[TomT]

Posted this question on another board - curious what the SS crowd thinks: when / where did the technique begin? They didn't do it in the old days - anyone know how it started? Seems sidehack "passengers" have been doing it for awhile. Did it migrate from there to two wheelers? TT

 

[rz33v4]

Kenny Roberts Sr. is usually given credit for this cornering approach, which keeps the bike more upright than staying upright on the machine, retaining rear tire traction.

 

[hopz]

If you study, or especially if you attend, a Ride Smart Class you will learn how the 'kiss the grips' position in corners allows greater speed while keeping the bike more upright.

In street applications this is a good thing as the tires have more traction that way. On the track the combination of your weight forward and down plus the traction of track tires allows greater speed.

Where did it come from... dunno... but back in the old days... the equipment was not up to the task so it was not used/needed.

 

[wdietz186]

IIRC it started before Kenny Roberts.It might have been Paul Smart or Possibly Ron Haslam.Roberts certainly popularized it by kicking ass in europe in the GPs. It started as a way of staying on the fat part of the tire to maximize traction

 

[mountainrider]

Pretty sure that Jarno Saarinen is generaly credited as the inovator of this style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoraAKBZrZM

KR senior certainly used it to whip some world butt back in the day.

 

[joepopp]

Isn't KR credited as the first knee dragger (not hanger off-er)? He used to put "Super Tape" on the knees of his leathers...

 

[33935]

i have always heard and read that kenny roberts was the first knee dragger.

 

[bogus]

hanging off

paul smart first racer to credited as such . i'm old enough to have been around for the transition.

 

[esca_rosso]

There is a brief discussion about it in the movie "Faster" if anyone cares to watch.

 

[redpato]

TomT, how far back is "the old days" to you? I remember seeing Kenny Roberts in the mid 70's at the Ontario Motor Speedway hanging off his bike. Read an article that said the outside edges of his toes were ground off from where his boots made contact with the track and wore through.


"in God we trust"

 

[TomT]

Red - I first got interested in bikes in early-mid 60's, soon got distracted by "dirt" racers: Grand National flat track, TT's, desert, etc. Lost track of road racing, then later lost track of motorcycles in general. Too many responsibilities for a guy who used to fall off regularly: self employed, marriage, kids. I'm over all that now, including the falling off part. Yeah I'm an old fart, but I'm a fast old fart!

Thanks all for the info - TT

 

[96SP]

As a precursor to fully hanging off I thought that it was Mike the Bike who started putting his knee out while cornering (?)

 

[markg]

I saw Reg Pridmore seriously hanging off in 1973 racing a BMW R75. I don't remember if he touched a knee down, but he was definitely hanging inside his bike. Paul Smart did get his knee down by 1975. Mike the Bike dropped a knee a bit, but his weight was centered.

All this was pre-KR.

 

[ZAWA]

I would Hang off in the late sixties, got the idea from the English Short Circuit stars of that age.