What’s the point of learning how to get your knee down? First and foremost, it’s extremely fun to do…that alone is reason enough. But for knee down itself, it certainly isn’t necessary on the street but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored completely…all the secondary benefits you gain by learning how to do it are helpful to your overall riding ability. Learning to get your knee down is all about being in full control of your motorcycle. Same could be said about tight figure 8’s or full lock turns. Do you “do that” on the street? Well no, but it does elevate your overall riding ability. Learning and practicing full body position will give you confidence with yourself and your bike. This is a great way to practice your vision, staying relaxed, you’ll learn how the timing of when and how much you move your body makes a difference with how the bike handles and how quickly. You’ll discover where your fear threshold is and how to get past it, where to place your weight, what’s most comfortable for you based on your body shape, flexibility, and type of bike you have, it’s a great way to explore higher lean angles and practice smooth inputs on the throttle and handlebars, you’ll learn what speed & radius turns makes it easier or more challenging, etc. etc. If you never learn how to do this or even attempt it, you’ll never understand the difficulty and benefits it provides. Side note, if you ride on the track, learning full body position at slower speeds is much less risky and will ease a bit of anxiety when going faster. To start, set up a 40-50ft diameter circle in a clean environment, ensure you’re wearing appropriate gear, warm up your tires and give it a try. If you’re solely focusing on trying to get your knee down, you could crash and possibly get hurt. So the focus is on your body position, timing, vision, throttle control, staying relaxed and your speed. If all those come together with proper technique, warm tires and good grip, knee down will happen.
Awesome video, so much balancing/juggling going on - its like a game of balance really, constant practice and trusting your vision/feel etc but the key words "get out and practice"
Guys, Here is The Savior HalleluYAH translates “Praise ye YaH” YaH is The Heavenly Father YaH arrives via the TENT OF MEETING YaH was Who they Crucified for our sins YaH was Crucified on an Almond TREE - Ancient Semitic Cuneiform of Moshe (Moses) - Isa Scroll (The Original Isaiah) Isaiah 42:8 "I am YaH; that is my Name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” Isaiah 43:11 “I am YAH, and there is no other Savior but Me.” Isaiah 45:5 “I am YaH, and there is none else.”
@@lplsSo weird how certain people care and others don’t especially when your not doing anything wrong. I’ve been kicked out of parking lots that shouldn’t matter. I went to a school parking lot on the weekend that specifically said no trespassing. Cops pulled in asked what I was doing said “working on my slow speed maneuvers”. They said ok and say there and watched me for the next half hour without a care in the world
@@j29g99I parked in a church car park a few times when I passed my test. My uncle at the time was a fresh police recruit. His very first shift as a real cop, a vicar/priest approached him in a petrol station forecourt, told him he had the registration plate of a drug dealer selling drugs in his church car park, and gave him my number plate. He recognised the plate, said to the experienced cop he was partnered with what had just happened, and he said just ignore it. He did however warn me what had happened. And even tho he didn’t report it, a few weeks later my parents were pulled over driving my car, and the cop took a look at my parents, and just said, well since your sons not driving we won’t bother searching the car for drugs 😂 cheeky fuckers. Good job they knew I was a good lad and what had been reported to my uncle. Some people have nothing better to do with their lives than report other people minding their own bussiness.
Was doing this drill yesterday in a parking lot, recorded myself as well and almost got my knee down. The fear threshold is slowly 🐌 getting easier to manage and I leaned the bike more than last time I tried! Thanks for the shorter video on knee down FE😎🤙
I did a Knee down course about 2 months ago and was able to easily scrape my knee the entire circle both sides , this gave me so much more confidence as I was never able to do this previously with lots of practice, the main issue I had was body position. I came away feeling great. I've now tried it on the road and I can't do it 🙈 I just can't carry enough speed safely through a corner to get my knee down , there isn't enough vision to the other side of the corner. I'm going back to basics again in a parking lot and will practice loads more.
you just hit the nail on the head on why knee down on the road is not a good idea. It can be done on some corners if you have the skill for knee down which sounds like you do but 9/10 the risk/reward is not worth it.
Listen this guy! Today I decided first time to go to parking lot and practice. I got my knee down both sides for more then half of circle!!!! @motojitsu Thank you!
Very impressive! My problem is the fear of crashing one of my beloved bikes. I did my license in France and my instructor was really good at demonstrating and making you do stuff on his training lot. But the crash bars on his practice bike I used gave a lot of security . Like "ok, he says I should go full lock without gas or brakes and go around in circles. It's his bike after all. I won't break it cause of the crash bars. Even if I crash, it's gonna be his problem as he told me to try stuff..." But when it's your own bike I'm a little reluctant to be "adventurous on a parking lot". Just my thoughts
Def understand that, its part of what has me hesitating to go out and do this, that and my absolutely torched tires that I'm not even sure are safe enough.
I needed this advice as a younger rider; if your bike is too nice for you, it probably is-- get rid of it and get a cheaper one. If dropping your bike would hurt your life so much that you can't imagine it, you need a cheaper bike. I know this sounds rude and harsh, but that feeling of security/comfort you felt training on that bike with crash bars is the feeling you should get on your bike. Good luck! I hope this helps!
I’ve been riding safely for 30 years, and never needed any more skill at parking lot speeds other than to do a simple U-Turn in a reasonable amount of space. Your best skills will be needed where it matters most… on public roads, at speed, where the risk of injury or death is much higher. While I think we can all appreciate the cool factor of parking lot commandos, the skills they exhibit at slow speeds have little use in every day riding. Moto Jitsu has other videos demonstrating riding techniques at much higher speeds, and those are far more informative.
i ve been particing this mainly for body position , vision, how to push and pull the handlebar (also just with one hand). i can confirm it helps to improve the riding, reduce the fear of leanng the bike, it helps understand countersteering and so on . I never touched the ground with my knee and i dont really care .. all i can say is that it is a great exercise for general improvement
Great video! Ive been riding since 2001 and Ive only got my knee down on 3 occasions on roundabouts here in the UK (assuming drops are not counted as knee down 😂). I don’t know what it is but, after a certain lean angle the bike always feels a little loose/unstable and I lose the confidence to lean further even though I know the bike has more to give. I don’t know if that is due to me not carrying enough speed or what. This even happened on my recent Yamaha Niken which is renowned for it’s cornering stability (it has two front wheels). So it must be something I am doing. You have impressive skills on a big bike like the GS for sure!
So do you need to be fairly flexible to get your knee down?, I'm 48 and used to be able to do the box splits back in my early 20's but now I just feel real stiff in terms of spreading the legs.
I think you missed talking about a key part of obtaining that kind of body position, unless I missed it: using the outside knee/leg to grab the tank. That’s what allows the arms to be loose and not hanging on the handle bar with the hands. Right?
Getting a knee down is an aspiration I have , but not high on my list of skills to achieve, until, I master more basic drills. I think , I'll save knee down ,for the track.
Hey Greg; Does your BMW have an inclinometer which shows you attained lean angle on the TFT display? If so, what is it reading when you are dragging your knee? Thx!
Awesome videos as usual. Perfectly explained and executed. When you are making 30 foot circles, are you in the friction zone on the clutch and rear braking or just using smooth throttle without clutch or brake?
How about some tips for doing reasonably tight turns on sub-optimum surfaces, like grass or gravel. I need to drive my Honda ST 1100 down 1/2 mile of forest road to get to my cabin, and then turn on grass in a tight area to leave.
Amaizing how you make a GS look light, no wonder you are having a hard time with owning a second bike, great stuff though worth downloading and I have thanks👍👍👍👍👌👌
This is definitely one skill I'm going to learn,even tho I'm a bit late to d party of riding. Wheelies are out for me but this is going in my tool box. Thks for d tips.
That was so clear ill try it hope i can do it all of my friends are dong knee drag and im the only one cant doit thanks man ill try it hope i can do it
Regarding throttle control and first gear. My bike is only 500cc, but even with it I can't drive smoothly in first gear. Therefore, If my speed is more 10 km/h (6 mph) - I shift into second gear. Otherwise bike bounces even with the slightest movement of the throttle. The question is - should I practice smooth driving at high speed in first gear, or just use second gear?
I find that the "one fist between the tank and the crotch" is a good way to start but in reality for me its more of a half fist. GP riders are among the best in the world, and if you watch them, you will notice that their upper body is SUPER far up on the bikes tank. This is for traction management, it keeps your arms at a 90 degree angle which in turn allows you to be lighter on the bars, therefore able to feel when the front or the rear traction is going, based on the inputs you will be lose enough to feel from the bars. Depending on the size of the rider doing this, rearsets used, and clipons used(zero offset preferred), slight rotation of the hips will help body position greatly. I find that for my lower body I prefer wrapping the tank grips around the crotch section of the tank to give my outer and upper thigh more grip on swivel, combined with higher woodcraft rearsets, I can dig my heel in on the outer leg which takes the pressure off of my inner. This is all with 1 cheek off, and upper body as previously described, elbow to knee, head out of the "goal post" and in some cases not just out of the windshield but almost in front of it.
Do body proportions play a role at all? I'm 5ft6 with shortish legs and I feel like my knee is miles away from the ground compared to others even though I'm well off the bike. It may be that I'm also not leaning as much as I feel like I am
Does anyone know, how to scout for locations for practice? I live in Europe, and we don't have these humongous parking lots everywhere. Even if a shopping centre has a big parking lot, it's all divided up with trees and stuff, so there isn't a continuous concrete patch everywhere.
Industrial areas, especially dead end streets on Sunday. Usually no traffic. Most schools in Europe don’t have parking lots and churches are in the middle of the neighborhood. So you walk 😅
Would you say this concept would work the same way with shorter riders like me? I feel like having a shorter knee to foot ratio kinda calls for lower lean angles when trying to drag knee. I've been taught the skill comes with just practicing and just having the confidence to go thru a corner at a faster speed. Please prove me wrong and its just a fear barrier on my part.
🤣🤣🤣"you might get your knee down, followed by your elbow, your shoulder, your head" Funny said not funny done. Awesome instructions. Right now, I have nooo desire to attempt this. I can't do it because I won't try.
I've been working on this for a while and recently low sided in the parking lot. I think I just ran out of tire and still didn't get my knee down, but it is also possible I caused a loss of traction with the throttle. Either way, this shit is beyond my skill level so I should probably work on more basic stuff, like not hitting a deer.
Similar story when I tried this a few weeks ago. Low sided and banged up my shoulder a bit. It happened pretty fast (obviously) but I'm reasonably sure it was because I wasn't providing smooth inputs (jerky throttle and jerky steering) at high lean angle. Luckily I have crash bars so not much happened to the bike. I'm riding a Honda Africa Twin, similar style bike as Mr. Jitsu here, just a tad taller, and I'm already leaning to the point where my feet on the footpegs are dragging the ground, so now It should be just a matter of getting smoother with my throttle and steering, then I can work on body position. Hanging off the bike feels very alien to me. The parking lot surface I'm using is also not the best either so finding a grippier and smoother surface would also help.
@@overdose8840yea I have put knee down on the back burner for now. I don't want to ride that hard on the road, so getting my knee down in a parking lot just doesn't seem that important anymore. My body position has improved I believe, maybe I will fuck with it some more if I go to the local track or Champ School
@@overdose8840 damn bro im scared now. I went out and was scraping my toes and centerstand a month into riding. I could have easily have dumped the bike like yall lol shit.
So, for me as a both handed person (yes, that is a thing), there is no stronger side. I have just had to overcome the fear of tipping the bike over and falling down. Left, right it was the same thing. I think that stronger side depends on whether you are left or right handed. Right handed people stronger side is left, and vice versa.
can someone explain to me why do i find left side leaning in general much harder and scarier to lean? isn't it supposed to be easier than right? i dont get it...
@@MotoJitsu ya know. I really honestly ment to say my first video of watching ya. I sat in the parking lot when I watched it 4 yrs ago for hours learning to bring my knee down little by little. Thank you brother for ur help
I only ride in parking lots. I hoping to graduate to side streets by spring. Soo much to learn before you hit the street. No wonder so many people don't like to ride bikes. Way too much time in the parking lot before you can actually ride on the street!
The risk is that you build up fear for the street, maybe only unconsciously. I suggest to find an area with little traffic and go ride in the real world
Yes but it's harder. I'm trying this on an Africa Twin (more of a bigger ADV bike like Mr. Gitsu's GS than a dual sport but it does have bigger dirt bike size wheels, 21' and 18') and struggling. There are photos/videos of dudes on KLRs and Honda XRs dragging knee. Body position and being VERY smooth on the inputs (steering and throttle) is the main thing. Finding a nice grippy and smooth surface to practice on and decent tires is also necessary.
:10 So if I'm turning left I should have my left butt cheek off and body pushed toward the left?- CRAP! i think I've been doing it backwards LOL I have my right cheek off the seat and body leaning towards the right..smh #NEWBMOVES
What’s the point of learning how to get your knee down? First and foremost, it’s extremely fun to do…that alone is reason enough. But for knee down itself, it certainly isn’t necessary on the street but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored completely…all the secondary benefits you gain by learning how to do it are helpful to your overall riding ability. Learning to get your knee down is all about being in full control of your motorcycle. Same could be said about tight figure 8’s or full lock turns. Do you “do that” on the street? Well no, but it does elevate your overall riding ability. Learning and practicing full body position will give you confidence with yourself and your bike. This is a great way to practice your vision, staying relaxed, you’ll learn how the timing of when and how much you move your body makes a difference with how the bike handles and how quickly. You’ll discover where your fear threshold is and how to get past it, where to place your weight, what’s most comfortable for you based on your body shape, flexibility, and type of bike you have, it’s a great way to explore higher lean angles and practice smooth inputs on the throttle and handlebars, you’ll learn what speed & radius turns makes it easier or more challenging, etc. etc. If you never learn how to do this or even attempt it, you’ll never understand the difficulty and benefits it provides. Side note, if you ride on the track, learning full body position at slower speeds is much less risky and will ease a bit of anxiety when going faster. To start, set up a 40-50ft diameter circle in a clean environment, ensure you’re wearing appropriate gear, warm up your tires and give it a try. If you’re solely focusing on trying to get your knee down, you could crash and possibly get hurt. So the focus is on your body position, timing, vision, throttle control, staying relaxed and your speed. If all those come together with proper technique, warm tires and good grip, knee down will happen.
Your skill mastery,may well exceed ,that of most riders, and it fortunately,..., holds no governance,..., on my choice to ride,..., if I haven't put a knee down,... ,yet...
What’s the point of learning how to get your knee down?
First and foremost, it’s extremely fun to do…that alone is reason enough.
But for knee down itself, it certainly isn’t necessary on the street but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored completely…all the secondary benefits you gain by learning how to do it are helpful to your overall riding ability. Learning to get your knee down is all about being in full control of your motorcycle. Same could be said about tight figure 8’s or full lock turns. Do you “do that” on the street? Well no, but it does elevate your overall riding ability.
Learning and practicing full body position will give you confidence with yourself and your bike. This is a great way to practice your vision, staying relaxed, you’ll learn how the timing of when and how much you move your body makes a difference with how the bike handles and how quickly. You’ll discover where your fear threshold is and how to get past it, where to place your weight, what’s most comfortable for you based on your body shape, flexibility, and type of bike you have, it’s a great way to explore higher lean angles and practice smooth inputs on the throttle and handlebars, you’ll learn what speed & radius turns makes it easier or more challenging, etc. etc.
If you never learn how to do this or even attempt it, you’ll never understand the difficulty and benefits it provides. Side note, if you ride on the track, learning full body position at slower speeds is much less risky and will ease a bit of anxiety when going faster.
To start, set up a 40-50ft diameter circle in a clean environment, ensure you’re wearing appropriate gear, warm up your tires and give it a try.
If you’re solely focusing on trying to get your knee down, you could crash and possibly get hurt. So the focus is on your body position, timing, vision, throttle control, staying relaxed and your speed. If all those come together with proper technique, warm tires and good grip, knee down will happen.
Its a good and safe feel when knee touches the ground. I know how much lean I got left
Thank you, MJ.
Awesome video, so much balancing/juggling going on - its like a game of balance really, constant practice and trusting your vision/feel etc but the key words "get out and practice"
What riding pants were those? I've only seen knee pucks on leather
Guys, Here is The Savior
HalleluYAH translates “Praise ye YaH”
YaH is The Heavenly Father
YaH arrives via the TENT OF MEETING
YaH was Who they Crucified for our sins
YaH was Crucified on an Almond TREE
- Ancient Semitic Cuneiform of Moshe (Moses)
- Isa Scroll (The Original Isaiah)
Isaiah 42:8
"I am YaH; that is my Name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.”
Isaiah 43:11
“I am YAH, and there is no other Savior but Me.”
Isaiah 45:5
“I am YaH, and there is none else.”
Everything is crystal clear, except the way you always find an empty parking 🤔
Found one. Got kicked out of it.
@@lplsSo weird how certain people care and others don’t especially when your not doing anything wrong. I’ve been kicked out of parking lots that shouldn’t matter. I went to a school parking lot on the weekend that specifically said no trespassing. Cops pulled in asked what I was doing said “working on my slow speed maneuvers”. They said ok and say there and watched me for the next half hour without a care in the world
@@j29g99I parked in a church car park a few times when I passed my test. My uncle at the time was a fresh police recruit. His very first shift as a real cop, a vicar/priest approached him in a petrol station forecourt, told him he had the registration plate of a drug dealer selling drugs in his church car park, and gave him my number plate. He recognised the plate, said to the experienced cop he was partnered with what had just happened, and he said just ignore it. He did however warn me what had happened. And even tho he didn’t report it, a few weeks later my parents were pulled over driving my car, and the cop took a look at my parents, and just said, well since your sons not driving we won’t bother searching the car for drugs 😂 cheeky fuckers. Good job they knew I was a good lad and what had been reported to my uncle. Some people have nothing better to do with their lives than report other people minding their own bussiness.
Was doing this drill yesterday in a parking lot, recorded myself as well and almost got my knee down. The fear threshold is slowly 🐌 getting easier to manage and I leaned the bike more than last time I tried!
Thanks for the shorter video on knee down FE😎🤙
Upload the video!!
I did a Knee down course about 2 months ago and was able to easily scrape my knee the entire circle both sides , this gave me so much more confidence as I was never able to do this previously with lots of practice, the main issue I had was body position. I came away feeling great. I've now tried it on the road and I can't do it 🙈 I just can't carry enough speed safely through a corner to get my knee down , there isn't enough vision to the other side of the corner. I'm going back to basics again in a parking lot and will practice loads more.
you just hit the nail on the head on why knee down on the road is not a good idea. It can be done on some corners if you have the skill for knee down which sounds like you do but 9/10 the risk/reward is not worth it.
save it for the track, book yourself a trackday and you will no doubt do it there! the road isnt the place for knee down..
@@s1dew1nd3r4 round abouts...
Listen this guy! Today I decided first time to go to parking lot and practice. I got my knee down both sides for more then half of circle!!!!
@motojitsu Thank you!
May seem pointless but you never know when this or any other techniques may end up saving your life one day. Great video, thanks
MotoJitsu is the master. I practiced and dragged my knee after watching several instructional videos of yours. Thank you!!
Great to hear! 👍🏼👍🏼
Internal rotation is to Jeff Cavalier as body position is to fast Ed 😆.
Legend bro. Love your work
Very impressive! My problem is the fear of crashing one of my beloved bikes. I did my license in France and my instructor was really good at demonstrating and making you do stuff on his training lot. But the crash bars on his practice bike I used gave a lot of security . Like "ok, he says I should go full lock without gas or brakes and go around in circles. It's his bike after all. I won't break it cause of the crash bars. Even if I crash, it's gonna be his problem as he told me to try stuff..." But when it's your own bike I'm a little reluctant to be "adventurous on a parking lot". Just my thoughts
Def understand that, its part of what has me hesitating to go out and do this, that and my absolutely torched tires that I'm not even sure are safe enough.
I needed this advice as a younger rider; if your bike is too nice for you, it probably is-- get rid of it and get a cheaper one. If dropping your bike would hurt your life so much that you can't imagine it, you need a cheaper bike.
I know this sounds rude and harsh, but that feeling of security/comfort you felt training on that bike with crash bars is the feeling you should get on your bike. Good luck! I hope this helps!
Get a decent crash pads / cage etc, just like I do. Dont be that guy who has fear and lack of skill.
Those Moto-Ecole bikes are extremely easy to ride.
I’ve been riding safely for 30 years, and never needed any more skill at parking lot speeds other than to do a simple U-Turn in a reasonable amount of space. Your best skills will be needed where it matters most… on public roads, at speed, where the risk of injury or death is much higher. While I think we can all appreciate the cool factor of parking lot commandos, the skills they exhibit at slow speeds have little use in every day riding. Moto Jitsu has other videos demonstrating riding techniques at much higher speeds, and those are far more informative.
i ve been particing this mainly for body position , vision, how to push and pull the handlebar (also just with one hand). i can confirm it helps to improve the riding, reduce the fear of leanng the bike, it helps understand countersteering and so on . I never touched the ground with my knee and i dont really care .. all i can say is that it is a great exercise for general improvement
Great video!
Ive been riding since 2001 and Ive only got my knee down on 3 occasions on roundabouts here in the UK (assuming drops are not counted as knee down 😂).
I don’t know what it is but, after a certain lean angle the bike always feels a little loose/unstable and I lose the confidence to lean further even though I know the bike has more to give.
I don’t know if that is due to me not carrying enough speed or what. This even happened on my recent Yamaha Niken which is renowned for it’s cornering stability (it has two front wheels). So it must be something I am doing.
You have impressive skills on a big bike like the GS for sure!
So do you need to be fairly flexible to get your knee down?, I'm 48 and used to be able to do the box splits back in my early 20's but now I just feel real stiff in terms of spreading the legs.
I am now able to drag knee with pretty much every bike! Feels great and am in control of it
that shit looks bad ass. This channel always makes me wanna buy a bike and start learning to ride
I think you missed talking about a key part of obtaining that kind of body position, unless I missed it: using the outside knee/leg to grab the tank. That’s what allows the arms to be loose and not hanging on the handle bar with the hands. Right?
No he demonstrates that is not needed at 7:15
Absolutely brilliant! Thank you 😊
Getting a knee down is an aspiration I have , but not high on my list of skills to achieve, until, I master more basic drills. I think , I'll save knee down ,for the track.
That’s my feeling I’m happy just learning how to ride faster round corners etc as I have a 150 and it’s a little slow
You are a legend dude. I’m really close but fearful of closing the last 2 inches…….I will get there !!!!!!!
Hey Greg; Does your BMW have an inclinometer which shows you attained lean angle on the TFT display? If so, what is it reading when you are dragging your knee? Thx!
Good Question. I hope for a answer to this.
Love everything u teach thanks again back to practice this is the next practice I have to work on
What are you doing with the handlebars. Counter steering then allow the bars to natural turn themselves?
Awesome videos as usual. Perfectly explained and executed. When you are making 30 foot circles, are you in the friction zone on the clutch and rear braking or just using smooth throttle without clutch or brake?
thanks! I'm pretty much always using the clutch for slower circles, brake maybe maybe not
instagram.com/motojitsuclub/
"after 20 minutes you might get your knee down, followed by your elbow, shoulder and head!" lol❤
Finally a video I need to improve my riding skills
7:28 disclaimer should be watched first then go back and watch the rest of the video
Being able to do this is no indication of a competant rider.
How about some tips for doing reasonably tight turns on sub-optimum surfaces, like grass or gravel. I need to drive my Honda ST 1100 down 1/2 mile of forest road to get to my cabin, and then turn on grass in a tight area to leave.
Warm tyres and a bit of counter steer.
What an awesome ending. Going to practice this today.
Amaizing how you make a GS look light, no wonder you are having a hard time with owning a second bike, great stuff though worth downloading and I have thanks👍👍👍👍👌👌
This is definitely one skill I'm going to learn,even tho I'm a bit late to d party of riding. Wheelies are out for me but this is going in my tool box. Thks for d tips.
wheelies and dragging knee are all mental.
That was so clear ill try it hope i can do it all of my friends are dong knee drag and im the only one cant doit thanks man ill try it hope i can do it
New rider here, are you doing counter steering to keep your lean lowerv
You always counter steer to make the bike lean
Knee cornering help to improve stability
are your fog lights on all the time and just on a frequency that doesnt pick up well on 30fps or is it a slow strobe thing?
great teaching video brother thank you
Regarding throttle control and first gear. My bike is only 500cc, but even with it I can't drive smoothly in first gear. Therefore, If my speed is more 10 km/h (6 mph) - I shift into second gear. Otherwise bike bounces even with the slightest movement of the throttle. The question is - should I practice smooth driving at high speed in first gear, or just use second gear?
I didn't achieve knee touch yet but I use 2nd gear. More steady is more safe - on the 1st its easier to increase rpm too much by overloading hands
I find that the "one fist between the tank and the crotch" is a good way to start but in reality for me its more of a half fist. GP riders are among the best in the world, and if you watch them, you will notice that their upper body is SUPER far up on the bikes tank. This is for traction management, it keeps your arms at a 90 degree angle which in turn allows you to be lighter on the bars, therefore able to feel when the front or the rear traction is going, based on the inputs you will be lose enough to feel from the bars. Depending on the size of the rider doing this, rearsets used, and clipons used(zero offset preferred), slight rotation of the hips will help body position greatly. I find that for my lower body I prefer wrapping the tank grips around the crotch section of the tank to give my outer and upper thigh more grip on swivel, combined with higher woodcraft rearsets, I can dig my heel in on the outer leg which takes the pressure off of my inner. This is all with 1 cheek off, and upper body as previously described, elbow to knee, head out of the "goal post" and in some cases not just out of the windshield but almost in front of it.
Hi, I got the same bike. Could you pls show foot position in lean angle and position changing during transition in riding the "8"? Thx
Do you recommend doing this in cold weather? Below 45 F?
Nope
Do body proportions play a role at all? I'm 5ft6 with shortish legs and I feel like my knee is miles away from the ground compared to others even though I'm well off the bike. It may be that I'm also not leaning as much as I feel like I am
Not as much as you think, no. My buddy is 5'2" on this same bike and knee drags just like me
instagram.com/motojitsuclub/
Will my 21" wheel on a tiger do it with a decent tire?
I came from supermotos and sport bikes, but afraid to try it on the Tiger
Bike isn’t the issue, rider skill is
Do you flash tune your bikes, zx10r is almost impossible to have steady throttle unless under 4k rpm
no and it's never the bike, just the rider's skill or lack thereof
Congrats!!
Does anyone know, how to scout for locations for practice? I live in Europe, and we don't have these humongous parking lots everywhere. Even if a shopping centre has a big parking lot, it's all divided up with trees and stuff, so there isn't a continuous concrete patch everywhere.
I go to a school parking lot on the weekends..hope that helps
I go to a church. Here in Alabama they have massive parking lots that are empty 99% of the time.
Industrial areas, especially dead end streets on Sunday. Usually no traffic.
Most schools in Europe don’t have parking lots and churches are in the middle of the neighborhood. So you walk 😅
If you’re anywhere near mountains, then look for either tyre-chain fitting areas or ski resort parking lots in the summer months. Google Earth helps.
pretty wild to see someone kneedrag on a GS.
I need to find a lot to practice in. Here all the lots are small or filled with cars. Im sure theres a factory lot somewhere im missing
Man, what are your slider’s holders named? Those are separate from your suite right?
Would you say this concept would work the same way with shorter riders like me? I feel like having a shorter knee to foot ratio kinda calls for lower lean angles when trying to drag knee. I've been taught the skill comes with just practicing and just having the confidence to go thru a corner at a faster speed. Please prove me wrong and its just a fear barrier on my part.
Look up Danny Pedrosa. He is tiny and dragged everything
Increasing speed are good method to increase lean angle
Hei Greg. what is the lean angle on the TFT display after this turns? My guess is: approx 45 degrees. is that correct?
Looks like 50
Do ypu have to push on the handlebar or just let the bike lean itself and control the throttle
the bike won't lean without counter steering
instagram.com/motojitsuclub/
@MotoJitsu oh wow thanks for you reply never thot you would see my comment 🙏
🤣🤣🤣"you might get your knee down, followed by your elbow, your shoulder, your head"
Funny said not funny done.
Awesome instructions. Right now, I have nooo desire to attempt this. I can't do it because I won't try.
I've been working on this for a while and recently low sided in the parking lot. I think I just ran out of tire and still didn't get my knee down, but it is also possible I caused a loss of traction with the throttle. Either way, this shit is beyond my skill level so I should probably work on more basic stuff, like not hitting a deer.
Similar story when I tried this a few weeks ago. Low sided and banged up my shoulder a bit. It happened pretty fast (obviously) but I'm reasonably sure it was because I wasn't providing smooth inputs (jerky throttle and jerky steering) at high lean angle. Luckily I have crash bars so not much happened to the bike.
I'm riding a Honda Africa Twin, similar style bike as Mr. Jitsu here, just a tad taller, and I'm already leaning to the point where my feet on the footpegs are dragging the ground, so now It should be just a matter of getting smoother with my throttle and steering, then I can work on body position. Hanging off the bike feels very alien to me. The parking lot surface I'm using is also not the best either so finding a grippier and smoother surface would also help.
@@overdose8840yea I have put knee down on the back burner for now. I don't want to ride that hard on the road, so getting my knee down in a parking lot just doesn't seem that important anymore. My body position has improved I believe, maybe I will fuck with it some more if I go to the local track or Champ School
@@overdose8840 damn bro im scared now. I went out and was scraping my toes and centerstand a month into riding. I could have easily have dumped the bike like yall lol shit.
Great video my bro
Appreciate it
instagram.com/motojitsuclub/
i get nauseus when i do circles which basicly forces me to stop practice. Any tips for this ? Will it pass after more practice ?
Don’t do so many in a row
@@MotoJitsu i thought so too but i did very little bro, like on a third circle it starts already
I was able to get my knee down consistently by age 10. It was keeping the bike wheels down at the same time that's always been my problem.
instagram.com/motojitsuclub/
Very nice video und smart guy.
So, for me as a both handed person (yes, that is a thing), there is no stronger side. I have just had to overcome the fear of tipping the bike over and falling down. Left, right it was the same thing. I think that stronger side depends on whether you are left or right handed. Right handed people stronger side is left, and vice versa.
can 140 width tyre make it? (300cc)
can someone explain to me why do i find left side leaning in general much harder and scarier to lean? isn't it supposed to be easier than right? i dont get it...
people usually have a preference
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long story short!❤️
Q&A crew!!
I remember watching the video of him. With the bmwRR sport bike.
Wasn’t my 1st video
@@MotoJitsu ya know. I really honestly ment to say my first video of watching ya. I sat in the parking lot when I watched it 4 yrs ago for hours learning to bring my knee down little by little. Thank you brother for ur help
Could you use cruise control in this situation?
I always have difficulty getting into full body position. My outside foot feels like I can't reach to keep it on the pegs. any tip for that?
Im pretty sure ive seen someone say press into the side of the bike above the peg that little steel shield thing.
I can't find a parking lot in UK, London...😂
Are you breaking at all with your foot ?
no
I tried thos once in a clear lot never got my knee down but i was low enough to scrape my boot. Not sure if thats a win or not
no it's not
I only ride in parking lots. I hoping to graduate to side streets by spring. Soo much to learn before you hit the street. No wonder so many people don't like to ride bikes. Way too much time in the parking lot before you can actually ride on the street!
Ha. Not necessarily..
No just go for a ride Jesus…
@@libertysound8575 😀
Go out to the street. Just be mindful. Get at ease with the flow of traffic then all your techniques you practice in the parking lot can be of use.
The risk is that you build up fear for the street, maybe only unconsciously. I suggest to find an area with little traffic and go ride in the real world
So I wish to join a minimalism group.. Any way great documentary.. For every day competition World..
is it possible to get a knee down on a dual sport?
I’ve got my head down on my dirt bike
Yes but it's harder. I'm trying this on an Africa Twin (more of a bigger ADV bike like Mr. Gitsu's GS than a dual sport but it does have bigger dirt bike size wheels, 21' and 18') and struggling. There are photos/videos of dudes on KLRs and Honda XRs dragging knee. Body position and being VERY smooth on the inputs (steering and throttle) is the main thing. Finding a nice grippy and smooth surface to practice on and decent tires is also necessary.
Nice!
When going slow I thought you had to counter balance. How do you go slow and lean that much and not tip the bike
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Q & A crew
Hello Greg, can you please comment on this kind of Medi-Card on your sleeve?
Ok fine, I'll watch it and go practice for twenty ONE minute, how bout that! :)
What diameter of circle do you recommend for trying this?
Fn amazing
No I cant.
:10 So if I'm turning left I should have my left butt cheek off and body pushed toward the left?- CRAP! i think I've been doing it backwards LOL I have my right cheek off the seat and body leaning towards the right..smh #NEWBMOVES
Getting a knee down is like pulling a wheelie. I can do both, but have never had the need on the street.
oh but my bike is this and that, and that is not this like that :D
lol
lol.. why would I want to
What’s the point of learning how to get your knee down?
First and foremost, it’s extremely fun to do…that alone is reason enough.
But for knee down itself, it certainly isn’t necessary on the street but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored completely…all the secondary benefits you gain by learning how to do it are helpful to your overall riding ability. Learning to get your knee down is all about being in full control of your motorcycle. Same could be said about tight figure 8’s or full lock turns. Do you “do that” on the street? Well no, but it does elevate your overall riding ability.
Learning and practicing full body position will give you confidence with yourself and your bike. This is a great way to practice your vision, staying relaxed, you’ll learn how the timing of when and how much you move your body makes a difference with how the bike handles and how quickly. You’ll discover where your fear threshold is and how to get past it, where to place your weight, what’s most comfortable for you based on your body shape, flexibility, and type of bike you have, it’s a great way to explore higher lean angles and practice smooth inputs on the throttle and handlebars, you’ll learn what speed & radius turns makes it easier or more challenging, etc. etc.
If you never learn how to do this or even attempt it, you’ll never understand the difficulty and benefits it provides. Side note, if you ride on the track, learning full body position at slower speeds is much less risky and will ease a bit of anxiety when going faster.
To start, set up a 40-50ft diameter circle in a clean environment, ensure you’re wearing appropriate gear, warm up your tires and give it a try.
If you’re solely focusing on trying to get your knee down, you could crash and possibly get hurt. So the focus is on your body position, timing, vision, throttle control, staying relaxed and your speed. If all those come together with proper technique, warm tires and good grip, knee down will happen.
What a waste of 8 years 😂
Better than a wasted life
If you cannot put your knee down every corner, you should not be riding a Motorcycle! Master of the Parking Lots spoke again! :)
where in the video did he say that? you made it up
Your skill mastery,may well exceed ,that of most riders, and it fortunately,..., holds no governance,..., on my choice to ride,..., if I haven't put a knee down,... ,yet...
@@laurieallen9760 I was being sarcastic :) This channel is going to that direction...
He is teaching those who don't know how to drag knees what's the problem with that?!!
I got a knee down today for the first time using your videos.
Thank you for your content
@casey_scott_nz