never dragged a knee, i thought i was close during a track day last year but never actually touched...
He really does think its for kids, he's serious about it!
Blue - pretty much same difference on the bars, bottomline they are not clip ons and your arms are wide.
DI - As far as form, your form will be dictated by how you prefer to ride. Some folks like to sit bolt up right, that is okay, some people like to see how much of themselves the can hang off, that is okay too. The bottomline is ride how YOU are comfortable.
As we saw from the photos you can use the hanging off/knee dragging technique fine with the FZ in stock form, if you can do it with a KZ1000 you can do it on pretty much any thing
:Flip:
DI - As far as form, your form will be dictated by how you prefer to ride. Some folks like to sit bolt up right, that is okay, some people like to see how much of themselves the can hang off, that is okay too. The bottomline is ride how YOU are comfortable.
As we saw from the photos you can use the hanging off/knee dragging technique fine with the FZ in stock form, if you can do it with a KZ1000 you can do it on pretty much any thing
:Flip:
hunterfz6
Senior Member
It seems to me the FZ6 is a really tall bike compared with a honda 600 RR. I wonder since its so tall if that makes it harder to lean that far? I have never needed to lean that far. Heck i still have pretty good size chicken strips on my tires.
Tailgate
Senior Member
I am, I think, leaning lower and lower. But, I've noticed that one problem seems to be the tire still not broken in (have about 1,200) and, thus, tends to "slip" with leaning lower than ever before. I can also see on the tire that "new" look on part of the sidewall (the part that hasn't met the road surface yet). Geesh, I know the first 50 miles or so is supposed to wear this "new" glaze off but, how in the fz6x*(&&^**6!! is one supposed to "wear/break-in" the "new" glaze off on the sidewalls safely? This is why I want to gradually, gradually get into lower leans, othewise might I not slip too much? Any comment out there?
killernoodle
Making stuff
Its weird, I have dragged peg and boot, but still no knee. Its very awkward for me to put my knee out that far being 6'3".
I've never (still early) kneedrag yet and maybe won't for awhile, but I've checked out my tires and no "real chicken strips" there. Usually I put a good enough lean entering freeway entrances but no kneedraggin. Besides I don't have the right gear to do it.
dood, your headlight is missing!
:Sport:
trying here too... I think I`ll be there very soon after I start my first track day
5th, or 6th lap me think
If you take a ride in the twisties you will slowly get your tires to temperature by keeping a steady pace through a bunch of turns, your tire will have plenty of traction for you to have plenty of margin while leaning. Your tires may look like they are not broken in on the sides, but you`ll be fine if you ever need these parts of the tire. Plus, on the streets, leaning too far is not recommended. Brake, stop braking, slightly slide ass off bike towards inside of turn, enter turn while keeping light throttle, lean to a reasonable/comfortable angle.
That should allow you to keep a good pace in turns while allowing you to NOT have to venture into the very edge of your tire. If you do get there, it should be because of an emergency, or because you messed up and are actually using that safety margin
i.e. "oops, that was way to fast for that turn... I almost crapped myself"
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jamesfz6
The faster red one!
It hurt when i drug my knee.....of course i was sliding across the yard when my dirtbike went out from under me. :Sport:
DefyInertia
Former '04 FZ6 Rider
I've got a buddy who rides a 2005 R6 and is around 5'7". He is quite a bit faster than me at the track and has never dragged a knee.
Under the perfect conditions (track), at 6'3" on the stock FZ6, proper body position will put your knee down before your pegs and boots.
Under the perfect conditions (track), at 6'3" on the stock FZ6, proper body position will put your knee down before your pegs and boots.
bombadillo
Junior Member
I don't have the gear to drag a knee. My puck at this point would be my patella. Not as good! NOT AS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
J
jsteinb95
Are you saying you wear shorts???
Nope... no knee and won't on the streets... However, I hope to get a second bike, maybe the Ninja 250? Then start doing some track days... I'll try it on something I don't mind wrecking and save the FZ6 for touring.
DefyInertia
Former '04 FZ6 Rider
With my new rizoma rearsets putting my body higher up off the ground,I dragged significnatly less knee yesterday than I have at past track days. My knee was always right there but not skimming along for an entire sweeper like in the past. Sometimes I would reach just to see where I was and it hit all the apex curbs but other than that, very little wear on my knee-pucks (rearsets are da' bomb ).
look at all that meat in the middle...
the ambient temp was around 40/45 so the track temp was very low and it took quite a bit of work to get the tires up to temp...they really never hooked up like I'm used to.
I hope next week at Putnam Park (Indiana) is warmer
).look at all that meat in the middle...
the ambient temp was around 40/45 so the track temp was very low and it took quite a bit of work to get the tires up to temp...they really never hooked up like I'm used to.
I hope next week at Putnam Park (Indiana) is warmer
How long will those tyres last you?
Nelly
Nelly
Roadstergal
Member
Although it can lever your rear tire off the ground with un-fun results. Not a problem on the FZ, as you mention.
It's fun to watch folks at a track day contort themselves to get a knee down when they're a mile from the apex.
Learn lines, learn good technique and body position, and the knee will eventually touch to help locate you. Learn at a good track school - the school of tEh InternEtZ is not always accurate.
DefyInertia
Former '04 FZ6 Rider
From this past Sunday...I'm posting this because it shows a decent amount of lean, decent body position, and NO knee down (nothing down for that matter).
If you look close enough, I think you can see the mark my rear tire is leaving on the track surface as I'm winding out 2nd gear and getting ready to click it into third at about 85/90MPH....my eyes are on the exit (this quasi-double-apex turn is followed by the front straight).
Anyone have an opinion as to whether or not that faint mark is from MY tire? I think it is but can't tell for sure. It's way more common than I thought...I noticed a lot of people right in front of me leaving marks...just look at that track surface!
I'm light and not very fast so I can get 3 or 4 TDs out of a set of pilot powers at which point I'll switch them over to street duty for another 4 to 5,000 miles (center has a lot left).
If you look close enough, I think you can see the mark my rear tire is leaving on the track surface as I'm winding out 2nd gear and getting ready to click it into third at about 85/90MPH....my eyes are on the exit (this quasi-double-apex turn is followed by the front straight).
Anyone have an opinion as to whether or not that faint mark is from MY tire? I think it is but can't tell for sure. It's way more common than I thought...I noticed a lot of people right in front of me leaving marks...just look at that track surface!
I'm light and not very fast so I can get 3 or 4 TDs out of a set of pilot powers at which point I'll switch them over to street duty for another 4 to 5,000 miles (center has a lot left).
Dunno
Junior Member
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Although it can lever your rear tire off the ground with un-fun results. Not a problem on the FZ, as you mention.
Gettin your knee down is a novelty at 1st & is great fun when you start doin it all the time at the track. I use it as a guide & sometimes I do lean on it to help lift the bike just a little as you exit the corner & start to twist the power on. I find I touch down & then lift it a little to get more lean angle & hold it there as a guide.
I have gone too far & clipped the peg & lifted the rear just enough to lose grip once before. I didnt even know I had lost it.
I was lookin at where I wanted to go & the bike just kept running wide. When I was about 3 feet off my line I realised I was no longer in control & not only had my knee down but my right cheek as well & closely followed by my elbow. Does this count?
thatguyx
Member
to those that drag knee regularly, how do you get used to the feeling of dragging a knee or hard parts?
I had my first track day on Sunday at Poconos north. Somewhere after 5 sessions I was picking up the pace and then I felt my knee touch for a split second, I immediately straightened up. I've only dragged a knee at low speeds in a parking lot... feeling the puck touch down at speed is just something I'm not used too.
I was thinking the only way for me to learn is to try to figure out how to keep the puck barely off the ground and then just learn to skim it by either lowering my knee or leaning the bike a little bit more. How do you get comfortable dragging? Or am I turning in too hard? It freaked me out, so in the following sessions I was trying not to drag my knee, but still trying to work on form... this resulted in a lot of wide turns and missed apexes Any advice?
Damn I want to go back and work on form, looking farther forward (I think I'm looking ahead about 3/4 as much as I should, and my lines.
:edit
One other thing I learned, the FZ6 can be a beast. Our rider coach was Bill Sink... and he was riding a stock FZ6. He was flying, it was very inspiring.
I had my first track day on Sunday at Poconos north. Somewhere after 5 sessions I was picking up the pace and then I felt my knee touch for a split second, I immediately straightened up. I've only dragged a knee at low speeds in a parking lot... feeling the puck touch down at speed is just something I'm not used too.
I was thinking the only way for me to learn is to try to figure out how to keep the puck barely off the ground and then just learn to skim it by either lowering my knee or leaning the bike a little bit more. How do you get comfortable dragging? Or am I turning in too hard? It freaked me out, so in the following sessions I was trying not to drag my knee, but still trying to work on form... this resulted in a lot of wide turns and missed apexes
Any advice? Damn I want to go back and work on form, looking farther forward (I think I'm looking ahead about 3/4 as much as I should, and my lines.
:edit
One other thing I learned, the FZ6 can be a beast. Our rider coach was Bill Sink... and he was riding a stock FZ6. He was flying, it was very inspiring.
