Riding posture.

[singlespder]

At the moment I have a Cruiser (United Motors v2c-650s). I will find myself slouching my back and have to force myself to set up straight.
I feel like at the moment my next bike will probably be a V-Strom or Bandit.
My question is this: Do you all think that the foot controls being underneath you help you to keep your back straight.

Nothing against my Cruiser style bike, I just can't find any luggage for it. Also I kinda like the Sport Touring bikes.

[JesterOnline]

I have a bandit and I slouch, then sit up straight, then sit forward... but on the upside, I'm don't feel forced to stay in the one position.

[miles]

Yes, feet centered (more or less) under the seat helps keep the back straight and upright.  The seating position on the V-Strom is like sitting at a table reading the newspaper- the foot controls are too far forward for my comfort, but you may find it works well for you.  To me it was too reminiscent of driving a bus (that is, the seating position.  The bike itself isn't too bus-like at all).

[Kootenanny]

Do you all think that the foot controls being underneath you help you to keep your back straight.

Definitely.  With your feet directly underneath  your butt, you adopt a slight forward lean--not quite as comfortable on the showroom floor or at parking lot speeds, but get on the highway and you're automatically leaning into the wind--and in the twisties, you're set up in a dymamic position for bike control.

[Mr.Black]

I feel as though I have better control of the bike with my feet under me (years of cruiser style to qualify).

As for posture? It was said earlier, I change position quite often but I do have a tendency to have a more arched back when riding the Bandit, after 4 hours of riding I'm not nearly as crippled as I was on my H.D. my lower back reaping most of the benefit.

[CosmicCowboy]

I went from a Shadow, to a Katana, and now the Vee. I think the Kat forced me to keep my back straighter than the Vee, but not by much. Either one is definitely more comfortable and easier on the back than the Shadow was.

[Jmac_bandit]

I have a first gen bandit and have ridden my dad's shadow 1100 for a few day trips.  What I have found in comparison is that the shadow feels more comfortable for about an hour but then I start to notice how much I am slouching and how hard it is to keep my back straight and my lower back happy.  When riding the bandit, I am leaned forward because of the stock bars and my relatively short arms, but at any speed above 45-50 the wind blast hits my chest and takes a lot of weight off my hands/wrists and also holds my back straight.  This tends to keep me more comfortable on long days even though the stock bandit seat is no where near the sargent seat my dad's shadow has in terms of butt comfort.

There is no comparison once the road gets twisty.  The shadow is ok for long easy sweepers but when the turns get tight it becomes a chore with my legs kicked out in front and no way to really hang off or put weight on the inside peg.  The bandit is much more comfortable to keep moving fast in this area.

[vulcanbill]

I put bar risers on the Bandit and find it to be about perfect.  It's not quite up there like the Strom but I've only done a couple miles on one of those.  The Bandit affords some moving around and offers several options for cheap mods to the bars so you could tweak it to your liking.  Slouching is kind of an option on most bikes.  You have to make a conscious effort to avoid it.

[2Pokey]

Having a cruiser with foot position straight down is more comforable in the long haul. Folding over at the waist (feet out, arms out) can be havoc on your lower back and tailbone. I have both a cruiser and a sport (not supersport) bike. I do find my crusier more comfortable. It has straight down pegs and I also added a driver backrest to eliminate the slouch. Now i have a neutral seating position. Like a kitchen chair with an amazingly comfortable seat.

[happybusa]

Body(hips) centered over the Feet, feet on the pegs, allow you a certain function.-

You can raise up off the seat, like a type of suspension, when you experience bad
road.
You just cant do that on pegs/controls located forward,under the handlebars? lazyboy style.
Your spine/back takes the direct hits, starting with the tailbone.

On a cruiser, I always feel like I have to hang on to the handlebars as well. I cant relax my
hands or arms.

Sully

[Chuck 500]

I have a Suzuki GS500F.  I find the riding posture, with feet under hips, easier on my lower back than my brothers cruiser (Honda Shadow 600).  I tend to sit forward, close to the tank, and have installed S-W Mo tech bar backs (1" back X 1" up).  These eased the posture for me; I have short arms.  I rarely have excessive back stain even after a long (200+ mile) ride.

Keep the shiny side up,

Chuck

[FiremanBob]

Cruisers are second only to choppers in causing discomfort and even orthopedic collateral damage. People were not meant to live with their lower backs curved like that for hours at a time, absorbing vibrations and bumps focused against a small area of the lumbar discs which of course dramatically increases the impact on those pressure points.

You will be so happy with the standard seating position on a Strom or Bandit you might even go out for breakfast and end up doing an 800-mile day.