How to hang off the bike

[Trip]

Originally Posted by DLIT

That's what I was thinking, but my weight is being countered by the force against my tank, I don't know, fuck it.

the force against your tank should be more of a squeeze in your thigh and so you feet shouldnt be so much a force on it.

[pickle.of.doom]

[the chi]

can i just state that everyone is going to have a difference of opinion on this one?

For example, those taller will have to adjust their style and cant ride like shorter people, those wider or stockier people cant ride like wiry people. After learning from my friends (retired racers, current racers, and track junkies), all people have a lil different style, you just have to find a proper style that fits your body type and ride.

I cant tell you guys to do it like I do, because I operate on a "tits to the tank" style. Being rather tiny compared to you guys, and not weighing very much, I have to adjust my style to compensate for this, and learning from female racers, I know if I have my chest on the side of my tank, with my arms relaxed, weighting the outside peg, and my knee directly out, ass off the seat and head down towards my mirror, then I am using the optimal position for me, whereas a heavier guy cant necessarily completely hold himself off the seat with knee out and his chest beside (not on or against, i mean BESIDE the tank, with shoulder at the same heigth as the tank) for any length of time. (think spider monkey)

Take the good points you can use, leave the rest and develop your best riding style for you. Good thread Trip!

[No Worries]

Wait a second. When you are riding mountains or canyons, there is no time between curves to rotate hips, weigh your feet, or hug the tank. Here's what Lee Parks recommends in Total Control:

1. Your foot should be tucked in so it doesn't stick out.
2. Start leaning your upper body to keep the centerline of your upper body to the inside of your bike's centerline.
3. Push on the outside grip to keep the bike going straight.
4. Locate the turn point.
5. After locating your turn point, look through the turn.
6. Now you start turning by relaxing the outside grip.
7. Push on the inside grip until your desired lean angle is achieved. Use only the inside arm to make all steering corrections.
8. Roll on the throttle smoothly.
9. Push on the outside grip to bring the bike upright.
10. Move back to neutral.

I don't do any knee movement, or foot movement, or move my butt around. I just move my upper body from one side to the other, and rotate my head to look through the turn. The upper body movement is enough to move the bike's center of gravity to the inside of the turn. With my upper body toward the inside, it's real easy to push on the inside grip. There is just no time to think about the other things, let alone do them, in the short amount of time that curves change direction in a canyon.

[DLIT]

Originally Posted by Trip

the force against your tank should be more of a squeeze in your thigh and so you feet shouldnt be so much a force on it.

I think you might be thinking I'm putting more force than I actually am. I use the peg as a point to create leverage against my tank, making my knee against my tank secure as fuck. I could probably let go of the bars, that's how secure I'm talking about.

[the chi]

I find that weighting my outside peg gives me that lil bit of "oomph" that will allow me with my momentum to slide to the outside while still accelerating forward...hard to explain but its an incredible feeling, and from something so small!

I place my foot to the outside edge of the peg with foot still on it completely and push down, while gripping with my thigh and leg to the tank and it actually anchors my leg more firmly on the tank, but thats due to the way the gsxr tank is shaped as well.

Im talking straight track riding however, including my post above...street riding i dont make nearly as complex...more of a roll...from side to side like what NW mentions...

[Trip]

Originally Posted by DLIT

I think you might be thinking I'm putting more force than I actually am. I use the peg as a point to create leverage against my tank, making my knee against my tank secure as fuck. I could probably let go of the bars, that's how secure I'm talking about.

Yeah I know, I can easily let go of my clutch hand in a corner and do whatever the fuck I want with it, such as brush the ground if I want to be gay like that. If I didn't have to steer, I could just raise my hands up rollercoaster stylee through corners. Only time I have weight on my arms is hard downhill sections because they are much tougher and I am still not use to them.

Originally Posted by No Worries

Wait a second. When you are riding mountains or canyons, there is no time between curves to rotate hips, weigh your feet, or hug the tank. Here's what Lee Parks recommends in Total Control:

1. Your foot should be tucked in so it doesn't stick out.
2. Start leaning your upper body to keep the centerline of your upper body to the inside of your bike's centerline.
3. Push on the outside grip to keep the bike going straight.
4. Locate the turn point.
5. After locating your turn point, look through the turn.
6. Now you start turning by relaxing the outside grip.
7. Push on the inside grip until your desired lean angle is achieved. Use only the inside arm to make all steering corrections.
8. Roll on the throttle smoothly.
9. Push on the outside grip to bring the bike upright.
10. Move back to neutral.

I don't do any knee movement, or foot movement, or move my butt around. I just move my upper body from one side to the other, and rotate my head to look through the turn. The upper body movement is enough to move the bike's center of gravity to the inside of the turn. With my upper body toward the inside, it's real easy to push on the inside grip. There is just no time to think about the other things, let alone do them, in the short amount of time that curves change direction in a canyon.

There is plenty of time to do all the things you mention as you can't do in the mountains at the gap. Just takes practice.

[DLIT]

Thanks, Kurt. Good stuff there. I remember you telling somebody about pivoting around the tank slightly and I started doing that, and it feels great. I also started setting up for my turns earlier, mostly while braking, so when I let off the brakes all I need to do is lean the bike and extend my knee out a bit, while moving my upper body with the lean.

The biggest thing I did though was turn my head evn more through the turn and just using my eyes to look around if need be. I ended up seeing the WHOLE corner and through "bike-eye" coordination, I was able to realize "Hey, I can get on the throttle a lot sooner than I originally thought".

I like this thread.

[No Worries]

And another thing, here's what Lee Parks states about body positioning: "A relaxed upper body makes it possible to change direction or speed with repeatable accuracy." Have you ever ridden behind a cruiser rider that looks like his back is stiff against a flat plank as he goes around a curve? Usually not a smooth cornering maneuver. He's either very slow or jerky. And they hardly ever turn their head to look through the turn.

[Phenix_Rider]

Originally Posted by No Worries

And another thing, here's what Lee Parks states about body positioning: "A relaxed upper body makes it possible to change direction or speed with repeatable accuracy." Have you ever ridden behind a cruiser rider that looks like his back is stiff against a flat plank as he goes around a curve? Usually not a smooth cornering maneuver. He's either very slow or jerky. And they hardly ever turn their head to look through the turn.

I see that a lot around here. All the old farts that pull their bike out once or twice a month are terrified of leaning with the bike. As I'm leaning into it and rolling on, they're slowing down. (of course no one on this forum falls into that category)