Thank you for your efforts in maintaining this site. I reread it on a regular basis to refresh my memory from time to time. 

The article about raising the center of gravity by standing on the pegs seems to me, to be in error. The thrust of the article is nevertheless right on. It *is* more difficult to control a motorcycle from a standing position, but not because the cg is raised. 

The article states:

"...When you sat on the seat you RAISED the combined CG of the bike (including you) as compared to where it was when you were not on the bike at all." 

While this statement is true it does not follow that: 

"...Now, as you stand on the pegs rather than sit on the seat, you RAISE the combined CG even further!" 

This is because the statement fails to take into account bending of the system at the point weight is borne, namely the pegs. I'll ignore the weight bearing on the handlebars as this force will largely remain unchanged whether the rider is seated or standing.

 Since the center of mass of the body is allowed to flex from side to side, its cg can be maintained in a neutral position independent of the motorcycle. The body's weight however, is borne closer to the ground than it was when a portion of that weight was supported by the seat. This obviously results in a lower cg than when the rider's weight is supported at a higher elevation. The only communication of weight to the motorcycle is through the pegs. 

This statement should be changed to read that the cg of the *rider* is raised. 

This effect does have important consequences. Ultimately, we are not interested in a discussion of the relative height of the *system's* cg but the relative height of the *rider's* cg. This frail skin and bones mass is the one who will experience pain when it is ejected from the system. Remember what they taught us in the MSF course? "Keep your thighs in." The loss of connectivity with the motorcycle is the dangerous result of standing on the pegs. 

The act of steering a two wheeled vehicle is a matter of managing a controlled fall. After a counter steering input the rider *should* allow his cg to shift to the side. Except at very slow speeds it is bad technique to push the motorcycle down while trying to maintain an upright posture. Notice that this "push" comes from the hands as the feet are at too stable a cg to initiate any effect. 

The rise in system cg is greatest when a road racer applies his weight, through his thigh, to the seat while unloading the peg. To counter this effect the motorcycle portion of the system is allowed to maintain a more upright position. That's why road racers try to lean so far in. They do it not so much to *lower* the cg but to move the cg toward the apex of the turn and maximize ground clearance.