Q. Many times, off-road motorcyclists stand on their pegs while riding. Is that ever necessary, or even a good idea, on the street?

A: Off-road motorcyclists stand on the footrests for a few reasons.

The first is to use their legs as an extra set of shock absorbers to minimize the amount of shock on the spine and to maintain control by not being jolted or bounced off the seat by large bumps.

Plus, when standing, a rider can see a bit farther ahead in dense or uneven terrain.

Standing also provides an opportunity to augment steering by weighting the footrests in a couple of ways. Weighting a footrest in the direction of a turn can cause the motorcycle to turn in that direction, even without additional steering input at the handlebars.

Since steering with the handlebars demands more traction from the front tire than a footrest-weighted turn, it is preferable to use footrest weighting to turn on low-traction surfaces, such as loose dirt, sand and gravel.

Also, when taking very slow, tight turns, it is common to use a counterweighting technique where riders shift their bodies away from the turn. This allows the bike to lean more, which helps it to turn, and the counterweighting helps to keep it from falling over in that leaned position.

By counterweighting while standing up, more weight can be shifted away from the turn than in a seated position, helping with very tight turns on technical trails.

Standing also allows a rider to move his or her weight forward for climbing hills and rearward for descending hills, keeping the weight better distributed between the two tires.

In contrast to off-highway conditions, most roadways are paved, reasonably smooth and provide good traction. Countersteering on roadways is a more precise and immediate type of steering input, and under normal street-riding conditions, there is more than enough traction to use steering inputs on the handlebars assertively when needed.

On the street, it is generally best to stay in good connection with the motorcycle. Maneuvers, such as quick stops or swerves, are most effective when the bike and body can be managed as one mass moving together. Having a good connection between the bike and one’s lower body can also help to leave the arms and hands relaxed for more precise control inputs.

There are circumstances, however, when a street rider will need to cross an obstacle or road feature. An errant piece of lumber, a dropped muffler or a speed bump are good examples. Just as for off-road riders, standing on the footrests will help avoid transferring the impact force to the spine or risking loss of control.

On long rides, some riders occasionally stand up to help with blood circulation, to stretch muscles, or to give some relief to pressure points caused by the saddle. This can extend time between rest breaks.

Rising off the seat in these circumstances should only be done when there is a large safety margin, you have good visibility and there is no likelihood of needing a quick braking or swerving maneuver.