) Knee-down God - admitting that I can't get my knee down anymore!Ok, so it's only my right knee, so not all that bad...
From the first proper sccccrrrrrrrape of my knee touching the road, I was addicted. I suddenly found that I could get my knees down on any corner at any speed. And I did. Lots.
It's what riding a sportsbike is all about!
I first did it on a big old Honda VFR750 FG, but quickly found the ZXR400 I had would do it much, much easier.
As I live fairly near to The Cloverleaf, my left kneesliders wear a hell of a lot faster than the right ones, and it's the first place I take every new bike for that first knee-down.
Since then, I've had a few more 'sensible' bikes, and have been fairly good on them - not racing everyone like I used to. I wasn't really going out trying to get my knees down. For most of the last year, I've had a girl riding pillion with me for most of my serious blasts - so it would have been rude.
Umm... although it should be said that I've been scraping the footpegs and my toesliders into oblivion during this time. What? It's less anti-social than if you're hanging off the bike with your knees out, apparently!
But this Summer hit, and I'm single again, so out came the knees!
I'm still not going out to try and wow everyone like I used to. I'm on an old bike and have nothing more to prove. I've already been through one left slider this year.
I told people that I just wasn't trying to get my right knee down. I wasn't!
But then I started to try - especially when the new shiny slider went on.
And a few months later and that slider is still shiny and untouched!
It's not like I'm leaning the bike any less to that side, as my tyres are scrubbed to the edges. I know it must be body positioning, but to me it all feels fine, and so my knee SHOULD be going down easily! I'm relaxed and not reaching for the knee-down to force it or anything.
This was highlighted on my last Cloverleaf run the other day, when I was hardly even sticking my left knee out but it was touching down.
What's happened?
Has my -ing right leg shrank or something?
I know I shouldn't be bothered, and I'm not bothered enough to go and surf a roundabout until it happens. I don't want it badly enough to crash trying.
I shall be getting out the measuring tape when I get home...
