GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

i was gonna take it out to the track this summer, but just wondering if you can knee drag it, with out scraping the peg?? anything else i should prepare before taking it out for a track day? iam looking to change my pads and put some stainless steel lines on there also.

Yeh, stick yer leg out far enough with yer body leaning off the bike and you'll drag yer knee. I used to drag my elbows...JK. Like the GS, Solar System (wonder what happened to Mars?), and this forum.

C......

Quote from: cernunosLike the GS, Solar System (wonder what happened to Mars?), and this forum.

Like? What happened to love - surely you still love the GS :dunno:

why drag a knee but not a peg?...if you're draggin knee just for the heck of it...then your body position is totally off...the GS pegs are fairly low...and it will drag before any part of your body will touch the ground (hopefully)....

get better tires before riding hard...

i think its really hard to do with all stock stuff. ive done two track days and i have only drug my center stand once andim at the edge of my tires(130/70/17, 110/70/170) here are some of the pics.  Even without dragging my knee i was still faster than most.
http://www.iandonald.com/events/class/051605/0516053/page2.htm
http://www.iandonald.com/events/class/051605/0516052/page3.htm
http://www.iandonald.com/events/class/051605/0516057/page3.htm
http://www.iandonald.com/events/class/051605/0516058/page2.htm
http://www.iandonald.com/events/class/051605/05160511/page3.htm
http://www.iandonald.com/events/class/051605/05160512/05160512.htm
I have all black leathers and my GS has its headlight on

With my CBR rearsets, if I end up dragging anything, I'm screwed!  :o  Maybe my toe sliders on my boots, but anything past that, the centerstand will catch and I will be boned...

Yeah, just practice shifting your weight and getting your turns right.  Don't try to scrape anything... just build your skill and confidence until that one turn causes contact :)

just the knee...when i was riding my GS, i could drag my whole leg heheh
just go out on a cold day, don't worm up your tires and take a corner at a high speed...when you low side, the GS will be draging your leg all the way  :thumb:

Let the sparks fly, baby.  :)  But whatever you do, hang on and ride safe.   8)

Real easy to get a knee down. Good tires are a must. Also helps to have a lower seat. These pics are from the first day riding my bike at a Talladega GPR (//www.tgprace.com) track day. Still plenty of lean angle left. The previous owner was scraping the left peg with Woodcraft rearsets.

Most important is that you do not try to drag a knee. With smoothness you will go faster and the knee will go down. Sometimes it will surprise you.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v64/dgyver/Tally/Talladega001a.jpg)

This was setting up for a right hander. I do not put my knee down much on the right side but when I do I usually end up putting a hole in my leathers. I guess I do not hang off as much.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v64/dgyver/Tally/Talladega006a.jpg)

I dragged my knee a few times at VIR. My bike has CBR rearsets and sticky tires. I also put a peg down in turn one and nearly busted my ass. Fortunately noone was behind me and I was able to straighten up and run off into the grass. Work on your body position and bike control and the rest will come naturally.

I have touched the knee down a few time. twice on the street, and many more times at a track day.

Like dgyver said, dont try to touch it down!!! If you are trying your gonna hurt yourself.
Just go faster, and be smoother, it will touch down when its ready.

A most read.....

      Modern Sport riding techniques
By; Nick Ienatesch

i have drug a knee a couple of times.....scares the shaZam! out of me every time
last time i tried to move my leg in....but it was pinned to the body.....i think it was actually leaned over a bit..... :o

if you are doing track dayz.....remove the center stand.... if it catches it will lift the rear wheel off the pavement...and you will then start to have a VERY BAD DAY

Drag a knee?! Hell, werase has drug his whole body!! And..uhh...solid woodcraft pegs will lift the wheel too. That's what happened to me!

i scraped my pipe on my bike and it scared me cause it scooted the rear end out.  I need to get it fixed cause i cant get to the edge of the tire on the right side.  But on the left I can get the the edge of the tire.  I run BT45's, havent dragged a knee yet cause I only have regular pants but hopefully I can get some the can use sliders.

Quote from: octaneDrag a knee?! Hell, werase has drug his whole body!! And..uhh...solid woodcraft pegs will lift the wheel too. That's what happened to me!

unfortunately  it's usually my HEAD :o  :o  :o  that i drag

Lucky tall dang people. :P

Last time at the track....I was able to drag both knees at the same time!  :mrgreen:

Too bad I was practicing to be like werase643  ;)

Quote from: pfb

Quote from: cernunosLike the GS, Solar System (wonder what happened to Mars?), and this forum.

Like? What happened to love - surely you still love the GS :dunno:

No What happened to "LOVE THE BABY GS"???

Quote from: RoadstergalLucky tall dang people. :P

Yes, I am the envy of many with my 28" inseam!! And werase TOWERS over me!!

who else loves the wing at the upper lef of this link?
http://www.iandonald.com/events/class/051605/0516052/page3.htm

I still say we should have two-up touring bike racing, that would be great (like racing tractors (the 18-wheeler type))! This coming from a guy who'd love to be a sidecar monkey.

Don't try to drag knee, you'll end up going slower instead of concentrating on your lines and being smooth...then you'll drag knee.

if you find the plans and some decent pics.....send them my way
i want to build a racing side hac for the street....ya can be my MONKEY!!!!!

Scratch and Ken two monkeys on a 50 with a sidecar.    :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

i have pics of a honda 50 with a side car....but covered with too much body to see framework

(http://www.fototime.com/F090AF69EC37982/orig.jpg)

Quote from: davipuScratch and Ken two monkeys on a 50 with a sidecar.    :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Like this?

Quote from: werase643if you find the plans and some decent pics.....send them my way
i want to build a racing side hac for the street....ya can be my MONKEY!!!!!

Got the pics (scroll down): http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=72d204c6034cdec98cdb3669613d890c&threadid=108340&highlight=sidecar
Frame: http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=72d204c6034cdec98cdb3669613d890c&threadid=91922&highlight=sidecar

Or, this: http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=72d204c6034cdec98cdb3669613d890c&threadid=96611&perpage=15&highlight=sidecar&pagenumber=2

So here's my small contribution to answering the question because I've been trying to discover the answer myself after reading any post related to this (came upon some outdated posts that didn't show the pics or vids). The information did not really give me a solid, confident feeling. I also tried analyzing my body position by taking photos while sitting on the bike in hang-off position. It was to help build confidence and assurance. I also considered my chicken strips, as long as there was some left, I had that much more tire I can use.


So my personal definitive answer: Yes, I can drag knee on a bone stock GS. My bike is fully stock (no mods whatsoever), naked, street GS500e with the standard BT45 tires. If they could do it on skinny tires in the 80's...

Based on the photo I took of myself, the first thing to hit the ground would be the knee. Gave some assurance I wouldn't be scraping hard parts.

In order for it to happen, I had to hang off all the way, as far as it was possible while keeping both feet on pegs. And I'm not a tall person either. I checked my chicken strips after each run. Confidence slowly built as I saw I haven't completely used up the entire tire, and I kept pressing the bars for more lean until the pucks scraped. That was simply it - keep leaning while keep the bike stable.

Well... my trials succeeded and thought I'd share.
I was starting to get a bit frustrated without a definitively outspoken or consensus answer among the posted replies before braving it. Well, here it is. I still have perhaps 1-2 mm of tire left.

I wouldn't suggest any go out and try unless they can accept the risk and responsibility. This was simply my personally definitive experience.

Quote from: scratch on May 26, 2005, 01:58:48 PM
Don't try to drag knee, you'll end up going slower instead of concentrating on your lines and being smooth...then you'll drag knee.

Ture, +10

Up the local twisty alot of ppl are trying their very best to drag their knee, somone said,' that is a third contact point on the road and make you more stable around the coner".........Anyway, I don't know if it is ture, but I am not going use me knees as a third tires.

As I usually ride with the older rider, I more or less ride like the ppl in the 70's with a very limited hang off ( I draged my pegs centerstand but never draged my knees), but I can still keep up with the rider who drag their knees.

I think the throttle control, braking point and the lines are more important that the draging the knees if you want to go fast, and when you are fast enough you will be able to drag you knees.

Quote from: Church6360 on May 26, 2005, 01:16:09 PM
who else loves the wing at the upper lef of this link?
http://www.iandonald.com/events/class/051605/0516052/page3.htm

The webpage cannot be found

Here is a link to a video demonstrating knee dragging on a GS.  I highly recommend that this type of behaviour is limited to the track.  On the street there is no need.

http://www.fototime.com/inv/638C5945CC7A0DD

my 2 cents from a physics point of view: when you stick your knee out, your body and the bike make a triangle, which is more stable and balanced thank just you and the bike in a line, leaned over. If you dont put your knee out, you have less stability. I think the whole knee thing is mainly for balance, plus it looks cool.  As my Master Chief always says:"It ain't about speed, its about lookin cool!"  (then again he rides a Harley!)

The point of dragging a knee is to hang off as much as you can, and know how far the bike is leaned over

Neat track video.


Just wanted to clarify that I'm not encouraging anybody to try or do this on the streets. Riding safe and sharing the road is just common sense.

I wanted to verify that applying the technique on a bone-stock GS is possible. I believe the GS is an all-around good bike that one learn can a wide range of techniques with. I've found the GS to be very light, very nimble and capable machine, excellent for learning.

It may stay around as a track tool, or it may be better off going to someone who's thinking of get the latest greatest race replica as their first bike.
But it's a great commuter.

forgot to mention, just for informational purposes, my lean angle was most likely greater than 45 degrees. My short stature wouldn't allow to touch down at less.

Happy riding.

hey guys i bought a GS 500-E 1996 off autotrader a week ago, been getting used to it, although i was wondering if its possible to get yer knee down with it? i see people saying its bad with stock parts but it hasnt got any add'ons, just whatever it came with and sporty handlebars, yes im a young driver too.. so you can see why the interest, cheers guys!

Um, did you read this thread?

Read it over twice and then ask yourself that question...

yes ive read the thread over and over, although im not sure whether i can or not, i could get alot of lean on my

SYM XS-125 K

now ive got this GS and yanno its pretty old, i see people talking about peg hitting, and centre stand hitting, i prefere to go through corners on the left, and thats where the stand is, but im not very good with motorbike maintenance etc so i would no how to take it off, and how to get it back on, or even to change the pegs, im 6ft 2inch i see people saying its easier to go knee down if your taller? also my tires are terrible, they are pretty chunky, i think they have been changed from stock type tyres, each time i go over a man hole, or a white line, in the rain or sun, i still slip, im not sure if i should go for new tyres and pegs first? if so, what would you all recommend? and is it possible to get a more "thicker" tyre?

Quote from: GS500-E on June 24, 2008, 04:05:54 AM
yes ive read the thread over and over, although im not sure whether i can or not, i could get alot of lean on my

SYM XS-125 K

now ive got this GS and yanno its pretty old, i see people talking about peg hitting, and centre stand hitting, i prefere to go through corners on the left, and thats where the stand is, but im not very good with motorbike maintenance etc so i would no how to take it off, and how to get it back on, or even to change the pegs, im 6ft 2inch i see people saying its easier to go knee down if your taller? also my tires are terrible, they are pretty chunky, i think they have been changed from stock type tyres, each time i go over a man hole, or a white line, in the rain or sun, i still slip, im not sure if i should go for new tyres and pegs first? if so, what would you all recommend? and is it possible to get a more "thicker" tyre?

As far as slipping on manhole covers and white lines, they're notoriously slippery things. Add a little rain and you have a recipe for disaster.

I'm 6'4", and occasionally drag a boot a little doing slow speed stuff. I have no desire to drag anything at any speed. :)

Posting pictures of your tires will help folks decide if they're done or not. Keep in mind manhole covers and lines in the road cannot shed oil, it just sticks to it and makes it even more slippery.
:)

ah right thanks, yes i wil  post up a few pics sure of the front and back tyres hopefully within the end of the week, its raining atm :P and i dun wanna get wet hehe