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Let's face it - no matter how safe you think you ride or how experienced a rider you are, you will drop your bike one day or the other. It can happen in the office parking lot, an intersection or during a tempting curve on the ghat section. At times, for reasons beyond your control.
Needless to say, to avoid the risk of injuries, you need to be fully geared up. Without gears, you'd probably not be in a condition to lift the bike by yourself. I'd like to share my experience from earlier this week, when I spilled my bike on the Western ghats near Karwar. I had a GoPro camera automatically taking pictures of what happened, so I thought it was a good opportunity to share so that everyone learns from my spill.
When you fall off the bike, you will be momentarily disoriented. This is a natural thing to happen so take a moment to collect your wits together. Then approach your bike, and follow the steps below. Before attempting the lift, make sure your bike is in gear so that it does not roll off while being lifted. 90% of the time your bike will be in gear when you spill it, but in case it isn't, you need to engage the gear. Difficulty may arise when the bike falls on the gear side - I don't have a workaround on that.
1) DO NOT try to lift the bike the way 99% of the people do by lifting the bike with your front facing the bike. Instead, turn around, squat, grab the handlebar end with your left hand and the rear or pillon grab rail with your right hand. Once you have decided you have sufficient grip, use your powerful thigh muscles to gradually rise from your squat position to standing. Do this while keeping the bike propped against your back/buttocks. If your bike has fallen on the right side, engage the side stand first so that you don't have to worry about it later.
2) When you feel the bike is almost straight and if you are on the right side, just prop the bike on its side stand as the bike becomes straight. If you are lifting the bike from the left side, engage the stand with your leg when straight and prop the bike.
The Ninja 250 was a heavy bike at 170kg+ (full tank of fuel) so I could not have lifted any other way without help. But even for smaller bikes which weight lesser, this method is the best way to get your bike off the ground.
Hope you never crash, but in case you do one day, you know what to do!
Needless to say, to avoid the risk of injuries, you need to be fully geared up. Without gears, you'd probably not be in a condition to lift the bike by yourself. I'd like to share my experience from earlier this week, when I spilled my bike on the Western ghats near Karwar. I had a GoPro camera automatically taking pictures of what happened, so I thought it was a good opportunity to share so that everyone learns from my spill.
When you fall off the bike, you will be momentarily disoriented. This is a natural thing to happen so take a moment to collect your wits together. Then approach your bike, and follow the steps below. Before attempting the lift, make sure your bike is in gear so that it does not roll off while being lifted. 90% of the time your bike will be in gear when you spill it, but in case it isn't, you need to engage the gear. Difficulty may arise when the bike falls on the gear side - I don't have a workaround on that.
1) DO NOT try to lift the bike the way 99% of the people do by lifting the bike with your front facing the bike. Instead, turn around, squat, grab the handlebar end with your left hand and the rear or pillon grab rail with your right hand. Once you have decided you have sufficient grip, use your powerful thigh muscles to gradually rise from your squat position to standing. Do this while keeping the bike propped against your back/buttocks. If your bike has fallen on the right side, engage the side stand first so that you don't have to worry about it later.
2) When you feel the bike is almost straight and if you are on the right side, just prop the bike on its side stand as the bike becomes straight. If you are lifting the bike from the left side, engage the stand with your leg when straight and prop the bike.
The Ninja 250 was a heavy bike at 170kg+ (full tank of fuel) so I could not have lifted any other way without help. But even for smaller bikes which weight lesser, this method is the best way to get your bike off the ground.
Hope you never crash, but in case you do one day, you know what to do!
) & then start lifting it?
.
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