Table of contents

• Tips and tricks – adapting motorcycle ergonomics Keep your composure
• Handlebars, throttle, levers
• Lever position footrests / gearshift / brake
• Driver equipment
• Racetrack tips

Photo: fact, cook

20th pictures

Cook

1/20
…which we have secured against twisting with an M4 worm screw and a fixing hole.

fact

2/20
Only when the boot is relaxed on the brake lever can you decelerate quickly and in a controlled manner.

fact

3/20
If the lever is too high, the boot has to be lifted awkwardly to brake.

fact

4/20
Scuffed, smooth surfaces of the footrests (right) can be re-sharpened using small grooves.

fact

5/20
Helmets can be “raised” with a foam rubber sheet. ATTENTION: do not use aggressive glue.

fact

6/20
Not possible: T-shirt and underpants under the leather (left). Nothing sticks or tightens with an undersuit.

fact

7/20
In spring there is a slightly tinted, new visor with pinlock and a cozy buff against cold drafts.

fact

8/20
For the new season there is also a fresh assortment of earplugs ready to hand in the breast pocket.

fact

9/20
If the rear brake is too poisonous for whom on the racetrack, an additional spring can make it “dull”.

fact

10/20
On the left in the picture a standard breaking point, on the right it was subsequently attached through a 6-hole blind hole.

fact

11/20
External seams improve comfort and durability of tight-fitting gloves.

fact

12/20
If the brake pump is installed too far outwards, leverage and grip ergonomics are not optimal.

fact

13/20
Mounted 10 mm further inside, the grip position and braking effect are correct thanks to the longer lever arm.

fact

14/20
After the adjustment, the freedom of movement is checked over the entire lever path.

fact

15/20
The clamps of the hand levers are usually asymmetrical, first apply at the top, then clamp at the bottom.

Cook

16/20
Bolts on the brake pump that have run dry run hard and jerkily. Therefore lubricate regularly.

fact

17/20
On the opener throttle cable, the play of the throttle grip is reduced to about one to a maximum of two millimeters.

Cook

18/20
This greasy, slippery rubber grip should urgently be exchanged for a new, non-slip part.

fact

19/20
Real leather bulges form in the palm of the hand on the left glove, but on the right everything remains smooth.

fact

20/20
For racing only: best ergonomics and surefootedness with Turbomax notches (turbomax-footpegs.com)…

counselor

technology & future

Adjust motorcycle ergonomics

Tips and tricks – adapting motorcycle ergonomics
Keep your composure

Content of

Motorcycles ride well and safely

In the course of evolution, man has developed to walk upright, but if things are to go quickly, the hunched over has an advantage. And with the PS tips, nothing tweaks or tweaks in the crouching position.

Werner Koch

03/10/2015

Sun, mild breeze, nothing like going up on the goat. After months of abstinence, there is no stopping it. Or is it? You should take the quarter of an hour to simply check again whether you really fit the motorcycle perfectly. Because more often than you think you have got used to one or the other “misalignment”.

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Optimal handling is a basic requirement for a safe, relaxed ride. As with all technical sports, every grip, every command and every impulse has to be precisely and finely dosed.

Handlebars, throttle, levers

fact

If the brake pump is installed too far outwards, leverage and grip ergonomics are not optimal.

When placing the palms of the hands on the brake and clutch handles, they must form a line with the forearms in a normal sitting position. If not, the tendons run over the angled wrist like a Bowden cable over a kink. Fits? Then we check the grip on the brake lever. The brake fingers, depending on strength and preference, two (ring / middle finger) or three (plus index finger) should rest on the end of the brake lever if possible.

This is the only way to fully utilize the leverage effect. If the fingers reach too close to the pivot point, braking power and controllability are lost. The brake pump is often too close to the throttle grip and can be moved to the middle of the handlebar by loosening the clamping screws. To be on the safe side, after this adjustment it is checked whether the brake lever can be pulled through to the handle without contact.

fact

The clamps of the hand levers are usually asymmetrical, first apply at the top, then clamp at the bottom.

To do this, the brake pistons on the calipers are pushed back slightly into their seat. This can be done by hand with floating panes. If not, the pads are carefully pushed back with a rounded mounting lever. Then the brake lever can be pulled all the way to the rubber grip. It must not collide with other components (gas cables, fittings).

A little tip: One of the clamping screws on the hand lever is usually marked with an arrow or punch mark. This is first tightened so that the clamp lies flat, now the clamping is activated with the second screw.

Cook

Bolts on the brake pump that have run dry run hard and jerkily. Therefore lubricate regularly.

Since the long brake lever generates high forces and surface pressures at the pivot point, the bolt and the contact surface with the brake piston must be clean and lightly greased. This is the only way to adjust the brake evenly and finely.

ATTENTION: After making any changes to the setting of the front and rear brake levers or changing the brake lines, the so-called sniffing clearance must be checked. This guarantees that the brake pressure is completely reduced after releasing and a free passage to the expansion tank is created. If this is not the case, for example because the stop was bent or set too tightly, the heating up brake fluid builds up so much pressure that the wheel can lock.

fact

On the opener throttle cable, the play of the throttle grip is reduced to about one to a maximum of two millimeters.

Too much play, on the other hand, should be avoided on the throttle. The twist grip should move a maximum of one to two millimeters. More play can increase the load change shock that occurs when the gas is applied. This play can be set with the length adjustment on the opening cable. Then the handlebars are turned to the left and right with the engine running to ensure that the cable is not overstretched and the idle speed is increased in the process.

On motorcycles with high mileage, the friction surface on the handlebars should also be cleaned and, if necessary, smoothed again with lapping cloth.

Cook

This greasy, slippery rubber grip should urgently be exchanged for a new, non-slip part.

The rubber grips on the handlebars can be replaced by replacement parts with a soft rubber compound for a secure, full grip. As with good tires, the profile, i.e. the surface structure, plays less of a role than the rubber compound. However, soft rubber grips wear out and have to be replaced from time to time.

But that’s always better than greasy, slippery grips with which the feeling for the front wheel is lost and you have to grab harder. Which in the long run can lead to fatigue of the forearm muscles.

fact

Real leather bulges form in the palm of the hand on the left glove, but on the right everything remains smooth.

Everything should also fit on the counterpart to the rubber grips, the gloves. Often, however, an annoying leather bulge forms in the palm of the hand. With tight-fitting, strongly pre-curved gloves, this problem is almost eliminated. In the picture you can also see that the seams of the fingers are on the outside.

What looks cheap at first glance has clear advantages in terms of wearing comfort, because the long seams on the finger joints do not press or rub. So that you do not have to go to the workshop immediately after a slight fall or tipping over, predetermined breaking points should be attached to the handbrake and clutch levers, if they are not already included as standard. A 6-millimeter blind hole can be made about 30 millimeters after the ball. If the lever breaks off at this point instead of at the joint, you can continue your journey without restrictions.

Lever position footrests / gearshift / brake

fact

Only when the boot is relaxed on the brake lever can you decelerate quickly and in a controlled manner.

Because the rear brake also plays an important role in road traffic, keyword wetness or gravel, the height of the brake pedal should be adjusted so that the foot does not have to be lifted to build up brake pressure. Only when the sole is relaxed on the pedal can this be properly dosed from the first moment.

If the pedal is too high, there is also the risk that the brake disc will be unintentionally hot braked by permanent, light pressure. On the opposite side, the shift lever is also adjusted in height so that it can be operated without twisting when shifting up or down.

fact

Scuffed, smooth surfaces of the footrests (right) can be sharpened using small grooves.

Aluminum footpegs with a jagged contour often rub smoothly. When it is wet or when you are actively hanging-off driving, the grip is not far off. Either the notches are exchanged or sharpened. A wide saw blade, a cutting disc or a narrow file blade are good for this.

After making the grooves, do not break the edges with a dish file, but leave them sharp-edged. To be on the safe side, the grooves should only be deepened lengthways. This could become a predetermined breaking point across and directly at the joint.

Driver equipment

fact

Helmets can be “raised” with a foam rubber sheet. ATTENTION: do not use aggressive glue.

If you sit hunched over on the motorcycle, you should make sure that the top edge of the helmet does not restrict your view. This is necessary if the line of sight goes far ahead when cornering, possibly even when driving steeply upwards. If the helmet is too low, the driver is forced to overstretch the neck strongly backwards. Because this posture is exhausting in the long run, one tries to avoid it.

With the result that the line of sight is neglected in the truest sense of the word. A round foam rubber sheet can help. ATTENTION: to fix the foam rubber insert only use glue that does not attack the polystyrene inner shell.

If there is tension and tweaking, it won’t work. Therefore, if possible, use a two-piece undersuit for leather clothing in all seasons. In the T-shirt and underpants, the inner lining sticks to the skin, the leather suit is tight and difficult to put on and take off. The sports underwear is available with a cooling effect or as a warming version, depending on the season.

fact

In spring there is a slightly tinted, new visor with pinlock and a cozy buff against cold drafts.

In the transitional period, when the first rays of sunshine announce spring, but the temperatures are still frosty in the shade, the anti-fog visors ensure a fog-free view and a fluffy buff put over the neck and neck for cozy warmth. This universally applicable cloth also covers the chin and ears as required.

Also important for the new season: a set of fresh earplugs that should always be close at hand in your breast pocket or under the bench. Adapted earplugs must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected in winter.

Racetrack tips

fact

For racing only: best ergonomics and surefootedness with Turbomax notches (turbomax-footpegs.com) …

If the rear brake is too toxic on the racetrack, you can defuse it with a compression spring between the lever and the brake pump. Depending on the preload, a counter pressure is built up that reduces the braking effect. During assembly, it is essential to ensure that the spring is not supported on the Simmerring. The best solution: a thrust washer with the outer diameter of the Simmerring or a precisely fitting aluminum turned part with a neat fixation of the spring.

In our case, the valve spring of a CBR 600 was misused. The Turbomax footrests, with a large, ergonomically well-formed and non-slip step surface, give a completely new, full feeling when hanging-off. Actually a logical thing, as the contact area of ​​the boot is much larger than that of a conventional, round footrest.

The best racetrack training with the MOTORRAD action team

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