Choosing your Riding Stance
Whether you just use your bike to commute to work or you like to hit one of the many great riding routes across the country, your top priority should be taking care of your body. While you’ll already be wearing all the right gear and staying hydrated, you’ll want to take steps to keep your body from cramping up or wearing out by choosing the right riding stance. Bartels’ Harley-Davidson® has provided some tips for figuring out which stance is going to work best for you. Stop by our dealership near Santa Monica and Malibu, California if you need additional help from our committed staff.
The Importance of the Right Riding Stance
As we mentioned, the right riding stance can play a huge role in your body’s health. The wrong riding stance can place strain on areas where your body might be naturally weaker, like joins and your back. Optimizing how you sit can prevent this and make future riding trips easier and more enjoyable. Plus, as you probably are already aware, your whole body goes into controlling your motorcycle, like when approaching a turn or when coming to a stop. Sitting correctly can make this part of riding much easier.
General Tips
No matter what position you go with, there are some general tips that should be helpful for you. Try to stay relaxed to prevent soreness from tense muscles. This will also help your body maneuver through bumpy roads a little better. Keep your eyes and head pointed toward where you want to go. The rest of your body will have a natural tendency to follow this direction. Finally, try to support your body using your core muscles in your abdomen, rather than adding more strain to your back, wrists, and hips.
Standard Position
As you might guess, this is the most common way to ride a motorcycle. The rider sits almost completely upright, with only a slight forward lean and bends their knees and hips at around a 100 degree angle. The hands are lower than the elbows to keep circulation flowing through your arms. It’s a great choice for riders who spend time navigating city streets.
Cruiser Position
The cruiser position allows you to stretch out a little more, which can be helpful for riders who are looking to keep their arms and legs extended. For this position, the rider will need to sit completely straight, no forward lean, and adjust their knees to a 130 degree angle and their hips to a 90 degree angle. Your arms and legs will still be slightly bent, to help you maintain seamless control of your bike, but they will be mostly extended.
Sport Position
While many Harley-Davidson® motorcycles are not designed as well for this position, it’s good knowledge to have in the event you ever need it. The sport position will essentially have you hugging the ride, leaving forward about 25 degrees, bending your knees at a 90 degree angle with your feet tucked back as far as they’ll go, and your hips positioned at a 75 degree angle. This can make high speeds easier and more exciting.
Consider Motorcycle Upgrades
If you know you’re using the right riding position and still seem to be experiencing a lot of excessive strain on your body, it may not be how you’re sitting. It might be that your bike is too big for you or that you’re too big for your bike. When this is the case, you’ll want to look into some ergonomic upgrades. Luckily, as an owner of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, you’ll have the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of upgrades for your specific model. It’s one area that Harley-Davidson is well known for. You might even look into some cool performance or style upgrades while you’re at it.
When you’re ready to upgrade your bike, or if you need help choosing the right upgrades, or if you still need the bike itself, stop by your local Harley-Davidson dealer, Bartels’ Harley-Davidson®. We welcome all H-D riders from Santa Monica and Malibu, CA.