I've been riding for 3 years but never attempted to get my knee down, so decided to give it ago, and this was without any tips or advice. I did a similar run like this round in circles a few days ago, couldn't quite get my knee down so thought I would have a look at youtube to get some tips, watched this vid, next day went out and used these methods, got knee down easily, Thank you MCN and RUclips. Gee I luv youtube!
Nice one - watched your vid a couple of times and after 15 years on the road got my knee down on me zx10r yesterday - after the initial shock and celerbrations managed to do it again and again round the whole round about in the end. feel like a proper biker now!!!!!! nice one mcn
I've got my knee down aftzer 1.000km of driving motorcycle, with the help of this video and the help of friends, thanks for this great video and the great tips!
you did it right! I do it the same way! My bike is 125cc. Just 1 thing to remember is to check the tire when leaning your bike! You may crash if they are worn out!
Yep, there is something about getting your knee down that's a bit special. Getting those first scuffs on your sliders is a cool feeling - people who ride bikes can relate to this more easily; not everyone understands of course, and I understand that. You begin by trying so hard to make it happen, but when you start getting it right, you can pretty much do it at will (given right conditions)... and that's cool :) I think one feels more 'complete' as a rider when this 'hurdle' is cleared (opinion)
Thanks. Gonna have a go tomorrow if it's dry! Apparently it will be summer in Scotland on the 26th and maybe the 27th May! After that it'll be heading back to winter I guess. Thanks for posting.
I used to ride dirt bikes and we stuck a foot down, then I switched to racing ATVs I quickly learned not to stick a foot down unless I wanted to run over my own foot, On ATVs I had to learn the unnatural act of reverse lean, to lift the inside wheel to be able to make tight corners, now after watching this video it looks like I will be able to learn this trick too,I'm just going to have make sure of what I'm riding ~lol *you are a good instructor.
That's a good video. My only tip would be to lower your shoulder, hip and head towards the ground, it will help to bring your body lower and your knee closer. Hang off a bit more. Warm your tyres too. If you're struggling then get a friend to video you from the side of the roundabout. You can then work or what's wrong. Brands Hatch hairpin corner is good for getting your knee down. 40mph, hang off, get head, shoulders and hip leaning to bring your body nearer the ground.....touchdown!
haha, yeah, I have the exact same problem,I am right handed I can lean a lot when I am doin a left turn, but not as much with the right turn,almost 10 degrees less than the left turn I can do... I told this to my frnds, they thought I was being silly...glad to see someone havng the same issues...
yea im going to a track day on the 8th so ill try slowely to get used to it. I thought you pushing down on the low side leg ? is there a rule how far shopuld i be from the fuel tank ?
I can easily get my right knee down and have done for years. Being in the UK that's the legal side. I recently found an empty industrial state and I cannot for the life of me get the left down. I constantly keep my vision a bit to the right like you sort of do on the road to keep an eye on oncoming traffic. It's proving a hard habit to break! The lean angle is there I just can't commit the body.
1) Your knee acts as a lean indicator. When your knee touches you know exactly how much further you can go before you start dragging hard parts. 2) It helps puts you in the proper body position. If you didn't hang off the bike you would have to lean the bike over much further to carry the same speed.
@korefighter You're right! I was just trying to make up for the fact that I've never got my knee down but have, accidentally got the peg to touch down. Once because the suspension was too soft for my pillion and the 2nd time was an over-excited entry into a roundbout. I rarely get the bike lent over that much unless I know the road extremely well. The belly pan scrapes just before the pegs which is quite useful. I ride an 07 hornet 600 btw.
Transferring your weight to the side and putting your knee down allows you to do one of these: 1. You can go the same speed but keep the bike more upright which means better grip and more safety in case something unexpected happens. 2. You can increase your speed. 3. A combination.
yea i rode up to the gap when they were having the R1/R6 rally a couple weeks ago and got my knee down and got it down in bout every sharp left hander and i also went today and could confidently get a knee down in every lefthander but its still hard for me to get it down in right handers but im getting there
Is there a weight limit for doing a knee corner. I am ~105kg, athletic not fat. My ride is Aprilia RSV Mille 2003. You think I could do a knee corner or am I too heavy ? Thanks for any advice.
i love how he get it down and imediatly pulls up carry it on round the roundabout and scrub the slider in a bit its about having the same body position and just leaning more not same speed and moving off the bike more get your knee about and ass off and head down and increase the lean and speed untill your there simple ride safe guys
im the same, i can get left everytime but right handers take a few times, well alot of times, i was told once that if youre a right handed person its harder to turn right because your instincts are telling you to protect your right hand side, i have a left handed mate that can do right hand corners knee down but never have been able to do left turns
I know right.. I want an 848 or an R1, I got a monster because of Australia's learner approved scheme, its not even a 696 but a 659, and it has ok power compared to the other learner bikes.
I've never got my knee down because I don't have sliders. When I get my new leathers I'll give it a try. I'm sure i'm leaning far enough on my 1198s, I can tell that just by looking at the tyres, i'll probably lean less when I hang off. practise is all it takes, body position and confidence. I'm confident enough. ps anyone trying any of this ensure you warm up your tyres first.
Just spent 2 hours going in circles in a parking lot (with permission). Barely got my knee down in 3rd gear @ 29 mph (actual mph is less), 50 foot radius. Bumpy with up and down slope. Cop and private security drove by after a "noise" complaint (factory exhaust at 3000 rpm under 30 mph). Then speedo went blank from low voltage so maybe stator overheated & died (new stator under warantee). Softened bump/rebound 3 clicks, 30 psi hot F/R. No chicken strip on left side. Right turn more difficult.
I can get my knee down now on my aprilia rs 50 i do it good now had one crash though i really dont know what i did wrong i think its becuz i was to far to the back by doing that im guessing ive put to much pressure on the back tire leading to a low sider
some guys i kno feel that way. U just gotta try to imitate your body position the other way. its all in ur mind. start takin the corners slower then speed up gradual...theres no rush and no ones judgin ya
this video helped me get my knee down :P then i spent like 2 hours a night going around the roundabout lol but i did it. the only problem i get is that it feels like all my weight is on my right ankle and it hurts after a while anyone elsa get this ??? but saying that i did just watch the video again and i dont put my foot right on the end of the peg it is always very close to the bike mabey moving my foot will help
In case you want to know, there's a "physics" reason that riders hang an arse cheek off the bike as they corner. You can get the same amount of steering with less lean angle and more stability. You can actually increase speed AND safety by using correct body positioning. It's worth looking into, especially if you'll be doing track days.
@101francis101 - I'd see the peg as more of a risk aversion device if anything... Unless your on a track road which is far superior in quality, with track specific tires then i would definately not attempt to go peg down, most bike will low-side before even reach that.
@knuckleheadedspaz no its perfectly legal, providing its done safely. however most copper will consider you to be going to fast if you can get your knee down and thus may try and go for a speeding, or even unsafe riding - too fast for situation if you arent close to the speed limit
Ass crack on the edge of the seat, so your half on half off. Tip toes on the pegs. one knee 'hugging' the tank the other stuck out as far as possible. Stick your head round the door, as far as you can (past the mirror). Then just lean the bike over, fairly simple. Push down on the leg with the leg thats hugging the tank. Dont put alot of weight on the handle bars. One arm (sky side) should be out strait and the other (towards the ground) should be basically completely bent. Hope this helps!
would it not make sense to have your right indicator on to show you are staying on the round about when there's traffic as you never know what other people are thinking?
today i was following a guy around deals gap (Dragons Tail) and i was sticking with his speed and every corner he wnt through he would have his knee down and it was agrivating me cuz i was hanging off so far my foot wasnt touchin the peg on the other side and my knee just couldnt touch. I guess thats the down fall of being 5'6" and being all body
can someone post a really detailed explanation how to sit on the bike if you want to get the knee down ? where to put weight ? i know you shouldnt put any weight on handlebars but how exactly that works ? i try to hang out and put my head pass the mirror but i never got the knee down ......
@101francis101 you should get your knee down before your peg, with saying that I have gotten the peg down but not knee since I don't have pucks. so yes peg is further over, but you should be able to do both.
Not sure I'm still doing this right. I'm sure I'm ticking the boxes in this video but I still can't get my knee down. I keep thinking I need to turn on more speed but I'm flying round now and def going quicker than the guys in this vid so can't be that. If I ever get the job done I'll let you know!
Please Michael, make new "MCN's guide to" videos?:) It's helpfull videos, but I think that the sound and picture quality is to poor to realy see what you meen. Hope you can do this, I recon it's more people than me that thinks this;)
the guy in the beginning said he was in 3rd gear going 35 mph? why not 1st or 2nd? its an R1. and toes on the pegs? what if you put the pegs in the middle of your feet?
You can get your knee down with just about any bike as long as you do it properly. Just make sure not to push it too much, it'll come eventually. Don't worry about it.
oh my god, a top rider like you, can get the knee and possible shoulder down, but can't afford a Ducati 999. what's the problem? I would love to see you in moto GP anytime soon, hope the prize money can help.
I've managed to touch down both sides but I can consistently do my right hand side but I've only managed to touch down once on my left side, this is on a windy road not round about as I don't have anything that big and quiet near me, anyone else able to get one side down easy but can't do other side?
+buz3017 everyone has that... even goalkeepers struggle with jumping in one side to save a goal, every single rider out there has his "better" side. I can lean into the left angle with no hassle, but when it comes to right corners... oh dear... it feels unnatural and just odd. What helped me was to relax a bit, don't stress too much over it, don't think about your better or your worse side, just go with the flow and the other side will get scrapped as well... with time.
chappy2121 IMO you're streching it out the "wrong" way. You do it subconsciously but when you try to knee drag and you're still a bit afraid, you push the knee forward instead of away from you on almost 90 degree angle. Because you keep pushing it forward instead of outwards from your body you're just making things worse. Trust me, I was in the same boat because I wasn't able to do it for the longest time and it just happened a while ago. You may look like a stupid frog at first, but once you do hit it, it will feel more natual, you feel get to know your bike and the position on it much better. Just push it outwards, not forwards. It's hard to explain :)
MCN is totally biased towards the Yamahas especially 2009 R1 that's why i love MCN coz I'm also a hardcore Yamaha fan and a 08 r6 owner THE BEST LOOKING BIKE IN THE WORLD TO ME
I Say If your scrapeing your knees How is a Cop gunna catch you?? Now that you learned body possitioning, The next step is to learn where to put your Balls.!!!!!!! LoL.. Great Video.!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've been riding for 3 years but never attempted to get my knee down, so decided to give it ago, and this was without any tips or advice. I did a similar run like this round in circles a few days ago, couldn't quite get my knee down so thought I would have a look at youtube to get some tips, watched this vid, next day went out and used these methods, got knee down easily, Thank you MCN and RUclips. Gee I luv youtube!
You guy's should redo this tutorial in 1080 with better sound
Oh come on! It was made a little later than 1080... 1961 ?
They had wat better than 1080 in 1061@@longjonwhite
Mcn please make this. Video again with more tips and in full hd pleaseeee
No matter how long this video has been around the moment that these guys get to touch down is priceless!!!
Watched this wednesday night....... Knee down Thursday!!!!!! Gotta love roundabouts and the Revesby bends!!!!
Nice one - watched your vid a couple of times and after 15 years on the road got my knee down on me zx10r yesterday - after the initial shock and celerbrations managed to do it again and again round the whole round about in the end. feel like a proper biker now!!!!!! nice one mcn
Neeves, mate you're a hell of an instructor. Saw this video, got my head down, and more importantly, got my knee down. Thank you!
I've got my knee down aftzer 1.000km of driving motorcycle, with the help of this video and the help of friends, thanks for this great video and the great tips!
Can't wait to try this out on my cbt tomorrow
Many thanks for advice re knee down
Watched mcn tutorial , off to local r bout today and finally touched down ! Delighted : )
you did it right! I do it the same way! My bike is 125cc. Just 1 thing to remember is to check the tire when leaning your bike! You may crash if they are worn out!
Good Job to you guys!!!! and MCN thanks for being there to guide other bikers.
Yep, there is something about getting your knee down that's a bit special. Getting those first scuffs on your sliders is a cool feeling - people who ride bikes can relate to this more easily; not everyone understands of course, and I understand that. You begin by trying so hard to make it happen, but when you start getting it right, you can pretty much do it at will (given right conditions)... and that's cool :) I think one feels more 'complete' as a rider when this 'hurdle' is cleared (opinion)
Thanks. Gonna have a go tomorrow if it's dry! Apparently it will be summer in Scotland on the 26th and maybe the 27th May! After that it'll be heading back to winter I guess. Thanks for posting.
I used to ride dirt bikes and we stuck a foot down, then I switched to racing ATVs I quickly learned not to stick a foot down unless I wanted to run over my own foot, On ATVs I had to learn the unnatural act of reverse lean, to lift the inside wheel to be able to make tight corners, now after watching this video it looks like I will be able to learn this trick too,I'm just going to have make sure of what I'm riding ~lol
*you are a good instructor.
That's a good video.
My only tip would be to lower your shoulder, hip and head towards the ground, it will help to bring your body lower and your knee closer. Hang off a bit more.
Warm your tyres too.
If you're struggling then get a friend to video you from the side of the roundabout. You can then work or what's wrong.
Brands Hatch hairpin corner is good for getting your knee down. 40mph, hang off, get head, shoulders and hip leaning to bring your body nearer the ground.....touchdown!
haha, yeah, I have the exact same problem,I am right handed I can lean a lot when I am doin a left turn, but not as much with the right turn,almost 10 degrees less than the left turn I can do...
I told this to my frnds, they thought I was being silly...glad to see someone havng the same issues...
yea im going to a track day on the 8th so ill try slowely to get used to it. I thought you pushing down on the low side leg ? is there a rule how far shopuld i be from the fuel tank ?
I'm 17 and tried to do it on my CBR125, hopefully these tips will help :)
These are good videos and helpful.
great vid
helped me out a lot for getting my first kneedown on my aprilia rs 50 ^^
I can easily get my right knee down and have done for years. Being in the UK that's the legal side. I recently found an empty industrial state and I cannot for the life of me get the left down. I constantly keep my vision a bit to the right like you sort of do on the road to keep an eye on oncoming traffic. It's proving a hard habit to break! The lean angle is there I just can't commit the body.
Did this in a parking lot today. Lots of fun.
thanks, good answer! on my bike ive noticed in first gear, theres a point where the bike does jerk a lot. do you happen to know why this is?
I love that r1..
The best colour combination i.m.o.
What model is het the 07 ?
do we still need to countersteer or just leaning?
yeah thanks mcn, i got this Knee down malarkey sorted out !
1) Your knee acts as a lean indicator. When your knee touches you know exactly how much further you can go before you start dragging hard parts. 2) It helps puts you in the proper body position. If you didn't hang off the bike you would have to lean the bike over much further to carry the same speed.
@korefighter You're right! I was just trying to make up for the fact that I've never got my knee down but have, accidentally got the peg to touch down. Once because the suspension was too soft for my pillion and the 2nd time was an over-excited entry into a roundbout. I rarely get the bike lent over that much unless I know the road extremely well. The belly pan scrapes just before the pegs which is quite useful. I ride an 07 hornet 600 btw.
i want to do this on my aprilia rs, i've tried a bit, but not THAT low. is it smart with my wheels?
Transferring your weight to the side and putting your knee down allows you to do one of these:
1. You can go the same speed but keep the bike more upright which means better grip and more safety in case something unexpected happens.
2. You can increase your speed.
3. A combination.
have to say the R1 looks amazing
yea i rode up to the gap when they were having the R1/R6 rally a couple weeks ago and got my knee down and got it down in bout every sharp left hander and i also went today and could confidently get a knee down in every lefthander but its still hard for me to get it down in right handers but im getting there
Is there a weight limit for doing a knee corner. I am ~105kg, athletic not fat. My ride is Aprilia RSV Mille 2003. You think I could do a knee corner or am I too heavy ? Thanks for any advice.
Why would your weight have any effect lmao?
Did they record this on a toaster...
And I'm sure you had a 1080p camera in 2007.
I dont know about you but I dont remember tv being this low resolution before 1080p... and 1080p tv's came out in 2005 sooo.... you know :D
nope...a watermelon
i love how he get it down and imediatly pulls up carry it on round the roundabout and scrub the slider in a bit
its about having the same body position and just leaning more not same speed and moving off the bike more get your knee about and ass off and head down and increase the lean and speed untill your there simple
ride safe guys
What speed were they doing around the round about please.
Mcn help, I have just got rid of my 600 bandit and got myself a Gixxer 600. Tried and tried to get my knee down. Just wont happen. Any advise???
another thing it does is as you become faster, it can help you judge the amount of lean angle you are at
Looking forward to try out this when the friggin weather gets better =)
same for me with the right side, I'm right handed and lot more confident when I curve to the right.
is it harder to get your knee down if the pegs are further forward?
im the same, i can get left everytime but right handers take a few times, well alot of times, i was told once that if youre a right handed person its harder to turn right because your instincts are telling you to protect your right hand side, i have a left handed mate that can do right hand corners knee down but never have been able to do left turns
I know right.. I want an 848 or an R1, I got a monster because of Australia's learner approved scheme, its not even a 696 but a 659, and it has ok power compared to the other learner bikes.
Brilliant 👏
I've never got my knee down because I don't have sliders. When I get my new leathers I'll give it a try. I'm sure i'm leaning far enough on my 1198s, I can tell that just by looking at the tyres, i'll probably lean less when I hang off. practise is all it takes, body position and confidence. I'm confident enough. ps anyone trying any of this ensure you warm up your tyres first.
Done that! So yeah its possible!
Nice, at Sawtry weighbridge. I've got a skyline video there 😂
Just spent 2 hours going in circles in a parking lot (with permission). Barely got my knee down in 3rd gear @ 29 mph (actual mph is less), 50 foot radius. Bumpy with up and down slope. Cop and private security drove by after a "noise" complaint (factory exhaust at 3000 rpm under 30 mph). Then speedo went blank from low voltage so maybe stator overheated & died (new stator under warantee). Softened bump/rebound 3 clicks, 30 psi hot F/R. No chicken strip on left side. Right turn more difficult.
whats the effect on getting your knee down?
They can achieve the same angle and speed without right?
I can get my knee down now on my aprilia rs 50 i do it good now had one crash though i really dont know what i did wrong i think its becuz i was to far to the back by doing that im guessing ive put to much pressure on the back tire leading to a low sider
some guys i kno feel that way. U just gotta try to imitate your body position the other way. its all in ur mind. start takin the corners slower then speed up gradual...theres no rush and no ones judgin ya
hay mate can you do a full video on sag
good share, now I can't wait to give it a try :)
this video helped me get my knee down :P then i spent like 2 hours a night going around the roundabout lol but i did it. the only problem i get is that it feels like all my weight is on my right ankle and it hurts after a while anyone elsa get this ???
but saying that i did just watch the video again and i dont put my foot right on the end of the peg it is always very close to the bike mabey moving my foot will help
In case you want to know, there's a "physics" reason that riders hang an arse cheek off the bike as they corner. You can get the same amount of steering with less lean angle and more stability. You can actually increase speed AND safety by using correct body positioning. It's worth looking into, especially if you'll be doing track days.
cause it looks awfully cool and its the right way
me too. its seems like my left turns dont dip as much and i dont feel as comfortable.
@101francis101 - I'd see the peg as more of a risk aversion device if anything... Unless your on a track road which is far superior in quality, with track specific tires then i would definately not attempt to go peg down, most bike will low-side before even reach that.
good video
Its a good video but its quite old.Hope you upload new HD videos again!!!
@knuckleheadedspaz
no its perfectly legal, providing its done safely. however most copper will consider you to be going to fast if you can get your knee down and thus may try and go for a speeding, or even unsafe riding - too fast for situation if you arent close to the speed limit
Cracking nice vid!
These mcn videos are great! :) It's like a do it yourself advanced riding course heheh
Ass crack on the edge of the seat, so your half on half off.
Tip toes on the pegs. one knee 'hugging' the tank the other stuck out as far as possible.
Stick your head round the door, as far as you can (past the mirror).
Then just lean the bike over, fairly simple.
Push down on the leg with the leg thats hugging the tank.
Dont put alot of weight on the handle bars. One arm (sky side) should be out strait and the other (towards the ground) should be basically completely bent.
Hope this helps!
would it not make sense to have your right indicator on to show you are staying on the round about when there's traffic as you never know what other people are thinking?
Where is this roundabout?
today i was following a guy around deals gap (Dragons Tail) and i was sticking with his speed and every corner he wnt through he would have his knee down and it was agrivating me cuz i was hanging off so far my foot wasnt touchin the peg on the other side and my knee just couldnt touch. I guess thats the down fall of being 5'6" and being all body
nice one malc ;)
6:55 chops the throttle sends him straight up.. did the tire slide?
I think he just scared himself
when your leaning are both feet positioned with toes on the peg or what?
it can get you out of situations if you're aware of the limitations of your bike.
can someone post a really detailed explanation how to sit on the bike if you want to get the knee down ? where to put weight ? i know you shouldnt put any weight on handlebars but how exactly that works ? i try to hang out and put my head pass the mirror but i never got the knee down ......
Muito bom
@101francis101 you should get your knee down before your peg, with saying that I have gotten the peg down but not knee since I don't have pucks. so yes peg is further over, but you should be able to do both.
Not sure I'm still doing this right. I'm sure I'm ticking the boxes in this video but I still can't get my knee down. I keep thinking I need to turn on more speed but I'm flying round now and def going quicker than the guys in this vid so can't be that. If I ever get the job done I'll let you know!
God how camera quality has improved beyond recognition 😂😂😂
Good job Malc! =D
Please Michael, make new "MCN's guide to" videos?:)
It's helpfull videos, but I think that the sound and picture quality is to poor to realy see what you meen.
Hope you can do this, I recon it's more people than me that thinks this;)
its not posible in spanish??its very interesting
Thank you for making me realise my headphones were on the wrong way round :P
If only the roads looked like that now.. potholes everywhere unfortunately
the guy in the beginning said he was in 3rd gear going 35 mph? why not 1st or 2nd? its an R1. and toes on the pegs? what if you put the pegs in the middle of your feet?
Dave´s helmet is nice.
Brazilian flag on it! lol
BEST BIKE! R1!
Getting the peg down says more about your riding that worn knee sliders, although it is far more risky.
You can get your knee down with just about any bike as long as you do it properly. Just make sure not to push it too much, it'll come eventually. Don't worry about it.
oh my god, a top rider like you, can get the knee and possible shoulder down, but can't afford a Ducati 999. what's the problem? I would love to see you in moto GP anytime soon, hope the prize money can help.
MCN needs a soundguy
i can do this on my aprillia sr50r ...scooter
I've managed to touch down both sides but I can consistently do my right hand side but I've only managed to touch down once on my left side, this is on a windy road not round about as I don't have anything that big and quiet near me, anyone else able to get one side down easy but can't do other side?
+buz3017 everyone has that... even goalkeepers struggle with jumping in one side to save a goal, every single rider out there has his "better" side. I can lean into the left angle with no hassle, but when it comes to right corners... oh dear... it feels unnatural and just odd. What helped me was to relax a bit, don't stress too much over it, don't think about your better or your worse side, just go with the flow and the other side will get scrapped as well... with time.
+Anhjje I'm like that prefer left turns to right turns. I've had the tyre right over on both sides but no knee down yet
chappy2121 IMO you're streching it out the "wrong" way. You do it subconsciously but when you try to knee drag and you're still a bit afraid, you push the knee forward instead of away from you on almost 90 degree angle. Because you keep pushing it forward instead of outwards from your body you're just making things worse. Trust me, I was in the same boat because I wasn't able to do it for the longest time and it just happened a while ago. You may look like a stupid frog at first, but once you do hit it, it will feel more natual, you feel get to know your bike and the position on it much better. Just push it outwards, not forwards. It's hard to explain :)
hello, i just wanna say that i just touch my knee after watching this!
MCN is totally biased towards the Yamahas especially 2009 R1
that's why i love MCN coz I'm also a hardcore Yamaha fan and a 08 r6 owner THE BEST LOOKING BIKE IN THE WORLD TO ME
about 35-45mph
I Say If your scrapeing your knees How is a Cop gunna catch you?? Now that you learned body possitioning, The next step is to learn where to put your Balls.!!!!!!! LoL.. Great Video.!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is how you low side, brother
It would be good to re-upload these videos in HD. Perhaps upload them unlisted and link them in their respective original videos. Ta.
damn you, i didnt notice it till you said something lol!
not often rossi and whitham are used in the same sentence lol
I got my knee down on my 2nd week of riding