I notice that some people suggest that you should sit really close to the tank while others suggest sitting farther back.

Where do you sit on your bike, close to the tank or farther back and why?

Misti

On the seat? LOL, sorry I couldn't resist.

I sit against the front of the rear passenger seat, but I'm 6'2". My legs fit perfectly in the tank indents and this is the absolute best riding position for me for both comfort and control.

Cruising around i'm typically a little bit off of the tank its just a lil more comfortable... but when im on the highway goin zoom zoom i am right up on the tank, i feel safer and i feel like i have more control of the bike just my :2cents: though :D

All depends on the action being taken...

Nearly against the tank when cruising and near the back of the seat when riding the twisties:D

when tucked on the highway - all the way back against the bumper on the seat cowl.

Misti, I am usually a bit back from the tank--Corbin seat allows that. I find that too far forward introduces a slightly squirrelly response. I am used to that from bicycle racing. You will, after a while find your comfort zone. Just take it easy, and it will all come together.

For streets, wherever I'm most comfortable without having to maneuver/shift around the seat when I'm cornering or riding upright. On the track...it's different--I'm all over the place. :)

I'm 5'9'' and I sit up against the tank. I feel that i have more control over the bike and can flick it around quicker. When I sit further back against the seat cowl, I feel like I lose leverage on the bike.

I also noticed that when I'm pushing the bike on the highway, my tuck places my head pretty far up the gas tank towards the handlebars.

Additionally, I've noticed that when I'm seated closer to the tank, I can maintain a very 'loose' posture and I can essentially take my hands of the handlebars. I'll add that I have slightly longer arms than average (+2 for golf club measurements) and I have relatively shorter-to-average legs (i'm built pretty well for a squat and deadlift but pretty poorly for the bench).

The caveat is that I'm speaking out of complete ignorance -- I've only got a few months in the saddle and I cannot seem to find much good information on proper position. I'd love to hear a technical explanation of what to look for in a good seating position.

For me, up against the tank gives me good control, but can cause some male discomfort during quick stops or over rough roads. I make it a rule not to do things that can crack the bird eggs, mash the gooseberries, rattle the rocks, smash the swingers, break up the twins, stop the ol' clock weights a swingin', take the sparkle out of the family jewels, etc.

The problem is that sitting slightly back (about a fist size), where I'm used to riding on my old bikes, doesn't work for me on the Ninjette - I'm constantly slipping forward and fighting it. So I have go farther back, which doesn't give me as good of grip on the bike for control.

I'd love to get suggestions for a male-safe alternative that gives good tank grip. I've been thinking the Corbin seat might help slipping, and have been considering tank-grip pads to allow better control from farther back.

gfloyd, perhaps you may not be gripping the tank with your knees?

When I was practicing stopping quickly, I noticed that when I gripped the tank, I wouldn't slide forward due to my body's momentum.

my boys pre warm the gas in the gas tank always

I'm all over the seat trying to keep up with the idiots I ride with.

i'm only 5'2 so if i sit anywhere besides all the way by the tank, my arms won't reach the bars.

gfloyd, perhaps you may not be gripping the tank with your knees?

When I was practicing stopping quickly, I noticed that when I gripped the tank, I wouldn't slide forward due to my body's momentum.

I grip but the tank is slippery, potentially due to my very clean, well waxed . . . motorcycle. Slipping forward when I sit further back happens because of the seat angle. Grip pads may be the answer.

On the seat? LOL, sorry I couldn't resist.

I sit against the front of the rear passenger seat, but I'm 6'2". My legs fit perfectly in the tank indents and this is the absolute best riding position for me for both comfort and control.

Good point about sitting at a place where your legs fit perfectly into the tank indents. This is really important as it helps you stabilize your lower body. When your lower body is stable and connected to the bike then it allows your upper body to remain relaxed.

I'm fairly small, 5"3 and I sit in the middle of the seat where my knees fit into the tank and my arms can stay bent.

Misti, I am usually a bit back from the tank--Corbin seat allows that. I find that too far forward introduces a slightly squirrelly response. I am used to that from bicycle racing. You will, after a while find your comfort zone. Just take it easy, and it will all come together.

Interesting that you say that sitting close induces a slightly squirrelly response...can you explain why you think that might happen???

Thanks!


I'm 5'9'' and I sit up against the tank. I feel that i have more control over the bike and can flick it around quicker. When I sit further back against the seat cowl, I feel like I lose leverage on the bike.

I also noticed that when I'm pushing the bike on the highway, my tuck places my head pretty far up the gas tank towards the handlebars.

Additionally, I've noticed that when I'm seated closer to the tank, I can maintain a very 'loose' posture and I can essentially take my hands of the handlebars. I'll add that I have slightly longer arms than average (+2 for golf club measurements) and I have relatively shorter-to-average legs (i'm built pretty well for a squat and deadlift but pretty poorly for the bench).

The caveat is that I'm speaking out of complete ignorance -- I've only got a few months in the saddle and I cannot seem to find much good information on proper position. I'd love to hear a technical explanation of what to look for in a good seating position.

Thanks for posting your opinion and also the fact that you are a newer rider that hasn't found much info on the topic.

I don't think there is one specific place that is perfect for all riders but there are a few things to consider when finding a comfortable place to sit. As mentioned above, sitting where your knees are able to fit into the tank cutouts is helpful as it allows you to become stable with your lower body and helps keep your upper body relaxed.

You mention that your arms are relax which is really good. How might sitting back in the seat effect that way you have leverage on the handlebars? When you countersteer do you push DOWN on the bars or FORWARD? How might your seating position effect this?

gfloyd, perhaps you may not be gripping the tank with your knees?

When I was practicing stopping quickly, I noticed that when I gripped the tank, I wouldn't slide forward due to my body's momentum.

Very good point. Gripping the tank with your knees while riding and especially when stopping quickly will help prevent you from sliding forward into the tank. If you still find yourself sliding forward even if you are gripping you might want to consider tank grips like STOMP or TECH SPEC.

Cheers!

Misti

How might sitting back in the seat effect that way you have leverage on the handlebars? When you countersteer do you push DOWN on the bars or FORWARD? How might your seating position effect this?


I'd imagine that sitting closer to the tank puts one more "over" the bars than "behind" the bars. As a result, sitting closer to the bars would cause one to be more likely to push down on the bars, rather than forward?

In my first few days of riding, I've noticed that I was getting some numbness in my hands. I noticed you advising to push forward on the bars while steering rather than bearing DOWN on the bars.

Although still sitting close to the tank, I noticed that when I go into a bit of a tuck at higher speeds that if I tuck my elbows into the same plane as my wrists and shoulders, it alleviates the numbness. This forms a straight line (180 degree angle from a 'top-down / bird's-eye' view) between my wrist, shoulder elbow and I can more effectively push forward on the bars instead of down onto the bars. This significantly alleviated the numbness (there is no numbness or discomfort at all anymore).

Previously, my wrist/elbow/shoulder formed an obtuse angle. Visually, this would put my elbow "outside" of my shoulder from a bird's eye perspective. This would cause me to press DOWN on the bars.

Keeping my joints in line would have me resting my elbows on my knees when I'm going at highway speeds. Is this appropriate? I find that I can be really relaxed in this position. At slower speeds (under, say, 65mph), I don't find it necessary to be completely "in-line" and can get away with my elbows bending 'outside my shoulders' a bit.

I'll also mention that regardless of where I sit, I can comfortably fit my knees into the slots on either side of the gas tank. Perhaps the habit of sitting closer to the tank is a residual behavior from the time I spent riding scooters.

I certainly would prefer to find a seating position that would promote more control over the bike.

I noticed that sitting further back while at higher speeds makes it feel as though the wind has a greater affect on the bike.

Nearly against the tank when cruising and near the back of the seat when riding the twisties:D

+1

Misty, tops to you for asking yet another open-ended question. You are a good teacher!

Floyd, you'd hilarious! you're posts had me rolling on the floor while still being informative.

I think this issue is much more complex than has been overtly stated....

1.) A motorcycle isn't a car, it demands much more interaction from the rider than a car does, including but not limited to body position. This I know - sitting further back places more weight over the back wheel, and so, sitting further forward places more weight on the front wheel. Under hard acceleration I tend to stay in the middle of seat. Since hard acceleration tends to move weight to the back of the bike, staying in the middle of the seat seems to put the right amount of weight on both wheels all around with the shift in weight. Under hard braking I tend to shift my weight backwards, being that so much weight is put in the front tire and I'm trying to keep the rear tire on the ground.

2.) Concerning comfort, the new-gen ninja's is horrendously uncomfortable. I'm 5'11" but have a 6'5" arm span and a 34" in-seam. I'm a monkey, mmmkay! With my feet on the pegs my butt forms 2 point which contact the seat and makes rides of 400miles or more excruciating. I think Kawi could've done with a much better, much flatter seat design that has a bit more padding on the outside wings of the seat. But I'm odd, so it probably fits most people wonderfully. I intend to rectify this by doing some foam work on the seat. This leaves my very upright on the ninjette with the stock configuration. I have since put on clip-ons and plan on putting the Yoshi rear-set relocators on the bike so that I can sit more comfortably in a "sporty" position. Right in the middle of the seat, with my knees tucked into the recesses in the tank, and with my arm comfortably bent. Why do I share all this personalized info? Because I believe one's seating position should be as customized as one's bike, choice of apparel. It needs to fit you and your situation.

So, trying not to repeat myself, having covered the weight transfer issue above, I also find that with the steepness of the seat, although great for the track, it's cumbersome to keep one's thighs tensed up to stay at the back of the seat - I too slide forward. But sitting on the tank isn't an option either, as Floyd so eloquently put. The shortest answer I can provide is that I move around a lot. Commuting I tend to sit about 2 inches from the tank, but that can change at any moment depending on what traffic demands of me at any point in time (accelerating away from a dangerous situation or braking hard to avoid a dangerous situation).

I hope my response wasn't too verbose, I'm having a hard time stringing words together tonight and I apologize for any repetition and tedium.

I sit about two inches from the tank. That way, my legs are gripping the tank and not my boys. It's much easier to move around the seat when you have some space between you and the tank. Found that out the hard way at the track.

There is no right way to sit on the bike. So sit whatever way makes you comfortable.

How might sitting back in the seat effect that way you have leverage on the handlebars? When you countersteer do you push DOWN on the bars or FORWARD? How might your seating position effect this?
i

I'd imagine that sitting closer to the tank puts one more "over" the bars than "behind" the bars. As a result, sitting closer to the bars would cause one to be more likely to push down on the bars, rather than forward?

Keeping my joints in line would have me resting my elbows on my knees when I'm going at highway speeds. Is this appropriate? I find that I can be really relaxed in this position. At slower speeds (under, say, 65mph), I don't find it necessary to be completely "in-line" and can get away with my elbows bending 'outside my shoulders' a bit.

This is what I find most often with my students. When people sit closer to the tank it tends to straighten up their arms and cause them to push "down" on the bars with stiff arms rather than "forward" on the bars with relaxed arms. Sitting closer to the tank also tends to crowd the rider and cause them to use the upper part of their thigh muscle (which isn't very strong) to grip the tank instead of the lower/knee inside of the knee muscle to grip the tank.

While I always tailor my body position lessons to each riders individual body shape, bike model and riding style, there are some things that I can generalize about. I usually get my students to sit a little farther back in the seat then they have been doing in the past for the above reasons. Of course if you are racing or extremely hard on the gas exiting a corner you may have to move forward to keep weight over the front so you don't wheelie :)

While riding on the highway it is fine to rest your elbows on your knees if this is comfortable for you and you can stay relaxed and maintain control. As you say, at slower speeds you can either bend your elbows out a little bit or you could straighten up your arms a bit so that the knees and elbows weren't touching.

Misti

Misti,

Are there anything that I can look out for to get an idea of if I'm in a proper seating position? Are there any self-checks or anything like that?

Or is comfort the main factor?


I'll also add that I do move around a bit laterally on turns but I don't think I move too much forward to back -- perhaps a bit just to get comfortable. I'll add that I'm solely driving on the street for now, therefore, my turns naturally aren't as aggressive as they would be on the track.

While riding on the highway it is fine to rest your elbows on your knees if this is comfortable for you and you can stay relaxed and maintain control. As you say, at slower speeds you can either bend your elbows out a little bit or you could straighten up your arms a bit so that the knees and elbows weren't touching.

Misti

Ah this is interesting. I'm 5'10" and my elbows always hit my knees if I want to tuck in. I must overlap my elbows and knees, with knees being closer to the bike and elbows on the outside. When I sit closer to the tank, the overlap is slightly bigger, if I sit more aft it's smaller, but unavoidable.
Does this mean that the bike is too small? Better, does this mean that horizontal distance between pegs and handlebars is too small? Or is this something I must simply live with?

When people sit closer to the tank it tends to straighten up their arms and cause them to push "down" on the bars with stiff arms rather than "forward" on the bars with relaxed arms. Sitting closer to the tank also tends to crowd the rider and cause them to use the upper part of their thigh muscle (which isn't very strong) to grip the tank instead of the lower/knee inside of the knee muscle to grip the tank.

Misti, I'm finding that because of the downward angle of the Ninjette seat, when I sit farther back, my knees rest higher up the tank out of the sweet spot and feels very uncomfortable. It is a bit counterintuitive, because one would think that taller riders would need to move back to give their legs more room, but it actually negatively changes the leg angle and puts them onto a part of the tank where they just don't grip, out of the black and onto the fat of the gas tank. Plus, from back there you just feel like you are sitting on a cliff, with everything pulling you back down forward.

On a different bike, I'm totally with you, but not for a taller rider on a stock ninjette. Lower foot controls would help solve this, but who wants to give up the cornering clearance? So, while the arm position may improve from the mid or back part of the seat, I think, overall my bike control suffers. So I'm back up towards the front where my legs slot better into the intended notches. To get the arms loose and not pushing down, I'm just more deliberate about relaxing my arms.

Sometimes doing the right thing feels uncomfortable at first, so I'd love to hear if you think I'm wrong here and need to stick with it. I'd also love to hear from taller riders to see if they get the same issues.

Misti, I'm finding that because of the downward angle of the Ninjette seat, when I sit farther back, my knees rest higher up the tank out of the sweet spot and feels very uncomfortable. It is a bit counterintuitive, because one would think that taller riders would need to move back to give their legs more room, but it actually negatively changes the leg angle and puts them onto a part of the tank where they just don't grip, out of the black and onto the fat of the gas tank. Plus, from back there you just feel like you are sitting on a cliff, with everything pulling you back down forward.

On a different bike, I'm totally with you, but not for a taller rider on a stock ninjette. Lower foot controls would help solve this, but who wants to give up the cornering clearance? So, while the arm position may improve from the mid or back part of the seat, I think, overall my bike control suffers. So I'm back up towards the front where my legs slot better into the intended notches. To get the arms loose and not pushing down, I'm just more deliberate about relaxing my arms.

Sometimes doing the right thing feels uncomfortable at first, so I'd love to hear if you think I'm wrong here and need to stick with it. I'd also love to hear from taller riders to see if they get the same issues.

You are right when you say that sometimes doing the right thing feels uncomfortable at first. I've used those very words with my students when I make them sit farther back in the seat or when I change their body position.

Without seeing you ride it is hard to tell you whether or not the position you are in (where you sit) is working for you or not, but based on what you are telling me, it seems as if sitting a little bit closer to the tank on the ninjette is what works best. You often have to alter your riding position to suit the bike and how you fit on it.

The main idea for where you sit on whatever bike you ride is that your knees fall into the cutouts and can grip the tank easily and your arms can remain bent and relaxed while overall you feel comfortable and secure on the bike.

Hope that helps :)

Misti

Thank you for bringing up this topic! I read through the posts and most people said that for twisties they were sitting further back on the seat. Before I would sit so that I was sitting all the way up against the gas tank(maybe a little back but not much.) today my I went out and when going through the corners I say all the way back against the back seat then moved my butt accordingly to the corner. What I found was that sitting further back helped me turn in faster and was more comfortable when going through a corner.

My question, for those who go on the track are you only against the back when on the corners and move to the tank on the straits or do you sit near the back all the time?

Thank you for bringing up this topic! I read through the posts and most people said that for twisties they were sitting further back on the seat. Before I would sit so that I was sitting all the way up against the gas tank(maybe a little back but not much.) today my I went out and when going through the corners I say all the way back against the back seat then moved my butt accordingly to the corner. What I found was that sitting further back helped me turn in faster and was more comfortable when going through a corner.

My question, for those who go on the track are you only against the back when on the corners and move to the tank on the straits or do you sit near the back all the time?

Sweet!!! I'm glad that you noticed a difference in your riding when you adjusted your position on the seat and that you were able to turn the bike in quicker and stay more comfortable (relaxed) through the corner. That is the idea behind having a good anchored seated position on the bike and most often the result of sitting a little further back.

To answer your question about riding on the track. During my track riding and racing I usually sit in the middle of the seat (I'm only 5"3) and I would try to maintain this position most of the time around the track. The only time I would adjust where I sat (forward or back) on the seat would be if I was going down a long straight (like VIR) I may sit a little farther back so I could really get tucked in behind the windscreen, or if I was finding that the front end was coming up a little on hard acceleration exiting a corner I might move forward to keep weight over the front a little bit.

For the most part though I would keep the same position.

Hope that answers your question :)

Misti

Depends on the physics needed.

For crazy accelerations, I'd push myself back to the back of the seat, and tuck in.

For extreme leaning, I'd shift my body on top of the gas tank and side off whichever side is leaning towards the pavement.

But for street riding, I just sit normally where my crotch is on the tank. It always varies each person.

Depends on the physics needed.

For crazy accelerations, I'd push myself back to the back of the seat, and tuck in.

For extreme leaning, I'd shift my body on top of the gas tank and side off whichever side is leaning towards the pavement.

But for street riding, I just sit normally where my crotch is on the tank. It always varies each person.

Just curious to know why for "extreme leaning" you would shift your body on top of the gas tank...what exactly is that going to do for you and how is it going to help you with your leaning?

Misti

I'm kinda short, but I like to ride very close to the tank ;then hold in the clutch and rev it up a bit. ;)

All over, but If you are only talking about front and back, I'm usually at the back of the seat when going in a straight line.

Just curious to know why for "extreme leaning" you would shift your body on top of the gas tank...what exactly is that going to do for you and how is it going to help you with your leaning?

Misti

Perhaps I have worded it wrong. What I mean by most of my upper half would be already shadowing over the top of gas tank. I like to have more foward support on my 600 when I am turning in too hard at certain speed.


http://www.motorcyclenews.com/upload/221424/images/ben-spies.jpg
http://hotrodreview.com/gallery/albums/2006_ama/BEN_SPIES_8586.jpg

Perhaps I have worded it wrong. What I mean by most of my upper half would be already shadowing over the top of gas tank. I like to have more foward support on my 600 when I am turning in too hard at certain speed.]

Still not really sure what you mean :) Where you upper body is located is a bit different than where your butt is located on the seat. For example, I'm small 5"3 and yet I still sit in the middle of the seat on a 600cc but my upper body is over and to the inside.

Misti

Still not really sure what you mean :) Where you upper body is located is a bit different than where your butt is located on the seat. For example, I'm small 5"3 and yet I still sit in the middle of the seat on a 600cc but my upper body is over and to the inside.

Misti

I'm 6'' 2' and I find it comfortable when I take my butt off the seat and straighten my back when I shift upper of my body over the tank, not on it. The long legs on opposite side of leaning do the hanging for me. It just help me with the steering, and with the weight being pressed on front.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7uQtMJVhx8

Note how Jake Zemke takes his butt off the seat and to the tank with his crotch when he turns in really hard and fast. That is similar to what I do.

I'm 6'' 2'

Wow, you're short! I wouldn't think that someone who's only 6 inches and 2 feet tall could even reach the seat!:p

I sit up close to the tank - I spent money on that tank protector and expect to get my money's worth out of it...

Been trying to take Misti's advice to push myself back on the seat despite initial lack of comfort, and while it doesn't work for commuting due to leg sizes and angles, I really noticed improvement in my riding pushing myself farther back during aggressive ride through the back roads today. Found it easier to shift my body from side to side in corners with more room and reliance on the legs when I'm sitting farther back.

Thanks as always Misti for the good coaching.

Been trying to take Misti's advice to push myself back on the seat despite initial lack of comfort, and while it doesn't work for commuting due to leg sizes and angles, I really noticed improvement in my riding pushing myself farther back during aggressive ride through the back roads today. Found it easier to shift my body from side to side in corners with more room and reliance on the legs when I'm sitting farther back.

Thanks as always Misti for the good coaching.

:D No problemmo and so glad it has helped! Please let me know if you have any other questions/concerns about riding and I'll do my best to answer/discuss.

Cheers!

Misti

I don't recall owning another bike that was as bad for wanting to pull me forward into the tank (sliding forward).

I noticed hugging the tank for u turns and moving through tight spots gives me more control. Ill hang a cheek off to the side in fast twisties. Sometimes its fun to be off the seat completly :)