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Riding Style

5K views 23 replies 9 participants last post by  kanwisch 
#1 ·
Just kinda wondering how everyone liked to ride their sportbikes? Do you take a more aggressive approach and lay on the tank or do you like so sit more vertical? I just got my first bike and i'm kind of developing my own style. I was just wondering how everyone else rode?
 
#2 ·
Laying on the tank is reserved for when you're going fast and you want to keep wind resistance to a minimum. It doesn't necessarily mean a more "aggressive" approach. If you rode around town laying on the tank, you might notice other bikes falling over because the riders are laughing so hard.

Ok, back to the question: If I'm just cruising, or en route to some twisties, I usually sit back on the seat, knees gripping the tank, arms and wrists loose, and a gentle grip on the bars. Once I'm in the twisties I usually slide forward on the seat, And start hanging off the bike in turns.

And if I'm about to see Mach numbers on the dash, I tuck in and lay on the tank.
 
#3 ·
I think this is one of the MANY sportbike questions that fall under the heading of "Rule of thumb...but do whatever feels right".

A lot of your body position will be determined by fixed components - the bike's ergonomics and your physique. Your psyche will let you know what's "right" when you enter a turn briskly and all of a sudden, you're not thinking about it as much.

For the record, I do the opposite of most and hug the tank more during twisty sections, because I'm rather short, the reach to the bars is long, and that's the best way to relieve any tension in my arms and to get relaxed. Works for me, but not necessarily anyone else.

Assuming you have your wits about you - aside from doing anything extreme or drastic mid-turn, there's not a whole lot "wrong" you can do; there's just "different" ways of doing it.

On two consecutive days of riding, I may have two different styles of riding and controls manipulation. Doesn't make me a good rider. Nor does it make me wrong. It's just more art than science with me, I guess.

Experiment. Have fun.
 
#4 ·
I think this is one of the MANY sportbike questions that fall under the heading of "Rule of thumb...but do whatever feels right".
True until you meet "very afraid to lean" guy/gal...This guy or gal leans the bike into the corner while keeping their upper body vertical (counter-balancing)...If you do that then the way you ride IS wrong.

For most sportbike riders riding tucked in/laying on the tank is reserved for high-speed straights. I've yet to see one riding tucked in at low speed and if I did like it was posted already I'd fall off my bike laughing, shit I can't even imagine how shitty handling would feel laying on the tank cruising around the city.
 
#5 ·
lol i think my style is very similar to yours snake. I thought i had a pretty common style and i felt comfortable but i saw a guy riding through town the other day at about 30 mph and he was laying on the tank haha. I thought that seemed weird but then i thought, well maybe i'm the one with the weird style. Anyways, i guess there is no right or wrong style and if that guy wants to lay on the tank at 30 mph then who am i to stop him. I just thought that seemed kinda funny and i was seeing if there were many others out there like that or if most ppl rode like me. I'm more comfortable sitting up unless i'm going fast such as passing a car or something.
 
#7 ·
I've done some hanging off when I get to some serious twisties, or on smooth cloverleaf exit ramps (it's really fun to watch the reaction of cagers when I maintain highway speed getting onto the ramp). But I'm with kanwisch in that good twisties are hard to find around here.

+1 on tucking in when approaching a truck, those things can put off some wind. I also lay on the tank at lower speeds if I'm anticipating the front coming up. For instance, there's a road close to my house that has a couple decent corners, but it's all on a hill, and going down there's a couple dips that if I hit them in 3rd gear at full throttle it'll loft the front. Simple solution would be to not hit them in 3rd at full throttle, but I fail to see the fun in that. So I just keep my weight forward and that usually keeps me in the comfort zone as far as front wheel height. Keep in mind I'm not one to just pop wheelies for fun except in that situation, so my natural tendency is to keep the front down as much as possible.

I rarely use all of my fingers on the levers, either. Normally 1 or 2 fingers is enough to get the job done, and a lot of times, I just leave them there to cover the brakes.
 
#8 ·
same here. I usually use two fingers on the the clutch and lay down on the tank when passing a car or meeting a large truck such as a semi. I really thought that seemed strange when i saw that guy laying down while at such slow speeds but then since i'm new to riding i thought well maybe alot of people do that. I feel much more comfortable and in control when sitting up at low speeds but i didn't know which was the more common. I thought maybe this guy knew something i didn't.
 
#9 ·
On my way into work, I passed a Ninja 500 coming the other way and the rider was down on the tank looking like he was about to take the white flag at Mugello. Only problem is he was doing 35.

To each his own I guess, but I just with they knew that their attempts to look cool are having the opposite effect. Or maybe I'm just an asshole.
 
#15 ·
I washed my bike and went for a quick ride at some point in late april, and the weather hasn't broken enough for another ride since then. My bike is all dusty again.

I guess it's supposed to be low to mid 70s here tomorrow. They said it was supposed to be today, too... But todays high was 62, and it's been raining off and on all day.
 
#16 ·
On my ride in I realized I only use two fingers on each lever. Never really noticed the shift, it just happened.
 
#17 ·
That's good, you do realize how much less attention would be on the road if you had to think and notice what your hands and feet were doing don't you. A good operator of any machine has the machine as an extension of his/her being. They don't think "how" to make it move only how they want it to move.
 
#19 ·
You and me both. Another reason I like my undertail exhaust; it keeps me just a bit warmer :thumb:
 
#23 ·
I would LOVE to get a Ducati. The problem is I can't even afford to get an R6 at the moment so I am stuck with my SV650s. I also need a new jacket as mine is too big for me and in heavy headwinds(anytime you're going over 50) the thing fills up with air. That feels great in the 80+ degree summer days but when it's 35 degrees out I could do without it. :(
 
#22 ·
I've resorted to leaning on the tank at the end of a long ride, even though I'm just cruising my way home. I usually tend to overdo it when I go for a longer ride, and from my back/neck problems I'm pretty well buried with pain by the time I return. Be nice to the people hunched over - sure, they may be a squid, or they could just be really really sore. ;)


As for me, due to my back and neck problems, I try to sit as upright as possible unless I'm really out carving up some asphalt. Then I'll assume the "aggressive" riding position with arms bent and parallel to the road, etc.
 
#24 ·
I do the same. I don't think any less of folks resting on the tank around here since they are often on a pretty long, straight ride, which can be tough on the back and legs.
 
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