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Controls/New Rider

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Niagara

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Hello.....retired guy will be taking course in the spring. Looking at cruisers this winter. Someone has suggested that mid-mount controls are better than forward mount controls for new riders, because it gives new guys better control. Anyone have any opinions about this? Thanks.
 
Sure does make it a lot easier to weight the pegs, which imho is a good chunk of motorcycle control to give up,
just for some extra leg room.
 
Basically stand up, but I'm not allowed to actually tell you that because some idiot made it illegal so that people don't stand on the seat.

Foot pegs are huge part of motorcycle control, almost more then the bars.
 
Picture yourself sitting with your arms and legs forward. Every bump goes straight into your spine. Now picture yourself on a dirtbike or bicycle with your legs straight below and acting as shock absorbers for your nice happy spine.

Personally I can't stand the riding position on cruisers as I like to be able to get up on the pegs for a multitude of reasons, but if I were to buy one, the further I was from a C shape the happier I would be.

Definitely look for something with the controls relatively underneath you and then you can just add highway pegs to use if you feel the need to stretch your legs forward (obviously on a cruiser, you aren't going to find something with your legs straight down, I just mean the closer to this position the better IMO).
 
I should have mentioned....I won't be doing a lot of highway riding at all. Not many cruisers with mid-mount controls....Thank you for your replies.
 
Highly recommend a standard format ride,
basically a lightweight 250cc single cylinder enduro bike set up for the street would be a perfect to learn to ride on and the first place to ride it is in the bottom of an abandoned sand pit or on a grassy knoll.
 
You'll want to be able to lift yourself off the bike going over train tracks unless you go very slow over them.
 
LBV said:
You'll want to be able to lift yourself off the bike going over train tracks unless you go very slow over them.
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Yup, and if you are a C shape, it's still possible but destabilizes the bike quite significantly. Not the best situation for learning.
 
If you are learning, think small used cruiser. There will be lots of bikes to sit on at the Winter MC show the first week in Jan.
LBV said:
You'll want to be able to lift yourself off the bike going over train tracks unless you go very slow over them.
Click to expand...
Or wear diapers.
 
Mad Mike said:
Or wear diapers.
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Yeah, for the cushion effect! Just don't scare yourself too much beforehand or it could go squish squish.
 
Getting back to serious.

Despite being the easiest bikes to ride, cruisers are not necessarily the best bikes to learn on.

Pros:
- High torque, low HP - even the little guys are stump pullers when compared to their other bike styles with same displacement. Smooth and predictable roll on of power, no accidental wheelies or burnouts, very forgiving when learning gear selection.
- Forgiving geometry. The low center of gravity and long fork rake make for great bike's stability and tracking.
- Low operating costs. Most use shaft drives, only heavies use dual brakes. They are not hard on tires. Cheapest category to insure.
- Beginners can usually handle 650-800cc cruisers, more than double the size of a beginner Enduro/Standard/ST and ADV bike.

Cons:
- While stability is great, handling on rough or twisty roads doesn't compare to other styles.
- If you have ambitions to learn intermediate or advanced riding techniques, they are tough to learn on a cruiser.
 
No Trials bikes are the easiest bike to ride and best bikes in the world to learn on, but everybody seems to think you need to be a trick monkey to ride one. Mine weighs 160 pounds wet and is covered in mostly plastic, it has a one finger clutch and a one finger brake, it turns on a dime and in first gear it tops out at 5 miles per hour, a mini bike is slightly easier yet but they can't go anywhere decent.
 
another big drawback to foot forward
is that you are locked into one position

as you are unable to take any weight on your legs
your butt sits on the same spot of the seat for the entire ride

after you're riding for a bit you'll realize that is a recipe for whole body soreness
unable to change the angle on knees, hips, shoulders elbow and wrists
sliding your butt even an inch on the seat changes all of those hinge points
 
I have ridden everything over my 40 years riding. Did the cruisers and it killed my butt and back. Now I ride naked sports bikes and standards. The only reason I see for riding a cruiser is that is what you think looks cool. Otherwise a standard or sport standard in my opinion is the bike to ride especially if you are getting up in years. They are lighter and easier to handle than an 600-800 pound cruiser. I had back problems and since going back to a naked sport (Speed Triple) no more back issues!
 
Lot's of valuable information here from experienced riders. But I would say get the bike you want. Not much of this will make a lot of sense until you get some experience riding (whatever bike) as none of them are an exact fit for everyone, and you know what works for you. Unless you are really tall or short then fit might be an issue. The whole forward vs mid controls, sounds like salesperson speak (I got the same speal at the HD dealer). Get a stock bike so you have a baseline of what works or doesn't.
 
You want the footpegs underneath your center of gravity. This way you can stand up on the pegs or shift your weight around from side to side easily. Why would you want to do that ... For more advanced cornering techniques that you won't have yet (may come later), but also so that if you spot a big bump or pothole or rough spot coming up, you can stand up to avoid having your spine take that big hit.

Sport bikes, dirt bikes, adventure bikes, naked bikes all have footpegs positioned that way.
 
taximan62 said:
I'm with @sburns. First identify the type of riding you plan to do, then identify the style of bike that excites you. They don't have to match, but your experience will be better/easier if they do.

Lets assume by your initial post you are thinking cruiser. For about the first 10,000 km you will be a novice -- can't really speed up seat time experience. One of the benefits in crusier design is they are friendlier for beginners, so you can start with a larger bike. There are options from 300 to 800CC that are all starter cruisers (Vstar 250 and Rebel 300/500 if you';re all urban short trips, HD500/750, Vstar 650, Vulcan 650, Boulevard 650/800, Shadow 750) if you plan to hit the open road. These bikes will have pegs set about as far back as possible on cruisers so which adds to control and comfort.

Cruisers are moderately heavier that other options but their geometry and low center of gravity makes them inherently stable and easy to ride, and offers improves low speed handling. Good torque and low HP makes throttle control and gear selection more forgiving than any comparable displacement alternatives - helpful in city riding and inclement weather.

Bikes with controls set really forward are not the best for beginners. First off they are usually heavy cruisers, next they are harder to handle, particularly at low speeds.
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