How to Position Yourself on a Motorcycle

Your body must be in the right position in order for you to properly control your motorcycle. Here are some suggestions for the best way to ride.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Motorcycle Gloves
• Motorcycle Jacket
• Motorcycle Pants
• Motorcycle Owner's Manual
• Motorcycle Insurance
• Eye Protection For Motorcycle Riders
• Federally Approved Motorcycle Helmets

1. Sit close enough to the handlebars so you can reach them with your arms bent slightly. This allows you to turn the bike without having to stretch your arms.

2. Hold the hand grips firmly so you won't lose your grip if you hit a bump and the motorcycle bounces.

3. Start with your wrists down. This prevents you from using too much throttle, especially if you need to grab the front brake suddenly.

4. Hold your knees snug against the tank. This helps you keep your balance when you turn.

5. Keep your feet firmly on the foot pegs. A firm footing helps you maintain balance. Don't drag your feet on the ground. You could be injured or lose control if your foot catches on something.

6. Avoid moving your feet from the controls. You must reach the gears and brakes quickly if necessary. Keep your toes up so they don't get caught between the road and the foot peg.

7. Keep your body fairly erect. This enables you to use your arms to steer the motorcycle rather than to hold yourself up.

Tips & Warnings

• Motorcycling is an inherently dangerous activity that can result in serious injury or death. We recommend that you seek proper training and equipment before attempting this activity.

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[egostanggt]

on 7/25/2007 Much of the advice here is vague and some is actually incorrect.

The bars should NOT be gripped firmly, this will actually increase the chance of grabbing a wristful of throttle when hitting a bumpg or pothole. This will also leace your hand and arms fatigued after only a short ride. The grip should be a WRIST DOWN position to prevent twising the throttle unintentionally.

Also the whole body can be used to assist turning. By leaning slightly in the direction of the turn you actually decrease the amount of lean angle needed to make the turn. By trying to keep the body totally erect you are actually fighting the very forces that allow the bike to turn and making it harder to control the bike.

Also weight the pegs helps turning. To weight the pegs put a little bit of weight on the inside peg when turning.