All Together Now...........legs Out!

It's supposed to be about weight distribution.

As you know riders no longer simply sit on the seat and chuck the bike around. They move all over in the seat, shifting their weight about to aid handling.

Legs are heavy, sticking one leg out moves even more weight away from the bike.

That I believe is the theory although I suspect it only has benefits when you're close to the edge of what bike and rider are capable of. Doing it on a roundabout on the A34 while riding a scooter probably doesn't help much.

 

Valentino Rossi started this several years ago,no one quite knows why he did it ,the commentators used to call it a stress monitor when he first started doing it..ie going into the corners too hot so he would stick out his leg.but they think it's more likely to be an "extra brake" for going into certain corners but whatever it is a lot of riders are doing it nowadays

 

This explains it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/motogp/comments/77gr6z/simon_crafar_explains_the_leg_dangle/

 

It also seems to be used as a form of blocking technique by some riders making themselves wider and therefore harder to pass, although I have seen riders come through anyway knocking the leg out of the way in the process, I would, if I had the skill they have

 

it is only done to make the bike wider and stop people passing

 

I do it on hot days only
To cool my feet down

 

Now I've got an excuse when the dreaded cramp starts - " making my Rocket bigger " it's already a hgv

 

Just your feet???

 

Yep.....just my feet

 

Wear looser trousers, you get a nice breeze up the leg

 

Wear looser trousers, you get a nice breeze up the leg

 

That vid goes someway to explain it, but im not convinced entirely. My thoughts are, what do most of them do on their days off....ride motorcross. Rossi even has his own track, so if he started it, and invites others to use his track , they are going to pick up habits from one to the other. Watch motorcross, all if not most do the same on all corners. Thats the only reason i can see it being used, also goes some way to understand the balance he was on about in the vid as well.

 

I'm sure there are loads of people who will offer "logical" reasons for this behaviour - but I'll offer another alternative reason.

Rossi, (who is a real comedian and loves playing around whilst racing) one day a few years ago had a thought "I wonder if the others will copy me if I do something really daft, you know, really stupid ? Tell you what, I'll stick me leg right out just before a corner !!!!

If anybody asks I'll tell 'em it helps me go round corners quicker".

 

I reckon Stollydriver is on the money.
Leg goes out for a stretch to shake the cramp off.
Nothing to do with technique or weight distribution.

 

Rossi was once asked why he did it,his reply was i don't know but i know why others are now doing it!

 

Flock of geese, sheep or seagulls (band),Herd of goats, cows and Thora's.