Seating position

[schrodingers cat]

I posted this on the Sports Bike section since I'm not a racer, just an occasional trackday rider. However I'm thinking that the KB racing community may offer the best advise

When I bought my old rocketship I didn't like the seat shape. It tended to slide me forward into the tank where my balls did an admirable job of stopping me going any further.

I gave it a bit of a tong up with a flap disc on the grinder and then race taped it while I experimented.
In the weekend I had another go at things with more tape and a camping ground pad (foam) and finally I'm pretty happy with things.
Getting it covered is now on my to - do list.

Anyhoo, I have a question. Are there any 'rules of thumb' when optimising seating position/bars position/footpeg position?

When I was a younger leaner man and did a fair bit of cycling there were quite a few tricks to getting everything where it should be. Obviously on a treddley the aim is to optimise biomechanics.

Its a sports bike so I don't give a rats arse about comfort over a 1000km trip or ability to spot speed cameras or any of that crap.
We're all different shape and sizes so what are the considerations around getting a 'proper' seating position?

[wharfy]

As comfortable as you can get and still reach all the controls and see where your going

[Mental Trousers]

As Wharfy said, as comfortable as you can get.

With my Triumph I was having a lot of problems with sliding forward under brakes and also a lack of confidence until I had it right over on it's side. Stomp Grip helped a little but what sorted both problems for me was to fill out the sides of the tank because I couldn't get decent purchase on the tank with my legs.

The petrol tank on my bike is concave where the leg cut outs are. This and the footpegs being widely spaced meant I couldn't actually grab the tank with my knees. So the thing to do was change the shape of the tank using a couple of shaped fillers made out of plastic dinner plates from the $2 shop covered in fibreglass and stuck on with velcro. So instead of a concave tank at the back I now had a convex one that was almost the perfect shape. After I made those I didn't need any Stomp Grip anymore.

[jaffaonajappa]

While agreeing with all the above...comfort is cool n stuff...

How about weight distribution. As far forward as possible, balls on tank almost, or further back?

Confident on the front grip - go further forward. Works for me......but Im pretty slow

[wharfy]

There is no rule of thumb - there are some laws of physics but the variables are so many that it makes your brain cell hurt - Just get comfortable so you can concentrate on where your going, after you've done a couple of track days find someone on a similar bike who is about your size and seems to be going OK and talk to them. Some people like to feel "locked in" and pad the seat rear or the tank to hold them in position, some people like to be able to move around on the bike. I hated the 675 seating position, when I tried to get tucked in I couldn't tilt my stiff old neck back far enough to see where I was going ! I removed the seat and replaced it with a bit of plastic and some "snow foam", lowered seating position about 50mm and instantly felt much more confident - when I use the term comfortable, I mean in a mental way that the bike "fits" not how much padding is on the seat. I have no clue how much lowering the seat height (and therefor center of gravity) affects the attitude of the bike and all the ramification of that, but I did get the suspension set up with the lower position. It's a pretty personal thing, I have spent a bit of time checking out every 675 I see at the track, the seat, pegs bars, relationship varies, as does the seat covering, application (or not) of stomp grip, padding of the tank, padding of the seat back, etc. etc....

[blackdog]

http://cycle-ergo.com/

[Biggles08]

I posted this on the Sports Bike section since I'm not a racer, just an occasional trackday rider. However I'm thinking that the KB racing community ma offer the best advise

When I bought my old rocketship I didn't like the seat shape. It tended to slide me forward into the tank where my balls did an admirable job of stopping me going any further.

I gave it a bit of a tong up with a flap disc on the grinder and then race taped it while I experimented.
In the weekend I had another go at things with more tape and a camping ground pad (foam) and finally I'm pretty happy with things.
Getting it covered is now on my to - do list.

Anyhoo, I have a question. Are there any 'rules of thumb' when optimising seating position/bars position/footpeg position?

When I was a younger leaner man and did a fair bit of cycling there were quite a few tricks to getting everything where it should be. Obviously on a treddley the aim is to optimise biomechanics.

Its a sports bike so I don't give a rats arse about comfort over a 1000km trip or ability to spot speed cameras or any of that crap.
We're all different shape and sizes so what are the considerations around getting a 'proper' seating position?

Do yourself a favour and get some stompgrip on your bike. I have found (and many will agree) that if you can lock your body from the waste down hard onto the bike, possibly with your butt back further than you 'feel' comfortable so that you are always in a 'tucked' position even entering the corners, your weight will immediatly be off your bars. To do this in the corners, use your outside leg to lock your knee into the tank (thats where Stomp Grip is awesome) by placing your 'ball' of your outside foot on the footpeg and lifting your knee up by extending your calf muscle. This will allow your bikes suspension to do its job better and you won't be interfering too much with rider input into the bars.

Of course, this is all very well for me and everyone is different and finds different methods that work for them....hell...look at A Stroud and Nick C...they do something completely different and they are hellishly fast!

I would suggest however as a "Rule of Thumb" get yourself some Stomp Grip. If you need somewhere to purchase it from let me know, I can sell you some at a good price

[slofox]

If you get a bike that doesn't fit, just sell it and buy another one. Repeat until you are sorted...

Actually, that's kinda what I ended up doing, albeit by accident. When I eventually sat on the current bike, it was like clipping on a body suit. Which is why I just had to have it. Nothing at all to do with lunatic performance at all at all!

[schrodingers cat]

Thanks everybody for the solid advice. I'd never heard of stompgrip but after a quick google I can see the point.

My bike has a rear seat covery thing to give it that single seater look. I've noticed that the bike feels best balanced on corner exit when my bum is back touching it.

My first attempt focussed heavily on making the seat as low as possible but I didn't really like it. My knees felt over bent and it gave my calves gyp.

The extra 25mm made all the difference. All of a sudden I felt more with the bike and able to move side to side more freely

I think somethingto help grip the tank better sounds like a good idea. I do use my knees a lot (The paintwork is suffering) but having to put too much effort into it isn't good over a longer run.

I presume where the footpeg is in relation to the hip joint must make a difference? Is the point to put them where it helps you support your weight?

Chz again all.

[slofox]

Thanks everybody for the solid advice. I'd never heard of stompgrip but after a quick google I can see the point.

My bike has a rear seat covery thing to give it that single seater look. I've noticed that the bike feels best balanced on corner exit when my bum is back touching it.

My first attempt focussed heavily on making the seat as low as possible but I didn't really like it. My knees felt over bent and it gave my calves gyp.

The extra 25mm made all the difference. All of a sudden I felt more with the bike and able to move side to side more freely

I think somethingto help grip the tank better sounds like a good idea. I do use my knees a lot (The paintwork is suffering) but having to put too much effort into it isn't good over a longer run.

I presume where the footpeg is in relation to the hip joint must make a difference? Is the point to put them where it helps you support your weight?

Chz again all.

When I swapped from an SVS to a GSXR, I noticed that the knees were more bent on the gixxer. I kind of expected this to make it less comfortable for me, given that I am an old fart with fucked knees anyway. Not so. I am way more comfortable on the gixxer than ever I was on the SVS despite being in a more "forward" position. For whatever reason, I am a lot more "with" the gixxer. Like I said before, it feels more like I am sitting "in" the gixxer than ever was the case on the SV.

A lot of the comfort factor I think comes from the seat itself. The SV's have a teak board for a seat which used to kill my arse bones real quick. Gixxer is much more betterer.

Interesting that you feel better exiting corners when you are back on the bike. I am opposite to that. I like to get as forward as possible. No idea why - just feels better that way.

Interesting question you have posed in this thread. Good stuff.

[Mental Trousers]

Generally, feet directly underneath the hips is best for movement and control. Many people prefer to push the pegs back as far as they can, but it restricts movement like that.

Do yourself a favour and get some stompgrip on your bike. I have found (and many will agree) that if you can lock your body from the waste down hard onto the bike, possibly with your butt back further than you 'feel' comfortable so that you are always in a 'tucked' position even entering the corners, your weight will immediatly be off your bars. To do this in the corners, use your outside leg to lock your knee into the tank (thats where Stomp Grip is awesome) by placing your 'ball' of your outside foot on the footpeg and lifting your knee up by extending your calf muscle. This will allow your bikes suspension to do its job better and you won't be interfering too much with rider input into the bars.

That (and sliding forward under brakes) is exactly why I changed the shape of the tank at the back. Once I did stomp grip wasn't necessary, it was a bonus.

[Mental Trousers]

I've noticed that the bike feels best balanced on corner exit when my bum is back touching it.

Interesting that you feel better exiting corners when you are back on the bike. I am opposite to that. I like to get as forward as possible. No idea why - just feels better that way.

Two different riding styles. Very much an individual thing. Whether you're a rear wheel rider or a front wheel rider determines a crap load of other things like where your footpegs are to the damping in the forks/shock.

Rear wheel riders tend to be better suited for big bikes where corner speed isn't so important but getting on the throttle early is.

[nzspokes]

Im doing just this tonight. I removed the rubbers from my pegs to drop the level 20mm and added a little padding to the seat. Feels great compared to before. Only issue Im finding is to get my gear lever where I would like it, it hits the stand. Bugger.

Whole different ballgame with bicycles, Im a bike fitter as part of my trade. Your after power output on them. Motorcycle completely different.

[quickbuck]

...... Your after power output on them. Motorcycle completely different.

Well.. you are after power output on a motorcycle too... Just comes from a different place.
You use your feet to control a motorcycle in a corner... among other things...

[nzspokes]

Well.. you are after power output on a motorcycle too... Just comes from a different place.
You use your feet to control a motorcycle in a corner... among other things...

I agree.