The illegality of knee-down riding?
Discussion
Following on from Mikeylad's oversteer topic, I've always wondered whether getting your knee down while cornering on a bike is legal or not.
It's arguably a safer cornering technique at speed, as it's easier to feel the angle of dangle and tyre grip available. The rider is certainly in control.
Can it be deemed as 'Damaging public highways' as your sliders skim the road?
Anyone been cautioned, nicked (or even commended
) for it?
It's arguably a safer cornering technique at speed, as it's easier to feel the angle of dangle and tyre grip available. The rider is certainly in control.
Can it be deemed as 'Damaging public highways' as your sliders skim the road?
Anyone been cautioned, nicked (or even commended
) for it? 
It's next best thing to illegal. Trust me on this, if you attempt it, and get seen - You WILL get pulled up. Face it, you don't actually need to get your knee down in order to corner very fast indeed. The other point, as I have learned by experience - if you lean that far over, you have no reserves of grip left. So that bit of sand or grit on the road may take you out... not worth it in the end. At the least, a graceful lowside can easily occur, and at £300 per panel, do YOU want to risk it?
Keep it shiney side up!
C
Keep it shiney side up!
C
hertsbiker said: It's next best thing to illegal. Trust me on this, if you attempt it, and get seen - You WILL get pulled up. Face it, you don't actually need to get your knee down in order to corner very fast indeed. The other point, as I have learned by experience - if you lean that far over, you have no reserves of grip left. So that bit of sand or grit on the road may take you out... not worth it in the end. At the least, a graceful lowside can easily occur, and at £300 per panel, do YOU want to risk it?
Keep it shiney side up!
C
Blimey Carl. More advice from my own heart. I offered to send deltaf an application form, shall I send one to you as well as recruiting is a bit slow at the moment?
hertsbiker said: ... if you lean that far over, you have no reserves of grip left. So that bit of sand or grit on the road may take you out...
Sorry Carl, but I disagree. I've been doing it for years without being near the edge of grip. I agree that you don't NEED to get it down, but when cornering at speed (not over the limit) it definately provides more feedback, therefore safer riding. Those few times that I have hit diesel/crap on the road (we all look out for that stuff anyway), it's been much more controlable when the knee has been down, than without it down.
Perhaps not quite an apples-for-apples comparison, but 'feel' is exactly why all racers do it.
madcop: out of interest - on what grounds would you pull someone up for getting their knee down?
Should be pretty obvious I'd have thought, its a pretty clear indicator that whatever the speed limit is you are over it. Not much call for knees on tarmac at 40mph or less really. Arguing that "thats what recers do" is not likely to sway a magistrate - or at least not in the direct you might be hoping. IMHO!
I have overtaken bikes on roundabouts that are going round with their knees down. I go past, inside or outside, 2-up, and make them look totally stupid as they are just posing. Anyone can get knee down if you hang off far enough.
Barry Sheene reckoned knee down in public was stupid and pointless. I'm inclined to side with his judgement (poor bloke).
I know this'll sound like preaching, but so far I have found sportsbikes the easiest bikes to ride - anything else, trially machines with chunky treads, or my cruiser are a lot more of a challenge to get round corners at legal speeds. Sportsbikes are great, and when I can afford it, I'll get another one AND keep the cruiser.. but for now, yes I do hang off, but not to get my knee down - only to stop the foot boards touching the deck !!!!
And finally, yes you may be gods gift to road riding, but with the exception of roundabout surfing, there are so few corners worthy of knee down. So carry on getting it down, and I'll concentrate on keeping out of your way!!!
Take it easy.
Carl
Barry Sheene reckoned knee down in public was stupid and pointless. I'm inclined to side with his judgement (poor bloke).
I know this'll sound like preaching, but so far I have found sportsbikes the easiest bikes to ride - anything else, trially machines with chunky treads, or my cruiser are a lot more of a challenge to get round corners at legal speeds. Sportsbikes are great, and when I can afford it, I'll get another one AND keep the cruiser.. but for now, yes I do hang off, but not to get my knee down - only to stop the foot boards touching the deck !!!!
And finally, yes you may be gods gift to road riding, but with the exception of roundabout surfing, there are so few corners worthy of knee down. So carry on getting it down, and I'll concentrate on keeping out of your way!!!
Take it easy.
Carl
titanium hero blobs work a treat. However i have to disagree about the "you must be speeding" if your knee is down.You could put your knee down in hundreds of places without speeding if your a half decent rider an non of them are on roundabouts.A classic case of lets not have any fun ever ever ever........you know it feels good and there would'nt be hundreds of bikers out there doing it if it was'nt.
I'm sure someone will tell me how many people have died or injured innocent bystanders from the result of having their knee down.I'm an old duffer in biker terms and no one is going to convince me its a terrible thing.God i hate the UK for this whole culture of its not ##cking fair and no one can have fun....rant over
However i have to disagree about the "you must be speeding" if your knee is down.You could put your knee down in hundreds of places without speeding if your a half decent rider an non of them are on roundabouts.A classic case of lets not have any fun ever ever ever........you know it feels good and there would'nt be hundreds of bikers out there doing it if it was'nt. I'm sure someone will tell me how many people have died or injured innocent bystanders from the result of having their knee down.I'm an old duffer in biker terms and no one is going to convince me its a terrible thing.God i hate the UK for this whole culture of its not ##cking fair and no one can have fun....rant over
Mr2Mike said: All the bikes I've ever owned have had folding pegs, don't modern bikes have these?
yea but the fold upwards
if you catch one in a pot hole the dont bend side ways.
iv seen it happen my self. a few time and seen it make a nasty mess
I court one my self once lucky managed too get the bike back up and not lost it.
was on the side wall for a bit
lol but vertualy got spun round and ended going the other way.
me bother and his m8 lost a T160 that way in pool
t160 totally bent and me brother ended up with a smached knee leg broke in 2 places and arm busted in two places.
there both good riders
seen one guy die forgot center stand was down.
pawsmcgraw said: titanium hero blobs work a treat.
I'm sure someone will tell me how many people have died or injured innocent bystanders from the result of having their knee down.I'm an old duffer in biker terms and no one is going to convince me its a terrible thing.God i hate the UK for this whole culture of its not ##cking fair and no one can have fun....rant over
personal i with you m8 just no it dogey on the roads thease day as there in such crap condition
goodlife said:
hertsbiker said: ... if you lean that far over, you have no reserves of grip left. So that bit of sand or grit on the road may take you out...
actually, if your hanging off for a knee down, or just hanging off, the bike is more upright and giving you more traction on the tarmac, therefore safer.
Your looking into the bend anyway, so if you need to make a quick change of direction, you can easily flip direction.
Okay I'll bite.
I have never found the need to put my knee down on the road. Move my weight around the bike to keep it more upright? Definately. Knee on the floor? No.
I followed a GSXR onto a roundabout in my Skoda Felicia 1.3 on Tuesday. He had his knee down across both lanes and I still had to take my foot off so as not to hit him.
It's all about posing one the road IMHO. Unfortunately it looks crap in most cases and will get you knicked if caught.
Also no-one has yet mentioned the rather painful effect of your knee dropping into that pothole you didn't see.
. Which is more likely than pegs in this case. At the very least it will hurt and make you wobble dangerously.
I have never found the need to put my knee down on the road. Move my weight around the bike to keep it more upright? Definately. Knee on the floor? No.
I followed a GSXR onto a roundabout in my Skoda Felicia 1.3 on Tuesday. He had his knee down across both lanes and I still had to take my foot off so as not to hit him.
It's all about posing one the road IMHO. Unfortunately it looks crap in most cases and will get you knicked if caught.
Also no-one has yet mentioned the rather painful effect of your knee dropping into that pothole you didn't see.
. Which is more likely than pegs in this case. At the very least it will hurt and make you wobble dangerously.Getting back on topic.....I got pulled last year by a traffic plod for surfing a roundabout, they were very friendly about it all. When they asked what I was doing I was honest and said I was having a play. The traffic was light, they gave me a warning that whilst it wasn't specifically illegal there were a whole host of violations they could pull me on if they felt so inclined and I was to keep it 'sensible'.
They were called because they had a call from a motorist who called in a 'bike on fire' from the titanium kneesliders a mate of mine and I got made out of solid titanium billet - when they hit the ground they did spark a bit
Whilst we were discussing I asked about wheelies and their response was a good deal harsher, they said if they see it, they'll pull there and then, no exceptions.
Why do I/did I do it, simple, when on a track it does make a difference and for me I got so used to cornering and hanging off that for me it felt weird NOT to hang off so it became habit.
They were called because they had a call from a motorist who called in a 'bike on fire' from the titanium kneesliders a mate of mine and I got made out of solid titanium billet - when they hit the ground they did spark a bit
Whilst we were discussing I asked about wheelies and their response was a good deal harsher, they said if they see it, they'll pull there and then, no exceptions.
Why do I/did I do it, simple, when on a track it does make a difference and for me I got so used to cornering and hanging off that for me it felt weird NOT to hang off so it became habit.
Only got my knee down a few times didn't make me any faster on the twisties , makes the bike turn in quicker as it has another contact point with the ground , best one was mr fireblade with his sparkie sliders on a roundabout too busy watching the pretty sparks he rode stright into a traffic island at one of the roads going onto the roundabout , knackered front wheel and fairing and damaged pride . Oh how a 
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