Learning to Hang Off -- With Video

[memery]

I'm attempting to learn how to lean off my 695. I've been riding for a couple years, and spend a good deal of time up in the mountains of North Georgia. I'll confess I'm no world beater (I'm a 35 year old dude with a kid on the way, safety first), but I do want to get better. Can you guys comment on how you think I'm doing?

http://www.viddler.com/explore/memery26/videos/8/

FYI, I am taking a Total Control class in a few weeks, so I'm not just teaching myself.

One thing I definitely noticed is that I appear to be sort of twisted, with my butt hanging way off, but my shoulders still up over the tank.

[Boris196]

Not what I was expecting when I read the thread. I expected to see you tearing up some roads, with someone following behind you with a camera or something.

I'm not a track guy so I can't help you with the lean, but when you take the class tell us how it goes. I've always been interested in taking an advanced class but never gone through with it.

[blawrence]

I was going to say what you said about yourself.. your butt is hanging off but your upper body is still square on the bike.
drop your upper body, and if you are looking up you are probably doing better. maybe lean a little more forward because you have a bike that will put you in a fairly upright position and to get the forward stance (to weight the front of the bike) you will need to bend your arms.
also for your round about maybe take a path with a slightly larger radius (farther out on the road) and increase your speed just a bit .. don't push it crazy of course but you will not be going too fast even if you do manage to scrape stuff (ie pegs, boots, maybe pipes).

[memery]

Originally Posted by blawrence

I was going to say what you said about yourself.. your butt is hanging off but your upper body is still square on the bike.
drop your upper body, and if you are looking up you are probably doing better. maybe lean a little more forward because you have a bike that will put you in a fairly upright position and to get the forward stance (to weight the front of the bike) you will need to bend your arms.
also for your round about maybe take a path with a slightly larger radius (farther out on the road) and increase your speed just a bit .. don't push it crazy of course but you will not be going too fast even if you do manage to scrape stuff (ie pegs, boots, maybe pipes).

Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it. I hadn't thought about increasing the radius, that makes a ton of sense. It's sort of weird, I really can't hang off any more than I already am without increasing the speed, or gravity wins. But I'm scared to increase the speed much because I'm afraid I'll lean over too far, in which case gravity will also win.

For now I'll keep practicing. 1MPH at a time.

[Spencers696]

Lead with your head, forget about your knee.

You need to get your head inside and forward, the phrase that I always remember from school is "bite the mirror"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wYD9...layer_embedded

.

[memery]

Originally Posted by Spencers696

Lead with your head, forget about your knee.

You need to get your head inside and forward, the phrase that I always remember from school is "bite the mirror"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wYD9...layer_embedded

.

Thanks Spencer, I'd seen that one before, but it's a good reminder.

Lee Parks suggests the roundabout exercise, where you keep your eyes looking at the same thing in the middle the entire time (a buddies' eyes, specifically). Hard to bite the mirror when you're doing that.

[blawrence]

the bite the mirror thing sounds good. I was going to suggest trying to reach for the inside handle bar with your outside shoulder,, but I thought it might not convey the correct idea. but when you are leaned over like that enough you will be looking up and into the curve. the looking at the buddy thing sounds kind of dangerous.. what if a car enters the round about?

[memery]

Originally Posted by blawrence

the bite the mirror thing sounds good. I was going to suggest trying to reach for the inside handle bar with your outside shoulder,, but I thought it might not convey the correct idea. but when you are leaned over like that enough you will be looking up and into the curve. the looking at the buddy thing sounds kind of dangerous.. what if a car enters the round about?

That roundabout is essentially a closed course after hours. I would hear any oncoming vehicles long before they posed any kind of threat.

Once again, thanks to everyone for the advice.