Master Yoda Riding Position

Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum

Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Curious... anyone who thinks this "master yoda" riding position is something new or unknown, have you ridden any kind of sport bike for more than 10 minutes? Not trying to sound insulting, seriously curious about the experiences.
It was new & unknown to me until fairly recently. When I got back from my FJR's maiden voyage to Boise, I commented on a message board that I found myself putting a lot of weight on my forearms. Then an acquaintance showed me the MYRP link, and voila, no more sore wrists or shoulders. I'm just saying that the MYRP doesn't necessarily come naturally to everybody. As in my case (and many others from the sound of it), it had to be learned and practiced.
Yeah, I should have worded that differently... sounds way more abrupt than I meant it. I only meant to say that the lean-over seating is a fairly well known issue and there is a learned(able) technique to it that sport bike enthusiasts have been going on about for years. I never really bought into it until trying to do several-hundred-mile days on a sport bike. It only takes one of them for you to reconsider riding positions :)
More to this than just "lean- over seating"! It is allowing your elbows to drop and relax and level off your forearms. It is feeling the pegs with your feet. No offence taken with your comment but many of us have ridden a lot of different bikes (mine have included the VFR, Hayabusa, Ninja, etc) and still are happy to learn and re learn better ways to have more fun and tire less.

 
More to this than just "lean- over seating"! It is allowing your elbows to drop and relax and level off your forearms. It is feeling the pegs with your feet. No offence taken with your comment but many of us have ridden a lot of different bikes (mine have included the VFR, Hayabusa, Ninja, etc) and still are happy to learn and re learn better ways to have more fun and tire less.
To me, this is the classic America v/s the World concept -- there was a time when (pretty much) only American bikes had big h/bars (often called "western bars"). In the early days of foreign bikes, the low bars were removed and higher/wider bars installed by the importer/dealer when the bikes got here. For the fwd/lo-bar riding position to be fully functional, one needs to ride with verve and elan -- and, without a barn-door windscreen. The early FJR windscreen in the down position will allow enough air to spill over (at good speed) to help support a big-guy. This kind of riding position is at the heart of sport riding but is anathema to most tourers.

Sport-Touring -- a contradiction in terms.....?? :eek: :unsure: ;)

 
Ya mean I can't ride Jesse James hunch back style any more? Coming from a HD cruiser with forward controls to the FJR was a WAKEUP call for sure. Yes the article did make me think on the positioning of the bod in relation to the bike more. And yes it does make sense. And with the condition of my bod, I need all the help I can get. One thing I have learned here is while practicing this on the road, it not only helps to keep me even more aware of what I am doing on the bike, but what the bike is doing. This is good. Yes, master, I have begun the journey to oneness.....PM. <>< :D

 
I would like to hear some of our experienced Iron Butt-Heads to post their thoughts on this topic.

I think it is more about Pilates' core stabilization. An arched back is just as harmful as a slouched back, and probably more so since those muscles are less developed. Yoda's arching of the back may just be to offset the normal poor posture.

The ideal would be to stabilize your core via sphincter/ab tension, and continue to focus on proper alignment with the correct amount of tension. Plus, using the legs as springs to get some weight off the saddle reduces un-sprung weight - like a jockey does on a horse. This is good for your back and good for the bike's handling.

IMH-Non IB-O

This thread could devolve into a health thread just like the CBRxx forum's 7 pounds = 1 HP.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
OK - so I read it, I think I'm doin' it right but --

Anyone got a link to some pictures of good / bad versions of the MYRP ??

thx

 
Good one 818Guy, the photo shop does show the alignment. When I use to do the LD driving with the 18 wheeler, one thing drivers were taught was keeping the correct posture for pain relief. An exercise for this is to use this same posture indicated and while seated with the weight off the wheel(bars), suck the stomach in and move the hips forward, then relax. This helps strengthen the stomach and back muscles and keep the posture correct. It does work. PM. <>< :D

 
Here is a better view of the correct posture - though in a different venue.

nudeorga.jpg


Enjoy!

 
Here is a better view of the correct posture - though in a different venue.
nudeorga.jpg


Enjoy!
Ah, that's very helpful to see without bulky riding clothes, but which RAM ball mount(s) do you use to hold the organ?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have taken the liberty to edit Mr. Frantz's original text. I hope not to offend Mr. Frantz and if this does I will remove it immediately.
[You sit on top of a sport bike. You sit within a K1200RS. Sport bikes require getting weight off your butt so the rider can slide his/her butt inside corners to affect a different cg. Consequently sport bikes induce weight on the handle bars. Someone sitting on a K1200RS will note some ergonomic differences, and fall toward, positioning their body as if they were riding a sport bike. They probably also carry forward certain muscle memories developed, from other seating positions.

People have learned to sit upright. It is not a function for which the human body was designed, and continued practice causes damage. Automobiles promulgate the poor seated position. Only lately have they applied several things like lumbar support to keep that position from killing the user. Most motorcycles continue the promulgation to one degree or another. They emulate "sit upright," (so much so that the term UJM (universal Japanese motorcycle) was partially defined by a riding position called - sit up and beg, like a puppy. This position became a mental norm. We think that's how a motorcycle is ridden.

The important thing to remember is you learned to do it that way, and you can learn something else. The largest, developed, muscle memory is the angle between torso and thighs. This is controlled by the largest muscles involved in riding. Southeast Asian peoples go about teaching their kids to squat, and that brings on an entirely different thigh/torso relationship. That posture is much more common across all of Asia. Some things can be difficult to overcome for some folks when they have become habits rather than cognizant, controlled responses. A great example is about leaning motorcycles in corners.

The human develops a sense of danger when leaning any farther than when they stand up. Danger signals are sent when lean angle extends much beyond the angle the neck can be bent and still keep the eyes level (20 to 30 degrees). It is our response to body signals that can make up our "sense" of our comfort levels. Those things can change when we control them, rather than the other way round. The K1200RS was designed to promote a canted forward riding position. This was done on purpose by BMW. They knew it was required to get the K1200RS performing to the desired levels, and to keep the rider comfortable for long periods of time, in the regimes where the bike was intended to be most often used (i.e. not riding on city streets). It all starts with a low seating position -- not a high position like a sport bike.

BMW then set out to discover what else needed to be done: add comfort to this position and provide a supporting airflow; support the position by moving the pegs downward while still allowing good ground clearance for cornering; reduce effort to maintain the position by moving them forward to change the support vector. This removes the need to place any weight on the handle bars. Do so if you wish, but you'll pay the price in comfort. You'll also find that you make the bike feel dull and unresponsive, when compared to properly distributing your weight about the bike. Properly is appropriate here in light of gaining the performance qualities BMW built into the bike. Perhaps the motorcycle magazines don't find the riding qualities we owners do when they test the K1200RS: they are riding it differently than it was designed to be ridden.

The keynotes to the riding position are:

1. Bend at the hips, not at the waist.

2. Maintain a slight arch to the back, not allowing it to curve.

3. Move the butt aft so the weight is over your feet.

4. Using your thigh muscles to support your weight.

The goal is to distribute all your weight over your butt and feet – not on your hands.

Move fore and aft on the seat to make all those things happen. Except for the hip bend, they are not absolutes, but rather ranges. Move about until you can see all of them are happening to some extent with no weight being placed on the handlebars. Do this when the bike is stationary. Take the time to sit on the parked bike. Practice - one must teach their own body. You’ll notice that all good training is done by abstract exercises, not just running off to the playing field and doing what you heard. Learn to press down with the feet. Then, when riding, check that's what you are actually doing.

You should be able to lift your butt off the seat at a millisecond’s notice: as when knowingly approaching a severe bump in the road. Learn to bend at the hips. Do it both ways, and show yourself that you can operate the body differently. Be willing to touch that gas tank. Some people are incredibly fearful of touching a gas tank -- it's almost laughable. If you fear scratching the tank, get some clear tank protectors. Better to think "the gas tank is my friend." it will be some day when you are six hundred miles into your ride and still two hundred miles from your destination.

Your body is not yet trained to operate that way. Flap your elbows like a chicken to relax your arms occasionally. Prove you have your weight supported, mostly by your feet and butt. Even after 25,000 miles on an RS, I end up leaning onto the bars and need to readjust my position. Many people will need to change the riding position they use for riding on the K1200RS. Because "sit up" is so common in our lives, it can come to seem we are not operating the body, even to just sit. But, sit on a wooden stool for six hours and feel what you encounter.

The mind controls the body in healthy people. Take the time to sit on the stationary bike when you are learning. Flex, tighten, relax, and move about across a small but definite range of positions on the bike. Without moving, flex all your body muscles, in order, from the feet toward the hands and head. Feel what that feels like when you relax each muscle, and are still holding the proper riding position. close your eyes and feel it. Not all the muscles are fully relaxed. You are using some of them. How? How much? Why? Then, when you've done that for all the body's muscles, flex them all, and relax and feel it over all.

Even go so far as to stand back 10 feet and look at yourself if you can. Attempt to maintain that position, within reason, for as long in your ride as you can. When you are tire, stop. get off the bike and bend, stretch, and flex all your muscles. Walk until you feel normal, and then get back on the bike in the proper position. Repeat. You'll find you ride longer and longer, and comfort grows and grows. Eventually, it will seem normal.

If you notice tightness or pain, stop. You are compensating for something that has already become tired. You need to develop the muscles that you tired out. Right then, it will be had to find that muscle. The next time you start riding; do a better job of finding what muscles you really need to use to hold that position. Begin by riding in a relaxed environment so you can pay attention to your muscles. Continue to adjust your weight distribution via the elbow flapping, weight transfer between feet and butt, and neck twisting. I promise that if you are doing this correctly your riding pains will disappear.

Even Master Yoda gets tired during a 14 hour riding day, and sometimes during just a six hour riding day. Build up your thigh muscles. Let them do the work. Even with bad knees and a bad back I can ride this lovely performing machine from sunrise to long past sunset.

Blessings to you all, Dick Frantz so cal]


Bruce

I know Master Yoda......Master Yoda is a friend of mine..........yer...your no Master Yoda....

Just kiddin with ya Bruce. I'm sure he wouldn't mind.

Master Yoda...........Dick is a friend of mine...a very good friend....a wonderful man that writes about all kinds of things....one of the biggest hearts you'll ever know....when superbike racing was invented, he raced in the first event.

A couple pix of the man himself.

He's on the far right...I'm in middle and "Phillyflash" is on the left.....Highway 141...at the Plumes. In June of 06

62382685.jpg


Our bikes getting ready for lift off.

77333260-L.jpg


September 06 in Torrey UT....giving us a little love before we go ridin...

99856228-L.jpg


Some day I hope ya'll get to meet the man.

A great rider and an even better friend.

Whip

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I like that picture in the desert. Only thing better than an FJR... 4 FJRs!!!!!!!

Been practicing this riding position. Only trouble I have is during breaking. I find I'm either really squeezing my legs around the tank or putting a lot of weight on my handlebars.

 
I like that picture in the desert. Only thing better than an FJR... 4 FJRs!!!!!!!
Been practicing this riding position. Only trouble I have is during breaking. I find I'm either really squeezing my legs around the tank or putting a lot of weight on my handlebars.
Put more wait on the pegs during braking....by doing this you should be able to distribute the wait to more contact points....and keep the wait lower in the bike.

Whip

 
I'm in love again. After reading the MYRP article on the BMW website, I practiced at home this sitting position while at my computer. This morning I took off the risers and Koubalinks, the bike is back to stock. Just returned from a 3.5 hour non-stop run and I'm smiling. The problem wasn't the bike it was me . Although I had to remind myself several times during the ride, pivot at the hips, arch the back, relax the arms, I can say the bike feels like a different animal. It definitely take practice and will honestly take some time before it's completely natural to me but the difference is dramatic. I'm not sure if it will help others but it definitely made my day more enjoyable.
FYI, I'm 59 years old, 5'6" tall and weigh 160lbs.

I've attached the link to the MYRP article below for any interested in reading.

Take care and enjoy!

https://bmwrt.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?C...0560&page=0



Hey....Thanks ....I 'm still reading the page you linked to but It's really informative!

 
Just a quick comment. As an '03 K1200RS owner for 5 years, I can tell you my '07 FJR is basically identical to the KRS ergonomically speaking, in case you were wondering.

And yes, you have to be in some sort of shape to ride any sport/sport-touring bike any distance; one more reason to hit the gym. If you have a big belly, you won't be able to bend at the hips on such bikes, since your belly would hit the tank... and scratch it < he he>. Bending at the hips keeps your back basically straight, and helps to keep your shoulders in the right position (aligned with your back, not forward). And yes, even after 5 years, sometimes I need to remind myself of that... or shoulder pain does.

As a final comment, after adopting the MYRP, I could ride longer on the BMW than the GL1800. But try one at a dealership, and the Wing feels more comfortable hands down. Later gang.

JC

 
Hi guys!

As a FJR-newbie I would really like to have a picture that describes the MYRP (even if the naked pianoguy was funny). The old links has long died I'm afraid..

 
Can someone explain to what the difference is bending at the waist not the hips?
I'll give it a shot.

When you bend at the hips, your spine remain straight(er). When you bend at the waist, your lower back, or lumbar, is curved. This can put stress on your spine and can make it difficult to support your weight without putting some of that weight on your wrists and shoulders.

It's really more of a fold at the hip joint you want. Ever tried yoga? It helps, though the position can be tough to hold for long periods of time for those of us who have not done it much.

 
Top