Ducati Monster Forum

So I've decided to do a series of paintings (portraits) of landmark figures in motorcycle history to present day.
One moment would be the knee drag (not knee out...dragging). Who started it?
Was it Jarno? Barry Sr? Sheene? Mann?

Here's my first portrait. The great Ed Kretz:
(http://i41.tinypic.com/f3cnlh.jpg)

Impressive!!   [thumbsup]   [beer]

Do you plan on painting any board-track racers?  I always thought a story about board-track racing would make a great movie (so long as it didn't star that moronic midget, Tom Cruise).

Thank you!
Yes, I will be painting moto people throughout the years up to present day.
I agree, a BT movie would be sick no doubt.

But back to my question. Any ideas? Seems to be a debatable topic...

I think IIRC it was Jarno....but Derby,fastwin, or DP might be more knowledgable than I on this....

Impressive work!
Where can we see more of these?

Thank you! Well I have just started these cycle pics so Kretz is my first but here is my Etsy store and my site showing my other sci-fi work if youre interested:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/JAdamsArts (https://www.etsy.com/shop/JAdamsArts)
http://variastudios.carbonmade.com/ (http://variastudios.carbonmade.com/)

Great.  One more reason for me to feel inadequate and inferior.

Seriously, though, that's a beautiful rendition.

Some credit Saarinen, others Roberts, for beginning the fashion. In either case, a worthy subject.

It was an evolutionary thing. They didn't begin with knee sliders, but with ordinary leathers that they wore at the knee and then some added duct tape to preserve the leather.

So the first knee draggers were merely touching down occasionally, not reaching for the tarmac and using the knee for emergency support as today.

Would be interesting to find out who was first to use leathers with a slider designed for the purpose. My guess is Franco Uncini but I might be way off.

From what I have read, early sliders were pieces of wood.... :o

My current sliders are wood, a really lightweight wood like Balsa or similar.

JM

While I have the attention of some of you...
 
Any other ideas of moments in moto history I could illustrate?
 
Could be a mechanical innovation or a specific act or achievement.
 
I was thinking of doing Hanns Hilbert (if I can find a picture of him). He is credited as the designer of the telescoping fork.
Definitely Fabio Taglioni.
Rollie Free.

Dolph

I always thought it was Kenny.

He duct taped his 'sliders' to his leathers.

Dolph who?

+1

I just read a book on the history of Americans in GP racing (great book). They credited King Kenny...said the euros thought he was crazy until he kicked their butts. Started with the English/American match races though...before he got to GP.

I'm betting Jarno refined the technique. Paul Smart hung an awful lot off the bike.

 (http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i192/bdfinally/PaulSmartonaDucati250Mark3D1968.jpg)

great work on that piece Memper, is it a wash?

The man that inspired this... [Dolph]

http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1197 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1197)

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/lancastereaglegazette/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=151299905 (http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/lancastereaglegazette/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=151299905)

We need to commemorate RAT with a smiley. I'm thinking something cynical. ;D

Ah

I'm still thinking Jarno

"...In order for Jarno to ride his "hang-off" style, he lowered the clip-ons (handle bars) and excessively angled them downwards.  Initially he got this from his previous experience as an Ice Racer in Finland before he started road racing.  After Jarno's death, Kenny Roberts adopted this style and perfected it for road racing...."

Taken from here: https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~peer/racer-jarno.html

Apparently Kenny gives credit in his long out of print book: "Techniques of Motor Cycle Road Racing". He states (here say, I have not read it) that Kel Carruthers introduced Kenny to the Fin style of body technique.

+INFINITY

[roll]




 ;D

This is the bloke I think of as the original knee dragger

(http://gegeducati77.e-monsite.com/medias/album/1970-barry-sheene-1.jpg)

Thank you all for the tips.

Check this out if ya like the art:
http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=66417.new#new (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=66417.new#new)