Why don't Police riders hang off the seat?

[Chillum]

I love hanging off the bike, never got my knee down though (I did get the side of my boot down round Snetterton mind, and that's with the rear set high to give the exhaust clearance).

It really shits you up when you start levering the bike off the ground with the exhaust (think 5p 50p etc..)

One thing I did find whilst negotiating roundabouts, if I hit some gravel or whatever mid-corner that the bike was more stable (i.e. recovered more quickly) if I had shifted my body so the center of gravity was lower (i.e. hanging off like a loon). I can corner just as quick/slow without hanging off, but it's less stable mid corner if something goes tits-up - just my opinion though.

The old fzs600 emarrassed quite a few gixxers in the bends at Snetterton (used to go round the outside of them ) they left me for dust on the straights mind, only to have me shoot round the outside of them at the next bend hehehe

[ChristoT]

My knee down attempts are beginning to piss me off.

There is no more rubber to run in on the rear, yet my knee is still a mile away from the ground. And I manage to scrape my toes on roundabouts too.

As I said. It's beginning to piss me off.

[caretaker]

i'm not a knee down merchant but i do hang off/shift body weight a lot. i find it more planted for some reason. i cant justify doing it. it just sort of works for me. but each to his/her own.

[Chillum]

My knee down attempts are beginning to piss me off.

There is no more rubber to run in on the rear, yet my knee is still a mile away from the ground. And I manage to scrape my toes on roundabouts too.

As I said. It's beginning to piss me off.

From what I've been told this is down to body position. I knew someone who could get their knee down whilst the bike was upright, but then he was about 7ft tall

I have the same problem as you though - it's all about position.

[ChristoT]

My knee down attempts are beginning to piss me off.

There is no more rubber to run in on the rear, yet my knee is still a mile away from the ground. And I manage to scrape my toes on roundabouts too.

As I said. It's beginning to piss me off.

From what I've been told this is down to body position. I knew someone who could get their knee down whilst the bike was upright, but then he was about 7ft tall

I have the same problem as you though - it's all about position.

Not sure... I'm following the Keith Code and MCN advice to the letter, and my mechanic (an ex-sports bike enthusiast) seemed to think my body position was fine. There's an annoying lack of isolated nice roundabouts round here though.... maybe Bozboz can give me some pointers on the Box Hill LoFo run - the only scuffs on my sliders are from the cupboard, and it's annoying me!!

[maddog04]

always wanted to get me knee down but was shit scared to do it but since starting the IAM course, I've learnt that a bike is at its most stable when upright and under some power..............I guess that's why the Police do what they do
I'm now counter steering through bends whilst still upright (ish) and its easy once you know how and have a bit of confidence, same for knee down I reckon
 
a few yrs back I read a piece in MCN about 2 power rangers who thought they were the nuts, went to a track with the race bikes, 2 plod on their Police beasts and thought they'd outrun the Plod................wrong!
1st PR clocked a time and thought he was good, 1st plod beat it hands down from a bolt upright riding position.
2nd PR shaved a few seconds off his mates time and thought "I'm the dogs" only for the 2nd plod to smash all records again upright.
The PR's said that they always said they'd try and outrun plod if chased but would now pull over immediately as they knew they had no chance of getting away, they said the Plods skills were awesome

[SEPTIKANGEL]

[clayt74]

Cos of this thread I have now been trying hanging off, im still having to think about it too much to really give it full beans but have experienced the feeling of the bike being more planted in an upright position. But still not convinced that even with a lot more practice that I could actually achieve more speed or a better line? Gonna try it some more whilst the sun is out just cos as an engineer the peoof is in the testing 

[Andy Clap]

Hanging off is like wanking; it's pointless and shows everybody you're a tosser. BUT it feels great, so most blokes do it more than they let on.


Can we assume that cops don't wank either then?  Maybe that's why they're so uptight?

[stevierst]

Save your hanging off for the track, pay for a Trackday tutorial, and learn to do it properly if that flicks your switch.
 If you mess it up on the road mid bend, there's little you can do to correct it with your arse being in the breeze. Oh and you'll look like a tw@ too!
 Just been out for 100 mile rideout, flew past some silly power ranger on his sports bike trying to do that. Unless your Rossi, it'll just slow you down and unbalance the bike, as the vast majority of people (including me) don't know how to do it properly.:-\


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[dazedandconfused]

Maybe they do what I do and just shift weight onto the relevant cheek, works wonders and you don't look like a cock. 

[fireblake]

I don't hang off but in my teens had an X7 which had fixed pegs and would dig in if I leant too far over, a few times I had the back jump out quite badly so needed to keep it upright and thus hang off.
I was a lot like Barry Sheene in those days though?


Mickey

[Raymy]

My knee down attempts are beginning to piss me off.

There is no more rubber to run in on the rear, yet my knee is still a mile away from the ground. And I manage to scrape my toes on roundabouts too.

As I said. It's beginning to piss me off.

Spread yer legs darlin'

[Raymy]

See if someone wants to look like a cock end hangin off the side of their bike, what in the name of fuk has it to do with anyone else?

And power rangers? Is this the new black? The buzz word of the week?
Are we saying don't wear leathers now?



"Look at that twat there hanging off the side of his bike with the predator hat and the sponsored onesies. Doesn't he look like a right pillock?"

Says Jim, 37, from Bury St. Edmonds, sporting this seasons new flourescent tabard from Milan favourite, Ross Pah. This seasons line has gone down well at London fashion week with critics and fans alike praising its unprecedented levels of piety and judgement.

[stevierst]

Maybe they do what I do and just shift weight onto the relevant cheek, works wonders and you don't look like a cock. 

That's about as much hanging off as I do too. I'm too idle to move my rs any more than that. :

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[Chillum]

See if someone wants to look like a cock end hangin off the side of their bike, what in the name of fuk has it to do with anyone else?

And power rangers? Is this the new black? The buzz word of the week?
Are we saying don't wear leathers now?



"Look at that twat there hanging off the side of his bike with the predator hat and the sponsored onesies. Doesn't he look like a right pillock?"

Says Jim, 37, from Bury St. Edmonds, sporting this seasons new flourescent tabard from Milan favourite, Ross Pah. This seasons line has gone down well at London fashion week with critics and fans alike praising its unprecedented levels of piety and judgement.

+10

Mind you, when I used to ride past the Fox in Finchingfield there were always loads of posers there with all their multi-coloured onesies on and their lids parked next to their pint etc. Found out some time later that one of the guys who had bought a brand new R1 (within about a week of them going on sale) didn't even have a licence. He lived about 40 yards from the pub and wheeled it there to pose with, in his leathers

The number of times I went past that pub on a blue skies kind of day enjoying the ride and wondering what the foc all those bikers were doing sitting down next to their shiny rice burners when they should have been out riding - perhaps it's just me, but bikes are for riding, not for posing with.

[ChristoT]

... perhaps it's just me, but bikes are for riding, not for posing with.

And that's why we ride Fazers... 

[glynblue2]

The whole idea of hanging off the bike is to keep the bike in a more upright position so 1 you go through a corner faster and 2 excelleration can be earlier, because of this hence why racers do it,go and take a look at the great Mike Hailwood as he never was off the bike like riders of todays ilk..

[slimwilly]

I guess its all about speed, at a certain corner speed then moving across to lean the bike less is a must,as racers do,but as said at lower speed there is no need, only when you feel the rear moving should you need to put the bike more upright.


I wonder if the roads will be warm enough today to use the final 5mm of tyre.

[stevierst]

Fast road riding is all about observation. The cops and IAM train to a very high standard of observation, and this allows you to ride safely. They don't teach you to hang off as its unnecessary on the road, and tbh, you will go no faster, your concentration will be elsewhere than where it should be. Try riding against a cop biker on his day off and try your hardest to keep up when he turns it on and keeps his rs in the saddle. Especially when some of them ride these for a living.
Here's my dad on one of Cumbria's finest bikes.


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[Skippernick]

Fast road riding is all about observation. The cops and IAM train to a very high standard of observation, and this allows you to ride safely. They don't teach you to hang off as its unnecessary on the road, and tbh, you will go no faster, your concentration will be elsewhere than where it should be. Try riding against a cop biker on his day off and try your hardest to keep up when he turns it on and keeps his rs in the saddle. Especially when some of them ride these for a living.
Here's my dad on one of Cumbria's finest bikes.


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And there was me thinking that was your old mug
We know now what to look out for in the Cumbria area cop bike wise.
By the way anyone living in the Wiltshire are want to know the make, model and reg of all the unmarked police cars, i was at Divisional Police HQ last week end for our local IAM AGM.

[Raymy]

and tbh, you will go no faster

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Aye but thats not the point

[stevierst]

Aye but thats not the point

I suppose in a way its a bit like wheelies. They don't make you any faster, but they're certainly a shit load of fun 

[caretaker]

besides, if cops hung off the seat they would never get back on due to the amount of stuff strapped to them, such as camera, cuffs, scally stick, tazer, etc etc. that occured to me as i was sat in church this morning...

[acid drop]

There is little which more stupid than a rider on a bike hanging off,  knee out and not getting their knee anywhere near the deck. 

Besides, you will get rid of the chicken strips quicker if you dont hang off.

  It's the posers or is it tossers that hang off.