No knee down, now what..

[extrakt0r]

Ok, I have been riding on the track for about the last 2 months. I am getting pretty quick IMO, and am able to keep up with and dice it out with most of my Kansas City Friends on the track.

My Question:

I have only touched knee once, hoever I am able to keep up with and in alot of cases run faster than some of my buddies who drag knee in every corner, all corner.

Why is it they drag knee all over the place, but yet I can run just as fast and faster than them thru the same turns w/o dragging knee. Am I in danger of a lowside becuase I don't have enuf weight off the side of the bike, or could it just be my riding style.

I hit peg every one in a while, but seem to drag toe alot. I do have raised rear-sets and try to remember to keep the balls of my feet on the pegs, and try to get off the seat, but forget sometimes. More seat time will solve the above issues, but the lack of dragging knee/touching knee is like... ???

I think that this is part of my speed issues, and kind of why I have hit my speed ceiling until I can get it sorted out.

You can watch some video of me and see some pics of me at my web site:

http://www.teamsimoneracing.com

The first few videos were from my 1st few track days, it is kinda fun to see all the videos in progression and watch my process....

Please let me know what you guys think.

Yeah it is cool to drag knee, but it is a pre-requist for going fast/er?

[roadracer162]

For many years motorcycle rriders and racers did not drag their knee. In my opinion dragging a knee is not a prerequisite to going fast. But the illusion of fast depends on one's perception of speed. There are so many variables to riding a motorcycle at speed. Some riders hang off much more than needed and others none at all.  Sounds like you may be in the latter group.  I have found myself in the past wondering the same question about myself. At that time I would pass many experts and not drag any knees.  As I have gained more corner speed and without hanging off any more than in the past I am able to drag a knee on demand if desired.

[Super Dave]

Well, it can be related to other issues.  

Not necessarily being the rider, but it can be.

You're noting a couple of things in your post, that I teach as no-no's.

Will eventually be relevant on how hard you'll stuggle down the road.  

[extrakt0r]

Well, it can be related to other issues.  

Not necessarily being the rider, but it can be.

You're noting a couple of things in your post, that I teach as no-no's.

Will eventually be relevant on how hard you'll stuggle down the road.  

I assume you are talking to me? Yeah my big issue is my toe dragging, which I do alot. I am pretty fat 230LBS, so take more concentration for me to move around on the bike vs someone who is 60 LBS smaller than me. I would say that my feet are about 2 inches to far up on the pegs, but when I try to move them forward, I find that I place more weight on my clip-ons.

I have worked very very very hard to remove all weight from my arms. That is the one thing that I can say that I do very well. My next thing I am working on is getting my toes back farther. I never have an issue with my right toe, as I never move that foot, becuase well I never use my back break, so I just put it there and forget about it. It's my left toe that I scrape, becuase I shift and forget to move it back.  ;D

But anyway it is all good. I have only been on the track about 8 times in my life and feal as thou I am making good progress, but was just wondering about the knee thing.

I have no chickenstrips anywhere front or back, so I am getting her over pretty far, just no knee....  :-/

[Super Dave]

You're making a long list of problems.

Weight...  comes into play, yeah, but Dale Quarterley was still able to run up front for years at 200+ pounds and 6'3" in AMA Superbike.  Even won on his privateer program.

I don't know what you have done to your R1, but I have ideas on what might not be done.  And what you might be doing wrong.

[extrakt0r]

You're making a long list of problems.

Weight...  comes into play, yeah, but Dale Quarterley was still able to run up front for years at 200+ pounds and 6'3" in AMA Superbike.  Even won on his privateer program.

I don't know what you have done to your R1, but I have ideas on what might not be done.  And what you might be doing wrong.

Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. You can E-Mail me at masimone@fcbconsulting.com, or you can post it up here, it may help someone else.

You can see what i have done to my bike on my website listed in my Sig.

Thanks Dave

[Super Dave]

Your list of info is really broad.  

If you need help, my best case is working with you at one of my school programs.

I'll be at Blackhawk this weekend, but my time is focused first on what I'm doing, and then, second, on racers that have worked with me at my schools

[R1abuser]

just follow me this weekend Mike  :D

[extrakt0r]

just follow me this weekend Mike  :D

Cough, Cough, I tried that at RA, didn't work out to well  ;D


j/k man  ;D

[Scott]

Extrakt0r:

Over the winter I've poked around here asking Super Dave, and anyone else I thought might have some knowledge, similar questions to the ones your asking.  

Then I thought, ideally, instead of typing questions and answers back and forth, what would be perfect is if Super Dave would follow me around for a while to correct my issues, and let me follow him around for a while to pick up pointers, then head into the pits to talk about it, then go back out and practice what we talked about.

So, instead of blowing $300 on tires and $150 on a track day and not getting any faster (or the $1200 I spent on crash damage at RA earlier this year) I'm gonna sign up for his August class at BHF.

Now, if you sign up too, it will be cheaper for both of us!

[extrakt0r]

Extrakt0r:

Over the winter I've poked around here asking Super Dave, and anyone else I thought might have some knowledge, similar questions to the ones your asking.  

Then I thought, ideally, instead of typing questions and answers back and forth, what would be perfect is if Super Dave would follow me around for a while to correct my issues, and let me follow him around for a while to pick up pointers, then head into the pits to talk about it, then go back out and practice what we talked about.

So, instead of blowing $300 on tires and $150 on a track day and not getting any faster (or the $1200 I spent on crash damage at RA earlier this year) I'm gonna sign up for his August class at BHF.

Now, if you sign up too, it will be cheaper for both of us!

I hear you, but I can't wait until August to get faster  ;D

I was just asking for generic advice. Nothing specific. I think I know what my issues are, and just need more seat time to get it worked out..

[roadracer4life]

Your list of info is really broad.  

If you need help, my best case is working with you at one of my school programs.

I'll be at Blackhawk this weekend, but my time is focused first on what I'm doing, and then, second, on racers that have worked with me at my schools

Basically he is tellling you he is going to charge you for some helpfull advice.   ::)