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The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

How Well Does a Motorcycle Fit? Ask Cycle Ergo

By Paul Crowe

Cycle Ergo motorcycle ergonomics
Cycle Ergo Harley Davidson forty eight

Have you ever looked at a photo of a particular motorcycle and wondered how well you would fit? Sometimes that great looking bike is a nightmare when you actually try to fit yourself to the proportions of the seat, bars and foot pegs. So, without finding one to sit on, how can you tell? Try Cycle Ergo. It’s a graphic program where you select the model you’re interested in, plug in your measurements of height and inseam and the graphic gives you a pretty good idea of how your body would be positioned. You can make adjustments to raise and lower the seat, change the bar position and you can even compare two or more motorcycles at the same time. There’s a fair selection of bikes to choose from so if the one you want to see isn’t there, maybe you can find one that’s close.

Cycle Ergo motorcycle ergonomics
Cycle Ergo Ducati

It’s certainly not going to be perfect, but it’s a neat tool to get a general idea.

The site is just the one page and there’s no information about who put this out there, but I think it’s pretty neat.

Thanks for the tip, Jake!

Link: Cycle Ergo

Cycle Ergo Buell 1125
Cycle Ergo Buell 1125

Posted on November 16, 2010 Filed Under: Motorcycle Technology


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Comments

  1. FREEMAN says

    November 16, 2010 at 1:14 pm

    Only a handful of bikes below 600cc.

  2. SteveD says

    November 16, 2010 at 4:34 pm

    One interesting result that verified my thinking on the V-Rod. According to this program, my 29-30 inch inseam is too short o reach the forward pegs. I had to kick it up to 32 inches.

  3. dellortodiagonale says

    November 16, 2010 at 4:49 pm

    Very clever! I like it.
    Considering that bikes are getting bigger and bigger, taller and taller, and provided formulation is reliable, it can be very useful, expecially for those who (like me) are rather short and light.
    Very tall guys could particularly appreciate it as well.
    Let’s hope they keep the site updated.

  4. Tinman says

    November 16, 2010 at 4:54 pm

    Kind of a neat program, but you can pretty much tell at a glance how uncomfortable a bike will be by the bar height alone. A racing tuck may look cool, but you dont see many folks touring in that position. The human body can adapt to most bikes just fine, even forward controls if for some reason thats your choice.

  5. todd says

    November 16, 2010 at 11:57 pm

    Tinman, I used to think the same way until I sat on a modern bike. The seat is so far forward now that there isn’t much of a reach to the bars – even if they’re really low. Ducati’s notwithstanding.

    One thing I’m noticing from this site is that I make these bikes look smaller than I thought. I’m 6′-3″, 175 pounds and bikes like the BMW F650GS (I mean G650?) won’t fit me as well as I thought they would.

    -todd

  6. Tinman says

    November 17, 2010 at 8:12 am

    Todd 6foot 3″ 175Lbs is pretty tall and lean, Im only 5foot 10″ 200 Lbs. So I guess we are from different ends of the spectrom. I do have flat bars and rearsets on my Sportster, but I cant bend enough for clip ons. My brother just sold his BMW 1200S with low bars and picked up a BMW GS1200, Mid bars with rearsets are good for both of us. I would own a V-Rod if they ever got the pegs right, A couple years ago Harley tried a rearset version but it was still all wrong. I think the screwed up ergos are one of the major factors in the slow V-Rod sales in the U.S… The new Triumph Thruxton has a bit higher bar now than it used to have, might be a good middle ground.

  7. Hawk says

    November 17, 2010 at 8:13 am

    Since a couple of back surgeries (10 screws and L1 to L5 fusion), my forward lean and reach are somewhat limited. So is clipping toenails. Being able to see the effect of risers without the expense of trial and error, is very beneficial.

    Must agree with FREEMAN, there needs to be more bikes but, even as it is, you can get close to a representitive machine.

    I passed this on to a motorcycle sales friend who thinks this will be a great bike match tool. Maybe. It’s a lot better than trying to convince shop after shop to let you take a crotch rocket for a “test flight”. As they say, “It takes so long to fill out the paperwork when the guy crashes ….”

  8. Dawg says

    November 17, 2010 at 9:13 am

    This is really useful. I have passed this on to friends who train new and advanced motorcyclists who can be confused by the choice of bikes out there.

    I’m pretty long legged but I can see what a problem it can be for those who aren’t to be able to maneuver a bike around.

    The new Triumph Tiger 800 looks very comfortable from this, cant wait to try one.

  9. David says

    November 17, 2010 at 3:49 pm

    I used my body dimensions, to determine that I need a cycle shaped like an “Athletic Supporter” (Jockstrap) in additional to having crutch rubbers under my arm pits!

  10. Mule says

    November 17, 2010 at 4:22 pm

    Having many years of bicycle riding/racing experience, where a purchse consists first of bike or frame and then components to make it fit the rider perfectly, I wonder why it doesn’t apply to motorcycles. I’ve heard many times, “I’m not paying $12.5K for a bike that I have to change the GD bars on first thing!”

    On a motorcycle, it is rarely considered that the bike may need to be modified to make it comfortable as far as peg position, bar height/width, etc. No, they can’t make a bike that fits everyone perfect. Going to a different model or brand because the pegs are too high and at the price if bikes, I would just get the bike I like the most and then modify as required.

    So, the way this program could be use would be knowing what you like and then seeing how much or how many modifications would be involved in getting comfy on the bike you want to own or a given model. Yay/nay?

  11. rob says

    November 17, 2010 at 9:34 pm

    Yay, informed choice.

  12. SteveB says

    November 18, 2010 at 11:21 am

    Ditto on Mule’s comments – I spent 20+ years as primarily a cyclist in between my first and current stints as a motorcyclist, and the first thing you check before buying a new bike or frame is whether the geometry/fit suits your body/riding style, and the first thing you do after you get it is to get your position dialed in to the mm. The lack of ergonomic adjustability on most motorcycles that most take for granted looks ridiculous coming from that perspective. Good to see some companies, like KTM with the RC8 for example, do understand that one size doesn’t fit all.

    So a good idea to have a reference to check fit, but there’s some coding work yet to do on that cycle ergo program that means the current iteration has very limited utility. Note that as you adjust other parameters it changes your arm length, meaning the results for upper body position are pretty much useless. If you keep your height the same and lengthen your inseam, it does shorten the torso but lengthens your arm since it’s working off the % arm straightness. They need to add a few more inputs such as arm length, as well as define the inputs better; such as whether inseam is what you wear in pants size or whether it’s crotch to ground like you’d use in a cycling fit.

    Good start though – hope to see that one get better and to see more companies thinking about fit and including some built-in adjustability in footpegs, bars, and saddle ala KTM.

  13. steve w says

    November 18, 2010 at 8:14 pm

    I don’t think any program can work for some of us. Some people have no body issues (injuries or just plain beatup) and others have who knows what for issues. For me it has become knees and hips. I have a hard time on my Triumph and sportsters mid controls and my 4 wheelers. I like forward controls but further out that current HD standards which is why I build my own bikes. They can fit me. I’m only 5’9″. I can’t do the lean forward riding style with low bars because my neck can’t be bent back in that position. I can’t even ride most mountian bicycles very far. another example is a Harley Ultra which so many seem to like and I hate. I find it the worlds most uncomfortable motorcycle. Scoot you forward to make room for the tour pac and then the forwards become to close and that bends the knees to much plus puts the upper leg in an upward bend and in 30 miles my knees are killing me and then it goes to my hips. Gotta stretch out more. It’s just not easy to describe or figure out.

  14. Jeff says

    November 19, 2010 at 7:46 am

    Be Careful. It doesn’t seem completely accurate to me, based on several in house examples. Especially on the Arm Reach/Forward Lean

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