Knee Down School

I'm thinking of doing a day with these guys ahead of the Ron Haslam date, just to get some track time in before and some cornering skills so that I can get more out of the RH day 9the assumption being I won't have to spend so long on the cornering basics). The dates will be up soon, starting in March so I was going to do an early one and then have time to practice thise new skills before going to RH.

If you book more than 2 people, it's £195 for the day, and you are guaranteed to learn to get your knee down safely without the stabilisers by the end of the day, or you get another days training until you can free of charge. It might not suit everyone, and if your doing RH as well, its not cheap, but I think the 2 days together will give invaluable experience & confidence, especially if you are a newish biker.

If you are interested at all, let me know, or add your names below and I'll put some provisional dates up as soon as they are announced. Further discounts may be available if we get more than 5 people. Alternatively, you may fancy this even if you are not doing the RH day... You can pay be deposit and then the rest on the day :)

Which school are you doing this with?

It's called the knee down school.

www.kneedown.org.uk

Based at Chepstow

Is this really teaching good cornering skills tho, or a trick to show off with? Its been proven that getting your knee down makes no speed improvement to just leaning the bike appropriately for the corner..

It is a good skill to learn if you want to spend any time on the track and knowing how to do it on the road, could very well prove useful if you overcook it going into a bend.

Like most things in life, this skill is better have and not need, than to need and not have. It's been a long time since I did it, and that was on a 125 so I would like to know that I have had some good instruction before trying it on my big bike!

I guess it's not for everyone though....

Fair enough :) agree with you about the skills bit, you never stop learning!

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Originally Posted by Squashed_Fly

I'm thinking of doing a day with these guys ahead of the Ron Haslam date, just to get some track time in before and some cornering skills so that I can get more out of the RH day 9the assumption being I won't have to spend so long on the cornering basics). The dates will be up soon, starting in March so I was going to do an early one and then have time to practice thise new skills before going to RH.

If you book more than 2 people, it's £195 for the day, and you are guaranteed to learn to get your knee down safely without the stabilisers by the end of the day, or you get another days training until you can free of charge. It might not suit everyone, and if your doing RH as well, its not cheap, but I think the 2 days together will give invaluable experience & confidence, especially if you are a newish biker.

If you are interested at all, let me know, or add your names below and I'll put some provisional dates up as soon as they are announced. Further discounts may be available if we get more than 5 people. Alternatively, you may fancy this even if you are not doing the RH day... You can pay be deposit and then the rest on the day :)

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If I read this right, you want to learn some cornering skills (which by inference you don't have) by going to a kneedown school and then practicing those skills (presumably on a public road) so you don't have to spend the time at the Ron Haslam school on cornering basics? And this is after learning this new found skill using stabilisers? And it's a particularly good way for new riders to gain experience and gain confidence?

If I were you I would learn how to do things properly on a track before attempting them on the road. Getting your kneedown on public roads seems to be more a male right of passage then a useful riding technique. Not needed to do it myself so far in my riding career anyway. There are other ways of comparing testosterone levels ;)

Just my personal opinion you understand....

Dabz has a valid point, if you're going to the RH school solely to be able to get your knee down then you're doing it for the wrong reasons. Riding quickly with skill and confidence isn't about getting your knee down. I know that until you've achieved it, it's a big deal, but it isn't the be-all and end-all of riding on track, and a knee-down school shouldn't really be seen as essential before the RH day. If you spend your time riding round Silverstone trying to drag a knee-slider, you will
a) look a complete twat ::)
b) ride more slowly and dangerously because you're not concentrating on what you should be doing ::)
c) get in other peoples' way because of (b) >:(
d) probably crash :'(
The trick is to go to the school and learn as much as you can from what they teach you, not go with another agenda and ignore everything you've been told because all you're interested in is scuffing your sliders. Listen to what they say, watch what they do, and don't just go out and ride as fast as you can straight away, you'll be missing the point. Learn the lines, practice hitting the same braking, turn-in and apex points EVERY lap - sounds boring, but it works - you get more consistent and you gradually speed up, you lean further, hang off a bit more (not like some over-enthusiastic gibbon, look at photos of racers, proper racers I mean, not wannabe journos in MCN etc.) and your knee will eventually start to touch down. The first time it does, you'll jump with surprise :) and you'll be able to do it more and more, with less effort because you've gone about it the right way and are riding much more quickly and smoothly, and knee-down is a fortunate by-product of this. If it's all that matters to you, you may finish the day with scuffed sliders, and possibly a wrecked bike, but you'll have spent the day riding like a tosser and probably won't be any better than when you first went.
In case you're wondering who this sanctimonious geezer is, I was you in 1996 until I started doing trackdays and a couple of race schools. Getting my knee down was a big deal to me at first, but I soon learnt that I had to be going quickly to achieve it so learning where to be going and how to do it better became the first priority, and by the end of my second day on track getting my knee down was nothing special at all [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
Ultimately, do whatever you want to and I hope you all enjoy it and become better riders as a result, just keep things in perspective 8-)

You know that feeling, when you're sure everyone else is right, but it doesn't matter until you hear the sound of plastic on tarmac?

That's it....

I know what you're saying, I just want to be able to do it safely on the track before getting to RH precisely so it's not a focus on the day. And, like many other young (inherently male I'm sure) riders, it is a rite of passage. I'm sensible enough to know it's better to go and practice it under instruction, on someone elses bike that has 'stabilisers' on it. They do take those off as you progress though, they're only on the 'starter' bikes to get you used to how much your bike can lean without sliding. Knowing your bikes limits, whether you ever reach them on the road or not, surely can't be a bad thing?

You'll only know your bike's limits when you reach them, and by the time you realise that, you're doing the sky-ground-sky-ground dance as your bike cartwheels itself to oblivion :o :'(
No worries, I get your point about getting it out of the way, but it'll still be a focal point for you and you won't begin to relax and pay attention on the RH day until you've achieved it - I'll probably be there that day as pit-bitch for Star (and any other WBs who need it), tell me I wasn't wrong afterwards ;)

I know you're not, I'm just stubborn! lol ;D

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Originally Posted by Squashed_Fly

You know that feeling, when you're sure everyone else is right, but it doesn't matter until you hear the sound of scraping bone on tarmac?

That's it...

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Fixed it for you. ;)

I totally agree with Scotty by hey what do I know ::) Way too many people crash on track trying to get thier knee down- even if they can do it before on the local roundabout.

Oh and I could teach you to get it down depending on your skills and ability to learn within 10 mins - 1 hour but to be honest you don't need it if your thinking of doing track days it'll come naturally and give you a better buzz than being strapped to a meccano braced bike that can't fall over. These schools have only just arrived and no doubt (IMHO) dissapear soon too

Ok, ok! lol, you have convinced me not to bother!

But I hope you realise this means one you may be stuck with the job of teaching me! ;D

SF - You're coming on the Wales trip???? ...that will sort you out!!!

HA HA HA

roxy [smiley=evil.gif]

she`s the daddy when it comes to knee down action ;D

So many jokes, so little time....

If it's something that you want to do, then do it. I'm sure it will be a great laugh. Anyone who's been on track and says they haven't at some point thought about getting their knee down is a liar.

The other coments about it not being the be-all and end-all of riding are true but it doesn't mean you're wrong for wanting to have a go at it.

Personally I feel it'd be a waste of money but luckily it's got sod all to do with me or anyone else.

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Originally Posted by Squashed_Fly

Ok, ok! lol, you have convinced me not to bother!

But I hope you realise this means one you may be stuck with the job of teaching me! ;D

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As I said get a few sessions under your belt on track and it will come along naturally (unless your OnFire lol) Just focus on your lines, positioning and speed [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

I totally agree with Scotty and Stu. Once you've started scraping your footpegs on a regular basis, then you're ready for knee-down action. The sole purpose of getting your knee down is to gauge lean angle, and stand the bike up more. If you're Rossi, you'll use it to stick the bike back on it's tyres when you've lost traction. Unless you're scraping pegs, then it's not at all necessary. When I started racing, I used my knee a lot to gauge lean angle, but once I got used to it, I rarely scraped my knee. It simply did not become a requirement. Fast cornering is far more involved than the need to ware kneesliders out. Stick with Ron, he'll get you sorted... [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Aha, I'd want to do a knee down school, but I need to get confident to take a 11 o clock bend at 30 M.P.H first! lol

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Originally Posted by dan_geoghegan

If it's something that you want to do, then do it. I'm sure it will be a great laugh. Anyone who's been on track and says they haven't at some point thought about getting their knee down is a liar.

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I didn't... but that may have had somthing to do with the rain... keeping the wheels in line was enough of a challenge!!!

Must admit I have looked at the website for this and intend to do it just for fun. Just not sure when I will be able to. Cant do any harm I dont reckon. A different experience to go through on a bike.. That cant be bad in any way shape or form!