Rider Position

[EM JAY]

  What is the correct or most preferred seating?  Are you crotch against the tank or azz all the way back?  Do you change position?  Of course on a turn your off the seat but, forward or backward?  I am talking about RACING!!!!!     ;D

[Eric Kelcher]

Depends coming hard off a corner up forward to keep front end down. Toward back and try to slipstream as much as possible at speed.

[Zac]

Not being a little guy, when I'm tucked I'm all the way back.  This also gets my weight back for braking to keep the rear wheel down.  I tend to set up my body position for cornering before braking, then when I start the turn and hang off I slide forward to where my leg clamps on the tank.  I stay forward coming out of the corner until I'm going fast enough that the front won't lift, then slide back into a tuck.  On tracks with a wheelie hump under acceleration (Firebrid Main, Buttonwillow) I'm practically crawling on the tank until I'm over it.

-z.

[Mark Bernard]

On the Buell down the stretch I have my chest on the tank tucked as low as i can get. Going into a corner at speed, I hook a leg on the side of the tank and slide off the seat and lean with the bike. Comming off the apex I roll on the gas and slide back a little on the seat to put some weight on the rear suspention to keep the tires from sliding as I am getting on the gas. Once the bike is upright and hooked up i slide a little foward on the seat to put a little more weight on the front and tuck as much as possible getting ready for the next corner. All the time I am just concentrating on smooth transisions on and off the seat. I found that most of all it depends on how your bike is handeling, what track your on, weather conditions, your riding level, fitness level, and most of all your confidence level. Each bike handles differently so i would imagine your gonna get some differance of opinions as to what the "correct riding position" is and should be. To me it's all about being smooth and being confortable on your bike. Bikes like the GSXR have huge HP and speed as to where something like the Buell has moderate HP but a tons of torque. Each bike will have its own handeling charistics going down the stretch, braking, cornering and acceleration. They are all different to a certan extent. But what do I know. I'm just a 5th year Am.  ;)  Mark!

[raptorduck952]

Both in many cases. If you are trail braking into a turn, it is better to have crotch against the tank and be forward so as to get a feel for how the front end is gripping (watch Colin Edwards for example.)

Othwerwise, if you can get your arse back you will be able to lock your outside knee into the tank dent to secure youself to the bike whilst hanging off and this will also make it easier to get your torso down and to the inside and elbow down so as to actually lower your center of gravity and avoid being crossed up on the bike, where you hang off but your torso is still over the bike, killing the whole purpose. :-[

[SlowDragon]

Racing a Duc there are a couple of different positions to adopt.

For pushing it back to the pits I find pushing from the left more comfortable than from the right.

For racing (after the ubiquitous mechanical problem) I find a cross legged position ok for a while with a beer in one hand (usually the right hand). I aim to drop the shoulder as far as possible to retrieve the beer and keep the eyes up (not to miss the racing).

Just my $ 0.02

[Super Dave]

MJ, there is some bad information being presented.

Have you ever opened the book that you got from me at my school?  

[EM JAY]

    Dave, Of course I have man, I would not let that kind of info go to waste!!   ;)    I did take another look at it the other day tho and re-read your info, I was watching an older race video and was just questioning my own position.  I was keeping snug to the tank just about the entire time.  I have a hard time retaining info alot of the time!   :-/

[Super Dave]

The only time you're probably going to be back away from the tank will be when you're going straight after you've completed the turn or when you're braking in a straight line.

Good to hear that you still have the thingie...

[EM JAY]

  Dave, I have also been using it to keep track of all the suspension info I gather from many other sources, net, mags, etc till I have the chance to sit and understand it all.    :o

[Steviebee]

What book ??  We were supposed to get books ??

I can read !!  I read books !

[Litespeed]

I usually prefer to be on top of the bike as opposed to sliding beside it.   ;D

There are probably a ton of wrong ways to do it and definately a few right ways.  Figure out which works best for you because not everyone rides the same nor do all bikes react the same.