Hanging Off

[madmike]

I think sex has just found a new challenger.

Took off on a 100 mile round trip run today, and finally found a decently twisty, good condition road. As it has been raining a lot the past week, I hadn't been doing any riding, instead reading, googling, and watching YouTube videos on how to improve your riding, some of which where how to get your knee down. Not to mention reading the threads here about body positioning and not getting crossed up, etc.

While I am out, I figured, hey, let's give it a try.

Now mind you, my knee was nowehere near touching the ground (I think), and I was taking most of these turns pretty reasonably speed-wise, not wanting to ride past my ability being a total beginner with about 3 weeks or so now stick time.

Gotta say, I had the time of my life, hanging off is beyond fun.

Still, not having any kind of in-person instruction I can't be sure I was doing it right. Kept telling myself to scoot over to one cheek, get the knee out, get on the balls of my feet on the pegs, get my head well out past the mirrors (making my body lean, not getting crossed), and I was kind of pressing to kep the bike as upright as I could while getting my body over the side to cause the turn. Tell me if any of this was wrong, please.

When I did all the above, and the bike was still rather upright and me rather not, the bike turned really well, and oddly felt alot more stable and grippy than when I stay on the bike and lean (I know, this is exactly why you do it.)

Anyways, sorry no pics (hence, per internet rules, it didn't happen.) I live in Redneck, Va so no cool highway cameramen. Still, iff you see anything in my above description that makes you go "stop doing that!!!" please tell me so.

 

[dhewitt88]

congrats man, just wait till you hit the pegs. Going to put a big smile on your face . Just ease into it though and don't get ahead of yourself... Hopefully I'll be healed up and have my bike repaired soon, been 24 hours since my crash and I miss it like crazy...

 

[Rookasaki]

It's fun to lean the bike in the corners... But leaning while hanging off is just amazing!

 

[Fizzer6R]

madmike you are close to VIR, save & spend the couple hundred for a track day = you'll never be the same!

 

[madmike]

madmike you are close to VIR, save & spend the couple hundred for a track day = you'll never be the same!

Believe me, it is on my list. Gotta get out of the engine break-in tho...going for 600 mile service tomorrow, finally.

Summit Point is way closer to me than VIR by the way...90 vs 190 miles.

But VIR is a really nice track, so I could see myself trekking down there for a weekend at some point.

 

[bakkenlab]

great job on trying it out! i started cornering about 4 months ago and every time you go out you will get a little better. Just make sure that you go at YOUR own pace, don't try to go for the knee right away cause it could end badly. Just go with what you feel comfortable with and try to progress within your limits. One tip i would have is to not slid your whole ass off of the seat. When your going into a right hand corner for instance just slid your left cheek to the edge of the seat. If your hanging your whole bum off and hit a bump you could lose your grip on the handle bars and fly off.

This video has been posted on the forum before and idk if you have seen it, but it explains what i typed above to the tee! I watched this video after i started cornering and i improved exponentially.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxODoscChNo]YouTube - ‪body positioning‬‏[/ame]

And i would have to agree sex found a challenge haha, my bikes been in the shop for a month now and i've been going through withdraws ever since! Good luck out there and stay safe!

 

[Spunky99]

iff you see anything in my above description that makes you go "stop doing that!!!" please tell me so.

Unless you go through a section of road and check for hazards before you go through with speed, you are really taking a big chance. What if someone dumped a bunch of sand between the tailgate and truck bed on the way to do a small construction job and you hit it braking into a corner that you are ready to do the full lean and peg scraping thing? Happened to me approaching a 25 mph corner at 110 and I couldn't get any rear wheel traction. 3 broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder, a trip to the hospital and the bike was totaled by City Tow of Long Beach by dragging it onto the flatbed truck. Even if you check a section of road, things happen between the check and the run and then there is opposing traffic on the rural roads that adds to the danger. I hang off, drag knee and scrape pegs all the time but I do it on a track where there are proper run out areas and the track is clean and grippy. Also a Paramedic is on hand should I need Professional Medical attention.

 

[dart1963]

Spunky, exactly why I hang off. I had a fellow racer/rider tell me I was so far off, and maintaining a decent speed, that the bike was almost straight up... if I needed to, and I did, stand up for gravel quickly, the bike was already up and ready for fast breaking.... you don't have to go full speed hanging off to have fun, you can go hanging off at a decent speed and have fun....

Mike, we have a trackday or two coming up with DCAMC. if it weren't for needing a suit and boots I'd probably already have done it... my riding friends say I should... and I will, probably next year when I can afford it (I really want to go to Indy and that's my money priority for now). Couple hundred bucks here and there makes a big difference when you have four kids

 

[Sage]

I've been trying to hang off more when I'm taking corners whether its at 15-20mph or if I'm doing 60. It feels great and the more I do, the easier and more comfortable it is becoming for me. Keep up the good work

And I agree Don, it's saved me a few times not having the bike as leaned over so I could brake quicker and save me and the bike.

 

[Briguy453]

Well, technically its bad to be scraping pegs. It means the bike has way to steep of a lean angle. Your body should be doing all the leaning before the bike does. There is some leeway because the stock pegs are so low, BUT I learned the hard way at a Lee Parks course and ended up low siding, with not enough body lean, and too much of a lean angle on the motorcycle, ran out of contact patch and went down. Form, form, form, form. I can't say it enough. So much more important than leaning the motorcycle over, or seeing how far you can get off. Its much more important. Get the form down, and you'll find that you can drag knee at 25mph and above 100mph.

 

[Briguy453]

Even on this bike, it's easy once you get the form down, and replace the stock pegs.

 

[Spunky99]

Tis true...hanging off some and at reasonable speeds is fine and teaches control. Just keep it within certain limits.

One point..... MotoGP racers don't do their thing on the street and most don't even ride on the street. The Professional racers know something that maybe we don't?

 

[Fizzer6R]

Unless you go through a section of road and check for hazards before you go through with speed, you are really taking a big chance. What if someone dumped a bunch of sand between the tailgate and truck bed on the way to do a small construction job and you hit it braking into a corner that you are ready to do the full lean and peg scraping thing? Happened to me approaching a 25 mph corner at 110 and I couldn't get any rear wheel traction. 3 broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder, a trip to the hospital and the bike was totaled by City Tow of Long Beach by dragging it onto the flatbed truck. Even if you check a section of road, things happen between the check and the run and then there is opposing traffic on the rural roads that adds to the danger. I hang off, drag knee and scrape pegs all the time but I do it on a track where there are proper run out areas and the track is clean and grippy. Also a Paramedic is on hand should I need Professional Medical attention.

Spunky John maybe you're exaggerating, if not, I'm not sure anything would've saved you approaching a 25 mph corner at 110, regardless of road surface conditions and what does rear wheel traction have to do with it?

 

[madmike]

Mike, we have a trackday or two coming up with DCAMC. if it weren't for needing a suit and boots I'd probably already have done it...

I keep monitoring the DCAMC events, so hopefully I can catch one.

Question for you, and all...what constitutes a track legal suit for track days? Will my current rig, the Icon leathers and Dainese Alien leather pants suffice? Do you need race gloves with full cuff? And will I have to get a new helmet that is Snell cert to make it onto a track day?

 

[Briguy453]

Spunky John maybe you're exaggerating, if not, I'm not sure anything would've saved you approaching a 25 mph corner at 110, regardless of road surface conditions and what does rear wheel traction have to do with it?

Nothing would save you approaching a 25mph corner at 110 on this bike. Rear wheel traction wouldn't matter very much on that kind of approach, especially with this bike.

 

[Spunky99]

Spunky John maybe you're exaggerating, if not, I'm not sure anything would've saved you approaching a 25 mph corner at 110, regardless of road surface conditions and what does rear wheel traction have to do with it?

Nice point Fizzer6R
I left out one point that was needed for clarification based upon your comment.
I had a quarter mile to brake from 110 to 25 or 45 or whatever I wanted to get it down to. 1/4 mile is a long way when braking hard and you can get the bike stopped in a lot less than that especially with scintered pads and SS lines. I've done this same turn the same way 50 times. I just never had the entire freeway road surface covered in sand before. I usually go to 25 as I get behind a Prius or a Volvo at the turn.

 

[Briguy453]

I keep monitoring the DCAMC events, so hopefully I can catch one.

Question for you, and all...what constitutes a track legal suit for track days? Will my current rig, the Icon leathers and Dainese Alien leather pants suffice? Do you need race gloves with full cuff? And will I have to get a new helmet that is Snell cert to make it onto a track day?

You need full leathers, gloves need to be full length and going OVER the jacket. Helmet needs to be DOT approved. Full length race boots are a must as well.

 

[Briguy453]

Nice point Fizzer6R
I left out one point that was needed for clarification based upon your comment.
I had a quarter mile to brake from 110 to 25 or 45 or whatever I wanted to get it down to. 1/4 mile is a long way when braking hard and you can get the bike stopped in a lot less than that especially with scintered pads and SS lines. I've done this same turn the same way 50 times. I just never had the entire freeway road surface covered in sand before. I usually go to 25 as I get behind a Prius or a Volvo at the turn.

Just remember. I was taught this on my first track day. The street has limits, at the track the limits are just your own. I still tear it up in the canyons after my first track day awhile ago, but I don't do it nearly as fast. After your first track day you'll get to the canyon and say "f*ck tha"

 

[Spunky99]

Some tracks will let you wear a 2 piece leather suit but it has to have a 360 zipper so it doesn't come apart (pants/jacket zipped together around waist). Also a spine protector and lots of mods to the bike to make sure stuff doesn't fall off and coolant/oil/fluids aren't spilled onto the track and make others crash too. All lenses need to be taped too so no glass on the track in a crash. Unless the helmet is SNELL approved they won't let you on a track around here.

 

[Briguy453]

I highly recommend you do a track day before you get too used to the street. The street is pretty unforgiving, I'm guilty of it myself on occasion, and the conditions change from day to day, and hour to hour. Hit the track and you probably won't want to ride hard on the streets again.