h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: How To Pick Up a Motorbike - A591013
Author: DaveA - U180620

This sort of information is sadly lacking in an easy to find form anywhere on the web. Also, as it says in the article, whilst you're taught to ride a bike, you're not taught how to pick one up. This technique works for all bikes, from the light to the Gold Wings, and can be used by everyone from musclemen to slight 70 year old grannies.

You could perhaps point out that the reason for using the legs is the benefit for one's intervertebral disks (same is true for lifting, say, a case of or any other heavy stuff)

Ceterum censeo: in the Guide with it!

Gosh, I wish I'd known this when I dropped my Bonneville whilst i was getting used to it. Does it work for all heights?

As a 5'3" female, I stopped at a junction and didn't put my foot down quickly enough. The bike was only a tiny bit out of kilter and I wasn't worried, until I found I couldn't hold it upright. I fully endorse what you said about not putting any bit of your anatomy underneath it. I stuck my hand under the tank to stop it getting scratched and was lucky to come away with a huge bruise. And, yes, I dropped it on its left side!

Thanks - entry edited to make the reason for the leg lift a bit clearer.

My only complaint...

Why didn't you write this 5 years ago? I severely damaged my back picking up my fallen over bike. This entry could have saved my years of pain!

oh, the bike fell over because I parked it on a bit of road with a serious camber, not clever I know. My own technique since has been to look at the bike in a 'girly and lost' sort of way, usually gets blokes running to help. Pathetic isn't it?

Nice entry, well done.

Reply to Sue: Cheers - unfortunately the "look girly and lost" way doesn't work for me - being a bloke does sort of counter that - but I have found that looking stunned at the horizontal bike or laughing hysterically has much the same effect.

Reply to Zarquon's Singing Fish: The technique *should* work for a 5'3" person, although being 5'7" myself I can't vouch for the accuracy of that statement I've seen pics on the web of the technique being used by slight people getting GoldWings and big touring BMWs back upright.

Apparently, you can *face* the bike as well; but the big thing is still BEND THE KNEES and LIFT WITH THE LEGS!

I'll try this method next time I drop my bike (Yamaha XV535)

This certainly gets my vote for the Guide.


I heard a story of a biker who stopped at a junction and then keeled over to the left. Apparently he'd just taken the sidecar off and had forgotten to put his foot down!

... and when he had attached the sidecar again, he passed a bit too close by a lamppost?

Nice entry,
Nice thread,

Nuff said!

A short poem by Spaceman Spiff

No bike to try it with, but I can see this is must-have info for anyone who does. I'm just looking forward to stumbling across a 'lost and girly' looking biker (really *convincingly* 'girly', mind you. Not the author, for example! ) and coming heroically to the rescue. Must keep my eyes peeled.

Only a question of time before this goes in, I should say. Best of luck with it,


seeya
spiff

Hello again DaveA!

I meant to say this the first time, but I think that it would be politic to explain what a direct access course it. Now I know, but our friends across the water won't.

Reply for Zarquon - rather than go into the ins and outs of how to get a bike licence in the UK, I've added a link to point to the DELTR (or whatever the acronym is) pages that outline this stuff. In a limited bit of research (and as an aside) it looks like we can get a full unrestriced licence quite quickly - in British Columbia it can take the best part of two years.

To get Direct Access you have to be over 21. Then you get your CBT (Compulsory Basic Training), which is normally done on a small bike, the do further training on a large bike, normally 500cc (over 35kw) and take your test on the large bike. Most training schools do intensive training packages lasting up to 5 days, depending on the learner's existing experience. A beginner will take the full 5 days.
I used to run a training centre for my local authority and we ran it over five and a half days;.

And it's not DTLR, by the way - but you should probably link to the DSA site!

just to be persnikity, has anyone with a bike actually tried this while following the instructions?

it sounds good but is everything the right way round with no third arms or second heads needed?

lacking in a bike my self or I'd try it.
FABT

Congratulations, great entry...

It'll now be sent off to a sub-editor who'll check it for spilling mistokes and grammatically erors and you'll eventually get to see your entry on the front page....


Now where was that again....