Skinny lad big bike? No worries..!

[wolfboy]

I am 5' 11" and weigh just under 10 st and I ride a 1150 GS Adventure...

No this isn't a personal ad so read on..

I love my bike but the weight of my bike has always worried me, manhandling it around when parking it is a bit of an effort, last week I dropped it in heavy traffic and I had a half hearted attempt at picking it up before this bloke jump out of his car and gives me a hand, very nice of him, but I really felt like a plonker.

I still have my mates voice booming in my head "A biker should be able to pick up their own bike!".

The rest of the week I have been very uncomfortable thinking can I pick up my bike if I drop it?

Well to cut a long story short I dropped it in the garage on saturday...!

At first I was aghast but then I just looked at it and focused, I dragged it away from the wall so I could get along side and then pushed the bottom bar all the way forward and squatted down grabbd the bar and lifted with my legs, and next thing I knew it was half way up, then a quick lift/wrestle and it is upright...!!

My brother who is twice my weight and a good deal taller looked really shocked..

Apparantly a 10 st bloke lifting a quarter ton bike upright looks like the laws of physics are being defied.. ;-)

I know it was 'ideal conditions' and that my bike only had a half tank of fuel, but I was rather chuffed.. It was difficult bit not really diffucult.

A bit of a confidence boost

The reason for posting this was if any one wanted a GS but was uncomfortable about whether they could lift one if they dropped it, then if I can do it then so can anyone.

 

[forry]

It's better fun on wet sand

 

[wolfboy]

It's better fun on wet sand

Looks like I would need to put on a bit weight and take up weight training, failing that a JCB would do the trick...

So how difficult was lifting that?

 

[ROLLINSDAN]

I bought my 1100 nearly for years ago, within the first week I dropped it on a gravel car park with a full fuel tank. I then weighed 10.5 stone. It took me 15 mins to pick the bastard up..................

It doesn't bother me at all now, it's all a state of mind!!!!!!

 

[Dahoum]

At first I was aghast but then I just looked at it and focused, I dragged it away from the wall so I could get along side and then pushed the bottom bar all the way forward and squatted down grabbd the bar and lifted with my legs, and next thing I knew it was half way up, then a quick lift/wrestle and it is upright...!!

Nice one - you just performed the lifting method taught on the MBW off road course.

and one that this 5'8", 10 and a half stone weakling has used on many occasions.

With the pots a GS is as you say almost half up when you simply rock it over so the pot /crashbars and the wheels are all on the ground. Get your knee under the tank at this point for a rest if need be and then complete the lift.

It really is a piece of piss.

 

[Deleted account 220427002]

It's better fun on wet sand

Trying to put a bike on it's side stand.... on sand.... wasn't the best of plans

 

[Davel]

Well I'm fourteen and a half stone, 5 ft 10 in and I still struggled when I dropped my bike.

Having said that, I was totally embarrassed at the time and a builder working nearby helped me pick it up.

I think though that, at times, when you're stressed or angry, you can get extra strength and even surprise yourself.