Craning a R1150 GS Adventure

[John RTW]

Help, I'll be having my bike lifted onto a boat in couple of days time. Just wondered where the best points are to put the lifting strops without catching any cables, plastic or weak points.

Dread to think what a GSA looks like after free fall without a chute.

 

[ilkleyal]

Not done it but handlebars between the clamps and the rear wheel would be my choice

 

[Steptoe]

I'd imagine the people operating the crane (it's what they do for a living) will have more experience of lifting motorbikes than any GS owner.

 

[John RTW]

Thought so too, they've done many before mine, but knowing my luck I'll get the Friday afternoon crew who are more used to the pallets of fruit and veg I'll be joining than a big old GS.

The shipping agent asked me where I'd like the strops to be placed, this made me wonder if it was my responsibility and maybe I should be prepared to have a little knowledge (which can be a dangerous thing) before the event.

I'm sure I'll have nothing to worry about....

 

[davegs]

Cranes

Do the it the way the IoM always used to do it, put a rope tie through each wheel all perfect think about it, just the same weight as normal but pulling instead of pushing.
dave GS

 

[Michael R1150GS Adventure]

before anyone jumps down my throat saying this ( i used to build wheels) - witrh traditional spoked wheels, like on the GSA, it is important to remember that the bike 'hangs' from the (many) upper spokes, not the rim at one point. I feel a rope may impart a dodgy pressure point on the rims if you try to 'lift' the entire bike's weight from a very small area (that is, the area being the section of the rope, not the tyre print on the road - and its radially outwards, not inwards to boot!)

If anyone asked me I would say let the crane handlers deal with what to do, its their gig, let them handle it otherwise I may be wide open to zero claim if they feck it up?

Wheels are strong, but not if not used as a wheel!

 

[ahebron]

I have no idea where you would your bike from but if I was you i would find out and make sure the crane people lift it that way.
A colleague had a 12 ton truck dropped 6m onto the wharf by incorrect use of strops when transferring onto a ship. Well not really incorrect use of strops on 3 wheels but definitley incorrect use of old knotted rope on one wheel.
It cost a lot of money and time to fix the truck and a lot of the gear inside was destroyed.
Sorry I do not have the photos anymore

Adrian

 

[John RTW]

Many thanks for all your comments, as it happened they knew nothing! Sure it would have got onto the boat but hoisting it by the pannier racks as they wanted to do would have been a bit dodgy.

They were caring enough not wanting to damage any plastic or cut into any electrics but an owners oversight was required to guide them.

No fruit and veg on the boat today just lots of beer, (Guinness,Tiger) and some giant boiler doors.

All being well I'll see the bike in sunny Belawan, Indonesia on Monday, already to start my volcano spotting tour. hopefully I'll get the blog updated soon.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=252269

 

[John RTW]

Nearly forget, this is how we did it.

We'll see on Monday if all went ok with the offload. Which I won't be there for

 

[Hay Ewe]

And how did the unload go?
Any damage?

 

[John RTW]

The bike was in one piece when we went to collect it. You're not allowed to sail with the boat so we had to fly in and get a taxi to the port to collect the bike and clear customs.

Fourteen years ago, very happy days plodding around on that big old beastie.

 

[davegs]

Loop it through the wheels, simple the IoM ferry’s did this for years to every Blake no probs. Think about it it’s the same as a bike standing on the ground the weight will be in the same place easy.