You’ve watched countless roadraces and imagined you were able to lay your bike over like the heroes on the screen. Your boss has probably even caught you fantasizing about gently scraping your slider as you sweep through a corner. And yet, your knee still seems to be feet away from the pavement when the opportunity presents itself. That may be for good reason, because attempting to drag knee without being properly prepared will end badly.
First and foremost you’ll need some gear. The most cost effective solution is simply to buy leather jeans with the provision to add knee sliders (hard plastic pucks that Velcro onto patches on the knee). A leather jacket, gloves and proper foot protection are also imperative because the chances of falling are significant when practicing at low speed.
With riding gear checked off the list it’s time to get the bike ready. Matching tires in good condition, inflated to manufacturer recommendations and up to optimum temperature are critical to getting a good lean angle (which in turn allows your knee to touch the tarmac). A wise rider would have already invested in frame sliders, so we’ll assume your bike is protected. If not, a stunt crash cage can be a good confidence builder until you’re able to increase your lean angle to a point that it begins to scrape.
Once the bike and rider are protected it’s time to find a suitable corner to practice, and for that you need not look any further than the nearest shopping mall or other large, flat and smooth parking lot. “But there aren’t any corners in a parking lot,” you say? That’s exactly the idea. There are no cars coming the other way or potentially deadly obstacles to contend with—instead, just wide open pavement.
Begin by marking a large circle (with small cones or chalk) a couple hundred feet across, and rotate around at a brisk pace—35 MPH is usually sufficient. If you find it difficult to stay along the line then the circle is too small or your speed is too great.
As your confidence builds, begin to lean the bike over a bit further while increasing your speed slightly. The keys are remaining smooth on the throttle so that you can focus on increasing lean angle. Once the bike begins to lean over, move your inside knee out towards the inside of the circle while sliding off the seat and into the circle as well. Your rear end should only be halfway on the seat, allowing you to “cheat” and get extra extension with your knee.
This will feel awkward and physically demanding initially, but after some practice it will start to become more familiar. Eventually the bike will lean over just enough for your knee slider to make brief contact, in turn boosting confidence in your bike and tires and helping you lean the bike over further for a more sustained slide. Once you can keep the knee planted for a full revolution change the circle to an oval so there’s a more realistic corner “entry” and “exit. SSB