So Whats The Obsession With The Knee Down?

dandoolittle

Site owner, lovely and adorable
As some will know. I do tracks and roads.

The one thing I find is that people always ask about how to get their knee down. The same pattern is in any motorbike group pretty much.


What gives? I'm curious!
 
I think it's one of those things, because you can... But probably best saved for the track rather than the highway.

There's a whole reason for actually doing it that's explained by physics and centre of gravity, but that's a good one for when you need a sleep.
 
There's a whole reason for actually doing it that's explained by physics and centre of gravity, but that's a good one for when you need a sleep.

I thought the knee down part (one the off the seat/knee out part) was just to let you know when to stop leaning further.

I think there's a brilliant dipstick joke in there somewhere :p
 
Think knee down and wheelies are just 2 goals most riders have.

I've never got a knee down because I've never been anywhere where I've felt the need.
 
I've had my toe down whilst my torso was opposing the lean of the bike. I generally don't lean with the bike, i push the handle bar in to the turn away from me and tend to stay more upright in the body.
 
Someone's always gonna find a dare or challenge to aspire to for bragging rights in everything. Tall building? Someones gonna jump it. Wide river? Someone's gonna swim it. Big booty? Someone's gonna...well, u know. That's just one of the many for motorcycles. I've seen vids where people went as far as dragging helmet!!! Insanity...sometimes.
 
Nope, nothing to do with that. The warning for lean is that knobbly bit on the bottom of your peg.

Care to share?

I've never looked into it as I ride on the road and not the track, but it would be good to be educated. Looking online, everyone has a different opinion.
 
Grab your cocoa.

When you make a (left) corner at speed, you, actually turn the handle bars right. The forces involve want to tip the bike left, so you get your lean.

If you don't lean against the forces, the bike will tip over to the outside of the corner, if you lean too much, your bike will fall to the inside of the corner (ever chopped the throttle mid turn?).

Making theoretical sense so far? Good, I'll continue.

So between tipping over and falling in is the optimum range for the angle of lean, conveniently the centre of gravity. The CoG extends as a line to the contact with the tarmac. It is the sum of you and the bike. The CoG is higher with you on the bike than just the bike alone.

Now, bike stability. Bikes are most stable upright, and the less lean in a corner, the more stable the bike must be. You can influence the bike lean by moving the centre of gravity. How? By leaning over the bike in to the corner, or conversely, you can lean yourself to the outside (ever had a pillion try to lean out when cornering?).

So by hanging off the bike to the inside of a corner actually allows you to keep the bike more upright than if you kept yourself in line with the bike. You can also lean the bike more by leaning out. Try pushing your left handle bar away from you, the bike will tip plenty.

On a sportsbike by leaning forwards and in to the turn (hanging off the bike) you are keeping the CoG low, so fewer forces try to throw you to the outside, and you reduce the bike lean, increasing relative stability. Sticking your knee out marginally moves the CoG further, and if leaning enough you can get your knee/elbow/helmet on the ground.

So getting your knee down is just cornering with added bike stability.

Sleepy? Thought so. Have a good kip.
 
Grab your cocoa.

When you make a (left) corner at speed, you, actually turn the handle bars right. The forces involve want to tip the bike left, so you get your lean.

If you don't lean against the forces, the bike will tip over to the outside of the corner, if you lean too much, your bike will fall to the inside of the corner (ever chopped the throttle mid turn?).

Making theoretical sense so far? Good, I'll continue.

So between tipping over and falling in is the optimum range for the angle of lean, conveniently the centre of gravity. The CoG extends as a line to the contact with the tarmac. It is the sum of you and the bike. The CoG is higher with you on the bike than just the bike alone.

Now, bike stability. Bikes are most stable upright, and the less lean in a corner, the more stable the bike must be. You can influence the bike lean by moving the centre of gravity. How? By leaning over the bike in to the corner, or conversely, you can lean yourself to the outside (ever had a pillion try to lean out when cornering?).

So by hanging off the bike to the inside of a corner actually allows you to keep the bike more upright than if you kept yourself in line with the bike. You can also lean the bike more by leaning out. Try pushing your left handle bar away from you, the bike will tip plenty.

On a sportsbike by leaning forwards and in to the turn (hanging off the bike) you are keeping the CoG low, so fewer forces try to throw you to the outside, and you reduce the bike lean, increasing relative stability. Sticking your knee out marginally moves the CoG further, and if leaning enough you can get your knee/elbow/helmet on the ground.

So getting your knee down is just cornering with added bike stability.

Sleepy? Thought so. Have a good kip.

Thanks for that. It looks like I do everything there except for the knee out part. If I was going quick enough on these roads to need the extra nudge my knee out would give me I'd quickly run out of talent and fall off a mountain.
 
Well, if you're going to ride in a spirited and flamboyant style, it can be worth having a sense of occasion about it.
 
It's very easy to get the knee down when being 'sprited'

If you're trying to get it down, your body position is wrong.

What I don't get is the obsession with it though
 

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