Tricks to picking up a dropped bike?

[akar]

Hi, I'm a beginning rider (1 year) and being relatively small in comparison to my bike, I was wondering if there are any tricks to picking up a bike if (gasp!) it's been dropped or fallen over? I was reading on a different forum that there was a proper way to do it, but no one elaborated. Any ideas would be really appreciated as I really do not want to be in that situation and have no idea what to do!

[Dodsfall]

Here is the easiest way:

+ YouTube Video

[akar]

Thank you so much! I probably could have looked that up on Youtube myself but didn't think of it. Very helpful, I feel a little safer now!

[bajakirch]

Worst way to pick up a dropped bike: Bend over and try to lift it; good chance of injuring yourself and re-dropping your bike.

I know there are YouTube videos showing what's considered the 'proper' technique, but here's my description.

1. If it's not off already, turn off the bike.
2. If the bike's on its right side, make sure the side stand is down.
2. Turn your back to the seat and sit down on the seat edge.
3. Grab the right grip with the nearest hand and activate the front brake (this will help keep the bike from rolling forward).
4. Put your feet as near to your butt as possible and use them to slowly push STRAIGHT BACK. The bike should start to pivot towards an upright position.
5. Adjust your seating position as the bike approaches the vertical position and continue pushing with your legs.
6. When the bike is almost upright, turn around and complete the lift.

Do this in a controlled fashion; push to hard and/or fast and you'll likely tip it over on the other side (the deployed sidestand helps prevent that if you're pushing from the right side).

I've seen five-foot-nothing women lift up fully dressed Harley cruisers using this approach, and they didn't even break a sweat.

Not a bad idea to practice. I've taken my bike into the hard, g-e-n-t-l-y laid it down and then used this approach to lift it back into the proper position.

Hopefully, you never need to use this knowledge.

EDIT: Beaten by a few minutes.

[distantThunder]

find a couple of bystanders and ask them to help you.
afterwards ... put a stupid look on your face, tell them you haven't ridden in 5 years, and buy them both a beer.
hahahaha!

this is by far the best way to pick up a motorcycle that's fallen over - esp. a big bike.

dT

[AikinutNY]

Have a good looking girl stand there and say, "My bike fell down!" Guys will run over, pick it up clean it off.. She then says she needs a drink, the boys will follow. You get on the bike and leave, she gets free drinks.

[4Raven]

Yeah good luck with that....I have to wait for someone to come and help...bike is just too freakin heavy. But turn the bike off...unless you are out in the middle of no where at midnight and don't want someone to hit you....or your bike (you can use your front brake lever to blink the tail light) and you will smell gas because a little will spill out.

[Badlands-4-2]

The video shows the best way. Save your back.

[bajakirch]

Originally Posted by 4Raven

Yeah good luck with that....I have to wait for someone to come and help...bike is just too freakin heavy. But turn the bike off...unless you are out in the middle of no where at midnight and don't want someone to hit you....or your bike (you can use your front brake lever to blink the tail light) and you will smell gas because a little will spill out.

If you can scoot yourself backwards in a chair, you can lift your bike using the technique shown/described above. The first time I saw this demonstrated, they used a fully dressed HD. Every person that tried it, with proper instruction, was able to lift the bike. I even watched a 12-year-old kid do it.

[cmonSTART]

Originally Posted by AikinutNY

Have a good looking girl stand there and say, "My bike fell down!" Guys will run over, pick it up clean it off.. She then says she needs a drink, the boys will follow. You get on the bike and leave, she gets free drinks.

I like it!

[ralphlong]

Originally Posted by AikinutNY

Have a good looking girl stand there and say, "My bike fell down!" Guys will run over, pick it up clean it off.. She then says she needs a drink, the boys will follow. You get on the bike and leave, she gets free drinks.

This kind of out of the box thinking is what has made the US great.

I like it.

Ralph

[xXmyst3ryXx]

I learned that you sit on the bike (kicker facing away) and you take baby steps and use your legs to puck it up. Soon it should be up and you rest it on the kicker.

[hogcowboy]

Well I wish you all was at my place last Friday when I dropped my bike at the gate to my place. I tried everything to lift that sucker including the prescribed way and just bending over and lifting. Nothing!!! I had my cell phone so I called the wife to help. With two of us we could not move that sucker. She went back and got a rope and that's how we got it back up and even then it was and effort. Now so you know the whole picture it was down on the left side on a hill going down hill to the left and to the rear and on gravel. I would have loved for all you he men to have given it a try. Now I know I'm not quite back to normal after my crash in January but still, with two of us you would have thought we could at least come close to moving it towards an upright position. But we couldn't even add day light on that left side. We could not budge it. Not one darn inch!

[RobMoore]

I almost reached maximum zoom on my iPhone trying to read your post.

[hogcowboy]

Originally Posted by RobMoore

I almost reached maximum zoom on my iPhone trying to read your post.

What are you talking about? It looks fine to me.

[bajakirch]

I guess I should have added the caveat that the technique I described works best on level ground. If you have to lift a hulk like that uphill, you may have to call for a winch.

[Woohoo]

Tip: buy a lighter bike?

[twizted278]

Originally Posted by Dodsfall

Here is the easiest way:

never would of thought of that either, mostly use youtube for music vids and mechanical problems

[jrw69]

Only drop your bike on nice smooth level concrete. No where else is permitted.

[CharlesW]

Good information, but the motorcycle being picked up has a good start because of the bags.
A bare bike or a sportbike presents a little more problem since it will often have the wheels higher than the tank.
Here's another video that shows what I mean.
If help is available, don't be bashful about asking for assistance.

You Tube

[CharlesW]

Originally Posted by jrw69

Only drop your bike on nice smooth level concrete. No where else is permitted.

Preferably with pads on the ground under it.
Trust me, it is not a good thing to do.

[UJM]

I watched a HD demo with small girl picking up large police bike, but they only go over about 45 deg. because of the side cases. Mine lands on its side with the wheels off the ground so the easy method doesn't work. Usually if it's dropped it's because it's on a weird hill too. Even big bikes - rented a Victory Vision and they only go over about 45 but loaded up are pretty heavy - 2 of us needed to ask another guy to help. No shame in asking for help instead of straining yourself; people are usually happy to assist. Even my smallest bike is 300 lbs. - again on its side, wheels up. "Excuse me; could you give me a hand?" works for me. Guys, you've got nothing to prove. If nothing works, flag down somebody and thank them profusely.

[twizted278]

+ YouTube Video

wtf.. cant get youtube linking to work?

http://youtu.be/41RfG6o9n3I?hd=1


copy and paste...

[OldGuy]

Works great if you are level ground with nothing under the bike or
you feet that cause slippage. Try it on grass, sand, or gravel; or
as noted above, on a hill. Also helps if the kickstand is on the upside.
Best way, get help.