Position Your Body Right on a Motorcycle

Anyone can ride a bike, but not everyone can ride a beast. Unlike a 200 cc motorcycle, a cruiser or sports bike demands a certain level of skill. Riding skills rely upon technique, which when you master, you learn the difference between an ordinary and a great ride.

Out of all those closely related techniques, the art of body position and steering are the critical. Proper body position encourages synchronization between you, the bike and the road. If you can actively move your body through a series of curves like you would with a dance partner, you’ve got what it takes to make every ride glorious.

So, when exactly should you pay attention to posture?

The answer is — every second. Especially when speed and lean angles increase, you have to be consistent with where you sit on the seat. An inch forward or backward has a big effect on the handling of your bike. So, if you use a more active position, it provides a great amount of relief in turning and eases ground clearance.

Here are the prime points you need to consider when you’re on a track.

a) Sit towards the front of the seat near the fuel tank to stay connected to the bike and keep your weight biased toward the front tyre.

b) Keep your back and arms relaxed to allow your body to absorb bumps quite like the bike suspension.

c) While you’re beginning to ready yourself to take a corner, shift your body position by pivoting your lower body around the back of the tank till you slide about half your butt off the seat. Hang off — lock your outside thigh and knee into the groove in the tank designed to hold them. The rest of your weight can go through the balls of your feet.

d) This way your knee touches down, your leg folds up and allows you to lean further. Remember to keep your weight off the bars. Doing this will ensure that you do not obstruct the steering, it will also keep the bike stable.

e) When you’re beginning to accelerate out of a corner, pull your body back up with your arms and legs combined. Unweigh your butt to slide across the seat and back into position. Make sure you don’t jump up too quickly from one position to another.

f) Transfer weight on the outside foot peg to help the bike stand up and to shift traction to the rear tyre.

g) Figure out how to coordinate your upper and lower body together to steer easily around corners and at lean angles.

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