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[Rattlebattle]

The foot waving is a French thing; doing it here just says I've ridden in France ( big deal ). I usually just nod, unless abroad when I do what the natives do; it's rude not to do so IMO.

[nigelphoto]

I'm not ashamed to put my feet down, especially if its slippery or there's crud on the road . . . I well remember the early '70's Match Races watching the Americans such as Cal Rayborn and Gary Nixon at Brands putting their feet down in the rain speedway-style going round Druids - and thrashing the Brits! People have different riding styles; one can't just say if someone does something which happens not to be the way you do it they should give up riding a motorcycle! Live and let live.

[Scalyback]

That's it!



To help cornering etc. a pair of those in-line roller skates. Handy for when you get off the bike too!

[Perorec]

Wave, a little nod and some little smile behind my helmet.

[papasmurf]

Nigelphoto I am referring to people who still have both feet dangling from a standing start to 30mph, risking a broken ankle or worse.

[Rattlebattle]

I'm with papasmurf on this one. The IAM advocates riding feet up as soon as possible. You don't see police riders trailing feet; you have better control with both feet on the footrests; a competent rider should be able to do a feet-up u-turn. As for Rayborn and Nixon I saw them too. Don't forget that they were both flat track stars before taking up road racing and had natural skill levels way above anyone here. As I recall Rayborn was still riding H-D sidevalve bikes; a triumph of development over inherent design weakness - a bit like take forks.

[papasmurf]

If you can't do a feet up U turn that is a test failure.

[PeteF]

What some people don't appreciate is that by taking your feet off the pegs you are raising the centre of gravity of the bike and rider combined. This decreases the stability. Taking feet off is an absolute last ditch manoeuvre.
This is one reason that trials riders stand up: it lowers the CoG and increased stability. Another reason, of course, is modern trials machines don't even have seats:-)

[Rattlebattle]

Quite so, plus if you don't have your feet on the footrests how can you gently use the rear brake when necessary in slippery conditions? I believe that some of the best training you can get is off-road; that way you learn how properly to control your bike when it starts to slide. Years ago I read a book on motorcycling. In it was a comment to the effect that one of the ways you can tell a motorcycling illiterate ( the author's words) is by whether or not they trail their feet when setting off or in adverse conditions. That has always stuck with me.

[nigelphoto]

Pete F "What some people don't appreciate is that by taking your feet off the pegs you are raising the centre of gravity of the bike and rider combined. This decreases the stability. Taking feet off is an absolute last ditch manoeuvre."
You are confusing me mate . . . If you take your feet off the pegs you are 'raising the CoG'? Really? I would suggest if you place some weight further towards the floor (your feet do weigh a bit, a few lbs?) then the CoG is lowered, not raised. But you then go on to say "This is one reason that trials riders stand up: it lowers the CoG and increased stability" - surely if you stand on the pegs, your head (significant weight) torso and arse are then further off the floor and surely this raises the CoG and therefore decreases stability?
I dangle my feet for yards both before and after take off and I don't think I'm a motorcycle illiterate - I took my test in 1964 and raced bikes at Brands, Snetterton, Lydden etc as well as doing motocross and trials for many years in the late '60's and '70's. Part of the reason I dangle my feet is because I have a very arthritic hip and if I have to keep taking my feet on and off the pegs in traffic then I'm soon in a lot of pain, and secondly riding a Bull with fixed pegs if you aren't fast enough in whipping yer feet out the way then you can catch an ankle and my goodness that hurts. Besides which, if I feel like a good dangle, then dangle I will and if anyone else objects, well I hereby give them a wave - or a nod - or even a flash!