BLSJDS Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Hi - I am 6 feet tall, 38 years old, weigh 200 lbs, and I ride a 2003 Honda CBR 954. I also happen to have very long arms (never can find a shirt with sleeves long enough - ha ha). I went to the track for the first time last Friday and after reviewing the pictures, it was apparent that I am riding in a very upright position, with my head far above the bike. What is the correct way to position myself on the bike? I know I could slide my butt farther back in the seat. Should my stomach be resting on the tank as well? Is there a certain height that I should target for my head? Obviously the street riding position is not ideal for the track. I did well hitting the apexes and riding the correct lines, made sure the balls of my feet were on the pegs, and shifted my body to the inside prior to cornering. I was just always so upright. I guess the more "prone" position feels very unnatural to me. Is it something I should practice during street riding? (The body position only, not racing). Thanks for any help or suggestions! Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stow Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Hi - I am 6 feet tall, 38 years old, weigh 200 lbs, and I ride a 2003 Honda CBR 954. I also happen to have very long arms (never can find a shirt with sleeves long enough - ha ha). I went to the track for the first time last Friday and after reviewing the pictures, it was apparent that I am riding in a very upright position, with my head far above the bike. What is the correct way to position myself on the bike? I know I could slide my butt farther back in the seat. Should my stomach be resting on the tank as well? Is there a certain height that I should target for my head? Obviously the street riding position is not ideal for the track. I did well hitting the apexes and riding the correct lines, made sure the balls of my feet were on the pegs, and shifted my body to the inside prior to cornering. I was just always so upright. I guess the more "prone" position feels very unnatural to me. Is it something I should practice during street riding? (The body position only, not racing). Thanks for any help or suggestions! Dan Body position on a bike is definitely a personnel feeling. If you are not dragging hard parts then don't worry too much about your body position. Yeah, you may not look as cool as Ben Spies, but it really doesn't matter until you run out of ground clearance, Just stay relaxed and comfortable. Now with that said, I used to hang way off the bike and twist around the tank. The CSS coaches fixed my body position so that I could be more relaxed and in control of the bike. Here are a few things to keep in mind. - Outside knee and thigh should be pressed into the outside of the tank. - Lock the outside knee into the tank by pushing against the outside peg. - Do not twist around the tank. - Try to rotate the inside knee out as far as you comfortably can. - Your upper body should follow your inside knee so that you are leaning low and to the inside. - Rest a portion of your torso on the tank and rest your outside arm on the tank. - Use the balls of your feet on the pegs. Everybody is slightly different and doesn't do this exactly the same, so just work on it and see how it goes. The object is to get the weight low and to the inside. Good luck, Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSJDS Posted September 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Shane, Thank you so much for that information! I know I was "twisting" around the bike the first few times, especially during right hand corners. For some reason, turning left feels more natural. I'll definitely spend a lot of time practicing body position in order to develop more of a comfort level with that position. Thanks again! Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racer Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 I know I was "twisting" around the bike the first few times, especially during right hand corners. For some reason, turning left feels more natural. Hey Dan, Counter-steering into a right hand corner typically leads a rider to push on their throttle hand to initiate the turn in. You might try combining some pull on the outside handlebar and see if that helps. Also, try to notice if you might be weighting the bars in general, ie. are you holding on or holding yourself up with the handlebars? While steering? Or braking? (Are you trailbraking while turning in?) It is easy to fall into a habit of "leaning" on the inside handlebar with your upper body to initiate a turn rather than locking on elsewhere and pivot steering from that lock-on point, especially with a "very upright riding position". Ideally, you want the lightest grip possible and zero body weight on the bars at all times. Good luck, racer PS - You didn't mention whether you had read any of Keith's A Twist of the Wrist books. You will find far more complete information in more detail and easy to reference form than can be gleaned by tossing out questions here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSJDS Posted September 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Hi racer - I hadn't even thought of that regarding right hand counter-steering; that makes a lot of sense. I can tell you that I was holding the bars too tight (nerves, adrenalin, etc), and definitely "holding myself up" with them, especially during braking. I think you described it perfectly - I was "leaning on the bars" with my body to initiate the turn. I was not trail braking at all at the track, but have experimented with it on the street a few times. I just ordered ATOTW volumes 1 & 2 from Amazon. I can't wait to dig into them! Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.