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Racing technique question-why hang out the leg?

Strawboss

Member
Member
OK. posted this on another forum asking why racers are hanging their legs off to one side coming to a corner. I remember seeing them hang their knees out, but one leg? I know its for wind resistance to slow down but is it used in addition to brakes to help them use less brakes to prevent the front end diving too much letting them lean more?
 
if you're talking about the recent move to stick the foot out until just before entering the turn, I think it's just a current fad.  I'm not aware of any value to it.  I perfer keeping my feet on the pegs and getting ready for the turn.  I ain't as good as those guys though.  :motonoises:
 
Strawboss said:
I remember seeing them hang their knees out, but one leg? I know its for wind resistance to slow down but is it used in addition to brakes to help them use less brakes to prevent the front end diving too much letting them lean more?

Getting a knee out (or a leg) is not done to help slow the bike due to wind resistance. Your body is much better for that than a leg, and you'll see riders sit up at the end of long straights, but that's about the only time you'll see it. Getting your knee out before the corner is to set up your body position for the corner and get stable on the bike before initiating the turn-in. You don't want to be moving around on the bike while also trying to turn it because any movement you make will have an effect on the steering. This is not my opinion.... it comes from the likes of Keith Code, Jason Pridmore, etc., who teach this stuff to top riders.

For whatever reason Rossi started playing with the one leg out, and when asked about it said it helped him feel more stable under braking, but he did have a twinkle in his eye and a cheesy grin when he said it, so who knows?

Ahhh, here it is, a video shot at the UK CSS about stability. But you might want to watch all of the vids because it's also discussed in episode 6.

Superbike School - Episode 4
 
I think it is more like putting your arms out when you feel unstable while walking over rough ground.  The bike is nearly out of control under full braking and it is harder to feel the rear end starting to come around when you are all tucked in.  With one leg out you get a better sensory feedback of what the bike is doing and maybe some aditional control over it also.
 
Dumb fad.

Same reason why many quarterbacks lift their leg before the hike.  At first I thought they were blowing farts.
 
Yeah i found that if I throw my knee out I don't get pee on it while I am going down the road.  :rotflmao:
 
1. Wind Drag: increase it when braking. Also sit up as high as possible to catch the air. It works very well. Put more body parts out in the breeze.
2. Balance: The back wheel is drifting and weight forward works better when drifting the back tire. The back tire will come around, but it will go back in line without a snap if your weight is forward.
3. Anticipation of turn: Weight shift must be done while on the throttle. Acceleration is only .2g, braking is .9g. Shift weight before braking cuz you don't have traction to spare once you get on the brakes. Weight shifts done then will demand less braking since bike geometry is easily upset. (This answers for butt and shoulders offsetting, but foot is answered above)
4. Stretch the suit: Skin tight suits work well above 150mph, one size over suits work well for knee down turning. It's a workout to get the knee down. Even with stretch panels I have a hard time putting my knee down. If done correctly it's exhausting. When I come into the paddock I'm sometimes too tired to stand up on my own, much less put the bike up on stands. Stretch the leg panel and the knee will go out easier.
 
5. Makes the bike TWICE as wide just as they are entering a corner, the most common passing place.
6. So you can gas the rider behind with the fermented results of several nights of BBQ and refried beans.  :sign0137:
:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
 
JPavlis_CA said:
Getting your knee out before the corner is to set up your body position for the corner and get stable on the bike before initiating the turn-in. You don't want to be moving around on the bike while also trying to turn it because any movement you make will have an effect on the steering. This is not my opinion.... it comes from the likes of Keith Code, Jason Pridmore, etc., who teach this stuff to top riders.


The way I understand it, the knee-to-knee technique that CSS discusses in the video is meant to provide more stability when shifting weight side-to- side by not lifting rider weight off the seat. 

The act of "putting a knee out" is all about getting the riders center of gravity as low as possible to reduce lean angle. Took me a bit to find this mag clipping that explains it...

hangingoff.jpg


 
Good answer Steve but wrong question.  The question as I read it was why are they putting one foot and leg out while under full braking before the corner is even started.
 
smithr1 said:
Good answer Steve but wrong question.  The question as I read it was why are they putting one foot and leg out while under full braking before the corner is even started.


Ummmm...  True, but re-read the quoted text in my post I was responding to.
 
close. Its knee pain, and this lets him stretch out that little bit and during deceleration when the extra wind drag is not as big a factor.
 
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