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How to Lift the Heavy Bike
When You Drop It
A major worry for most touring motorcyclists is: 'How in the WORLD do I get this monster back up if I drop it.?' It is not an idle concern. One DOES - eventually - drop their bike. The system we demonstrate here makes it possible for one person to
get the bike back up. Our demo bike is one of Honda's Gold Wings. Presently this is the heaviest production bike on the market tipping the scales at 850+ lbs.
We are indebted to the Gold Wing Road Riders Association and their Gold Book for the technique we present here.
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Even Arnold S. can't lift a heavy bike like this. It is a natural impulse because this is the way we ride, so isn't it the way we should lift? No! You can only
apply the strength in your arms. For all but the lightest bikes, that won't be enough.
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The first step is to turn the front wheel all the way away from you . . . so that you have both handle bars to grab. This position will mean you can apply the power in your legs
and back as a lever. Test your footing a bit. You don't want either foot to slip out from underneath you when you lift the bike. (On a 'Wing, you'll also want to engage the reverse gear if you have one. It will keep the bike from 'creeping' when
you lift.)
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When the bike is upright use your left foot to put the kickstand all the way down. Then ease the bike down on the stand. If the bike is down on the other side you can
extend the kick stand before you start the lift but, again, you will want to ease the bike down on the stand. If kind hearted people volunteer to help, make sure they don't grab on to those expensive fiberglass panels to help. Show them the solid bars,
handles that they can use.
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