donch@tekirl.UUCP (Don Chitwood) (10/16/86)
When following other motorcyclists, have you ever noticed how they sit on the bike? Are they absolutely centered, with their spine tracing the vertical axis of the machine? Or, do you see a sideways curve or offset or slouch? I was following a person to work this morning and noted his distinct left-weighted position. I'd say his spine, at mid-back, was two-three inches off axis with the machine. Not only that, but his butt was sitting slightly to the left of center. This brought to mind the same observation of several other riders I've spent many miles with in the past. They ALL have a left-oriented non-symmetry to their riding position as viewed from the back. My sample base covers all different brands and configurations, too: single cylinder; twin cyl.; vertical twin; flat opposed twin; v-twin, transverse and in-line. Anyone make similar observations? I have one motorcycle with a left-hand throttle and a right-hand clutch; I wonder if I have a right-handed slouch to my position? Any comments? --Amazing what the mind comes up with going down that long road with the with in your face. Don Chitwood Tektronix, Inc.
ronc@fai.UUCP (Ronald O. Christian) (10/17/86)
In article <239@tekirl.UUCP> donch@tekirl.UUCP (Don Chitwood) writes: > >I was following a person to work this morning and noted his distinct >left-weighted position. [...] >Not only that, but his butt was sitting >slightly to the left of center. > >This brought to mind the same observation of several other riders I've >spent many miles with in the past. They ALL have a left-oriented >non-symmetry to their riding position as viewed from the back. [...] > >Anyone make similar observations? > >Don Chitwood I almost hate to say this, but the left bias you see is due to the fact that most people put their wallets in their right back pocket. After long rides, I found that my back around my right kidney would hurt and one leg would twitch. I started putting my wallet in my jacket breast pocket, and the symptoms went away. I think you'll find that most men are biased toward the left in a seated position. It's just more noticeable on a bike. Women, of course, don't have this problem. :-) Good piece of observation, though. Ron -- -- Ronald O. Christian (Fujitsu America Inc., San Jose, Calif.) seismo!amdahl!fai!ronc -or- ihnp4!pesnta!fai!ronc Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: "If you are seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it."
mo@well.UUCP (Maurice Weitman) (10/18/86)
In article <438@fai.UUCP> ronc@fai.UUCP (Ronald O. Christian) writes: >In article <239@tekirl.UUCP> donch@tekirl.UUCP (Don Chitwood) writes: >> >>I was following a person to work this morning and noted his distinct >>left-weighted position. [...] Not only that, but his butt was sitting >>slightly to the left of center. [...]They ALL have a left-oriented >>non-symmetry to their riding position as viewed from the back. [...] >> >I almost hate to say this, but the left bias you see is due to >the fact that most people put their wallets in their right back >pocket. After long rides, I found that my back around my right >kidney would hurt and one leg would twitch. I started putting >my wallet in my jacket breast pocket, and the symptoms went away. > I am revolted by your conclusion, Ron.... yet another instance of male projection of their wallet habits on the rest of the world. The *REAL* explanation is more subtle and has more far-reaching implications. I began noticing the appearance of three to four times as many tushy zits on my right cheek as on my left. ( And stuff your wallet theory; I don't even _HAVE_ a wallet. ) This led to an exhaustive study of my eating and sitting habits, the details of which I won't bore you with. Suffice it to say the root cause of said zittoids was my tendency to sit askew on my Beemer. My first theory of the cause of that was the torque reaction to driving an opposed-twin-engined bike. This was disproven when I reversed the rotation of the engine. Which led to another quest for the Truth, which is: The reason why 74% (N.I.M.H. paper 1985) to 81% (People magazine V.4 No.6) of m-cycle riders favor the left side of their saddles is to offset the shift to right-wing thinking. A natural balance must be acheived. Let's hope the pendulum swings back soon before we all have to drive our bikes from a side-car. -- Quote: "The police aren't here to create disorder, they're here to preserve disorder." Mayor Richard J. Daly, Chicago, 1968 Disclaimer: Any errors in spelling, tact or fact are transmission errors. Maurice Weitman 9600 ..!{dual,hplabs,lll-crg,ptsfa,glacier}!well!mo | 57600 (415)549-0280 voice (415)549-0388 modem-2400 this^is not 300 mcimail mweitman a pipe 110 P. O. Box 10019 Berkeley, CA 94709
jerem@tekgvs.UUCP (10/20/86)
In article <1950@well.UUCP> mo@well.UUCP (Maurice Weitman) writes: >In article <438@fai.UUCP> ronc@fai.UUCP (Ronald O. Christian) writes: >>In article <239@tekirl.UUCP> donch@tekirl.UUCP (Don Chitwood) writes: >>> >>> [stuff about sideways butts while riding] >>> This thread has certainly become colorful. See what you started, Don? I just wnet out in the garage and checked: The offset cylinder heads on the beemer cause the foot pegs to be offset. Hence the sideways butt, the assymmetric zittoids, and the right-wing politics. I always wondered about those things! Assymmetric and knows why, Jere M. Marrs
marauder@fluke.UUCP (10/20/86)
In article <239@tekirl.UUCP> donch@tekirl.UUCP (Don Chitwood) writes: > >When following other motorcyclists, have you ever noticed how they sit >on the bike? >Don Chitwood My wife when following me in a car tells me that I also do not sit symetrically straight on the motorcycle when I ride. I have attributed it to my feet and their position. I ride with my right foot poised above and touching the brake pedal which is very low so that this position is comfortable. But my left foot is not so important to be in a poised position so I let it hang toe down under the shift lever. That tends to move me to the left to find a more comfortable sitting position with my feet where I want them. Bill Landsborough ps. Au, I am trying to respond to your letter. *&($#@ mailer...
berger@clio.Uiuc.ARPA (10/21/86)
Next time you're at the local hospital, see if they'll show you some spinal x-rays. Everybody has some spine curviture - it's natural - and is probably the cause of people sitting crooked (I suppose it could be the result of it too!).
pag00@amdahl.UUCP (Pria Graves) (10/21/86)
In article <1839@tekgvs.UUCP> jerem@tekgvs.UUCP (Jere Marrs) writes: > In article <1950@well.UUCP> mo@well.UUCP (Maurice Weitman) writes: > >In article <438@fai.UUCP> ronc@fai.UUCP (Ronald O. Christian) writes: > >>In article <239@tekirl.UUCP> donch@tekirl.UUCP (Don Chitwood) writes: > >>> > >>> [stuff about sideways butts while riding] > >>> > This thread has certainly become colorful. See what you started, Don? > > I just wnet out in the garage and checked: The offset cylinder heads > on the beemer cause the foot pegs to be offset. Hence the sideways butt, the > assymmetric zittoids, and the right-wing politics. > > I always wondered about those things! > > Assymmetric and knows why, > > Jere M. Marrs Fine except that those of us with rear sets (or set backs) have foot pegs which are not offset and still tend to sit to the left! (I am also not male and do not carry my wallet in my right pocket on long trips). So we are now back to the politics...... -- Pria ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,nsc}!amdahl!pag00 (408) 746 7539 (Disclaimer: even I don't necessarily agree!)
ahn@houem.UUCP (Au H. Nguyen) (10/21/86)
- Maybe the guy just likes to think he's Randy "Both Cheeks Off The Seat" Mamola, coming into the La Source hairpin at Assen, ready to hang off! |-} Au ihnp4!houem!ahn
hsc@mtuxo.UUCP (Harvey S. Cohen) (10/22/86)
You *don't* lean to the left! The road leans to the *right* and you sit straight! All readers of net.cycle are hereby deputized to check this theory on their next trip to UK or other drive-on-the-left places, where they should lean the other way, and report back to the net. Harvey S. Cohen, mtuxo!hsc Remember! Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do!
ronc@fai.UUCP (10/27/86)
In article <1950@well.UUCP> mo@well.UUCP (Maurice Weitman) writes: >In article <438@fai.UUCP> ronc@fai.UUCP (Ronald O. Christian) writes: >>[...] left bias due to >>most people put their wallets in their right back >>pocket [...] >I am revolted by your conclusion, Ron.... yet another instance of male >projection of their wallet habits on the rest of the world. The *REAL* >explanation is [tusyh zits... zittoids... right cheek...] YOU'RE revolted??? Ron -- -- Ronald O. Christian (Fujitsu America Inc., San Jose, Calif.) seismo!amdahl!fai!ronc -or- ihnp4!pesnta!fai!ronc Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: "If you are seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it."
rh@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU (Randy Haskins) (10/30/86)
Then there's always this reason. Due to a 4-wheeler pulling out in front of me and making me hit it, my bike skidded on its right side for about 30 feet or so. This apparently misaligned the forks a little. It doesn't affect handling, but it does make the handle bars slightly eccentric. Of course, a bigger problem with the steering is the notching that I'm told happens a lot (due to road bumps, which we have a few of in Boston). Random