Topic: POLL: knees in or out

[ekim98]

I don't know the answer, but how much faster are the new bike actually running. Are there lap times all that much quicker. Would Hayden, Stoner or Rossi be any slower if they didn't drag a knee?? I'm just asking an honest question, not trying to start an arguement.

[tsflstb]

I don't think dragging the knee is the goal, it's just the result of carrying a ton of corner speed and lean angle.  The rider shifts his weight (hangs off) to aid in turning.  The knee goes out for a little stability and to possibly catch a front end that's washing out.  If you look at professional racers, they're not trying nearly as hard to put the knee down as some of the weekend warriors on the street.



Even Ago and those guys shifted their weight around - they only "sit" on the seat on a long straightaway.  They carry their weight through the balls of their feet on the pegs so they can slide forwards, backwards, side-to-side.  Most of us do this without realizing it - that's why your legs are so sore after a good ride.

Anyway, my answer is "sometimes".  I live near a big school parking lot that serves as my test track on the weekends (if nobody's around).  I've got some good 20-30 mph turns laid out that are perfect for the 400.  I definitely get around faster when I hang a cheek off the seat, but putting the knee out doesn't really help at those speeds.  I don't have anywhere near the amount of skill to push the front or slide the rear tire in a controlled manner, so I doubt I ever will do it.

These guys make me want to try though:

[youtube=425,350]iVExD-Fz688&rel=1[/youtube]

[bwaller]

On thing for sure, it takes clip-ons, rear sets and something other than a K model bench style seat to allow a rider to be "horizontal enough" to get his knee anywhere near the ashphalt deep in a turn. Otherwise it just looks a little goofy!

[cben750f0]

Knee out, i feel like a dud when i do it, but its either that or my pipe dragging on the ground.... or i could go slower..... NOPE looks like i stay with my knee out!!...


peace

[GoatBaSS]

Knees in, squeezing the tank, similar to riding a horse with no saddle.

[eldar]

Knees in man. The 750 will never need a knee out. If your pipe drags, you need a better fitting pipe!
I also shift my weight and stay upright while leaning the bike over in slow turns. I even do it on faster turns and ride them just fine. I learned that in my dirt bike days. Stay on the balls of your feet and lean the bike. Sure if I was on a rocket on a track, then MAYBE that would not work. But I am on a cb750 and as such will work just as good as a knee out. Probably even better as I do not need to shift my weight AND the bikes weight so I bet quick corners would be faster this way.

[754]

I like girls with Knees out...

[oldbiker]

So, those guys didn't carry the corner speed of the modern racers!!! That was more because they didn't have the rubber to do it.
I was on the track from 1956 to 1987 on all types of rubber including the triangular profile tyres. To show the development in rubber, I remember the top International boys getting round Mallory park for the first time on 500cc bikes in One minute. In 1987 I as a National rider was getting round Mallory on a 250cc bike in 57.4 secs. That wasn't my great riding but the better rubber. 
Knees out has one major benefit in racing. You can feel your angle better and as someone else said, if you start to lose the front you can often save it with a good push of the knee.

[CrisPDuk]

These guys make me want to try though:

[youtube=425,350]iVExD-Fz688&rel=1[/youtube]

Those guys are just nuts

But three up, and five up, knees out on the corner, does look cool in a wierd kinda way

[CrisPDuk]

Oh yeah, Knees in

At home in the UK neither the 550 or the H100 will lean that far

And here in Thailand, you keep all limbs as close to the bike's centreline as you can, otherwise some bugger will knock it off

[DarkRider]

given my body size i find it more natural to go knee out in a turn. shifts just enough weight without hanging right off the side...so in the case of someone smaller it may not work that way for you but when one considers im almost 80% of the bikes weight knee out tends to make things go round pretty fast.