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I hear this term knifing regarding the front tire/suspension used alot.

What does it mean? is this during cornering?

i thought about it and it could mean two opposite things.

1. too much weight on front tire so it binds up during a corner and causes rear to slide out which results in over steer.

or

2. not enough weight on the front tire where it slides during cornering and causes the bike to under steer

orrr.. im completely wrong and has nothing to do with cornering.

so no one knows here?

you are correct on all fronts...how? people typically don't know what it means so they will use the term for both conditions. typically, it means the front end is "washing out", "folding", ect. it can be caused by incorrect rake (turn too quickly), poor race sag in shock, not enough weight on the front, tire selection, skill, or combinations of all of these.

i see .. so if rake is too agressive then you have more weight then necessary on the front, which causes instability .. hence washing out or knifing... right ?

here is my take on it .. correct me if im wrong...all you racers out there let me know if its simple as this

In a simple nut shell: lean towards the turn, keep the front as light as possible and stay on the throttle.

In more of a technical nut shell:
generally you want just enough weight on the front to keep the tire on the ground and steering where you want it ( based on how you ride the damn thing).... but too much weight on the front ( more than necessary for the turn or grip required) i think causes instability which results in the washing out or knifing.

yeah, unfortunately it's not that simple...you do want to weight the front end. you do want the bike's geometry to turn as quickly as possible given the speed and radius of the turns. however, speed, radius, tires, soil, off camber, ruts, skill all as well as the other factors i mentioned all come into play.

there's some great riding skills videos available that will show you the proper technique for different conditions. the other thing you can do is DVR a race and watch the pros corner...use your slow mo feature. you'll see them get on the tank, get a cheek over the opposing side, weight the outside peg, etc. depending on the turn. all good stuff.

right .. that why im saying just the right amount of weight on the front (a bit much and it washes out).... and when i say lean towards the turn.. i guess that could be getting cheeky with your gas tank... cuz the turn direction is changing as your entering it.. from the turn being in front to traversing to the inside direction and then towards the back... i hope this makes sense to someone other than me..

i agree its not that simple... but i believe tere is a simplicity to it that most winners have found.... that us (me) novice riders are still seeking... i didnt mean to say its simple...

thanks for the chat..

exactly. you are smart to be interested in turning skills. depending on the track or where you ride and the number of turns there's significant time to be saved with good cornering skills. along with good cornering skills remember to race to the corner rather than coast into it and race out of it, carry as much momentum through the turn as you are able and those fractions of seconds in each turn will add up to seconds saved per lap.

What I tell the kids:

"Jump for show, turns for dough."

Knifing is usually a result of improper body positioning. It's the resulting action where the front wheel "folds" and causes a decrease in forward momentum. Common cause: Not enough weight on the front end and or improper rider balance.

As Ken said, again there are many conditions which can change but a general rule is:

As much weight to the front as you can, lean into the turn, and weight the outside peg.