Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Any tips on the touchdown of one's knee as I'm still waiting for "the moment"

My tyre wear from the last track day, tells me I'm certainly there abouts, but I'm yet to make contact.

I don't like the look of clean knee sliders.....they tell me I'm not going hard enough....

Just Lean the farker!
And move your ass off the seat a bit.

Hang off more...only 1 butt cheek on the seat..

you still got a bit more to lean

and what the Dave's have said above, it sounds a like body position issue rather than lean angle. Get someone to film you or take pics and analyse your position from there.

Wattie wrote:Just Lean the farker!
And move your ass off the seat a bit.

THATS IT MATE
been trying to teach my mate, he wont move his arse either!!!!
Have a look at my little pik.
Shit last time at broady i had to use my mates, just to wear them in for him, think he was a bit embarrassed!!!
so used them for a session, then he got up me, cause i ground one halfway down!!! just no pleasing them sometimes!!!!
All jokes aside, just slide off a bit,drop the knee out, keep learning and it will go down, when it does dont lift, just let it drag, when u get good at it, u will start using ur knee to help push the bike back up, off the turn. u will be surprised how hard u can drag it.
i often lay the bike over and let it rest on my leg, and let the leg hold the weight, on long sweepers, if that makes any sence???

One of the instructors at this track day the other week told all the new riders (my first time at Symmons Plains), point your knee in the direction you want to go and just lean over.

I guess, given this was the first outing on this new bike, I needed to get used to it and build confidence in the tyres. Now I'm pretty sure it's not going to let go, it's just a matter of sliding a cheek off, knee out and lean the farker.....

Thats it mate.
On another subject, did u read my post about ur tyre? after ur track day?

Yes mate, I did. Thanks for your help here!

The only adjustment I have made to the suspension with this bike was I softened both the front and rear, as most of my riding is done on the road and it was rock hard. Both were both dialled all the way in.

I did ask quite a few questions on here around setting suspension properly and now I've got a pretty good idea how to go about it. I just need someone else to measure while I sit etc, so I can get the preload right.

Correct me if I'm wrong, from there it's all about feel....?

Pretty much mate, once u get ur sags right, and that will work on road to, write down ur road settings, so when u go to the track u can adjust them, then back to road settings. the tyre seemed to be tearing a bit, when set up for track, it should b pushing the rubber out to the edge, as in just starting to ball up on the outer edge's.

I'll have a look over the bike this weekend and try to determine where the preload is set.

The guy I bought the bike off was much smaller than me, so it might pay for me to alter the preload a little and see how it goes....

Grab a mate or someone to help u, if u cant get it set to spec, then the rear spring may be to soft.
I dont kno much about the 6, but did my girlfriends 636 a while ago, and it set up well for her with the orginal spring.
U need it around the 25/30mm from free sag to u in gear on the bike.
Do free sag, then static sag, then u on the bike.
there are some posts here somewhere about it.

Thanks again for your help.

I've just found a similar PDF I'm printing off to check the sag etc.

I'll let you know what how it goes and whether the bike feels better/worse.

Chat with 6maniac and head down to Tas when he comes down after the PI round of the SBK. There are plenty of cold cans awaiting!!!

I haven't knee-downed yet... I'm good at dragging bits and pieces, toes, boot, pegs, and leaning off, cheek off, body inside the line, just feels awkward not having my leg gripped onto the tank. I'll talk about it to em next CSS in a couple of weeks time see if they can help me. So many years of riding, it's a little embarrassing.

while ur there, how do i find out about ride days and dates for simmmons plains?
Keen to get down there and have a play!!

Symmons Plains Ride Days can be found on http://www.motorsportstas.com.au/

I live much closer to Baskerville, but I'm told Symmons is far better! It's only two hours up the highway, so no issue for me to travel.

I'm planning on a trip over to Melbourne next year and stay at Phillip Island for a few weeks and hopefully, squeeze in a track day whilst I'm there.

Cheers again!!