What bothers me most about sport bikes on the street is all the horrible advice given out, and worse... the utter lack of real information offered (and often accepted) when choosing a bike. Let's face it... most of the time, people buying sport bikes for street use generally rank practicality at the low end of the priority list. Comfort and - wait, let me get my flame retardant underwear on - safety are rarely considered as important when purchasing super sport caliber bikes for street use.
Among the things not discussed - or blatantly ignored - is the notion of buying a bike that actually fits the rider, and the rider being in the right condition for riding the machine. Next time you're in a dealership take a look at people sitting on sport bikes and watch how they're sitting, and listen to some of the silly commentary by salesmen. Typically you'll see a person sitting on the bike, feet down on the floor (maybe one up on the peg), their head and chest way up in the air and their elbows locked ram-rod straight. In the showroom, almost every bike is comfortable. No one rides this way. Ever. Meanwhile the salesman is likely saying something like "Man, that bike fits you perfectly" or "You look good on that bike" and other silly things.
The prospective rider's ego is stroked, he writes the check and takes the machine home. A week later, he's less than thrilled with his bike purchase. Once he gets the bike out on the street, the first thing he notices is that he doesn't feel as high up as he did in the showroom. He feels hunched over, cramped and is experiencing all sorts of achiness. This is because you simply don't - can't - ride with your arms rod straight and locked. Any rider doing so will die, likely in a fiery crash mid way through a turn that he couldn't complete - if he could even enter the turn at all. A rider's upper body has to be loose and he has to be able to move around. This means bending at the hips and introducing some bend in his elbows.
Invariably this means his head is lower than it was at the showroom and his upper body is bent lower. The natural reaction to this is to crank his neck "up" so that his face is facing into the wind. This is all wrong. A rider fighting to keep his head "up" will nearly always experience neck strain, shoulder and neck pain and a sore upper back. He will likely end up fighting himself between "hanging on" to the bars, involuntarily pulling himself into the wind, and pushing himself up constantly by the bars, especially at lower speeds. This will result in wrist and elbow soreness, fatigue and a general lack of comfort.
Not many people consider proper riding position when sitting on bikes in the showroom. So what is the right way to do it? I'd like to paraphrase my instructor from the Lee Parks' Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic on the topic of sport bike design and ergonomics...
It's important to remember that the bike is designed to do its job without the rider's negative influence. The rider's job is to do as little as possible to get in the way, and to simply guide the bike into the turn. Good riders get in the way less, and let the bike do its job. Bad riders get in the way and inhibit the bike. A sport bike rider becomes part of the aerodynamic shape of the bike and this is, in part, where the lean-over riding position comes from. In addition to positioning and distributing the rider's weight (again, to minimize inhibiting the bike), lowering the rider into the shape of the bike helps to minimize the aerodynamic drag the rider introduces. Sport bikes are not designed for comfort and any comfort a rider experiences on a sport bike should be counted as luck. It was not designed in.
When bike shopping, make the salesman earn some of his pay. Have the salesman hold the bike vertical, or set you up with a wheel chock. A prospective buyer should be prepared to sit on the bike in the actual riding position for twenty minutes. This includes tucking down to bend the elbows; NOT sitting straight up with his elbows straight and locked. Both feet should be put on the pegs with the balls of the feet centered on the pegs. The buyer should also sit with his face looking "forward" relative to his chest - perhaps slightly "up" - and should use his eyes in the "up" position to look ahead. None of this will feel natural at first. The rider should not try to get comfortable... this is the correct riding position.
The question any prospective buyer should be asking himself at this point is, "can I sit like this for an hour?"
A point that many shoppers may not realize is that nearly all motorcycles are built to conform to a given model rider size and shape, at least per class of bike. It's reasonable to assume that, like horse racing jockeys, motorcycle racing riders are expected to be of slight build and stature and it's possible that many people buying bikes for street use don't necessarily fit the expected "standard". I once read a magazine article suggesting that the optimal rider for most Japanese-built sport bikes should be about 5'7" tall and weigh about 140-150 pounds to naturally fit the average sport bike without modifications. One size definitely does not fit all riders.
It has also been suggested that physical conditioning should be employed to get into shape for riding sport bikes, just like for performing any other physical activity. People don't often consider this as "normal" because the idea of "getting in shape" to drive their car to the mall is ludicrous. Physical conditioning can certainly enhance the comfort and experience of riding a motorcycle; more so with sport bikes.
I didn't want to turn this post into a "how to make a sport bike comfortable for daily use" entry, but the fact is that numerous options are available for many of the common and popular bikes. Almost anything you can think of is available, from handle bar and foot peg replacements, to seat and windshield choices. In some cases full luggage kits can be bolted on. Engine tuning options exist for smoother operation or better power delivery in more "streetable" RPM ranges. But to some riders, the bikes are perfect and touring on a sport bike means throwing a tooth brush in a pocket and heading out. Again, no single solution exists for every rider on every bike.
My very personal opinion is that riding a dedicated, full-on super sport bike for daily and regular street use is not the best option for most riders. I think the seating position limits visibility, restricts motion, decreases comfort and frankly, the bikes just don't make sense (in most cases) if you ever have to carry luggage and passengers.
I would strongly suggest that anyone who wants a sport bike for regular street use take the time to shop smart, understand the limitations of the seating position, and learn about comfort mods and options available for the bike choices he's considering. Buyers should also be prepared to start a physical conditioning routine, or modify their existing routine to include additional core muscle group conditioning.
Any prospective buyers already battling wrist, elbow, neck or shoulder conditions should look elsewhere for their dream bike; starting sport bike ownership with existing physical limitations will almost always end up in disappointment. I know this first hand. While a slight forward lean is very comfortable - even helpful - for the herniated discs in my lower back, full lean super sports cause me severe pain over time.
Sport bikes are awesome for track use and are great weekend and "toy" bikes. But for sole bike ownership, shop carefully and know what you're getting yourself into. They may not be your best choice.
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