Dragging a knee

There's almost no way to safely drag a knee on the street; much less so on a Ninja 250.

• If you're leaned over enough to get your knee down you've generally left no traction reserve available with which to change your line or brake when something unexpected pops up. And it will. (Which brings up the second form of traction: the kind used on broken bones.)

• Unless you are hanging completely off of the bike, a street stock Ninja 250 will generally drag hard parts, such as the centerstand, before you get far enough over to reach the ground with your knee. If you drag those parts hard enough they will neatly lever the rear tire off of the ground, introducing you to the term "lowside".

• The guys who race 250's do get knees down on the track, but their bikes have been modified, with stiffer suspensions, better tires, removed center stands, etc. If you're curious, Jim Race has a detailed write-up on building your own track bike .

Best answer: Ya wanna learn racing techniques, get a bike that's set up for the same and get yourself to a good track school. Once you've been fast on a track you'll never want to go back to the street; there simply isn't any comparison in terms of either fun or safety.