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

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question because I've been trying to discover the answer myself after reading any post related to this (came upon some outdated posts that didn't show the pics or vids).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 and i dun wanna get wet hehe