Sportbike riding positions...

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ZX7Robert · #1 Post by **ZX7Robert** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:02 am

Greetings, all...

I feel as though I've read everything out there on "proper" riding position when leaning off the bike, and I'm sure I've tried them all as well. Before anyone says anything, yes, I do occasionally lean off while street riding, but let me explain why...

I have a bike that really doesn't fit me very well; the bars are extremely low, with a long reach to them; combined with my short arms & torso, I'm forced to hug the tank in order to relax my arms. As such, I must maintain this position while turning, and my whole body essentially "falls off" the bike a bit, instead of just coming off of the seat to shift my weight. I would think that, when viewed from above, my body is somewhat parallel with the bike when cornering hard.

I've tried to fight this, but it's the only thing that feels comfortable (and safe!). Does anyone else have similar issues, and/or defy convention in some way in order to not fight your bike?

earwig · #2 Post by **earwig** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:48 am

Dude... I doubt you are that short that you can't steer/counter steer without coming off the bike. Have you taken a motorcycle course?

ZX7Robert · #3 Post by **ZX7Robert** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:54 am

Dude...

I can steer without coming off the bike. In fact, I see lots of guys do it all over town, as they creep around corners with their elbows locked.

Regardless, I merely said it was more comfortable, and facilitated more confident cornering.

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

-Holiday · #4 Post by **-Holiday** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:58 am

dude...

seems all these japanese bikes were build for small, skinny, short, japanese men. I'm none of those so I find that my position, even on my fj, isnt exactly what they call for in the books Mainly because im tall (6'3") with a tall upper body, so the bars might actually be closer to me then they're supposed to be.

I think its ok to make some alterations for comfort, especially for city riding. The race tracck is probably a different story though.

earwig · #5 Post by **earwig** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:11 am

ZX7Robert wrote:Dude...

I can steer without coming off the bike. In fact, I see lots of guys do it all over town, as they creep around corners with their elbows locked.

Regardless, I merely said it was more comfortable, and facilitated more confident cornering.

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

It's cool... I can't imagine hanging my butt off the bike to steer unless I am going very fast or at a track. How do you feel more confident hanging off of a bike on streets? Oh well what do I know

Hanging off is generally to move the center of gravity to allow the bike to turn tighter... maybe I am mis-unerstanding what you are asking so I'll go away now

ZX7Robert · #6 Post by **ZX7Robert** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:41 am

Actually, what you describe is right-on...although, if you're thinking of a MotoGP rider hanging off, I'm sure it's not quite that extreme. One of my biggest fears is either something in the road/oncoming traffic on a blind turn. If my weight is well inside of the bike, I feel I'm able to skirt either way around the obstacle more easily. Which is strange, because I'm not the strongest guy in the world, and it doesn't seem like you have much leverage like that...but it's easier to "fine-tune" a corner. At least for me.

Also, it seems easier to have my head "lead" the bike while looking through the turn. I dunno, whatever keeps me off of the pavement, I guess.

earwig · #7 Post by **earwig** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:42 am

ZX7Robert wrote:I dunno, whatever keeps me off of the pavement, I guess.

Heck yea... you might wanna look for a bike that you fit on a little better though.

ZX7Robert · #8 Post by **ZX7Robert** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:56 am

There's no doubt about that; it was just one of those weird purchases where, "Igottahaveit", even though it made little sense on more than a few levels.

VermilionX · #9 Post by **VermilionX** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 9:43 am

when im leaning...

- tuck in low.
- half butt off the seat.
- upper body is leaning towards the inside of the turn.
- elbows are bent and sticking out.
- knees are in when im wearing draggin jeans, but i stick it out when im wearing my track suit.

the pic below is not how i lean right now... i got some tips that should lean my body closer to the tank and stick out my elbows. so that's what im doing right now.

Shorts · #10 Post by **Shorts** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:22 pm

ZX7Robert, an option is a different set of handlebars/risers, that'll make the reach a little more comfortable for you. Sure, that means swapping everything over, but the smallest change may make a huge difference. Just something to think about.