Fit Shop Harley-Davidson style
Maverick - Feb 3, 2011

Enter Harley-Davidson’s “Fit Shop.” By bringing “Fit Shop” technology into the main stream and by putting the “Fit Shop” into dealer show rooms and making it a part of the buyers’ experience, all motorcyclists can realize a higher standard of comfort.  Proper alignment and placement of hands, feet, and seat are critical to vehicle control and rider safety.  Harley-Davidson is addressing this subject by making information available online, with in-store displays, and with dealer personnel trained to assess and advise proper fit, to motorcycles of choice for customers and potential riders. 

This is an evolution, not a revolution.  

Custom bike builders and aftermarket manufacturers and suppliers have been addressing motorcycle operator fit for many years. Their initiatives combined with the requirements of contemporary riders and growing concerns about motorcycle safety, along the lines of ‘a comfortable rider is a safe rider,’ have contributed to the notion that there is more to riding a motorcycle than accepting the standard configuration as shipped from a manufacturer. 

Gone or going are the days when a motorcyclist or future biker walks up to a motorcycle, throws a leg over it, and away they go! I think it was my first cross-country trip in the early seventies when, not far from my home (several hours), I realized that there was more than one challenge that I would have to conquer. Riding a Honda 750 cross-country was like sitting on a 2 x 4 for hours on end.

The attitude of get tough or get off, adopted to survive mile after mile in the saddle, is gradually being replaced with; get off and get fit.

Photo provided by H-D...

Now, a motorcycle can be easily modified by changing the handlebars, pegs, controls, seat, seat size, and height of the riding position to enhance rider comfort and safety. A rider on a motorcycle that fits his or her physical requirements is a safer rider.  

Dealership employees are trained to assess motorcyclists’ physical capacity and parameters as these relate to operating a motorcycle safely and comfortably. Motorcyclists are “fitted” to their motorcycle with small adjustments accommodating their body frames with lowered suspension, different floorboards, a more ergonomic seat or improved handlebar bends.

Dealerships with a “Fit Shop” such as the one we visited, will be outfitted with a variety of seats, handlebars, controls, and Windshield Selection Guide among other “Fit” tools. You will actually sit on a motorcycle and experience different options and combinations of options to make decisions about what is the best fit for you. 

Improper grip diameter wears out your hands and wrists. Find a grip that lets you grab the controls firmly and capably.

Stretching for the handlebar can exhaust your shoulders, neck, arms, and lower back. Reaching too far can affect handling. A different seat and different handlebars will create an appropriate reach. Seat heights will vary, so testing a variety of shapes and sizes is advisable. Handlebar rise, width, and pullback can be adjusted based on a motorcyclist’s height and arm length.

Back discomfort indicates that a motorcyclist’s seat, foot position, and handlebar need to be adjusted and properly aligned.

High knees mean knees, hips, feet and back are cramped. The remedy is the right combination of moving feet forward while trying set that move your body up and back.

During stops, the motorcyclist is on his or her toes

The capability to firmly plant feet on the ground during stops enhances confidence and safe operation of a motorcycle. Reducing seat height, lowering front and rear suspension, or modifying frame configuration provides better control.

As of this writing, Harley-Davidson has 461 Dealers with expertise in their “Fit Shop” technology.

The information for this article was in part provided by Harley-Davidson. The photos were taken at Sun Harley-Davidson’s “Fit Shop.”  For personal consultation on “Fit” by telephone, contact Sun Harley-Davidson and ask for Reed. He will be happy to discuss “Fit” technology with you.

Click here to go to Harley-Davidson’s “Fit Shop” web page.