hey guys just curious how to lean? and why is it important to lean way over and touch a knee when hanging sharp curves?

You don't have to do that, that's for extreme track riding and is a measure (using your body scraping the ground) as to how far you can lean over the bike, but leaning or shifting body weight to the inside allows you to keep the bike more vertical (less lean of the bike) and the more upright the bike is, the better is the traction. For average street riding it's not necessary.

Extreme leaning is for track, but you do have to lean to properly turn.

It's called counter steering, you push down on the handle in the direction you want to turn. (exactly the opposite of a bicycle) If you want to turn right you push down on the right handle bar, the bike will lean to the right and begin turning right. The more pressure you put, the more the bike leans. More lean tightens the turn. Once the bike starts turning you should release pressure on bar, a nice soft grip. (bend your arms, don't try and force handle bars, just smooth pressure)

You turn your head in the direction of the turn and look at the exit point of the turn, not down at curve or towards the outside of the turn, you look where you want the bike to be at end of turn. Brake before turning (till you get better) then slowly crack the throttle through the turn nice and smoothly. You don't have to be at the apex to begin accelerating, but you do have to slowly accelerate to turn correctly. You don't need to hang off the bike to turn the bike safely at normal surface traffic speed.

Once you start going faster, you should try hanging. Before you begin turn, hang off half your butt (1 cheek) in the direction of turn. Be sure to do this before starting turn. You must keep your shoulders squared with bike, but let your torso hang off with your butt. For instance your spine should remain parallel with the center line of the bike. It also helps to lean a little forward over the tank (I've heard people tell me, try and kiss your rear view mirror) this helps the front tire grip as you start to accelerate through turn and shift weight to back tire.

Be sure to not pull yourself back on to the bike with your arms (this will cause input into the handle bars) use your knee on the opposite side of the tank (most modern bikes have tanks that help you do this) use your mid section and thighs.

That's the basic idea, I'm sure many members will offer their own advice and or correct mine. lol

Very relevant, yet very funny, thread on leaning (http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=45848). :thumbup:

Very relevant, yet very funny, thread on leaning (http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=45848). :thumbup:

:happy40: :happy40: :happy40:

I just read that! Funny!!

press left handlebar to turn left. press right handlebar to turn right. always look up and around the corner. you will oh-shiet if you look only 20 ft in front of you.

Extreme leaning is for track, but you do have to lean to properly turn.

It's called counter steering, you push down on the handle in the direction you want to turn. (exactly the opposite of a bicycle) If you want to turn right you push down on the right handle bar, the bike will lean to the right and begin turning right. The more pressure you put, the more the bike leans. More lean tightens the turn. Once the bike starts turning you should release pressure on bar, a nice soft grip. (bend your arms, don't try and force handle bars, just smooth pressure)


:confused:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countersteering

You don't have to do that, that's for extreme track riding and is a measure (using your body scraping the ground) as to how far you can lean over the bike, but leaning or shifting body weight to the inside allows you to keep the bike more vertical (less lean of the bike) and the more upright the bike is, the better is the traction. For average street riding it's not necessary.

This is a really good point and exactly the reason why people hang off and drag a knee while riding. While for average street riding it is not really necessary to drag your knees, you do want to make sure you are leaning with the bike and not leaning away from it. When the bike is going around a right turn you want to just let yourself follow the bike and kind of lean into the turn with your right shoulder. Despite the common desire to "lean the bike over farther" the ideal situation is that you get through a corner with as little lean angle as possible for your speed. Less lean angle = more traction.

Cheers,
Misti

(exactly the opposite of a bicycle)

Actually exactly the same as a bicycle! Honest, go out and try it riding slow on your bicycle, now ride fast and lean a lot and you will see this particuarlily in mountain biking. In slow on street riding you can actually make the bike turm by turning the wheel in the direction you want to go because it is so much lighter than a motorcycle and you force the bicycle that way!

mr. jake, here's how to lean:

http://www.holamun2.com/files/images/attachments/2007/06/lean-like-a-cholo.jpg

(exactly the opposite of a bicycle)In slow on street riding you can actually make the bike turm by turning the wheel in the direction you want to go because it is so much lighter than a motorcycle and you force the bicycle that way!

Im in south florida the only mountain biking here is imaginary. The only bicycles i ride are slow so you can look at the chicks on the boardwalk.

You don't counter steer, and you don't look at the turn, you look at the g string that just went by.

So yes, exactly the opposite of bike riding.

:confused:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countersteering

I don't see any glaring difference between my description. What's the confusion?

Great vid on countersteering (Yes, you countersteer a bicycle exactly the same as a motorcycle - see at 2:35)

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Thank you, Jeff.



To anyone who wants to start hanging off, start with your head. Look through the turn, but try to get it so you can see your chin or your chest when glancing down into the inside mirror. Your shoulders and torso will follow. The next big step after one gains comfort in doing this is to start scooting the butt toward the inside as well, while making sure the head and torso are sticking off by the same amount.

I wouldn't recommend starting by sliding your butt, for two reasons. One, it is too easy to slide your butt while keeping your head centered, which drastically reduces the amount of weight shift attained and basically waists effort. Second, if one does maintain correct body positioning while sliding the cheeks, that is then a giant leap--going from strait up to hanging the entire body off--that will be difficult to deal with when first starting to hang off.

too add to all that you want to make sure you aren't trying to just throw your knee out. that's what i've seen when people have issues getting down. they'll slide their ass over and stick their knee out but their torso is straight. if you touch knee in that body position you're going down (if you're asking this question any way). basically,don't just slide you ass over and kick your knee out. look through the turn with your torso. if you're at speed and you're having trouble that's probably your issue.

also watch your foot position on the peg. you want to be up and back as far as possible, esp with stock rearsets. to get the right feel sit on the bike when its on a stand. put your toe on the edge of the peg and turn your heel in. that's where your foot should be. notice how much more extension you have.

on the street you should never be at speeds where you need knee pucks. counter steering took me about a year before my mind reacted on it's own because you're basically doing something that is back asswards. but it works gloriously, especially if you've used it to get out of a tight spot and avoided a put down or worse a crash. and as far as a traction comment, you actually have more traction leaned over if you keep your tires inflated to the bikes weight including you or you and a pillion filler. personally i've never taken a passenger nor have i entrusted myself to be one. i'm thinking about how thankful i am the ninjette is here in country, there's nothing like it and it forgave me so many mistakes when i got back into riding after so many years out of saddle.

Sometimes my knee must drag the road.

If you dragged a knee in RI you would either bang it on a manhole cover, drop it into a pothole, or bang it on a frost heave.

Im in south florida the only mountain biking here is imaginary. The only bicycles i ride are slow so you can look at the chicks on the boardwalk.

You don't counter steer, and you don't look at the turn, you look at the g string that just went by.

So yes, exactly the opposite of bike riding.

Pics would help here (boardwalk pics that is).

Pics would help here (boardwalk pics that is).

:whathesaid:

Go ahead and start a thread with em :thumbup:

you actually have more traction leaned over if you keep your tires inflated to the bikes weight

That's just not true. Traction is reduced because the contact patch is, in any given instant, partially "twisting" against the pavement, whereas a vertical tire is truely "rolling." The less distortion and lateral sliding in the contact patch--i.e. the less lean angle--the more traction you get.

Besides, I think Pro riders would be leaning the opposite way if it were better :P .

I'm talking about the subject, which is leaning, and a track or race slick and even nowadays a couple of treaded soft compound sport performance tires have much more contact patch on the corners than straights, that's why they're only good for 2-3k miles max. You must be riding cruiser tires, and even they can wear on the edges more than center if you drive at top speeds all the time, the tires expand even to the point of touching frames on some bikes.

http://www.nataliedee.com/102605/i-said-what.jpg

I'm talking about the subject, which is leaning, and a track or race slick and even nowadays a couple of treaded soft compound sport performance tires have much more contact patch on the corners than straights, that's why they're only good for 2-3k miles max. You must be riding cruiser tires, and even they can wear on the edges more than center if you drive at top speeds all the time, the tires expand even to the point of touching frames on some bikes.

Tires will last past 3k miles, as long you take care of thrm. You don't necessary have more contact when leaning. Now days sport tires are made where the sides of the tires are softer rubber for better traction, and the center is made of harder rubber to help prevent flat spots to come due to daily riding. And I belive when your moving, tires become skinnier, the faster you go, not wider. Correct me if i'm wrong.

I wish I can drag knee. :)

I wish I can drag knee. :)
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You will get it one day!!:D