...along with the 'half bum' on edge, try pointing you hips in the direction of the corner, this means that your knee will not only be at the prime angle but also that your leg will be relaxed, so when you reach touchdown you won't be shocked and fall off, like nearly happened to me the first time I got my knee down on the road.

Satan.
 
For me, Upper body was my biggest issue.

I was laening off the bike but i was all crossed up, i.e. arse off the bike but head still central.

After watching the "mcn - How to get your knee down" video on youtube, went to my local roundabout did the same as i was before but stuck my head the other side of the mirror and...

SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...


Allways remember too when your going round a roundabout look at the vanishing point and not the road directly infront of you....

Hope this helps
Ollie
 
As spoonz said, find a roundabout and get a mate to film you on their phone. You'll soon see what you're doing wrong.

If you don't normally 'hang off' when riding you might just be disorientatied and think you're leaning more than you are.

Mike
 
Has more to do with your ability to hang off than actual degree of lean you have on the bike. You hang off to prevent excessive lean angles, ie to keep the bike as upright as poss for traction and grip. So dont worry about that too much although obviously you have to get the bike over to an extent......

Other things. Firstly sounds a bit corny but relax, if you're tense you wont do it. Arees spot on there. Secondly you don't need massive speed. Thirdly and most obviously if you're not that tall ride height plays a part, some bikes are easier than others.
 
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