View Poll Results: Do you drag your knee in the canyon?

Voters
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  • Yes, Regularly

    2 5.88%
  • Yes, Occasionaly

    6 17.65%
  • Yes, but not on purpose

    2 5.88%
  • No, but only because I don't have knee sliders

    5 14.71%
  • No, but I'm really close

    2 5.88%
  • No, and I don't plan to

    13 38.24%
  • Not even close

    4 11.76%
Results 1 to 18 of 18

Thread: Anybody drag their knee in the canyons?

  1. #1
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    Anybody drag their knee in the canyons?

    This just started happening to me recently. In July, on the way up Mt. Evans, was the first time, then on the way down a few more times. It happened again this past weekend (Mt. Evans again), and afterwards on 285 (which was pretty cool 'cuz it was at a much higher rate of speed ).

    I've heard AirmenGoob mention that he can get his knee down in the first 6-7 turns in Golden Gate Canyon. Just curious if anybody else has this "problem".

  2. #2
    Senior Member surfinspacegirl's Avatar
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    Getting your knee down in the canyons may look cool, but it leaves almost zero margin should something unexpected - deer, oil, gravel, car in the wrong lane, another motorcyclist - be around the corner. If I'd had my knee down when I came around that corner into Bambi I probably still wouldn't be in riding shape, if at all.

    I *know* I can get my knee down in the canyons, but I'll save it for the track, thanks

    Just my $0.02.
    "Life is not a journey unto the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but rather
    to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out and leaking oil, shouting GERONIMO!"

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  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by surfinspacegirl
    Getting your knee down in the canyons may look cool, but it leaves almost zero margin should something unexpected - deer, oil, gravel, car in the wrong lane, another motorcyclist - be around the corner. If I'd had my knee down when I came around that corner into Bambi I probably still wouldn't be in riding shape, if at all.
    I agree. In fact, I could probably attribute the fact that I crashed (on June 21) to the fact that I was trying to get my knee down (Me --> <-- Me).

    I'm not advocating or promoting it, in fact it can be scary as hell, considering the consequences are usually a canyon wall (if you're lucky) or a cliff ) - I'm just curious if there's anyone else out there that's "been there".

  4. #4
    Senior Member towneh's Avatar
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    if i'm cereful...

    I have not ‘dropped a knee’ in the canyon-carving exercises. I don’t think I’ll ever get to that level nor do I really want to…. Touring is my interest with occasional bursts of speed. I concur with Hanna in that there are too many blind turns, careless drivers, and blind driveways to make it a practice in the canyons. If I’m careful; I’ve got another 40+ years to go….

    $.02 for my share…
    henry
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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spiderman
    ... in fact it can be scary as hell, considering the consequences are usually a canyon wall (if you're lucky) or a cliff )
    I can't beileve I forgot the obvious - oncoming traffic.

    Doe! - looks like I forgot wildlife too!

  6. #6
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    I don't even want to try it personally. Usually it has bad consequences, like people I know crashing trying to do it so I stay away from it.

    Besides I'm finding that the more I ride on the track and actually learn what "fast" is, the less I want to go nuts on the street. I took the bike out for a ride yesterday for the first time in a while that hasn't involved a track and it just felt weird. Probably looked weird too, me all hanging off the thing going around Cherry Creek Mall. Oh - mental note, track tire pressure when street riding = bad idea! I was also reminded why street riding annoys me yet again, was sitting at the light @ Cherry Creek and Alameda, and realized the guy coming up behind me at 50mph was not going to stop in time (real glad I decided to put the mirrors back on!), and had to drop it in gear real fast and gun it about 3 feet to keep from getting an Accord up my ass. Freakin moron...

  7. #7
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    I hold off in the canyons too. When i'm up there i'm just up for fun and hanging out with everybody so I keep it pretty slow. I do my faster riding out on the racetrack.



    Deuce

  8. #8
    Member RSVR4aCowboy's Avatar
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    Heck, I'm pushing my limits to get a knee down on the track . I can't image pushing that hard in the canyons. I don't think it would be a consideration even if it was second nature on the track. It really seems the more track time I do, the more cautious I am in the canyons.
    Mike

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  9. #9
    Member Rick T.'s Avatar
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    Knee-dragging in the canyons - POINTLESS.

    I think those that do, take Sport Rider, Performance Bikes, and the like... way too seriously; look at the pictures and say "Gee, that's how "I" wanna ride!!"

    Also, I'm positive the vast majority of those that chose NOT to (but can) are "older", more mature riders... with something on the line (family).

    I'm 3* yrs old and now play it "safer"...

    I like it like that.
    Rick T.
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  10. #10
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    I'm starting to have mixed feelings about this thread and the perceptions that it may be casting about me.

    I used to think that dragging knee should be reserved strictly for the track. I've seen video of guys in canyons dragging knee, but I figure they really knew the road. I've been riding the track more & more, and have gotten a lot faster than I was last year. I'm also hanging off the bike a lot more. When it first happened in June, on the way up to Echo lake, I was actually quite surprised - I wasn't trying to get my knee down, and I wasn't going that fast - and it was just a light scraping (not really dragging). I was just riding at a pace that I was comfortable with.

    This past weekend, when I ended up riding alone, I did not touch my knee down nearly as often, even though it was the same route. Something didn't feel right - so I didn't push it. Maybe it was because I was riding alone, or because I didn't trust the tires (didn't lower the air pressure) & cooler, early-morning road temps. Maybe it was because I feared crashing again. Who knows. I know that a couple of times that I did actually get my knee down, it didn't feel quite right, so I backed off.

    For me personally, I think it's more important to ride at a pace that I'm comfortable with. If my knee touches down, so be it, but that's not going to be my goal on the street.

  11. #11
    Member Rick T.'s Avatar
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    Bob,
    I hope you don't think anyone here was pointing fingers... nanernanernaner :P. I centainly was not. I think these were all general statements addressing the issue - NOT the originator of the post...

    And you're right... if one is comfortable knee-dragging at their personal pace, then so be it. I'm just jealous coz' I can't keep up...
    Rick T.
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  12. #12
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    Though I've ridden fast in the canyons, I can't say I've ever touched a knee down. I must have been close though because I could scrub my tires to 1/4" off the edge.

    I drag my knee's at the track now and even then I try to only touch to gauge the lean angle. Like others have said, ride your own pace and if you touch, so be it!
    Tom
    '04 CBR1000RR

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick T.
    Bob,
    I hope you don't think anyone here was pointing fingers... nanernanernaner :P. I centainly was not. I think these were all general statements addressing the issue - NOT the originator of the post...
    Thanks. :P

    Quote Originally Posted by Rick T.
    And you're right... if one is comfortable knee-dragging at their personal pace, then so be it. I'm just jealous coz' I can't keep up...
    BTW, if I try to drag my knee, it distracts me from going fast!

  14. #14
    Member rocktboy's Avatar
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    i keep my knee close to the bike when canyon carving..i.e. I don't hangoff the bike.
    i have dragged my pegs repeatedly in golden gate canyon.......talk about margin for error...... that's why i ride (not race) mostly on tracks now days
    member of rat's nest off-roading club.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by rocktboy
    i keep my knee close to the bike when canyon carving..i.e. I don't hangoff the bike.
    i have dragged my pegs repeatedly in golden gate canyon.......talk about margin for error...... that's why i ride (not race) mostly on tracks now days
    Hey Jack, did you get your bike sorted out yet? I still think it's valves or ignition giving you the headaches.
    Tom
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  16. #16
    Loopty
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    I never dragged a knee on the street until my trip to Toronto a few months ago, I just don't really hang off much when street riding, and I haven't really been riding the canyons since I've been hitting the track regularily. Anyway, I got the knee down messin around on this tight little road right by Niagara Falls (25 KPH I think). It was really slow and a few of us were having a blast dragging knee on back to back to back to back corners doing maybe 25 MPH. Then I proceeded to drag my knees going in circles in the parking lot at the end of the road. You shoulda seen the look on this girls face that was sitting in the parking lot. I bet it looked funny as hell with some dude on an older red/pink GS500 dragging knee for 4-5 consecutive circles. Later in the day I was dragging knee all over the place in town, in SLOW/EMPTY roads with nothing to run into, mind you.

    Back in my hard canyon riding days on the SV, I never had knee pucks so that wasn't an option. I didn't even hang off at all. I did get a major kick out of dragging my pegs though, but I kept that for corners I could see the WHOLE way through, I wouldn't try that on any type of blind corner or when traffic was present etc.
    MRA 33 (Retired)
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  17. #17
    Junior Member Burnout's Avatar
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    I usually drag my knees in the canyons - wait I don't ride any more. Well, I used to always drag the knees. That is where I learned to it. I rode once this year with dragging. I only do it where I am very comfortable with the road and I don't try too hard. If it happens it happens, but I don't make too much of a point about it. I never do it on the road faster than 50 - 60 as oppsed to 90-100 on the track. I would never do it on 285 at the speeds required. I would only do it on a tight corner that I know well.

  18. #18
    Member voncon's Avatar
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    I always thought that only Squids did the Dragging thing on the street. Well, on my last big road trip from Tucson to Denver.... I was calling myself a hypocrite -- dragging my knee up Hiway 191. Heck we even stopped to take pictures at one place.

    Kurt
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