Posture Perfect: The Best Riding Position For You

The three differences and what they mean

1) Standard
Standard is called standard for a reason. Of the three riding postures, the standard position is the most neutral. The rider isn't angled forward or slung back in any way. The body is upright. Head and eyes are up, looking through the path of travel. For the hands to rest comfortably on the grips, the arms are extended, but not hyper-extended. There should be enough slack for elbows to remain relaxed and slightly bent. You should be able to "flap your wings" in this position. Knees rest against the tank and are also bent at a height that is slightly lower than the hips. The rider's feet rest on the footpegs at a 90 degree angle, almost directly below the knees.

As the rider sits straight up and high, this position allows for increased visibility. This generally means a higher seat height, which might cause problems for some riders (like me!) who have short legs and may have trouble putting both feet on the ground. Due to the upright body position, there may also be increased wind resistance. From the standard riding posture, riders can easily stand up on the pegs to surmount an obstacle. The standard position can also be sustained for long road trips or short commutes. In general, standard posture provides excellent access to all controls, and is often preferred within most new rider courses.

Our friend Lauren demonstrates the standard riding position on a BMW F 650 GS. Note her upright back and position of the feet relative to her knees.

Many models employ standard riding posture, but a few examples are the BMW F 650 GS, Harley-Davidson Sportster, Buell Blast, and Honda Nighthawk.

2) Sport
Sport riding demands a forward lean. The rider's head is angled in front of the body, with the head and eyes looking through the path of travel. The upper body sits forward of the hips. The stomach rests against the tank, while the back muscles and legs support the weight of the upper torso. The arms are relaxed and elbows are bent. Knees are also bent and held against the tank, with feet resting on the footpegs in position behind the knees.

Sport posture is an aerodynamically superior position resulting in the least amount of wind resistance for the rider. Performance riding, particularly in curves, may be enhanced. Without height, the ability to see far down the road is reduced, and the riding position is often cramped, which may be difficult to sustain for more than a couple of hours.

Lauren demonstrates sport posture on her Ducati Monster. Note the forward lean, stomach against tank, with elbows relaxed and feet behind the knees.

There are many popular sportbikes, including the Ducati Monster, Yamaha YZF-R6, Kawasaki Ninja, and Suzuki GSXR.

2) Cruiser
Cruisers are slung low and back, giving the rider a relaxed look and feel. The rider's body is slightly reclined, almost leaning back toward the rear of the motorcycle. As always, the head and eyes are up looking through the path of travel. Arms are more extended in this position than in others, but the elbows should still be bent. Due to the degree of backward lean by the body, some riders over-extend to reach the handgrips, which may cause fatigue, shoulder pain and muscle stiffness. The knees are bent and against the tank at almost the same height as the hips, but the feet rest on the footpegs forward of the knees.

Cruising posture is popular, and understandably so as the laid-back riding position provides greater extension for the legs. When cruising, the leg position can even be varied with the addition of accessory footpegs. With forward controls, however, the rider will find it difficult to stand on the pegs to cross an obstacle without pulling weight onto the handgrips. Lower seat heights, often found with this posture, provide comfortable flat footing.

Cruising posture on a Suzuki Boulevard S40. Feet are forward of the knees with a low seat height.

Harley-Davidson's cruisers stem from the Dyna, Softail and Touring families. Other cruisers include the Yamaha V Star, Honda Shadow and Suzuki Boulevard.

Your posture can be perfect when you assume the position. The best one for you is always the one that allows you to Ride Right!

Susan Rzepka Orion is a certified MSF RiderCoach and Rider's Edge Instructor who loves to ride, write, and help others who want to do the same. You can find her on the road on her BMW F 650 GS or on the Web at WritingWays.com.

Related Articles:
Popular Bikes for Women, and some opinions to go with them
Your First Motorcycle: What to Consider
More Ways to Ride Right

Reader Comments

I wish I would have read this article before I got the bike I own now. Peggy Inman, SC Saturday, March 14, 2009 Hummm...what happened to sport-touring? Different ride, different seating position. M K Alpers Arlington, WA Monday, February 09, 2009 Great article. I am getting my first bike, now I have an idea of a better fit for my body type. Terrice Charlotte, NC Monday, February 02, 2009 Love this one. Very helpful for me as I am dreaming of the right bike for little ones like me. Barbarita Aymat Mayaguez, Puerto Rico Monday, February 02, 2009 Page 1 of 2 (7 items) [1] 2 Loading…

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