Total Motorcycle Community Forums

could somebody explain just what the proper procedure is to pick up your bike if you drop it. i've read some stories in here about other riders who have dropped their bikes and got it back up. but they never say how they did it. especially if your alone and nobody else around to assist. after nearly 30 years i got into riding again last year. first bike was 1100 shadow but found it a little heavy to manuvure in tight areas, seat height was a little high for me. i'm only 5'3" short legged. got rid of that and got a 600 shadow. great little bike, seat height was low, only problem it only had 4 speed trans. since i use the highway for work the 600 was just a little under powered and needs another gear for highway speeds. i got close a couple of times making a turn or slow speed in traffic of going over. besides the total embarrestment of dumping it in traffic. how the heck do you get it back up. looking to get something around 800cc this year. sorry for the long story

The bascis of it are pretty simple.
put your back to the bike
grab the handlebar and pull it tword you
grab the frame or grab bar behind the seat
keep your back straight and walk the bike back up

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1sP3cqKbOEs

Here's another good vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPjYweKeiLk

thanks for your reply and i watched the video's about lifting up bike. seems to be easy enough, but at 60 and with short arms could a little more of a challange, or just do what it said in video lay down beside bike and wait for help. with my luck i'd fall asleep and someone would take off with it ( lol )
but thanks again for your info and i hope i never have to put to use.
have a happy and safe ride

Roadbike Magazine did an article on this a while back. The way to do it would be to face your back toward the bike and walk backward or at least that was the gist of it. This way you use the stronger back and leg muscles to pick up the bike instead of just relying on the arms and pulling the back.

I'll dig it up to get the specifics or you can search Roadbike's online archive (if one exists, I haven't been there for a long time).

Have a look here: http://www.pinkribbonrides.com "skert" is about 5 feet nothing and looks like she weighs 100 pounds.

The bike in her still photos is identical to mine. It weighs over 500 pounds and is quite topheavy. The technique works very well.

P

there's a similar video out there with a grandmother lifting a goldwing. I think you'll be fine.

Agree. It should be no problem. I was taught by a 78 yr. old grandmother at a bike rally in the early 80s. She wasn't more that 5 ft. tall and maybe 100 lbs. soaking wet. She picked up her fully loaded Goldwing three times in the span of a few minutes, much to the amazement of newbies like me.

It's kind of like putting your bike up on the centerstand. If you don't know how to use the right leverage, it doesn't matter how strong you are, it's not going to work. If you do know the trick, it doesn't matter how small your are.