Best foot position on pegs while riding.

[K3V1N]

I have been reading a lot about proper foot position lately and wanted to get some input from Monster riders.

When I started riding, I guess over 10 years ago I would alway ride covering the shifter and rear brake with the ends of my toes. But with the Monster when you lean in hard you can drag your toes very easy, so now I'm ride with the balls of my feet on the pegs but since my little 620 needs to be shifted a lot I do sometimes go back to coving the shifter.

I guess maybe I should have made this a poll

Who out there comes back to the balls of there feet after every shift? How about shifter and brake covers?

I guess I will also ask the dreaded rear brake question just for fun. I do sometimes use a little rear brake.

Thanks

 

[Cider]

Who out there comes back to the balls of there feet after every shift?

I do.  It's habit for me, so it feels weird not to do it.

[K3V1N]

I guess I have to work on this.

I come into a slower corner and apply my front brake with a little rear.

Then I down shift and match my revs.

On turn in depending on the timing I feel weird moving back to the balls of my feet.

Now that I'm really thinking about this I ride with my feet up most of the time but coming in fast to a slower corner I'm having a hard time braking hard and then taking my feet away from the foot controls on turn in.

I think it is that I want to move my feet before turn in but at they point on still on the brakes and feel weird stopping rear braking but continuing front. I guess that is way so many people don't use their rear brakes ??

[swampduc]

Personally, I get back on the balls of my feet after shifts. I verrrry rarely use the rear brake at anything above parking lot speeds.
Also, you might consider downshifting before you brake - you can take better advantage of engine breaking that way.

[Slide Panda]

you can take better advantage of engine breaking that way.

Don't really want to take on any engine breaking...  now engine braking on the other hand...

I'm pretty much with swampy. If I know I'm going to be climbing through the gears quickly I'll cheat a bit and keep toes on the shifter. But in instances where it's going to be a couple seconds + between shifts I'll slide back to ball of foot on the peg.

Generally during spirited riding, the rear brake sees little to no use so the ball of that foot generally remains on the peg.

In an ideal world you should have everything set so you're in the proper gear for entering the turn, so you really only need to worry about a shift after you've come back from max lean as your building speed at the exit of the turn.

I'd suggest you pick up Lee Parks book Total Control. It addresses what one should be doing when coming to a turn, through it and exit. It's a good read for any rider.

[K3V1N]

After thinking about it more I think for these kind of late break corners I need to brake harder make my shift (earlier) and then once the clutch is engaged move both feet back and turn in.

I think it will be a combo of using the rear break less, getting my shift done a little sooner with a high matching rev and just getting use to getting my feet back up faster.

The total control book is on order it had been on my list for a while and I might look at some of the east coast dates to take the course this summer.

Next time you guys are out riding and thinking about how to optimize you corner entry post up your sequence of brakes, shift and turn in.

Thanks!

[thought]

The total control book is on order it had been on my list for a while and I might look at some of the east coast dates to take the course this summer.

i'm going to the may 28th total control course up in poughkeepsie ny so maybe i'll see you there

[Slide Panda]

Pet peeve time - it's brake not break. Brake refers to the action of slowing down Ie to brake or is a noun Ie the brake.

Break is to make in operable or render into pieces.

Sorry had to do it

[thought]

Pet peeve time - it's brake not break. Brake refers to the action of slowing down Ie to brake or is a noun Ie the brake.

Break is to make in operable or render into pieces.

Sorry had to do it

i correct people all the time when they use "well" and "good" incorrectly too so i understand how you feel.

that being said, your friends never appreciate your attempts to save them from incorrect grammar.   haha

oh, and dont even ask me about when people use "gooder" in a sentence.  haha

[K3V1N]

Good catch panda,

That was my bad I got it wrong twice, BUT right twice too.

I talk to a friend that does a lot of track days and another piece to this might be that if I had say a size 11 foot I could almost cover the rear brake and shifter while on the balls of my feet. But with a smaller foot when I'm the front of the ball of my foot I feel far away from the controls.

Thought, that was the location I was looking at I just have to see what my plans are for that weekend and if there is still room.

[ODrides]

I used to see guys riding with their toes hanging down and I thought I was doing it wrong. But no, you should definitely have the balls of your feet on the pegs, not the arch or the heel.  Scraping toes is no fun!

[swampduc]

Don't really want to take on any engine breaking...  now engine braking on the other hand...

That was embarrassing.

[markz2004]

Getting to and from the balls of your feet (easier/faster) may be helped by where your shifter / brake lever is positioned.  My bike is still new to me.  One thing I am going to do prior to my next ride is to reposition the shifter and rear brake, such that I don't have to reach down for the shifter so much ~ may help with returning to balls of feet.

[K3V1N]

Update on my question.

I read the total control book which was great and everyone should read. I also did other research and watched a lot of video.

Here is were I'm at. First it seem like you don't really need to be that far up on the balls of your feet with you toes off the controls, that you just have to have your feet in a position where they won't contact the ground. My feet being on the small size that really isn't an issue unless they are way out of place.

I think when some books and instructors say that riders should always be on the balls of there feet it applies to people with say a size 12 foot where they can be on the balls of their feet and still be on the controls.

My new thing is getting use to working the controls while more out of the seat due to me trying to shift my weight more than in the past during corning. I do still ride on the balls of my feet when ever I'm not using the controls. So hopefully I can go ride some twisties or find a parking lot this weekend and work on some of the skills I have learned. [moto]

[docwong]

I'd definitely recommend riding on the balls of your feet. 

This will tend to give you more control as it positions your body better and increases control of using your feet to pivot off of. 

I'd definitely avoid riding with your heels clicked onto the footpeg, making your feet splay outwards like duck feet. This is a safety point as your foot can become wedged between the road and your pegs when in a turn with enough lean angle.

For the right foot, you hardly ever need to really use your rear brake.  In fact in a corner, it becomes more of a liability.

For your left foot, you can take it off the ball of your feet when down shifting and up shifting.  You'll be more upright for those actions anyway, but definitely in a turn I'd recommend you be on the balls of your feet.