Photo by Oskar Kadaksoo
Let’s get this out of the way early: on my first track day, I genuinely believed I was leaning off the bike like Jorge Martín.
The photos proved otherwise.
A week later, when the photographer posted the shots, I looked less like a MotoGP rider and more like a very determined tree bending slightly in the wind. My boots were scraping the ground, my arms were tense, my shoulders were locked, and my head looked like it was glued straight to my spine. It was painful to look at — and even more painful to ride that way.
Like most new track riders, I came in with years of street experience, plenty of dirt-bike muscle memory, and zero real understanding of how to sit on a sport bike at speed. I felt like I was doing it right. I wasn’t. Not even close.
But that’s the magic of track riding — it has a way of showing you the truth, whether through a coach’s raised eyebrow or a brutally honest photograph.
TrackDNA Safety Note
Riding motorcycles on track is inherently risky and can result in serious injury or death. The ideas in this article are shared for general information only — they’re not formal coaching, professional instruction, or a guarantee of safety or performance.
Always ride within your limits, use proper safety gear, and practice only in a controlled, closed-course environment that follows all rules and regulations. Before trying any new technique, talk with a qualified coach or instructor and use your own judgment about what’s right for your skill level, your bike, and your body.
The best place to explore and apply these ideas is with a qualified coach or at a dedicated motorcycle or racing school. Treat what you read here as background context and conversation fuel for your own training — not as a step-by-step guide or a substitute for in-person instruction.
By choosing to ride, you accept the risks that come with it.
The “Why Is the Bike Fighting Me?” Phase
On day one, everything felt wrong:
- I held the handlebars like I was trying to crush them — a full death grip.
- I was scared to hang off the bike.
- The bike felt stiff and unpredictable.
- My boots kept scraping, and I couldn’t figure out why.
- My shoulders, neck, and core were tight as drumheads.
I was trying to “control” the bike instead of working with it — and the bike let me know. It felt like it was pushing back in every corner, wobbling, resisting, and refusing to settle.
Then my coach stepped in and gave me one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received.
He said:
“Hold the bars like you’re twisting a screwdriver. Not gripping for your life.”
And he wasn’t wrong. I was fighting the bike with my arms, and the bike was fighting me right back.
The Photo That Changed Everything
The real gut punch happened when I saw the photos.
That’s when the truth hits you in crystal-clear detail:
you thought you were leaning… but the camera doesn’t lie.
That’s when I learned one of the most important lessons in body position:
If you feel stiff, you’re not doing it right.
If you’re gripping the bars like a death grip, you’re not doing it right.
If you’re looking at the apex instead of looking through the corner… well, you know the line.
Photos and videos became part of my training from that point forward. If you’re new, use them. They’re brutally honest, but they accelerate your learning faster than any single tip.
When Things Started to Click (Day Two and Three)
It wasn’t until my second or third track day that I started trusting my body to hang off the bike.
On day one, I had bigger priorities: understanding braking, selecting lines, feeling out the track. Body position wasn’t even on my list — but track riding is funny like that. The more laps you put in, the more everything begins to sync.
Riding becomes almost like a dance:
- your hips,
- your weight,
- your breathing,
- your eyes,
- the bike’s motion…
All of it blending into one movement instead of a series of reactions.
The turning point for me wasn’t a single moment — it was repetition. Lap after lap until my first knee scrape. And my coach was right:
the first time it happens, it’s a little scary, and you’ll definitely know.
The Three Mistakes That Held Me Back (and Hold Most Riders Back)
1. Being stiff through the shoulders, neck, and core
This was me — tense everywhere, riding like I was bracing for impact.
The fix:
Breathing. Real, intentional breathing.
Studying rider photos.
And watching my coach move his upper body like a salsa dancer to show me what true relaxation looks like on the bike.
When your upper body is loose, the bike suddenly stops fighting you.
2. Sitting too centered — not moving hips early enough
I kept waiting until the corner started before shifting my body.
That’s the worst time to move.
The fix:
Strength.
I eventually realized my legs and core weren’t strong enough to move smoothly from side to side.
Six months of core and leg stamina training changed everything.
Moving early became effortless — natural, almost automatic.
3. Supporting my upper body with my arms instead of my core
This one humbled me.
At the end of day one, my shoulders were so destroyed I couldn’t even get out of my leathers. I literally had to ask a stranger for a shoulder massage. That’s how tense I was.
The fix:
Pain is a truth-teller.
Once I felt how much I was fighting the bike, I realized I was using maybe 10% core and 90% arms.
Switching that equation made everything smoother — instantly.
The First Habit Every Rider Should Learn
Every beginner wants to hang off the bike like the pros.
But the real first habit isn’t how far you lean.
It’s this:
Control the bike with your hips and core — not your arms.
If your arms are tight, your inputs will be tight.
If your body is stiff, the bike becomes stiff.
And if you try to “pose” instead of learning the fundamentals, you’ll look and feel awkward — because you’re skipping the steps.
Real body position comes with seat time.
With trust.
With repetition.
Not with forcing it.
What Happens When It All Comes Together
When I finally started putting all these pieces together:
- The bike felt stable entering corners.
- Steering became easier.
- The bars stopped wobbling.
- My lines smoothed out.
- The bike felt calmer underneath me.
- And I finally felt connected to the motion instead of opposing it.
The boots still scraped (they still do sometimes), but at least now I know why.
Final Thoughts: Build Habits, Not Poses
If you’re a beginner or an intermediate rider still figuring out body position, here’s the truth:
You don’t “try” to look like the pros.
You learn the fundamentals… and the look comes later.
Work on:
- relaxing your upper body
- supporting yourself with your core
- moving your hips early
- letting your eyes lead the bike
- and breathing on every corner entry
Track riding is a progression — a dance that becomes smoother every time you show up.
And one day, just like me, you’ll scrape your knee for the first time and realize:
You didn’t rush it.
You earned it.
One lap at a time.
