ashvinnadig

Motorcycle Ergonomics

Source - http://www.sampson-sporttouring.com/ergonomics.html

he says -

I'm not a physical therapist/doctor nor do I play one on TV but I've ridden for about 40 years, and a lot of times some of the wrist/back/shoulder pain and/or cause of the pain can be reduced significantly by the following:

1. Put a lighter return spring on the throttle if possible
1.a. Use a Throttle Rocker
2. Instead of trying to adapt to the bike, make the bike fit you.
Sometimes an 1/8" move of the handlebar rotation in the handlebar clamp up or down can make a big difference.

What to look for is how the pressure along the width of your hand is distributed.
Sit on the bike.
Put your hands forward in what you feel is the best comfortable position for you. Are the bars anywhere close to that position?

If so:
Sit on the bike in normal riding position with your hands on the bars.
Do you feel more pressure at one end of your hand than the other? If so, loosen the bars and slowly - a little at a time, move the bars forward/rearward until the pressure seems equal. Tighten and go for a ride paying attention to the pressure areas (if any). Readjust if necessary.

If the bars weren't anywhere close to your ideal position:
Some bars are just plain wrong for you personally (we're all built different). Some love and enjoy clipons and they work well for them. In 10 minutes I'd be miserable. Some bars force you forward so far that you are supporting a good part of your body with your wrists, not just clipons. You may need to add handlebar risers to overcome this.

Most of us are more comfortable in the "sit up & beg" position or tilted slightly forward when riding long distances at a time.
Your elbows should have some bend in them.
How far apart can your hands be and still be comfortable?
Some bars are too wide. This forces a lot of extra pressure on your shoulders. You may have enough length you can saw an inch or two off. Too narrow will limit your control and also put pressure on your shoulders.
You may need to toss the old bars totally and buy after market such as HELI bars (pricey but very adjustable) or perhaps some K&Ns in a style that fits you. Pay attention to the angle of the rearward bend as it will affect the pressure points on your hands.

Seats:
Sometimes even a brand new stock bike seat just plain doesn't fit you. For long distance comfort a seat should be somewhat like an old tractor seat; raised somewhat around your hips to give you some support along the outer curvature of your hips. Some seats "dig" into your thighs where the edge of the seat stops. This can be because the footpegs are too low for you (Usually the footpegs can't be adjusted although a few companies do make kits to give you some adjustment.) or the seat is poorly designed
One major aftermarket seat manufacturer uses welting (welting is a raised round strip that is hard) along the seams of the seat. This is just plain stupid in my opinion and can cause undue pressure under your thighs especially if you're shorter.
When I get a little free time I'll add a page to give you enough information to either allow you to rebuild your stock seat if so inclined, or use the info to talk to your local upholstery shop to do the work for you. There are also some very good companies that do only motorcycle seat building/rebuilding.

Pain relievers may help some based on severity. Be aware some pain relievers (aspirin & others) are blood thinners. On a multi-day ride you may not really want to take a heavy dose of blood thinners in case of an accident.

Exercise will probably help also. Too many of us spend a good part of our work day in a chair (which may be ergonomically incorrect for you), then we go home and flop in front of the TV not doing enough to keep the back muscles toned. This doesn't mean you have to get ridiculous exercising. Just do a little - daily if possible.
If you have health problems, consult your doc before you start.

Suggestions:
If you have a dog, walk it
If you don't have a dog, take a walk daily (walking from the car/bike to your house doesn't count).
Do some aerobic stretching.
Touch your toes or get as close to them as you can.
Also while standing, touch left hand to right foot, then right hand to left foot
Do a few arm curls while watching the TV - weights not required.
Don't go crazy exercising for an hour or so the first time as you already know what the outcome will be, don't you?

Hope it would be useful....

ashvinnadig

Download this PowerPoint presentaion also..

http://www.tsu.ox.ac.uk/seminars/fes...tschrift11.ppt

neerajtikku

man, he broke my heart [}]
jokes apart, a very nice & informative find ashvin ! great work.

cheerz

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sripurna_987

Yup great writing dude!!!!!! But i am still not sure about the adjusting handle bars for pressure by moving front or back. Their are a lot of components in the steering column that can play havoc with the pressure. Any way keep it comin

Bunny

the exercise pt is a gr8 one..
if ne one of us wants to do leh ( n njoy it) , i wud suggest that person to walk/jog for 30 mins each day for atleast 2 weeks b4 the trip.. although i know sm ppl doin leh who dont even walk for 2 mins

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lapak_racerx

man u guys a pputting some gr8 informative topic these days

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hitanshu

very good points.

If I may add something, modifying your handlebars, and the seat can take alot of the strain associated with bikes. Then again, if you're in top physical condition, you wouldn't have any fatigue :-)

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mehuel

thats a good info buddy, one thing though the kind if seats the author is mentioning about is for cruisers, so what about the sports one. ne info on it?

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powerslave

ISn't this gonna change the handling characteristics of the bike a great deal..? Me had gone to CST (from thane) and back (approx 80km total) with a pillion and my my back doesn't hurt, but my ass could use some luvin.. On second thoughts there are hardly any girls on xBhp, I take all back..No luvin for me here..

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lovemax

@Buns : Nice point to make.
But at such places trust me you would not want to waste your time .... cuz weather changes unexpectedly and you need to trust yourself all the time..

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