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Post by mekon on Oct 20, 2020 9:46:11 GMT
Seeing as I bought a slow bike I've been trying to get the cornering skills back as the VFR made you lazy. Literally went to a quiet roundabout on an industrial estate and just went round and round, faster and faster until the knee scraped. Once I'd got it down I was bored after 5 minutes.
I did feel a bit more confident on the roads straight after though as I was initially a long way from 45 degrees and I felt comfortable knowing I had loads of lean left over during normal riding.
I literally hadn't got knee down in 10 years so cut me some slack. It's a bit like not getting laid for ages.
This post also clears up my suspension problems. It's a lot better since I got new fork seals fitted and a load of fresh oil.
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Post by neilf on Oct 20, 2020 11:01:06 GMT
My knee down history; In early 1999, I bought myself my first set of leathers with sliders and I duly went out on my 600 SRAD to find a suitable road to practice some knee down action. Although I didn't manage it, a mate who was with me said that I was within half a foot of scrapping the sliders... not bad for a frosty, mid-February afternoon. Later that year I took myself off to Castle Combe for a trackday. Although I didn't manage knee down nirvana, the photos showed that 2 more inches and it'll happen. 10 years later and still no bloody luck  so my in-laws kindly paid for me to attend a knee down school in Chepstow before I went to Alcrass in Spain in early April 2010. A rainy day in Chepstow returned more disappointment, even with the "cherry buster", 3 layer sliders attached... still pretty close though, even in the wet. I kicked off 2 days at Alcarras with my left knee going down within the first hour, but intermittently thereafter during the trip. No repeat knee down action until 2016 at the Slovakiaring; ironically, after some tuition and lapping 7 seconds quicker, my knee didn't touch asphalt again as I was now "squaring" the corners off instead of taking long, sweepy road lines and carrying lots of lean angle. Almeria in 2017, with more tuition, saw more progress, increased speed and confidence, plus feeling more comfortable on the 750... I even managed a 20 lap session without feeling too knackered on the last of 3 days on track  . But no knee down! The last time I got my knee down was at Estoril last year and first time with my right... this was a fluke as I had braked too late and started to go wide into turn 3, so I chucked the bike on it's ear to make the corner and down went my knee... but that was it for the whole trip. |
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Post by mekon on Oct 20, 2020 11:53:16 GMT
It's an odd thing as you never 'need' to do it on the road unless you are a really perhaps riding too fast for the road. Back 20+ years ago my mate was (is) really good (raced at national level)and the fucker would do it just for show. We'd go through a tight s bend section and he would be knee to knee to knee, I was just jealous because I knew from experience if I moved around too much I generally upset the bike as my technique was shit.
He quit riding on the roads, I got banned for a bit and since then I only did it few times on the CBR400 and again when I got zx6r. Just felt I needed to prove something to myself.
Oddly enough when I took the zx6r to Cadwell before I sold it I never got my knee down even though I was keeping up or passing people in the group who were. I think it was like said, I knew i'd probably upset the bike so I just moved my head inside instead and made sure I steered properly.
I must say, perhaps I'm a cunt but I do think 'why have bought this' when some fuck off powerful bike looks like it's never seen more than 24 degrees lean. That and jealously.
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Post by mekon on Sept 5, 2021 19:04:14 GMT
Still not bored of it! Attachments:
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Post by elnoodle the reasonable on Sept 6, 2021 21:08:54 GMT
I've never tried to get my knee down on the road. I've also never been "banned for a bit." I'm sure that both of these facts are entirely related.
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Post by mekon on Sept 7, 2021 6:48:47 GMT
You clearly didn't try hard enough at being a motorcyclist. Go now and try harder. I expect a ban by the end of the week.
Being banned is like having BA(Hons) in your title. I like to think of myself as having a doctorate. No go my son and obtain a DD40.
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Post by Diego the toe clipper on Sept 7, 2021 9:28:21 GMT
I got to 9 Brucey Bonus points in my "peak". Certainly made me think a bit about my demeanour on a few occasions.
But if I'm honest I think I avoided a ban more by luck than judgement.
Never really tried to get my knee down on the road though, roundabouts are not that well built or respected here!
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Post by elnoodle the reasonable on Sept 7, 2021 10:10:29 GMT
Saw some big numbers on my Zzr's speedo back when I was youthful and spunky but I've hardly ever been felt up here. I think I totted up more points on two trips to England than I've ever scored up here in my entire life.
I tend to keep the speed in double digits these days and it's no no to knees.
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Post by mekon on Sept 7, 2021 10:25:35 GMT
Funny thing about the old hanging off is it feels extreme as fuck tbh but looks pretty pedestrian. When I was spinning about I expected the pics to look like Fabio Quatararo but it looks more like Kenny Roberts in 1979. I suppose if you do it all the time it feels normal.
Wish I had some decent pics of the VFR400 days as I didn't get off the bike that much and literally ground the ends of the pegs off as those BT90s were sticky as fuck. I remember it got so serious under the A1 flyover roundabout that people were turning up with slicks on. That's serious.
This is where it used to be 53.76232292510225, -1.2902122349820533
but they moved the A1. It was a big fucker of an oval roundabout and you could hit 60-70mph round it. Had a bump about half way round one side and if you hit at full lean you went up the slip road to the A1. Some fucker does it on the Performance bikes Video Nasty.
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Post by pantah on Sept 8, 2021 8:30:59 GMT
I got to 9 Brucey Bonus points in my "peak". Certainly made me think a bit about my demeanour on a few occasions. But if I'm honest I think I avoided a ban more by luck than judgement. Never really tried to get my knee down on the road though, roundabouts are not that well built or respected here! Me too also with the 9 points malarkey. 112 mph on a dual carriageway but my moment in court was an Oscar nominated performance. No solicitor, just me, tin flute on, humble pie in pocket, all apologies, moment of madness, the bike is getting sold, these things have too much power, never happen again, I'm a reformed character, I'm now friends with the lord...... Seriously though, most cunts in court looked a fucking state, barely muttered their name while the legal aid solicitor tried to get the fine down to a fiver a week. I don't get the knee down shite. It's plain bravado. My kicks come from getting a favourite set of bends absolutely spot on. It's a natural high. |
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Post by elnoodle the reasonable on Sept 8, 2021 10:50:43 GMT
Well, after all my bragging about never getting caught misbehaving yesterday, I was late for an appointment and went past a mobile camera at 80. Arse clenching 2 weeks now to see if I was over the 10% + 2mph threshold or if they even still enforce that.
Got done at 79 in England once so...
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Post by mekon on Sept 8, 2021 11:01:38 GMT
The actual get away with it part is 10%+1. You are nicked at the +2 bit.
There is a front-facing camera I pass every day. Every fucking day. One day I totally forgot about it and got flashed. Luckily I was on the VFR750 wearing a 10 year old plain lid and a boring identikit black and yellow jacket. Heard nothing. I guess it wasn't worth their while to track me down.
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Post by elnoodle the reasonable on Sept 8, 2021 11:12:33 GMT
I was in the car so no escaping. My car's speedo over reads by 2mph but I might have been doing 81. Tight margins.
Can't complain. Standard cruising speed on the Blade is 80-90 everywhere so I'm well overdue. It's just a ballache at work.
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Post by mekon on Sept 9, 2021 7:41:18 GMT
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Post by beefus on Sept 9, 2021 8:53:13 GMT
I suppose its easier to knee-down on those smaller bikes. Neither bike is leant over that much. The KTM (I presume) looks tiny!...only ever done it on a trackday on my Fireblade, I thought I was leaning to the max but when I saw the picture it looked a bit like the first pic. Perception v reality is a lot different!!
wrt speeding, you get nicked here and you get a fine....no points.
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so my in-laws kindly paid for me to attend a knee down school in Chepstow before I went to Alcrass in Spain in early April 2010. A rainy day in Chepstow returned more disappointment, even with the "cherry buster", 3 layer sliders attached... still pretty close though, even in the wet.
. But no knee down!
