Dragging one’s knee carries a certain symbolism for many riders. Perhaps it’s an emulation of their racing heroes or proof that a certain level of competence has been achieved, bringing them closer to the demigods they worship on TV Sunday mornings.
Different sports have a symbol of greatness: the surfer’s tube ride, a pre-teen jumping their bicycle off a plywood ramp on the sidewalk, a flip off a diving board, backing in a supermoto, the sustained wheelie, or a kick-flip with a skateboard. As a kid in the 1970s, an aerial on a skateboard was the ultimate aspiration I sadly never reached before moving on to other sports.
The history of knee dragging has been the subject of another Common Tread article, so I don’t have to cover that all over again, but the CliffsNotes are it developed organically over the 1960s and rose to prominence with Kenny Roberts in the mid-1970s. Just like Rossi’s leg dangle, if Kenny was doing it and winning, why wouldn't others adopt the same style? It spread quickly after that, but Kenny was not the very first.
Aesop’s Fables has the story “The Fox and the Grapes,” where a fox covets some high-hanging grapes but finds them out of reach. In his frustration, he declares the grapes must be sour. That's the source of the expression “sour grapes.” Many riders who haven’t been able or had the opportunity to drag their knee have sometimes taken that position, stating, “It’s not that important,” “I’m focusing on my skills,” “It’s not worth the risk,” or some other statement. We’ve all done this in one area of our lives or another. It's sometimes referred to as “self-serving bias.” With that said, I have witnessed blazing fast riders who rarely, if ever, touch a knee down running circles around riders who regularly grind their knee pucks to nothing. Knee dragging is not a reliable indicator of speed or skill.
Let’s get some context, however. In my opinion, if you are going fast enough to drag your knee on a public road, you are generating enough lateral acceleration that altering your line for a sudden change of conditions lies somewhere between difficult and impossible. Excessive speed on public roads has a more sinister layer beyond exposing the rider to danger: it exposes other motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and bystanders, who never agreed to that level of danger, to life-threatening scenarios.
However, dragging your knee is like your first kiss: You’re likely to remember it for the rest of your life. I did a poll on social media asking whether wheelies or dragging a knee was more desirable, and the knee down won by a significant margin. In a way, it’s transformative, but why? How can skidding your knee across the asphalt be important? Some drag the side of their boot and don’t get anywhere near the “moment” the knee provides. There must be something to it.
Are there any real benefits to dragging a knee?
I think there are a few things. The first that comes to mind is what my father, Keith, wrote back in 1982 in "A Twist of The Wrist Volume I" “Knee dragging gives you a sense of security. It is strange how this works, and I don’t really understand it, but somehow being in close proximity to the pavement makes falling off seem less dangerous. Perhaps it is because you have already contacted the enemy and know where he is.”
Perhaps the most practical advantage, in my opinion, has to do with proprioception. Proprioception is the body's ability to sense its position, movement, and orientation in space. It helps you know where your limbs are without looking and allows for coordinated movements. As a lean angle gauge, the knee is probably more accurate and sensitive than you might think. Even a millimeter of movement on the hip joint can be perceived with ease, giving the rider a very keen sense of lean and, sometimes more importantly, changes in lean in a corner. Yes, we hear people talk about saving a lowside crash on a knee, and while these instances with racers are widely shared on social media, they’re more the exception than the rule unless your name is Marc Márquez.
At the California Superbike School, we built a Yamaha TT-R125 with 12-inch supermoto wheels and little racing slicks. We use this to help riders more easily experience getting a knee down in any open paved area. The immediate audible yelp or hoot from the rider the moment after dragging their knee for the first time is something to behold. Providing this experience is akin to being Willy Wonka for some riders. Occasionally, I’ll be talking with a student whom I know already has a decent pace and ask, “Have you ever dragged your knee?” and get a somewhat forlorn “No.” I follow up with, “What if I told you you’ll have your knee down for the first time in under eight minutes from this moment?” They, of course, say it would be great, and nine times out of 10, it happens in less time than I promised. Then about half of them promptly go out and do it on the track, having gotten the initial uncertainty swept aside about how it would feel and how far over they need to lean.
BMW’s off-road GS Ambassador Sean Thomas came to our school and I got him to drag his knee on our TT-R; he then promptly went out on his R 1250 GS and dragged his knee on the track. Of course, he was beaming all day. From time to time, I’ll meet a student where I live in the Los Angeles area and go to a large parking lot like the Rose Bowl and have fun doing knee-down drills on a minibike. I usually have to correct foot position, seat position, leg position, knee position, ankle position, and vision. Once those are in an acceptable range, and provided the other basics are in place, getting the knee down is 90% guaranteed. For the other 10%, their basic technique is a mess and critically needs correction — forget about the knee down. Regardless, it’s fun and productive for both student and coach.
You can always do what so many have done in the past to get their knee down through trial and error, figure-eights in a parking lot, or better yet, a track day. Another very fun option is to find a mini motorcycle racing scene near you if possible. They usually run at kart tracks. These people are typically super-friendly and welcoming. Maybe borrow or rent a minibike from someone; talk to the organization's leadership. You could strike up lifelong friendships in a short period.
For sure, knee dragging is not the essence of why we got into riding motorcycles, and for most riders, it is completely frivolous. But I love the saying, “You’re never too old to have a good childhood.” This applies, I think.