Effects of different weight loads on the body during motorcycle riding

The authors examined the physiological changes of men riding motorcycles carrying different loads. Nine healthy professional riders were the subjects. They used professional Honda MD 90B-90CC motorcycles. Each subject made test rides with the loads of 0, 10, 15, and 20 kg, taken at random, on a concrete road for 20 min at a speed of 30 km/h. The environmental temperature at the time of the test, skin temperature, vibration sense threshold at a vibration level of 125 Hz, critical flicker fusion frequency, pinching power, grasping power, pulse rates, and blood pressure were measured. The pulse rates were significantly different for the rides with the four different loads, and the changes in pulse rate after the ride with the loads of 10 and 20 kg were comparatively higher than those before the ride. The changes of systolic blood pressure after the rides with the loads of 15 and 20 kg were significantly higher than those before the rides. The other changes observed were not significantly different.