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Standing on the pegs: a good thing
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The question came up around the dinner table recently about what a non-rider observer thinks is happening when a motorcyclist stands on the pegs while riding through an intersection.
Even though that was the only unusual feature in this rider’s behavior, observers were nonetheless convinced that what the rider was doing was dangerous, and probably constituted “stunting.”
Actually, that’s far from true.
Jim Davis and I have found ourselves riding for dozens of miles at highway speeds while standing on our pegs. In our case, the usual reason for doing that has been that we were a long way from a place to pull off the road when the sky opened up, and it began to rain on us - hard. It was almost impossible to see clearly through raindrops on a windscreen and helmet visor, but with frigid air coming down on us fast, we needed to continue to ride until we could find shelter. Standing up improved our ability to see the road, along with opening the visor to remove at least one layer of distortion. (Yeah, you do get rain in your face -- but unlike your windscreen, your eyes have built-in "wipers".)
Most riders will find that standing briefly on their pegs is helpful when crossing a railroad track, so as not to get “slapped” by the various jolts as the rear tire moves across the rails. It’s also well known that standing on your pegs while negotiating difficult pavement (or dirt) at slow speeds can aid in your control of the bike. It’s far easier to move a bike to one side or the other without having to move yourself with it.
There’s one other time a rider might consider standing on his pegs while moving, even at highway speeds. Again this involves visibility, but here it’s to make you more visible to others. Suppose, for example, that you are riding down a two-lane road that's marked with a line between traffic moving in opposite directions. You notice a commercial area to your right. What are the odds that an oncoming car might decide to turn left across your path to enter that area?
It depends on whether the driver of that oncoming vehicle notices you.
The BEST behavior in that condition is to slow down in anticipation that you might have to stop or dodge a left-turner (with a cell phone glued to his ear). But that isn’t the only thing that you can do to increase your odds out there.
You can make yourself more visible. By law, you’re required to have your headlights on, and you can wear light colored clothes with reflective patches. You can also turn on a headlight modulator or flash your brights on and off. (That last idea isn’t so good, because it might be interpreted as your signal giving the other driver 'permission' to encroach on your right of way). You can also gently swerve from side to side within your lane.
Or you can stand on your pegs! That certainly makes you more visible to others. It need not destabilize the bike, and it cannot be misinterpreted as a signal giving away your rights.
With all the various styles and designs of motorcycles out there, some bikes, especially cruisers, have forward controls, making it very difficult to stand on the pegs for any length of time. My bike is a cruiser, but I have a backrest on my Corbin saddle; and on other bikes where I had none, I usually had luggage strapped to the pillion. With forward controls, it takes a lot of athleticism (more than I have) to keep pulling hard on the grips in order to stand without some support for your rear.
Some riders may find it possible to take a position where the rider is straddling the tank close to the triple tree (in order to be on those forward pegs), but this may mean that steering is compromised. On other bikes, with the pegs farther to the rear, the rider may look more like a jockey than a biker while he's standing, leaned far over the tank with his rear in the sky and head and hands forward.
Most riders in the South have mastered one trick that works well if they can stand up for a few seconds, at least: the breeze that blows through is magnificently refreshing!
If you want practice how to stand up and ride on your own motorcycle, it's probably easiest to do this the first few times while it isn't moving, and preferably with the bike on its centerstand. Once you know what position will be required, if you have to do it while riding, you'll be able to get into it quickly and with confidence.
Standing on the pegs may be misinterpreted by observers as stunting, but so long as it works to keep you safer out there, those observers are not going to have a chance to state an opinion about an accident that never happened to you.
For more safe riding ideas, visit Motorcycle Tips and Techniques, at www.msgroup.org. Send email to Cash@msgroup.org.
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