How To Get Your Knee Down Like A Pro

For sportsbike riders, getting your knee down is argubly the ‘holy grail’ of riding techniques; well, it was, before dragging your elbow became a thing. It looks impressive, feels sensational and affirms your riding prowess. And like all great experiences, your first time is something you’ll never forget.

Will it make me faster?

Not necessarily. On the road, there is no real need to drag a knee. For example, top road racers like Guy Martin and John McGuinness can get through a whole week of practice at the Isle of Man TT without having to change their knee sliders.

Ultimately, for the majority of riders, dragging a knee is all about having fun; a bit like learning how to drift in the four-wheeled world. However, that’s not to say that you can’t learn some valuable techniques through learning how to get your knee down; techniques that will make you a more consistent and safer rider on road and track.

For example, dragging a knee allows you to keep the bike more upright throughout the turn - thus giving you extra grip and stability. This might seem counterintuitive at first, but once you experience it, the technique makes absolute sense. By moving your body off the bike you’re effectively shifting your centre of gravity to the inside of the bend. This gives you greater leverage and allows you to lead the bike around the corner, while keeping the machine on the fat part of its tyres.

Focusing on your body position will also improve your day-to-day riding immeasurably. Most riders fail to use their body weight when riding on fast country roads, relying solely on counter steering to get the bike to turn. By regularly hanging off the bike, you’ll be more confident to use your weight as a tool.

What equipment do I need?

Before you hit the road (not literally), invest in some good quality leathers (two-piece or one-piece) with the required sliders. This will give you the best protection if you do slip off, and race-derived suits also give a greater range of movement than textiles.

It’s also important to ensure that you’re riding the correct machine. There’s no point in trying to get your knee down on a Honda Goldwing with limited ground clearance. Thankfully, any modern supersport bike - something like a GSX-R 600 - will be perfect for the task at hand.

Can I practice on the road?

Of course, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. We would recommend that you start practicing on track. That way you have plenty of run-off, emergency services on call and no oncoming traffic.

However, if you don’t have the required cash to take to the track, a deserted roundabout is your best option. Make sure to check that the surface is free from diesel and that you have a good line of sight. Having a good friend on hand is also a good idea, as they can keep a look out for approaching traffic, and if anything goes wrong, you have someone to give you a ride home!

Ok, so how do I get my knee down?

Dragging your knee is all about body position, so we’ll run through the process methodically:

As you brake for an approaching corner, make sure that you are sitting as far back in your seat as possible. Too many riders sit almost on top of their tank, restricting their movements and upsetting the balance of the bike. By sitting further back, you can give yourself more leverage; vital for direction changes.

Then, as you enter the corner, you need to hang your butt cheek off the side of the bike (see picture above) while simultaneously moving your head and torso to the inside of the bike. Hanging off the bike is what moves your centre of gravity to the inside of the corner, allowing you to turn hard while keeping the machine relatively upright.

If done properly, your knee should make contact with the ground with minimal effort.

At you approach the exit of the corner, your body position will make leveraging the bike upright relatively effortless. MCN’s Michael Neeves shows (in the video above) that all of this can be done at speeds below 40mph.

I’ve tried the technique and I still can’t drag my knee

If you find that the bike is leaning really far over, but you’re still having no success, you’re probably twisting your body incorrectly. This happens when a rider moves their backside off the bike, but keeps their head and torso in the upright position.

To get around this, pretend that you’re trying to kiss your wing mirror. This will force your head off the inside of the bike, bringing your torso along with it. You should also make sure that the ball of your leading foot is right on the edge of the peg. This will force your leg outwards during the turn, giving you maximum extension. Once you succeed in getting your knee down, you’ll be able to repeat the process time and again.

Ultimately, like any technique, practice makes perfect, so get out there and scuff those knee sliders!