I don't get the "Bolt Upright" riding position!?

[willowstreetguzziguy]

I don't understand people riding around sitting bolt upright. I ride with a 65 degree forward lean on my 1200 Sport. This is similar to my past bikes... BMW K75S, K75C, and BMW R90S. I'm not talking about clip-ons.  I find this slight forward lean provides several advantages that I prefer...

1.) Better control and handling at all speeds, including city, parking lots, twisty back roads, highway..
2.) At speed, the wind helps support my upper body.
3.) My arms and back both absorb the sharp bumps, rather than my back.
4.) I feel more engaged and ready for anything.
5.) Air in my face helps keep me alert
6.) My weight is more evenly distributed on my butt, arms & hands, rather than just butt.

Last March 2015, I messed up my back carrying 5 gallon buckets of drywall compound. I always noticed after riding my 1200 Sport for a period of time, my back would always feel better! Fast forward to 3 months to June '15 when my back was feeling 50% better. I rode to the NH Nat'l rally, 4 days and 1,500 mile. When I got back home, my back was feeling 100%!!! 30 hours of riding with my back stretched slightly forward did it!!!

Note: At the Nat'l rally I test rode a Cali and sat bolt upright ...and my back couldn't take i!

I believe that a "Bolt upright" seating position creates the need for... A.) Wind protection (windshield or fairing) or you get blown back, B.) A custom seat, because all your weight is on your butt which is taking all the shock from bumps.

One summer I rode 9,000 miles on a 30 day trip out  to western Canada, California, Oregon, Washington on my BMW R90S and that riding position felt great! On long stretches of interstate, I would lean even farther forward on my tank bag which I still do on my 1200 Sport.

I've heard riders quit riding because their backs couldn't take it anymore... and they were riding bolt upright of course!

Help me here.

[oldbike54]

 I have a bad vertebrae at the base of my neck that really begins to burn if the riding position requires any upward titling of my head . For any distance the bolt upright position is necessary to remain comfortable .

 Dusty

[Muzz]

Tilt forward for me. Knees bent, feet at right angles to my leg.

When my hip packed up the Breva was the most comfortable seat in the house. Getting on was a bit of a mission though.

[Fuzzy]

Pressure on my lumbar region has my hip and leg moaning at me on my Breva after 40 miles or so. I am trying to find a more relaxed position either on the Breva or a different motorcycle, preferably a MG.
It pisses me off that my left leg forces me to stop before my butt does. I would love to be able to ride in the tilted position again. But it ain't happening.
 

[Chet Rugg]

I have to have a driver seat backrest. I rode my buddies sport once. That was it for me. Can not ride them.
Bassa for me and Rocker did not like the Bassa. But then again I didn't like mine either until I made it fit me.
That required a lot of pain till I got it right(for me).
Did like the way the sport handled just couldn't do the lean forward with feet back. Everyone is different . Dusty may have the same neck injuries I have. Maybe a drivers back rest would help Dusty too. Well I say maybe because I don't really thing there is any help for Dusty or me.

[oldbike54]

 Chet my old buddy , no truer words have ever been spoken 

 Dusty

[Chet Rugg]

 

[Sheepdog]

On my Bonneville, I use rearsets and super bars with a Dart Flyscreen. It works so well, I mounted a set of Chase Harper Stealth panniers and a Roadgear Sport tankbag for short trips. However, on my Vintage the neutral, "bolt-upright" posture works. In fact, I find it much better than most of it's genre due to foot boards being mounted in a "mid-position" and the '02 Stone handlebars that I mounted. For 500-600 mile days, a neutral seated position behind a well sorted windshield is pretty great. Both setups can be the stuff in the right situations...it's nice to have choices.

[chuck peterson]

Wow, my experience is so different. Once I got behind a windscreen it felt so nice to not be fighting the wind...I wasn't leaning into anything...my neck stopped screaming at me during long rides...my vert with wide bars was like sitting in a comfortable dining room chair, hands wider than shoulders  with a slight bend at the elbow..no weight on arms, but a fat arse seat was necessary....90 degrees hip to knee to foot....exact same hand angle as a LeMan V, just up and wide....guess the bolt upright works for me only behind a barndoor

[Triple Jim]

5.) Air in my face helps keep me alert

I'm with you on most of your points, but I can't understand how sitting upright keeps air off your face.  (Maybe you're assuming that if you're sitting upright you have a windshield blocking airflow?)

[ITSec]

I've got several fused vertebrae and sacroiliac joints (all stuff down near the bottom of the spine), so I can't carry weight on my tail - for me, a slight forward lean is essential, particularly for my endurance rides. The Norge lets me carry the weight on my pelvis instead of my spine. Cruiser style kills me, and sport style doesn't work until I'm going fast enough for air pressure to take the pressure off my wrists.

[Bulldog9]

Everybody is different, the "Master Yoda" seating position is the most common in the IBA and Long Distance Crowd, but doesn't work for everybody. I prefer a seating position that allows both.

[Tom]

Consider the 2 main choices of riding a horse.  Weight distribution and placement of feet to disperse it.  English or Western.  There are also small variants with bareback and bareback pad.  Whatever works for you.     A big thing has to be the bike itself.  MG reference.  Cali cruiser style or LeMans/Sports set-up.  I like both but prefer the English w/saddle or bareback style more.  Throw in a McClellan saddle and that would the most that I could handle for being near a Western style saddle.

[Mr Revhead]

Everyones different, and has different broken parts! I know people who have bikes with bolt up right and tank huggers and they like them both.
Maybe if you NEED a forward lean to ease your lower back, you should look at some hip flexor stretching. Yoga is good for riding 
The biggest pain I find when riding (other than a bung shoulder due to rotator cuff) is not being able to adjust feet or legs.
My CX has a far softer and comfier seat than my Cali, but as the Cali has floor boards I can alter my leg position quite a bit so can stay on if much longer in on stretch.
The CX because there is only one place for everything to be, after an hour I have to get off.

[Tom]

I pop my back and stretch before getting on for a ride and while taking a break.  I'm also not overweight. 

[Kev m]

1.) Better control and handling at all speeds, including city, parking lots, twisty back roads, highway..
2.) At speed, the wind helps support my upper body.
3.) My arms and back both absorb the sharp bumps, rather than my back.
4.) I feel more engaged and ready for anything.
5.) Air in my face helps keep me alert
6.) My weight is more evenly distributed on my butt, arms & hands, rather than just butt.


Help me here.

To me:

1. Is subjective and I disagree for my own needs. It's not like you have to actually muscle a bike through a corner anywhere near legal speeds and balance is balance, you can have it in many different positions.

2. I've never had a problem fighting wind physically even on a naked bike, though i do find a windshield satisfying with an open face helmet.

3. My suspension absorbs most bumps, not my back. But I'm pretty physically fit if the suspension isn't up to the task.

4. Meh, engagement is a frame of mind. I can be engaged from any riding position.

5. I have no problem remaining alert and equally enjoy air in my face, see open face helmet comment.

6. See physically fit comment, but you're fooling yourself if you think your arms are carrying any significant portion of your weight. If you doubt me, try planking for more than a few minutes.

I've had bikes with the riding position you prefer, like my R1100RS, Breva 1100, or Buell ST3.

I could always ride more miles in a day (and preferred to do so) on bikes with the straight up position like my Jackal, Road King, Sportsters etc.

So YMMV.

[Perazzimx14]

I lean forward while sitting on the couch to help distribute the weight and it gets the ice cream bowl closer

[charlie b]

My back has a 'sweet spot' at a slightly forward lean with my foot pegs almost directly under me.  Comes from an old lower back and a hip injury from my youth.

If I use rearsets then I need a bit more forward lean, but, then my neck screams at me from the extra head tilt.

And, I absolutely hate the wind noise (even with good earplug) and buffeting.  It does not make me more alert.  After a few hours it dulls my senses and makes it hard to concentrate on riding and traffic.

My brother likes an even more upright position (he has a BMW GS).  Interesting because his other hobby is long distance bicycle racing where is spends most of his position in a severely leaned over position.

Everyone is different in what their body likes, and everyone wants a different experience out of a ride.  Heck, look at the guys who LIKE to ride hardtails long distances.  :)

[jas67]

I've got several fused vertebrae and sacroiliac joints (all stuff down near the bottom of the spine), so I can't carry weight on my tail - for me, a slight forward lean is essential, particularly for my endurance rides. The Norge lets me carry the weight on my pelvis instead of my spine. Cruiser style kills me, and sport style doesn't work until I'm going fast enough for air pressure to take the pressure off my wrists.

 :1:

I too suffer from sciatica.   I find that about 20-25 degrees is about prefect, with my feet directly below me, and low enough so my knees are still not too bent.    The ergos of my F800GT are about perfect.     The V7 Special ergos are decent, just al little forward lean, but, better than bolt upright.   I put 1" lower pegs on it, which made a difference for my knees, and also back.   The key to forward learn working for my sciatica is to keep my knees low, which means rear sets, or at least lowered pegs.   The the more open the torso to thigh angle, the better.

[jas67]

6. See physically fit comment, but you're fooling yourself if you think your arms are carrying any significant portion of your weight. If you doubt me, try planking for more than a few minutes.

 :1:

But, pegs under you, and some forward lean makes it effortless to unweight your butt and let the arms and (mostly) legs take the shock of the worst bumps in the road (which we have plenty of here in PA).

[Guzzistajohn]

I personally like the field of view I have in the "sit-up and beg" position. Especially on the tiger. I can see right over the top of most suv's. Also would rather have my neck in a neutral position

[Cool Runnings]

Proper riding position. 

[Gliderjohn]

All subjective I guess. My GS400 had very upright seating position and completely naked. When traveling I either used a an adjustable backrest or sleeping bag or luggege on the passenger seat for a backrest.
I find the 8V Norge about perfect for me and on my T-3 I have a bit more forward bars than stock that give an almost identical reach as the Norge. Sorry for the poor picture quality but if you look close you can see where the brake lever is. By the way that is my wife, Ruth.

GliderJohn

[rodekyll]

I like to mix it up on a long ride.  Why not have it both (all) ways?

[donn]

I expect for any rider there are good and bad postures that both fit the description "bolt upright".  My inspiration has been motorcycle police, or my stereotypical impression of their posture anyway which is bent strongly at the hips, enough that the back has an S curve more or less like (good) standing posture.

I've seen pictures of myself on the motorcycle (thank you, red light camera), and I slump more than I intend to.  That's hard on everything.  I wouldn't be surprised if the same kind of slump could happen in a bent forward position, and it would put more strain on the neck.   I've had neck pain sitting upright, too, partly tension coming up from the throttle hand but it's hard to really relax my upper back when slumping even just a little.

[neverquit]

Like many have said, the upright position is easier on the back for some people.  I busted up several vertebrae and my pelvis in an accident many years ago and the upright position is much easier for me, anything else is painful.

[Lannis]

There's no conclusion at all that you can derive from a thread like this, except "Everyone is different, and what is torture for one rider is comfort for another".

I don't find that I can even find any information that is useful to transfer to my own comfort from such a discussion.   If we were talking about food, it might be interesting to see someone say "I love salsa with lots of cilantro", and I'll say "I'll try that", only to find out I am one of the 30% who is genetically wired such that cilantro tastes like Ivory Soap.

But for riding comfort?   Seat?  Bars?  Pegs?  Height?   Nobody's experience is of any use to me, much as I might like it to be.   And my experience is of no use to anyone else.

Matter of fact, this post might not be of use to anyone else, but sometimes discussions can just be idle speculation and that's part of the deal ....

Lannis

[donn]

The potential benefit for me would be, before reading about some people's preference for a forward position (and hearing it from other riders), I'd have probably discounted it as obviously ill suited to long distance riding.  After reading about it, I'm still sitting straight -- but some day, I might sit on a motorcycle like that and like it, and I won't automatically assume that it won't work for long distances.

[Lannis]

The potential benefit for me would be, before reading about some people's preference for a forward position (and hearing it from other riders), I'd have probably discounted it as obviously ill suited to long distance riding.  After reading about it, I'm still sitting straight -- but some day, I might sit on a motorcycle like that and like it, and I won't automatically assume that it won't work for long distances.

Well, maybe I'm just jaded a bit.   After 35 motorcycles and 45 years of riding, I've ridden long distances on every possible combination of seat/peg/bar/height positions on everything from a 160 Honda to three H-D 74s, UJMs, clip-on'ed BSAs, trail-bikes, "adventure-touring" bikes, sport-touring bikes, and so I don't expect any surprise new data about "Well here's something new to try!".

I will say I've never been on a LSR streamliner or a Gurney "Gator" so I've got that to look forward to ....

Lannis

[Triple Jim]

...only to find out I am one of the 30% who is genetically wired such that cilantro tastes like Ivory Soap.

What percentage of people think it tastes like Ivory Soap, and still love it?  That's the group I'm in.