[BearKat]

Hang in there, Jesse. You were between the paint. That's better than the oncoming dude was doing. Yikes.

That is for freakin sure.

[hardlydangerous]

Alright I finaly took the time to look for this post! Whats up. I have a new jacket coming in the mail and im buying some leather pants this week! Now all I need is to learn how to ride and get a better bike. I dout my leathers will be matching but I don't give a hoot! I had alot of fun on all the rides up and down banner. And I get to saver my oHHHHmmmggg moment because harry had it on camera! It threw me for a couple corners. But yes the bike is to small for me im 6' 5" 257 lbs on a 600 kat great learner bike but I feel its slowing me down out there.

No offence
but the bike is not slowing you down your riding style is.

You would do very well to watch how the other rider are riding in the other vids.
Your knees in, ass off the seat riding position is the most unstable and off balanced I've seen in a long time. Practice keeping your weight forward looking into the turns and keep your knees out and elbows up.
This allows the bike to lean harder not just the rider, keeps the wight forward, and also allows the rider much better throttle/brake and clutch control in and out of turns. this will not only imporve you lap/corner speeds but will make you and your bike a lot more stabil in turns.
I know I had a similer riding style when I started out.

[BearKat]

Alright I finaly took the time to look for this post! Whats up. I have a new jacket coming in the mail and im buying some leather pants this week! Now all I need is to learn how to ride and get a better bike. I dout my leathers will be matching but I don't give a hoot! I had alot of fun on all the rides up and down banner. And I get to saver my oHHHHmmmggg moment because harry had it on camera! It threw me for a couple corners. But yes the bike is to small for me im 6' 5" 257 lbs on a 600 kat great learner bike but I feel its slowing me down out there.

No offence
but the bike is not slowing you down your riding style is.

You would do very well to watch how the other rider are riding in the other vids.
Your knees in, ass off the seat riding position is the most unstable and off balanced I've seen in a long time. Practice keeping your weight forward looking into the turns and keep your knees out and elbows up.
This allows the bike to lean harder not just the rider, keeps the wight forward, and also allows the rider much better throttle/brake and clutch control in and out of turns. this will not only imporve you lap/corner speeds but will make you and your bike a lot more stabil in turns.
I know I had a similer riding style when I started out.

There are some good tips right there... I think the Leather pants will help with the knees in the tank problem. I also think you should save some pennies for fixing that suspension problem.

[OldandReallySlow]

and....keep the elbows loose. I wouldn't recommend up so much (more of a dirt riding style) but they should be loose and able to move around. Yeah, leathers will bring the knees out

[hardlydangerous]

Loose is a good way of putting it.
I mean no disrespect to the rider in the last video

The thing is when the arms are tucked in you're stiff and usually leaning the upper body back.

Keeping the elbows bent and up more (not so much dirt bike style LOL) But NOT tucking them in on turns puts you upper body forward over the tank more.
But most important is keeping the ass on the seat, and getting the weight forward and knees out more at these mild speeds. Let the bike do the work.

As I watched the video I could see the bike twitching hard coming it to turns as well as the transition from left to right to left as he set up with the ass off the seat at turns usually in the 40-50mph range. Then with all the body off the bike the bike was still very much upright and unable to hold a steady line. At about 5:40 in the vid was a perfect example.
The transition setting up into a turn needs to be a smooth slide on the seat.

Normally I would not say anything on a persons riding style but to move up to a bigger bike because they feel they are not getting the most out of the smaller bike due to it's size when they have serious riding/control issues is a disaster waiting to happen. Ride like that on a liter bike and you will eat pavement. Where the Katana is a very forgiving bike.

Changing a riding style that you have gotten comfortable with is the hardest thing to do when it comes to cycling, but proper riding control comes with rider position and body language. If you not doing it properly you will never get the most out of your abilities or you bike.

I had a similar riding style when I started out on my GSX550

I spend a few weeks at mosport road racing school when I was younger and found out no matter how fast you go in a strait line cornering and control wins races and gets you home in one piece.
I leaned quickly my riding style was the reason I could not hold a line worth a crap and was slowing me down. So I spent some more time in Quebec and Shannoville getting tips from the professionals and following then around the tracks.
Within a couple months I was back at mosport and cut my lap times in half on the same bike and keeping up with rider with 10- 20 years over me on much bigger bikes.

The good thing about this thing is
If you are ok and comfortable with such an unstable riding position, you will be amazed and very comfortable with the proper riding style

Good vids BTW

[BearKat]

Hey HardlyD

Thanks for the comments man. This is all the kind of advice that we dish out everytime we go riding. I am sure he takes no disrespect, he is a good kid like that.

I am going to take it as a compliment that you didn't say anything about the other riders.

In this day in age, I preffer Video for telling someone how to do something on the Internet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCg3BMGe52M <---MCN: How to get your knee down

This is how I explain proper riding style...no it's not me in this vid this time...

[bigbike-r]

great vids that oncoming guy was close? i done that before though a few years back i took a corner and put the bike down forgetting my passenger hadnt really been on a bike and paniced. all in all i went straight across the road infront of a packed bus. i dont know who was more scared me or the bus driver screaqming out the cab at me

[d_phi_d]

damn jesse we are nearly the same size.. i stand about 6'7 aand about 300 and i too am on a 600 kat.. so hey i will be slower and newer rider than u. so let the talk begin...lol

[Tito750]

Damn, that was close!!!