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Riding Skills Series: Body Positioning

Increased confidence and control in a variety of situations


By Andrew Trevitt
illustrators: Dean Groover


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You've seen the extreme race shots of riders hanging off their machines like
monkeys, but while it helps out cornering on the racetrack, it's not
necessarily the optimum body position for street riding. A more centered
riding stance may not look all that cool, but it will give you increased
confidence and control in a variety of situations. For most cornering, you
should be centered on the seat, and leaning with your bike so that your head
is either on or just to the inside of the centerline. Tilting your head to
match the horizon stops your brain from getting confused by mixed visual and
balance signals. If your controls don't fit correctly, adjust them to match;
never adjust your style to fit.




Keeping your inside elbow locked, and using the weight of your upper body on
that arm to countersteer is a common lazy habit. This prevents you from
making small steering corrections, and limits your control of the motorcycle;
in addition, any bump in the road will unsettle your upper body, and that
movement will transmit directly down your locked arm and into the
bar-unintentionally steering your bike. It's important to remember that the
handlebar is more for steering your machine rather than for holding onto it.
Experiment with holding your body in position using your stomach muscles and
pressing your outside knee against the tank, while keeping your elbows bent
with as much weight off the bars as possible.




Using the centered riding stance puts your outside knee in the correct
position and will help to distribute your weight properly. If your bike has
low clip-ons, it will require substantial knee pressure to unweight them; try
variations until you find something comfortable. With as little weight on
your arms as possible, you'll find it much easier to make small steering
corrections, and bumps will unsettle your bike less as your weight has a
reduced effect on steering. Also, experiment with foot position to find what
works for you; it's usually best to keep your toes on the footpegs,
especially the inner foot to avoid dragging. If you like to use the rear
brake (RSS, April '00), keep your foot as far back and tucked in as possible.




There are instances where some hanging off helps with maneuverability or
traction. For instance, on wet or slippery surfaces, moving your body to the
inside of the turn will allow you to keep your bike more upright to take
maximum advantage of the available traction. And during quick countersteering
swerves, when you're avoiding an obstacle on the road, keeping your body
upright during the entire sequence lessens the amount of mass you have to
throw from side-to-side, and lets you push against your bike using your own
inertia. Body position has a significant effect on your bike's handling, and
it's well worth trying different techniques to find something that gives you
more confidence as well as comfortableness.

This article was originally published in the June 2000 issue of <i>Sport
Rider</i>.