How much of a part does rider weight play in knee down?  Quite a bit, actually.  Aside from the obvious things like weight distribution and placing more weight on one side of the bike, larger riders are more likely to struggle due to the positions knee down requires them to put their body through.

Obviously, this depends on how overweight the rider is and their general level of fitness.  Hanging off the bike requires you to use muscles you wouldn't use in everyday life.  As larger people have more weight to shift around, it puts more of a strain on these muscles than lighter people, resulting in exhaustion much earlier than a fitter person.  Heavier breathing is also likely as the pulse starts to race with the adrenalin pumping, which could consequently result in an increased likelihood of the visor misting up.

In summary, it's perfectly possible to get your knee down if you're overweight, but it's probably a lot easier if you're not.

This article was written by an overweight bloke, so trust me, I know! ;) 

Getyerkneedown.com is a new site that aims to answer the much sought after question: how do I get my knee down? 

When getting your knee down, you are pushing both your bike and yourself further than you usually would.  Don't forget, there are several factors that could cause you to come a cropper, so for goodness sake be safe when sliding.  Common sense prevails when choosing knee down locations.  Obviously, on the track, the main considerations are tyre pressures and temperatures.  However, some riders choose to slide on the road and this is potentially far more risky.  Knee down should only be attempted on track, however if any of your friends decide to try on the road, at least check the following:

• Check your bike's condition.  Leaky forks or spilling oil/coolant will not only pose a problem for you, but other riders as well.  Ensure your suspension and brakes are in good order.
• Check your tyre pressures and general tyre condition.  You do NOT want a blowout whilst getting your knee down
• Check the road surface.  Mud, disesel and many other things can contribute to your bike parting company with the tarmac.  You don't want any of these things present as 100% concentration is required.  Obviously, don't attempt knee down on cold roads or in the winter!
  
• Check the rider!  If you're tired, hungry, upset etc. don't risk it.  Go home and try another day.  You have to be 100% concentrated and anything that detracts from that is a bad thing!
• Make sure the tarmac is warm and WARM YOUR TYRES UP FIRST!  Just a quick trip around the block or up a dual carriageway and back should get enough heat in your tyres.  Just make sure they're warm and sticky so they grip properly.

Body position is a very important consideration when getting your knee down, especially for more experienced riders who carry plenty of corner speed and have little or no "chicken strips" (the wear at the side of the tyre) on their tyres.

Body position is directly related to lean angle.  If you prefer not to lean the bike over as much, your body position needs to be more exaggerated. The general rule of thumb is the same for all though. For the purposes of explanation, we'll assume you're on a right hand corner:

• You need the balls of your feet on the footpegs and need your backside as far back as possible, so you're pretty much in a "racing crouch" (if you don't do this, when you hang off, you'll twist around the tank and your knee will be forced in towards the bike, instead of out where it should be).
  
• As you approach the corner, shift your right bottom cheek completely off the seat so your left cheek is partially on the seat.
  
• Your left leg needs to be "locked" in to the cutout in the left side of the tank. Carry as much weight through the outside leg as possible.
  
• Rotate your right foot inwards so your heel is on the heel plate and rotate your right leg outwards (this feels very awkward at first, especially for blokes and those less "flexible"). 
  
• At the same time, drop your right shoulder. If you don't, your upper body will still be up over the bike and will pull your leg up with it and it'll never work. A common tip for checking your upper body position, is that you should be able to see your helmet chin bar in the right mirror. It has also been suggested that you try to "kiss your inside mirror", but we accept no responsibility for questions arising over your sexuality for doing this...

Assuming you have the body position correct, once you hit the "right" speed, your knee should touch down. If it doesn't, you might not be leaning enough. To lean further, try opening the throttle a little bit (carefully!). Sounds mental, but it works! Opening the throttle mid-corner causes the bike to lean further over, which may just be the extra "oomph" you need to get your knee down. Be careful with this technique though, because if you're already at the maximum lean angle, you could go past the edge of the tyre (been there, done that). Also, a lot of people tend to instinctively pick their leg up before it touches down. Don't. Keep your knee pushed outwards or you'll have to lean even further to get it to touch, which isn't necessarily great for beginners as it means they have to push the bike beyond their own limits.

Don't forget, your body needs to be natural. Don't force it up, away from the tarmac through fear of getting too low, because it won't help. The body position feels like you're miles off the bike when in reality, you're not.

Photographs are fantastic aids when checking your body position. If you can, get a friend with a camera to take some pics of you so you can see where you're going wrong.

Check out our gallery for the "How to" and "How not to" sections.