This article idea came from a casual conversation with one of my friend who went to track for the first time. I wanted to know what he thought about riding on the race track for the first time. So this is how it went

Sukesh: So how was your first track experience and how did it go?
Friend: It was a great day at the track and I started dragging my knee guard (not-in-leathers) easily. So I am bored and not very keen to go back.

From that day, it struck my mind on how people think about dragging knee (slider) on a race track and take that as an achievement. So here is the myth buster.

Dragging or scraping knee puck/slider on a race track is to gauge the lean angle you have reached since it’s difficult to know that when you are riding.

Does that mean you are riding faster with better lap time?
Not necessarily. If you are leaned in for too long, there are all chances you don’t end up opening the throttle soon thus relatively slower on the corner exit.

Does that mean you can afford purchasing more knee pucks/sliders?
YES for sure. You are rich enough to frequently purchase knee pucks/sliders to keep the dragging hobby alive.

Most professional racers I have seen lift it up once it touches on the ground… But I have to be honest, dragging knee specially with some sparks flying makes it great for a profile picture on social media 🙂

Word of Caution for newbies: Opening the throttle in leaned-in position specially on smaller bikes (without traction control) will result in a high-side crash. What and How about high-side crash will be detailed in a different article.

Tip: For the first timers, make sure the knee pucks/sliders are positioned correctly as per your height and the motorcycle you are riding. If not placed right, all chances are you will end up scraping you leathers near the sliders instead.

Published by Sukesh Ashok Kumar

I am a total Geek in every sense. I love learning about something new everyday. Read My Story link to know more... View all posts by Sukesh Ashok Kumar