Riding posture

[bob795]

Hi guys,

I have question regarding riding posture.

When riding your bike, with the body lean forward, how is your riding/sitting posture: do you keep your lower back arched /slighty arched? Or rounded back? Or do you just keep your back (upper and lower) as straight as possible?

Thanks in advance

[sofadriver]

straight as possible at the start of the day
bad slouch at the end of the day

[Slide Panda]

straight as possible at the start of the day
bad slouch at the end of the day

Yeah... that sums it up.

[thought]

I was told to try to suck in your stomach to your spine... this helps tense your core stomach muscles which help to support the weight of your body and help with lower back fatigue.  Using your legs to grip the tank to control body movement.

Though... realistically... what they said is about right.  Though I dont do the straight up and down really.

[Duc796canada]

If I'm riding around town or low speeds up to 60MPH, I'm elbows out moto style, as I start to pour on the coal, I slide my butt to the back of the seat and crouch in head low, elbows in, legs gripping the tank, in a sense becoming one with the beast!! There isn't much wind protection, one can reduce the drag by tucking in. Watch the Harley XR1200 cup races!!

[xsephirot]

straight as possible at the start of the day
bad slouch at the end of the day

Actually you want to relax your lower back and try to support your weight more with your knees. You tire out really really fast with a straight back.

[Slide Panda]

Thought wrote out what I was really thinking. You're gripping with the legs and using your whole core to support the upper. This includes pulling in the abs. Pulling in your abs will keep your mid section straighter - of course at the end of the day, when one it tired, the tummy is not so pulled in and the back rounds out more as a consequence.

[swagpiratex]

I ride with my back straight, knees gripping tank so I have as little pressure on my wrist as possible. The bend at my waist is dependent on the amount of drag I feel over my body, weight centered over balls of my feet on the footpegs. Dunno how orthodox it is, but it's comfy for me.

[bob795]

Thanks guys for the replies. Just got back from vacation so I couldn't respond earlier. Anyway, prior to this monster I had never ridden a bike with lean-forward ridding position. Two bikes I ridden in the past both have straight up riding position. One thing I keep in mind when riding is to keep my elbow bent and try not to support the weight with my hands.

[Buckethead]

Great article about motorcycle ergonomics in this month's issue of BIKE. British motorcycle journalists are soooooo much better than what we have to put up with here in the states.