Scared to stop on a 1200GS Rallye two up

[GreyHairedWombat]

I have a 2017 1200GS Rallye and recently had a couple of mishaps in car parks when two with the Mrs. First occasion, no damage (very soft landing), second occasion not so lucky. Mrs took some time to cool down. Since then this has knocked my confidence

Whilst I am 6'2" and wear 33" inside leg jeans I am now in my early 60's and have torn my ACL on my dominant right leg which will not be reconstructed (this happened a year after I bought the bike). When setting off both feet are flat to the ground. I tend to ride the bike in ROAD mode with suspension set to AUTO. When stopping, in particular two up, I can be on tip toes. If the ground is not level when putting my dodgy but dominant right leg down this can catch me out (hence the recent car park incident). My options as I see it at the moment:

1. Try to understand suspension settings better to see if they will be lower when coming to a stop. Have feared to date that if I don't use AUTO I will bottom out suspension, cause problems with handling, break something....

2. Get the suspension lowered (sat on a GSA at Costswold Motorrad on way home from a week in Ludlow with lowered suspension - amazing!

3. Change the bike to say an RS, RT or something lighter, although I might need to consider that knee angle will be tighter

Anyone out there had a similar dilemma and sorted their issue using one of the options above or maybe something else?

Thank you

 

[jetjock]

Is the seat on its lowest setting ?

 

[fink]

From your description it sounds as if you are using front brake to finally come to a standstill. Have witnessed it several times in carparks and junctions.

Rear brake for controlling and stopping slow speed, left foot down after carefully selecting where you are going to park and hold, on the front brake.

 

[stanley]

Alternative thoughts...
Is your Mrs a good (relaxed) passenger? Nothing worse than a passenger thrashing about on the back!

Possible tactic... If I need to park or manoeuvre on tricky terrain (gravel, off camber, etc), I often get the Mrs to jump off first. I spot a bit of a high point (kerb) and pull up close to make it easy for her to get off, then I park up the bike.

Assuming you've done loads of physio to improve/maintain leg strength, proprioception, etc?

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[Santa-2512]

From your description it sounds as if you are using front brake to finally come to a standstill. Have witnessed it several times in carparks and junctions.

Rear brake for controlling and stopping slow speed, left foot down after carefully selecting where you are going to park and hold, on the front brake.

All well and good if the road doesn't have a steep camber to the left, if it does, no end of brake control is going to stop the bike from going over.

The front brake on the newer models is very grabby compared to my hexhead, hence my similar incident, (that said my hexhead was servoectomised)

you try braking with the rear and getting your right foot down when the bike is going over to the right, it aint happening especially if its in a hurry,

To the OP i need to confirm, but i have heard that the ESA functions only lower the arse end of the bike, not the front.

when i had my hexhead lowered by 30mm front & rear, it was night and day, you could nail it on the front brake or rear, and not have that sickening

feeling which foot to get out as both would be able to comfortably touch the floor

 

[batman1]

I’m nearly 69yrs 5-8 with 29 inside leg and ride the same bike two-up

Options are.

1. Ride it on auto but when you arrive at a knarly or gravelly car park pull up as you must be stopped to change height, stay on the bike and put it into low (min) height mode, wait until the bike lowers itself down before disembarking but also put your side stand down first this then stops the bike being able to fall over to the left side so that you can concentrate more on the side with your wonky leg.

2. If your not very familiar at changing the bikes height on the button, practice one-up at home until you can do it blindfold.

3. Don’t worry, you can ride the bike two-up all day long on minimum setting, it will not bottom out unless the pair of you are proper big tosser size, you didn’t mention your weights

4. Trade it in a buy a factory low chassis GS, they look the same but are quite low and lower still if you fit the low seat, although you should try and road test one first as your knees will have a bit more bend in them and your wonky knee may grumble.
Personally, I tend to use auto, but I will pop bike into min if we arrive at a parking area that looks tricky, however I have sometimes forgotten to put the bike back into auto when setting off again and have ridden for long distances in min mode with no bottoming out issues, however we are not proper tosser size?

5. Have you considered a proper knee brace, just a thought, my mate has ACL and always wears one for skiing, don’t know if it’s feasible on a bike though?

As I get older I expect I will need to use min mode when two up.

Don’t bother getting your own bike altered, as it makes much better financial sense to swop it for a proper factory lowered bike, then you have a proper thing to sell if you ever want to flog it, better to sell a standard factory bike whether high or low, than one that’s been mucked about with.

 

[GreyHairedWombat]

Thank you all for your helpful comments. Its worth trying the simple things first before committing to replace bike. Plenty to think about. In answer to some of the questions:

- Yes, seat is at the lowest setting
- Yes, I probably grab the front brake and will practise stopping one up first using the rear. This issue has knocked my confidence when stopping at junctions or when filtering so might be worth trying. I used to ride trials up to 30 years old so slow riding not new to me
- Mrs does not wriggle but cannot get off before me. She had a right knee replacement last year, has poor muscle strength and poor flexibility in her right leg (I may pot a request for advice - she has to get on the bike first when we depart and last when we stop)
- My physio is in the process of helping me develop proprioception, early days
- Good advice about suspension setting, changing height when stopping, etc. I may be wrong but I think I can change setting whilst on the go
- Knee brace digs into the back of my knee and pain/discomfort whilst riding not bearable
- Are we tosser size? - I'm 14st10lbs and Mrs 11st8lbs less clothes

 

[batman1]

You cannot change the bike height when on the move, you must be stationary.

Perhaps you are getting mixed up with the ride mode from ‘road’ to ‘dynamic’ , this can be done on the move but it does not change bike seat height.

Incidentally, it might be worth mentioning if you are both on the bike, and you want to raise it from min to auto, the little servo motor in the rear shocker can struggle to extend and lock out. What I do to give the motor a helping hand is ..holding the bars, I stand up clear of saddle with feet flat on the ground and get my pillion who is sat on the bike to pull down on my shoulders with both hands, this action transfers some of her weight down to the ground via my feet, thus giving the servo mother in the shocker an easier time.

 

[Traffic893]

You mention that you are putting your weakened right leg down, hence the car park incident. Have you tried keeping your right leg up on the brake, stop, both legs down settle the bike then flip side stand down, so bike leans slightly to the left and any issues the side stand will hold you up.

 

[Appman]

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...A010755AA7869304E828A010755AA786&&FORM=VDRVSR

FotNine elegantly explains how grabbing the brake can be a problem and that a little "pre-loading" of the lever can help, should certainly still work at slow speeds to reduce your possible "grabbing" effects if the rear brake control doesn't work out.

Also +1 on asking your passenger to dismount to reduce the bike' loading and stabilise your balance.

 

[Hildasay]

You could try training yourself to put your non-dominant leg down first (I have, it felt really weird to start with but didn't take long) - ideally you should be equally comfortable putting either leg down, that makes it easier to cope with camber, potholes, etc.
Another thing to remember is to make sure the bike has come to a complete stop before you plant a foot. This should be obvious but I have been known to put my foot down too soon when stopping in a bit of a hurry, resulting in a rather unstable position (and on one occasion a tumble).

 

[JJH]

One shouldn’t say should in these circumstances because I don’t know exactly your personal circumstances but I’m a good bit smaller than you and have had a few GSAs which I usually ride with the seat on its high settings. I always covered the back brake while stopping and in a quick movement right foot down left foot kicks out stand and bike over onto stand. Then dismount. I often had my daughter who is over 6 foot tall and well over 20 stone on the back. Never had a problem. JJH

 

[Bem]

Plenty of good thoughts.
Equally old and a little shorter at 5/8, with a dodgy right knee from 2017.
Less so than earlier GS`s but mine still has a tendency to "ride up" on the front suspension if I only use the front brake.
My technique is always to use the back brake and ease off the front at the point of stopping - prevent the front riding up.
And yes sometimes there is a scary left camber to be dealt with which requires a right foot first, but observations surely?

 

[GreyHairedWombat]

Thank you again one and all. I intend to practice a few of the recommendations in a car park by myself and then with the Mrs. I'll also try riding on different settings on my local bumpy Suffolk roads and see how we/the bike copes. Cheers for the advice

 

[beaver]

Can't you get a lower seat? loads on e-bay usually.. I have found it myself on a number of stops where I've used both brakes and it kind of keeps it in the up position. Let them both off and the bike sinks 1"

 

[stever1]

Thank you all for your helpful comments. Its worth trying the simple things first before committing to replace bike. Plenty to think about. In answer to some of the questions:

- Yes, seat is at the lowest setting
- Yes, I probably grab the front brake and will practise stopping one up first using the rear. This issue has knocked my confidence when stopping at junctions or when filtering so might be worth trying. I used to ride trials up to 30 years old so slow riding not new to me
- Mrs does not wriggle but cannot get off before me. She had a right knee replacement last year, has poor muscle strength and poor flexibility in her right leg (I may pot a request for advice - she has to get on the bike first when we depart and last when we stop)
- My physio is in the process of helping me develop proprioception, early days
- Good advice about suspension setting, changing height when stopping, etc. I may be wrong but I think I can change setting whilst on the go
- Knee brace digs into the back of my knee and pain/discomfort whilst riding not bearable
- Are we tosser size? - I'm 14st10lbs and Mrs 11st8lbs less clothes

If you’re getting off the bike whilst the pillion is still on it you’re asking for a problem. Same when getting on. What is stopping it falling while you get off. I suspect nothing is ,
Could this be part of the reason your having problems.

 

[stanley]

As above, I can't imagine the pillion on first/off last routine is anything but a nightmare.
Maybe a completely different bike that is better suited to you partner's needs is the way to go? Do you really need a GS? Something lower, narrower and with less suspension travel might be better.

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[Doc]

As above, I can't imagine the pillion on first/off last routine is anything but a nightmare.
Maybe a completely different bike that is better suited to you partner's needs is the way to go? Do you really need a GS? Something lower, narrower and with less suspension travel might be better.

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Why is pillion on first off last a nightmare ? I have never had a issue with my girlfriend doing it. She gets on while bike is on side stand no problem.

 

[stanley]

Why is pillion on first off last a nightmare ? I have never had a issue with my girlfriend doing it. She gets on while bike is on side stand no problem.

Well, if needs must and it works for you, then clearly it's not a nightmare!

There do appear to be many people on here who struggle with their gs's though... Lower this, raise that, etc. Can't help but think that some folk might be happier on a better suited bike maybe.
If the op is dropping his bike (possibly damaging himself and his wife further) then maybe the bike is the problem?





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[fink]

All well and good if the road doesn't have a steep camber to the left, if it does, no end of brake control is going to stop the bike from going over.

The front brake on the newer models is very grabby compared to my hexhead, hence my similar incident, (that said my hexhead was servoectomised)

you try braking with the rear and getting your right foot down when the bike is going over to the right, it aint happening especially if its in a hurry,

To the OP i need to confirm, but i have heard that the ESA functions only lower the arse end of the bike, not the front.

when i had my hexhead lowered by 30mm front & rear, it was night and day, you could nail it on the front brake or rear, and not have that sickening

feeling which foot to get out as both would be able to comfortably touch the floor

You obviously missed this when reading "left foot down after carefully selecting where you are going to park and hold, on the front brake" twas in a car park too.