Yesterday while going through a series of backroad S turns, a dead raccoon on the road led to cutting a turn tighter than expected. Praying to the Flick of the Wrist gods, I resisted the strong urge to slow down mid turn and kept slowly rolling on the throttle.I started leaning over the bike to try and get into the turn more and found myself to the side of the bike, knee lowering down toward the ground.
Now, in my mind’s eye, my knee was getting near the ground and I was looking like a track racer. In reality, I’m sure it was a very moderate lean, just a dramatic new turning experience for a beginner. Still, it got me interested in the dynamics of knee dragging. In searching around, I ran across this video, which I thought was a really good lesson:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCg3BMGe52M&feature=related
I think it’s useful to beginners because it shows how many beginners’ focus on “getting my knee on the ground” actually leads to counter-productive twisting and bile leans.
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