Body position and stability
 

In one of Keith Code's articles titled, Body position, he talks about his first "law" of body positioning which is "Stability Comes in Pairs. Bike and rider stability are always paired―rider instability transfers directly to the bike."

What do you think he means when he says that rider instability transfers directly into the bike? What kinds of things can show up in someones riding if they are unstable on their bike?

The full article can be found here:

:D

makes sense, the rider accounts for 40% of the total weight, give or take. So if a rider isnt stable, they're moving around, potentially loading/unloading the suspension. Move 40% of any vehicles weight around, even slightly, it will absolutely become unstable.

exactly. So what can a rider do to ensure that he/she is stable on their bike so there is less instability with the machine?

Well for myself, good grippy pegs and grip pads on the tank helped tremendously. They allowed me to support myself with my lower body, instead of using the handlebars, so less unwanted input to the front end.

Yes awesome! Tank pads or stomp grip on the tank can really help. And supporting yourself with your lower body as you said so perfectly will help you be more relaxed with your upper body so that you don't have to grip the bars so tightly and have unwanted input in the front. Well said.

So how exactly might you use your lower body to support yourself and get the weight off your arms? What are some tips and techniques to allow you to be the most relaxed with your arms/hands and why is that good for the bike?

Well most of the time i still have to tell myself 'hey dumbass, let go!' but keeping yourself supported with your lower body keeps your weight more centralized on the bike, especially under braking.
This last weekend I was at BFR, and found that the front was less jittery(best way I could describe) under hard braking when I supported by body with my knees instead of the bars, plus the rear didnt come up and bounce around as much :)

I'm no expert but in addition to what everyone else said, trying not to use the handlebars to support my weight so much when I'm shifting my body weight side to side.

Rider instability is also what makes slow speed maneuvering so difficult for new riders. When I took the MSF course the instructor did two demos of a slow u-turn in the box, one with his weight supported by his hands on the bars, and the other with his weight supported with his lower body by gripping the bike with thighs and knees. Even with 20 years of riding experience, the first u-turn was wobbly with an erratic arc, but once he relaxed his arms and did it the second time while gripping the bike with his legs it was smooth as butter. Sure enough, after I tried it myself slow speed maneuvering became a breeze.

Thats a good tip, even after almost 2 yrs of riding I havent gotten tight u turns down. Gunna practice that next time

Absolutely. Squeezing the tank with your lower body keeps you stable and can help keep the weight off your arms. Without that, no matter how much time you say, "hey dumbs, let go!" you won't be able to! lol.

Now someone asked about moving across the bike from side to side, what are some methods that you can use to remain stable with your lower body WHILE moving across the bike? :icon_pala: