Body Position Evolution

[faffi]

Here are a bunch of pictures from as similar an angle as I could find without spending the rest of my week on the interweb, all from what could arguably be called the modern era, starting out with Ago on his 1975 Yamaha. All these are world champions over the past 35 years and hence the best of their day. For me, it would be interesting to get comments on each rider's BP because I'm sure there are good and bad things obscured to my untrained eyes.

 

I must also, before the pictures, say that when watching through hundreds of pictures of each rider, I did notice that the BP changed for all of them, suggesting an adaption to the needs for each corner. In other words, they did not seem static over a period of years, nor from one corner to the next. Hence it is hard for me to tell if I got the most representative pictures of each rider or not. PS! There are two images of both Roberts Sr and Rossi!

 

PS! Due to restrictions of images allowed, this will have to go over several messages.

 

Ago

 

Sheene

 

Roberts Sr

 

Uncini

 

Lucchinelli

 

Spencer

[faffi]

Lawson

 

Garnder

 

Rainey

 

Schwantz

 

Doohan

 

Criville

[faffi]

Roberts Jr

 

Rossi

 

Hayden

 

Stoner

[Jasonzilla]

It's really progressed. Two things could have fixed the basics of their problems.

1. Open your hips to the turn.

2. Keep your back aligned with your hips.

 

That would have gotten them started, but most of the older pics had the riders using their bodies to gauge the bikes lean limits. It's the same progression most of us went through, or are going through, to get the proper BP.

 

Angle has SOME to do with it in these pics, as does where they actually are in the turn. Hayden gets off the bike almost as far as other MotoGP riders, and in his pic that has been posted, he doesn't seem to be that far off. Probably isn't. That's because it's the beginning of his turn. Look at the rumble strips above him.

 

Looking at Kenny Sr. you see how stiff his arms are. No way he's setting records with arms that stiff. He's in the beginning of his corner also. He'll end up with the same BP as the rest of the people of his time, but those arms being straight out like that wouldn't work no matter what decade you're talking about.

 

I wonder how much drive suffered back then when compared to todays BP.

 

Best of all these pics? Stoner. Perfectly straight, hips open, on the balls of his feet, head up, and wrists locked. Outstanding.

 

Watching Lascourz in WSS, I began thinking he might have a new coach. In the beginning of the race he's in the standardized BP most riders, especially the young ones, are in, and as it goes on and the competition gets more intense, he's farther and farther off the bike until he's back to where he was last year.

[faffi]

Am I right, then, when I say Gardner is the one of the old school to come closest to the current standard?

[Jasonzilla]

Am I right, then, when I say Gardner is the one of the old school to come closest to the current standard?

 

Kind of. I'd guess that pic were from the early '90's. Agostini, I'd say, was more progressive than most other riders for his time. I would LOVE to know what year that Spencer pic is from. Had to be before his Moto GP days.

[faffi]

I'm pretty sure that pic of Spencer is from 1983 on board his Honda NS500 triple, although it could possibly be late '82. http://world.honda.com/HRC/history/1982_1985/

[css]

Here is another one for you...

[lwarner]

Here is another one for you...

 

Hmmmmmmmm, I guess we know where Stoner learned his BP.

[JTNYC]

 

Is there a reason why his outside leg (left leg) is not gripping the tank (just sticking straight out)? I noticed similar BP in MotoGP and WSK. Also noticed that most of those bikes don't have tank grips (e.g. Techspec pads)...

[khp]

Is there a reason why his outside leg (left leg) is not gripping the tank (just sticking straight out)? I noticed similar BP in MotoGP and WSK. Also noticed that most of those bikes don't have tank grips (e.g. Techspec pads)...

On closer inspection, it seems that both Stoner and Lenz have their "wedding tangle" right up against the tank. Also, they're not hanging very much off the bike.

[movistar]

IMO Gardner and Rossi have very similar natural BP.

 

It's also interesting to note they both have a head down, eyes up head postion (more noticeable on corner entry/braking).

[JTNYC]

any coaches care to chime in on why the pros have their outside knee pointed straight up in the air and don't grip the tank with their outside knee like we're usually taught?

[faffi]

It's to make themselves wider, making them harder to pass by the competition Other than that, I don't know Possibly because it works fine when it comes to win races and championships

[khp]

I noticed an interesting picture on motogp.com yesterday, but I can't find it there for the life of it.

 

The shot was taken from behind the bikes, showing Pedrosa and Lorenzo in a turn where BOTH of them were very clearly leaning away from the bike with their upper bodies!

 

Now, I have my own little pet theory about why they do that, but spilling the beans don't make much for conversation. So, any takers - why do they do it?

[movistar]

I can't find it either.

 

But as a side note, how cool was that 'Gyrocam' on the back of Rossi's bike!

 

Now if they would only mount one on the front of a bike, then you'd get an awesome indication of the lean angle when following someone else!

[amid.alm]

 

Is there a reason why his outside leg (left leg) is not gripping the tank (just sticking straight out)? I noticed similar BP in MotoGP and WSK. Also noticed that most of those bikes don't have tank grips (e.g. Techspec pads)...

 

Here is what Keith Code wrote in his book:

 

"... Clamp onto the bike, just tight enough, with your outside leg or boot pressed to the bodywork, or in some cases, use the tank by pressing your knee against the side or your arm across the top of the tank, or do all of the above."...

[Hector]

I noticed an interesting picture on motogp.com yesterday, but I can't find it there for the life of it.

 

The shot was taken from behind the bikes, showing Pedrosa and Lorenzo in a turn where BOTH of them were very clearly leaning away from the bike with their upper bodies!

 

Now, I have my own little pet theory about why they do that, but spilling the beans don't make much for conversation. So, any takers - why do they do it?

 

While they exit from a corner? thats the question?

[dmj120]

I noticed an interesting picture on motogp.com yesterday, but I can't find it there for the life of it.

 

The shot was taken from behind the bikes, showing Pedrosa and Lorenzo in a turn where BOTH of them were very clearly leaning away from the bike with their upper bodies!

 

Now, I have my own little pet theory about why they do that, but spilling the beans don't make much for conversation. So, any takers - why do they do it?

 

While they exit from a corner? thats the question?

 

which would help getting the bike upright.

 

if it's before -- cause they're leaning the bike so much that to see they have to 'sit up' a little.

[faffi]

Cannot edit my old posts, so here's the pictures again

 

 

 

 

 

[faffi]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[faffi]

 

 

 

 

[faffi]

 

 

 

[faffi]

Also had to include these

 

 

 

 

[YellowDuck]

Very interesting. Funny, if you saw that last one (Doohan) at a trackday today you would politely advise the guy to get instruction before he hurt himself!