My Knee Gauge Doesn't Worky

[rchase]

I also wear glasses normally. At the track I wear contacts to eliminate the potential movement of my glasses. If contacts aren't an option they sell a huge variety of sports goggles that can be fitted with prescription lenses. Some of them look really cool too and can be tinted to look like sun glasses.

 

Vision is one of THE most critical things in riding. That's why the school starts off with it very early in their program. The view that we have with our eyes translates directly to how fast we think we are going. Having good visual skills allows you to go faster by helping keep the SR's in check. Using good visual skills shows you that you have PLENTY of space and slows things down.

 

Speaking of vision. I need to head down to the optometrist to get my RX updated. It's been far too long.

[pleman]

I too use contact lenses but they cause issues - for example standing in a pit lane garage with a gale blowing through it dries your eyes out. Then out on track the stinging and sandpapering in the eyes starts and that's a real distraction.

 

Magnification is also different and thus changes the perception of distances and speeds. Save to say I function best with glasses.

 

I've been trying to find some "Dennis Taylor" style snooker glasses but my prescription is too awkward for the size of the frames and then there's the issue of them fitting inside the helmet.

 

I'm working on this one.

[csmith12]

A buddy of mine puts some tape on his nose to stop the glasses from sliding down. Maybe a sport strap to keep them pulled back and riding high on the nose?

[Hotfoot]

I too use contact lenses but they cause issues - for example standing in a pit lane garage with a gale blowing through it dries your eyes out. Then out on track the stinging and sandpapering in the eyes starts and that's a real distraction.

 

Magnification is also different and thus changes the perception of distances and speeds. Save to say I function best with glasses.

 

I've been trying to find some "Dennis Taylor" style snooker glasses but my prescription is too awkward for the size of the frames and then there's the issue of them fitting inside the helmet.

 

I'm working on this one.

 

I don't wear contacts and maybe you are already doing this, but I always wear sunglasses underneath my helmet, the kind that wrap close to your eyes, to reduce the amount of air and dust getting into my eyes as I ride. My helmet is ventilated well enough that if I just ride with a tinted visor and no sunglasses, my eyes start to burn from the hot dry air and dust (and probably exhaust fumes, too) coming in. I use relatively lightly tinted sunglasses so that I can keep them on around the pits, to reduce that eye dryness and irritation. They also function as my safety glasses for fueling, etc.

[pleman]

I don't have any problems with specs other than the limitation in dropping my head - so hook turns are out and tucking right down in the straights is out.

 

As regards the knee down thing I've seen plenty of riders knee down with their heads up so I'm not really concerned about this.

 

For specs to work with an oblique view (ie head fully down looking through the very top of the visor) they need lifted up about an inch - I'm looking into modifying frames to do this.

[Hotfoot]

I've laid low on this topic because I am short and have to work REALLY hard to drag my knee - typically that would involve hanging off too far to be secure, sticking my knee out really far, and using poor riding technique to exaggerate my lean angle. Risk without much reward.

 

However, I do agree with what others here have said - looking at your photos, it appears to me that although you have a butt cheek off the seat, you have your pelvis either straight or slightly counter rotated (away from the turn), so your upper body ends up back in the center of the bike and you can't stick your knee out very far. Try thinking about rotating your hips in towards the corner, which will allow you to also point your chest more into the corner and get your inside shoulder down and in. It will make it easier to hang off more and easier to stick your knee out farther.

 

You may have to move back in the seat a bit to accomplish this - if you are too close to the tank it is hard to rotate your hips in to the corner.

[pleman]

Thanks Hotfoot - I think you've hit the nail on the head.

[rchase]

I wanted to add something. Body position is one of the most challenging elements of riding (at least for me). Unlike most areas of riding it's very difficult to see the result and understand what you are doing. It also takes a lot of muscle memory often without a lot of time to prepare as you go from corner to corner. Until you get it right you often don't see the benefit and even sometimes when you get it right you aren't going fast enough to be able to see that benefit.

 

Heck even the pro's are continually refining their body position techniques.

[pleman]

Yes indeed - please see attached a well known "born again biker" who is likely to get his elbow down before his knee these days ?

[drioannis]

Is the lean angle on your 1299 measured with the bikes gyro? If yes then its not accurate. It measures the bikes angle but it does not take into account the track camber. So the 50 degrees is not 50 degrees, its way less. Also if speed is not enough knee dragging is not necessary. I never try to touch my knee, it just happens when my speed is high enough for the particular corner. When it happens I am not trying to drag it, I just touch and go. I even pull my knee up if the bike angle and my speed gets higher until I feel its safe for the bike and me.

Here is a pic of me in a corner. When I saw it I thought that my body could be just a little bit more out of the bike but the rest, I think are as they supposed to be.

[Willsportbike]

Although this is an old thread, it explains and discusses the issue I'm having. I'm glad I searched and found the thread.

 

[Willsportbike]

 

 

However, I do agree with what others here have said - looking at your photos, it appears to me that although you have a butt cheek off the seat, you have your pelvis either straight or slightly counter rotated (away from the turn), so your upper body ends up back in the center of the bike and you can't stick your knee out very far. Try thinking about rotating your hips in towards the corner, which will allow you to also point your chest more into the corner and get your inside shoulder down and in. It will make it easier to hang off more and easier to stick your knee out farther.

 

You may have to move back in the seat a bit to accomplish this - if you are too close to the tank it is hard to rotate your hips in to the corner.

 

 

Thanks a lot; this makes a lot of sense. I'll keep this in mind when on the track.

[pleman]

Well it's comforting to know I'm not the only one with this issue. Just been out for the first time this year and things have moved on a little. I now catch my feet on the ground! Currently experimenting with lifting my foot on top of the peg with the sole rotated flat to the bike. This does make rotation of the hip outward easier - and stops my toe sliders catching. Good luck with your endeavours. Incidentally, i do seem to follow other riders into corners who have their knees on the ground and catch them up by the exit. So it's not the key to quicker cornering.

[Willsportbike]

After continued practice, it definitely worked !!! The knee gauge does work indeed.