How do increase your leg strength for motorcycle riding?

Question

I am a small and rather slim guy. I would like to start riding motorcycles with my friends and was wondering how to make my legs stronger for holding up the bike?

Answer 1

when the bike is balanced, it really doesnt take much strength to hold it up. to lift it after u drop it, that's a different story. it's much easier to lift a scoot with the legs than try to yank it up with ur arms. bikes like gold wings can easily be 850 pounds, sportsters about 560, rice rockets under 500....but the right technique makes lifting a bike a snap. u might wind up droppin it by the typical rookie mistake of grabbin a handful of front brake when the bars are turned at slow speed. if it does happen, here's the way to get the bike back up without givin yerself a hernia from tryin to pick it up the wrong way.

face away from the bike, then scrunch down and put ur azz just a tad under the seat. pull the left handlebar as close to the tank as possible (if the bike dropped to the left), then get a good grip on an area between the passenger seat and the rider seat. keep the back straight, and walk the bike backwards. if u had ur butt in the right area on the side of the saddle, the bike will go up as light as a feather, and if u do a quick jerk, u can wind up flippin the bike over to the other side. it dont matter if it's a itty bitty 2 stroker, or a 'monster' like a gold wing....they'll all go up just as easy, and even a 105 pound girl can lift a 850 pound touring rig up with this technique.

Answer 2

Well, here is how I did it. I started out with a bike I could hold up. Easily. All the time. It was not the pretty little FXDWG in my avatar pic, but I also started 20 years ago. It won't take you that long since I was on an H-D Sporty after less than three years of the Japanese bikes.

There is never a better test than actually riding the bike. I have hurt my ankles while putting them down in places I should not have, way too quickly, and usually only one leg since I was off balance. I now wear high top motorcycle boots, and lace them tightly, to get some extra support.

I also busted my left leg when I tried to do a "dirt bike" ***** on the mid size one. I have learned not to do that any more. Arm curls (What planet is he from!) and leg excersizes will not help. I was in the Army when I got my first bike, and we did plenty of excersize, I can tell you! My legs were just fine for running. For holding a bike up, nope. Not without some practice. Strong legs made not a damn bit of difference that I could tell.

I am over six foot tall and have a 36 inch inseam. I have no problem resting flatfoot during a stop. On MY type of bike that is. I have seen little ladies (I won't call them girls, I like where my nuts are now.) on bigger bikes, and even some of the new "store bought" choppers, on "tippie-toe", and they handle the bike just fine.

Get used to using two wheels. It's easy if you start out small. I know younger people don't like to do that, but that's how they get to be older people! Buy used. You won't be very good at MC maintenance at the start. They ain't a car. (DUH!) It will save you money just to sell it someone else who is starting out and go a little bigger.

My favorite set of training wheels was a '79 Yamaha XS 650 Special. I could not see anything special about it, except that after seven years it still had most of it's exhaust left, and the brakes worked when it didn't rain. It was heavy, hard to steer, (The handlebars sucked!) and needed lots of TLC. But it got me ready for a real bike. (This one, the Yammie, was the one I broke my leg on.)

It's the only "older" bike (non-H-D) that I have pictures of. I don't even have pictures of my second wife! (I was still learning to ride!) Learn safe, then ride safe. Spending big bucks on a bike, then breaking a leg ain't the way to go. Heels in the wind one day Dude! Heels in the wind!

Answer 3

You may be "petite" but women generally have longer legs than men - you've seen 5'2 men riding, so can you. The area you may have trouble with is upper body strength; often men are more muscular through the chest and arms and have longer torsos so if the bike starts to tip they have a better chance of holding it up. This means that the weight of the bike, and it's centre of gravity will be a factor for you. Provided you can sit on it with both feet touching the ground I would highly recomend the honda cbr 125 or, failing that, the kawasaki ninja 250. The bike manufacturers are slowly waking up to the fact that women ride too, and that not everyone wants the fastest bike with the most horsepower. Scooters and smaller displacement bikes are selling in higher volumes. Even motorcycle riders are getting fuel efficiency conscious and this means more choice for us. Go sit on some bikes. Talk to some dealers. Ask for recomendations from local riders, clubs or training groups but recognise that for many, motorcycles are about passion, and that means a lot of unsubstantiated opinions ;-) Many dealers have both new and used stock. Some people buy smaller displacement bikes and upgrade once their interest in biking is confirmed and their confidence increases. This means gently used bikes on the market. Unfortunately, at least in my end of town (Ottawa, Canada) they hold the value very well and don't come down in price much at all. Before you buy, get insurance quotes from a variety of companies, in writing. They shouldn't vary too much since they are usually based on engine size and value, but you'll likely get a much better reception if you also insure your home and car with them. Many places will give you an insurance break if you take a training course, and raise your deductable. BTW, I'm close to 6 feet so I don't have your petite issues - but I've been teaching motorcycle training courses for a long time now and have put a lot of shorter women through the program. Good luck with that 'convince the mom' thing. I would never have ridden if it weren't for my dad riding - it would have been hypocritical to say no to me :) Now that I'm a parent I don't know how my mother could handle me walking out the door with my helmet and keys. Why ride? Biking gives you a sense of adventure and exploration. It makes you a little different from other people. Makes you a little more independant and allows you to see things in new ways. I can't be sure she'd buy any of that... Good luck, have fun and be safe. And of course, take a training course :-)

For the best answers, search on this site https://smarturl.im/aDBF6

Answer 4

Its more about balance then it is leg strength. With that being said, know your limits. Pick a bike that is right for you. That's why they make hundreds of different models to choose from. This is the case where "one size does not fit all". It is important to control your bike in the event something unexpected happens. Its not beyond the realm of possible that you suddenly find yourself off balance when coming to a stop and have to step down hard to keep the bike upright. Happens in parking lots all the time when your riding slow and that careless person backs out like a bat, right in front of you. So I'd recommend you stay away from the "fat bikes" like like HD's Fat Boy, Kawasaiki's Nomad, Yamaha's Royal Star, and the like. I have found that snow skiing in the winter time and water skiing in the summer have always helped to keep me in shape, especially improving thigh strength. Skiing works the exact same muscle groups you need to keep your bike upright, on those sudden surprise emergencies.

Answer 5

Keep the motorcycle straight upright when you stop -- put both feet down flat. Almost all the weight will be on its wheels and not on your legs. I'm a wimpy guy, and I managed a 700 pound police motorcycle for a couple of years.

If you're small, get a cruiser style motorcycle.

Answer 6

Have you been seeking to add 50lbs to your bench? Think about in 10 months? That is what you will get with this particular easy lockout plan https://tr.im/cElT3 .
The Critical Bench program is really remarkable that a large quantity of football instructors round the state follow this type of training for their athletes.
The program is not only used to greatly help increase the benchpush but other element pulls also, such as the squat and deadlift.

Answer 7

"Just how much would you bench?" In the event that you will be rich just get getting a dollar for every single time somebody requested you that! Make use of this plan https://tr.im/UzE0j in order to impress them.
Simply how much can you benchis became therefore essential and this is the reason individuals are constantly seeking to improve their bench. Nothing thinks as good as introducing still another menu to the club when it's your turn to use the benchin your gym.
The Critical Bench program will help you boost your benchwith the 5x5 technique. 5x5 technique means that you will do the exact same weight for 5 reps of 5 sets. You wish to look for a fat which will fatigue you by the final representative of the final set. This sort of teaching sets great deal of strain on muscle tissue and they have nothing else to complete but respond and become stronger.

Answer 8

If you're balanced, you really shouldn't need much leg strength.
But as far as building the appropriate muscle groups, squats and/or squat press, leg press and calf press should give you what you may need if the bike were to start going over.

Answer 9

Like "Joe T" said - squats.
Long walks - when going to the store, park on the far side of the parking lot.
Use the stairs instead of elevators. In fact, get a "stair stepper" machine.
Walk up the "down" escalators LOL

Answer 10

Do you ride upsidedown? Picture that.

Most people hold the bike up with their arms, not legs.