Picking up a dropped bike
Discussion
Ok, so I'm starting to commute on the bike next month, and if I'm honest, am a little nervous. Anyway, picture the scene....I drop the bike at set of lights, or whilst parking or something similar. Would I be able top pick it up on my own (ave build/weight, but pretty fit 
) and is there a knack to it?
Cheers.
ps - GSXR600.
) and is there a knack to it? Cheers.
ps - GSXR600.
The way I was told it was to crouch with your back to the seat and lift it with the bike behind you if you see what I mean. The idea is that firstly you automatically keep your back straight, you can rest half way without doing yourself any damage and you can run away if it looks like it's going pete tong.
Mark
Mark
dern said:
The way I was told it was to crouch with your back to the seat and lift it with the bike behind you if you see what I mean. The idea is that firstly you automatically keep your back straight, you can rest half way without doing yourself any damage and you can run away if it looks like it's going pete tong.
Mark
Sounds like a plan!full answer, bits copied from various places, if you've just dropped it on your driveway/at lights, some of this won't apply, it's more for iff you bin it. If you feel your losing the bike at a standstill, let it down as gently as possible without getting your feet caught under it:
Turn it off, if it's not already off. some bikes the kill switch engages itself when it tips over a certain angle
Take a deep breath. Relax
Don't worry about a little fuel or coolant leak. That is normal. Don't smoke though
If the bike's loaded, unload it first
What follows assumes the bike is on its left side, with its brake levers up in the air. If
Turn your back on the bike, bend at your knees, trying to keep a straight back, and grab the left handlebar in your right hand. Pull up as though you were turning the handlebars to the left, and the motion of the front wheel should start to lift the front of the bike. With your left hand, grab the frame just under the seat, the grab rail, or whatever's convenient. Put the bit of your back just above your bum against the seat, and use your legs to start to move the bike upright. It gets easier the further up you go, but for heaven's sake don't go too far and push it right over!
Note: use your legs, not your back. Use your back and you may get the bike upright, but you won't get yourself upright for quite a while. The reason is that you run the risk of slipped disks and ripped muscles. So - use your leg muscles to do the work. If you can get a friendly (and muscular) bystander to help, so much the better. make sure 'helpers' aren't lifting bike by cables or flimsy bits of bodywork
Push the bike to the side of the road/somewhere safe
Take a few deep breaths. Are you ok? Now check out your bike. Levers intact? gear lever OK? Rocks, branches, anything stuck in chain? Start at the front tire, forks, headlamp, bars, etc - work your way back. Being methodical is more than a good way to check out the bike - it settles YOU down. It's sometimes easy with adrenaline to quickly leap to your feet, pick the bike up easily and ride off, embarrassed, then to suffer a bad back later at best, or find out the brakes don't work 100 yds down the road
Start it up. If it won't start, check the battery connections and fuses. They can be knocked loose if you went down hard. If you went down in a higher gear, it may be difficult to get it down into neutral. If you can't get to neutral, on a lot of bikes, you can't start it. If you have a centerstand, put the bike on it, pull in the clutch, and give the back tire a kick to spin it, then downshift to neutral. If you don't have a centerstand, you may need to walk the bike forward a little, drop down a gear, walk forward, and repeat until you reach neutral.
When you get home, give the bike a thorough going over - check all fluids, including battery, all connections, double check the tires for cuts in the sidewall.
>> Edited by hugoagogo on Friday 27th January 11:17
Turn it off, if it's not already off. some bikes the kill switch engages itself when it tips over a certain angle
Take a deep breath. Relax
Don't worry about a little fuel or coolant leak. That is normal. Don't smoke though
If the bike's loaded, unload it first
What follows assumes the bike is on its left side, with its brake levers up in the air. If
Turn your back on the bike, bend at your knees, trying to keep a straight back, and grab the left handlebar in your right hand. Pull up as though you were turning the handlebars to the left, and the motion of the front wheel should start to lift the front of the bike. With your left hand, grab the frame just under the seat, the grab rail, or whatever's convenient. Put the bit of your back just above your bum against the seat, and use your legs to start to move the bike upright. It gets easier the further up you go, but for heaven's sake don't go too far and push it right over!
Note: use your legs, not your back. Use your back and you may get the bike upright, but you won't get yourself upright for quite a while. The reason is that you run the risk of slipped disks and ripped muscles. So - use your leg muscles to do the work. If you can get a friendly (and muscular) bystander to help, so much the better. make sure 'helpers' aren't lifting bike by cables or flimsy bits of bodywork
Push the bike to the side of the road/somewhere safe
Take a few deep breaths. Are you ok? Now check out your bike. Levers intact? gear lever OK? Rocks, branches, anything stuck in chain? Start at the front tire, forks, headlamp, bars, etc - work your way back. Being methodical is more than a good way to check out the bike - it settles YOU down. It's sometimes easy with adrenaline to quickly leap to your feet, pick the bike up easily and ride off, embarrassed, then to suffer a bad back later at best, or find out the brakes don't work 100 yds down the road
Start it up. If it won't start, check the battery connections and fuses. They can be knocked loose if you went down hard. If you went down in a higher gear, it may be difficult to get it down into neutral. If you can't get to neutral, on a lot of bikes, you can't start it. If you have a centerstand, put the bike on it, pull in the clutch, and give the back tire a kick to spin it, then downshift to neutral. If you don't have a centerstand, you may need to walk the bike forward a little, drop down a gear, walk forward, and repeat until you reach neutral.
When you get home, give the bike a thorough going over - check all fluids, including battery, all connections, double check the tires for cuts in the sidewall.
>> Edited by hugoagogo on Friday 27th January 11:17
hugoagogo said:
full answer, bits copied from various places, if you've just dropped it on your driveway/at lights, some of this won't apply, it's more for iff you bin it. If you feel your losing the bike at a standstill, let it down as gently as possible without getting your feet caught under it:
Turn it off, if it's not already off. some bikes the kill switch engages itself when it tips over a certain angle
Take a deep breath. Relax
Don't worry about a little fuel or coolant leak. That is normal. Don't smoke though
If the bike's loaded, unload it first
What follows assumes the bike is on its left side, with its brake levers up in the air. If
Turn your back on the bike, bend at your knees, trying to keep a straight back, and grab the left handlebar in your right hand. Pull up as though you were turning the handlebars to the left, and the motion of the front wheel should start to lift the front of the bike. With your left hand, grab the frame just under the seat, the grab rail, or whatever's convenient. Put the bit of your back just above your bum against the seat, and use your legs to start to move the bike upright. It gets easier the further up you go, but for heaven's sake don't go too far and push it right over!
Note: use your legs, not your back. Use your back and you may get the bike upright, but you won't get yourself upright for quite a while. The reason is that you run the risk of slipped disks and ripped muscles. So - use your leg muscles to do the work. If you can get a friendly (and muscular) bystander to help, so much the better. make sure 'helpers' aren't lifting bike by cables or flimsy bits of bodywork
Push the bike to the side of the road/somewhere safe
Take a few deep breaths. Are you ok? Now check out your bike. Levers intact? gear lever OK? Rocks, branches, anything stuck in chain? Start at the front tire, forks, headlamp, bars, etc - work your way back. Being methodical is more than a good way to check out the bike - it settles YOU down. It's sometimes easy with adrenaline to quickly leap to your feet, pick the bike up easily and ride off, embarrassed, then to suffer a bad back later at best, or find out the brakes don't work 100 yds down the road
Start it up. If it won't start, check the battery connections and fuses. They can be knocked loose if you went down hard. If you went down in a higher gear, it may be difficult to get it down into neutral. If you can't get to neutral, on a lot of bikes, you can't start it. If you have a centerstand, put the bike on it, pull in the clutch, and give the back tire a kick to spin it, then downshift to neutral. If you don't have a centerstand, you may need to walk the bike forward a little, drop down a gear, walk forward, and repeat until you reach neutral.
When you get home, give the bike a thorough going over - check all fluids, including battery, all connections, double check the tires for cuts in the sidewall.
>> Edited by hugoagogo on Friday 27th January 11:17
Excellent, thanks v much.
From personal experience... Stand close to the bike. Grab the bars and pull her up so the tank rests on your knees. Brace yourself and get hold of the bars as if you were going to walk the bike and pull her up the rest of the way. If you do it as a two stage lift it's easy 
Remember, most of the weight is low down and you won't actually be lifting that anyway.
Remember, most of the weight is low down and you won't actually be lifting that anyway.dern said:
If your bike goes over away from from you while on the sidestand then don't, based on personal experience, be tempted to try and stop it by grabbing the bar because you'll end up with a dislocated wrist and you'll land on top of the bike with your bollox on the footpeg or exhaust.
I'll remember that
dern said:
If your bike goes over away from from you while on the sidestand then don't, based on personal experience, be tempted to try and stop it by grabbing the bar because you'll end up with a dislocated wrist and you'll land on top of the bike with your bollox on the footpeg or exhaust.
Even if it's a FSIE Once it's past the balance point, it's gone. That's why I only ever manouver bikes while sat astride them these days. Walking alongside them just makes me too nervous.I have never liked the “pick it up backwards” approach described above for three reasons.
1. If you lift/push just a little too far and the bike goes over the other way, you will first try and stop it (natural, but you wont manage it), attempt to step back to keep your balance then fall backwards onto the bike. Ouch!
2. While you hold the bars with one hand your natural instinct will be to move the other hand to the seat area and before you know it, you’ll be ripping the seat off it’s hinge/catches. (I know from experience!!!)
3. If you get part of the way and find you can’t make the rest of the lift you are now standing where the bike wants to fall. Ouch again.
I prefer to stand towards the front of the bike, feet slightly apart and almost either side of the handlebar that is on the ground. Bend the knees (back straight!) and cup the hands under the handlebar grip that is on the ground. Now straighten the legs but leave the arms straight, holding the handlebar in your lap. Once you get your legs straight you will be able to lift the bike the rest of the way with your arms and move forwards towards the bike to balance it. This technique uses the longest lever to pick the bike up thus minimising the effective weight. It also keeps you clear of the bike should you drop it again and if you do end up going too far and falling over the bike, then you do that facing forwards rather than backwards. Also, you are only lifting the handlebar which is easily up to the stress of picking the bike up.
I have picked up a number of bikes this way (including fully dressed, fully laden Goldwing and BMWs) and it has always worked.
Once up, do the deep breath, bike check routines described well previously.
1. If you lift/push just a little too far and the bike goes over the other way, you will first try and stop it (natural, but you wont manage it), attempt to step back to keep your balance then fall backwards onto the bike. Ouch!
2. While you hold the bars with one hand your natural instinct will be to move the other hand to the seat area and before you know it, you’ll be ripping the seat off it’s hinge/catches. (I know from experience!!!)
3. If you get part of the way and find you can’t make the rest of the lift you are now standing where the bike wants to fall. Ouch again.
I prefer to stand towards the front of the bike, feet slightly apart and almost either side of the handlebar that is on the ground. Bend the knees (back straight!) and cup the hands under the handlebar grip that is on the ground. Now straighten the legs but leave the arms straight, holding the handlebar in your lap. Once you get your legs straight you will be able to lift the bike the rest of the way with your arms and move forwards towards the bike to balance it. This technique uses the longest lever to pick the bike up thus minimising the effective weight. It also keeps you clear of the bike should you drop it again and if you do end up going too far and falling over the bike, then you do that facing forwards rather than backwards. Also, you are only lifting the handlebar which is easily up to the stress of picking the bike up.
I have picked up a number of bikes this way (including fully dressed, fully laden Goldwing and BMWs) and it has always worked.
Once up, do the deep breath, bike check routines described well previously.
craigw said:
i couldnt pick up my Duc 749 last week
Incorrect technique - not heavy bike!
I don't know if it is still the case but in Japan, part of the motorcycle test used to include picking a bike up. Probably should also be taught here as I have never met a motorcyclist who has not had a bike fall over and require picking up.
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