Getting one's knee down ?

OK, it's not the greatest thing in the world ever, but I don't think I'd
have ever progressed in any of my hobbies if I'd been afraid of cocking it
up and looking a bit stupid. Admittedly most of these involve falling on a
softer surface than tarmac, but yeah, I get my kicks out of testing my own
limits, and if I'm going to exceed those and **** up, I just need to ensure
that I do it at a time and in a place where the impact is minimised.

Never done that, but scars usually point to interesting stories.

 

Most people come off because they lose it on a bend. It's very rare to
someone to lose it doing a wheelie or kneedown.

I've crashed at 130mph plus and my leathers and crash helmet did their
job.

Actually yes. I have a current St John cert.

As I said earlier it's rare for someone to crash doing a wheelie. I
will only teach experienced riders and then only after I've seen their
riding style. Even before we start looking a kneedown I assess the
rider's ability to get their kneedown , this includes everything
including throttle balance. Perhaps you'd like me to teach you??? I'd
be glad to and then you can judge for yourself.

 

Molly wrote

How do you define experienced?

 

Monkey wrote

You regard biking as a hobby? I suppose this is where you and I must
differ as I consider it more of a lifestyle choice. Perhaps this
colours my approach to it in ways different to yours?

Have I mentioned my quad bypass lately? It has left me with the biggest
scar I am ever likely to carry. That and the psychological scars left
by wimmin.

 

steve auvache says...

Here goes Steve 'Uncle Albert' Auvache..

..."In the war...."

 

Quite possibly - biking's only one of a number of passtimes that I devote a
lot of energy to. I'm not sure if I'd class myself as a 'biker' or not.
Certainly no more than I'd class myself as a windsurfer, kitesurfer, or
snowboarder.

I ride bikes simply because I enjoy it - I don't really think about it in a
lot more depth than that. I thing I do 'get' the whole 'biking as a
lifestyle choice' thing, but I dunno if really I'm a part of it or not. I
guess if I have to think about it, then probably not.

I rest my case.

 

Lozzo wrote

I was a miner.

 

Waiting for the great leap forward

 

Monkey wrote

No comment

It is a sort of "how long is a piece of string " type question innit? I
suppose for me the lifestyle thing means having a bike and using it for
business as well as pleasure rather than a just ten minute blat in a
straight line on Sundays.

 

wrote

That is far too reasonable a statement to argue with.

However.....







































Just kidding.

 

Not so much a badge of pride as the source of amusing [1] anecdotes and
also proof that logic and reason aren't always listened to.


[1] They amuse *me* and that's the important thing.

 

Can't deny that squire ;-)

Shows what you know about outfits, don't it! Ummmm! Am I to assume it
was another Lozzo who used to ride an outfit?

--
Dave Remove my gerbil for email replies.

Bike's are bosh, PC's are pointless, and the 1990's are nuts!
Bikes are great, PCs are super, and the 1990s are the time to be!
Save the apostrophe! Get 'em right! If in doubt, leave 'em out!!

 

Hey! But you taught this erk how kneedown on a roundabout, which is
shirley nothing else than an endless bend. Show us some pictures of you
doing a kneedown going in a straight line - now *that* would be real
style ;-) And even more pointless %-))

--
Dave Remove my gerbil for email replies.

Bike's are bosh, PC's are pointless, and the 1990's are nuts!
Bikes are great, PCs are super, and the 1990s are the time to be!
Save the apostrophe! Get 'em right! If in doubt, leave 'em out!!

 

Dave Swindell says...

 

Never had the latin, you see.

 

Don't confuse your control of the bike with the physical limits of the
bike itself.
Do you think Molly would be in a good position to brake hard and still
steer the bike?

How about a last second swerve to the left to avoid a pothole, that
would surely end in tears.

Again you seem to be confusing the control of the bike with its physical
performance.

Much in the same way that I used to enjoy flying past my local on the
back wheel of a GSXR 1100, everyone used to stand on the left so I
promised the landlord if it all went tits up I'd fall off to the right.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/3727151.stm

I most sincereley hope not . . . but can anyone shed light on whether
this was a burn out - demo - wheelie display?

 

Very hard to get your knee down in a straight line.

 

Do you think you would be in a good position to brake hard & still steer
the bike with the front wheel in the air? How about a last second swerve
to the left to avoid a pothole, that would surely end in tears?

Seriously though, I really don't see why hanging off makes you less able
to make sudden corrections. It may even be easier as you'll already have
the outside peg weighted, so can stand the bike up marginally quicker
than if all your weights on your bum. You're still holding the bars in
the same way, so counter steering & access to the front brake aren't
affected.
The advantage of having your knee down is if the front does start to
tuck, you at least stand a chance of getting it back. This was
demonstrated rather well in one of the WSB races at the weekend. OK it's
a very slim chance, but it can be done. I doubt that's the reason why
most people GTKD though ;-)