Bike Lifting after drop

I understand the 'squat' technique, but when your knees have been replaced and your shoulders have been replaced, they don't put in hydraulic pumps for extra 'push'. :biggrin: My situations have been where the ST1100 is too low on the dropped side to be able to get in a squat position (usually on an incline).
I've ordered one of those motojacks in the hopes that I will never need it! ;)
Sort of like the reason I carry a spare fuel pump on long trips.
Since I started doing that, I have not had fuel pump fail - 4 failed up to that time on long trips! :think1:
 
Andrew Shadow said:
Have you ever considered an air bag?
They sell air bags that inflate using an air compressor or the exhaust gas from a running engine. I saw a demonstration of one of these years ago. When inflating it using exhaust gas it was a little slow but it did work. At the demonstration that I saw, they sold much smaller ones as well that would be more suitable for carrying on a motorcycle, but I didn't take the time to look for one. I am providing the link below just to give you an idea. If you are interested, you can see if you can find a smaller version.

Exhaust Air Jack
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That is an excellent suggestion. I'm doing a solo X-country ride this year and have been looking at these (different brand). I carry a 12V compressor any way and while I'm medium-confident that I can get one upright using only technique ... that requires an absence of bad luck as to just where a tipover occurs.
I'm a big fan of using "wedge" air bags in my shop. The company I will likely end up using has some standard sizes and will make custom shapes / sizes.
https://catalog.matjack.com/viewite...ns/2-5-ton-matjack-low-pressure-air-bag-c2418
Curious if anyone has any experience using one - or - any observations.
 
Ken Valkyrie said:
Thanks for the compliment " dealing with the heavy ST... " I have been looking around for lighter bikes. Last year checked out the Suzy GSX-S1000GT+.
Weight was great at around 500 lbs but way too tall for my wife, no center stand.
In the fall we test rode a new Indian Scout, weight great, I like the stye looks, but it rode like wxyz, bottomed out way too easy with two up, seat - especially passenger painful, pass pegs so high knees bent too much.
Don't mean to knock them all, its because I am so happy with my ST. Rode this past Sunday (before the drop).
My ST handles so beautifully, fairing wind protection, great comfy ride, heated grips, I could go on: be an add for Honda. (It's "just the weight")
It's my favorite ride ever, and it was tough to beat my 2001 Valkyrie.
I plan to do more "lighter" bike searching this spring, I see compromises coming.
Click to expand...
Suzuki vstrom 650? You will miss the power
 
I use the squat technique just almost like shown in this video. I have no trouble just wrenching the bars back around like wrestling a steer and then rev the tar out it to see the rev limiter still works.

YMMV

 
Fortunately for me at least, we don't have to be BUILT like *that guy*, in order to be able to right the bike.
I'm not talkin' about the kids, but the shirtless guy.
To be clear.
And you won't be watching my whitey tighteys while I set the bike up, either.
To be clear.
 
Andrew Shadow said:
Have you ever considered an air bag?
They sell air bags that inflate using an air compressor or the exhaust gas from a running engine. I saw a demonstration of one of these years ago. When inflating it using exhaust gas it was a little slow but it did work. At the demonstration that I saw, they sold much smaller ones as well that would be more suitable for carrying on a motorcycle, but I didn't take the time to look for one. I am providing the link below just to give you an idea. If you are interested, you can see if you can find a smaller version.

Exhaust Air Jack
Click to expand...
The air bag makes sense and they even use them in heavy equipment recovery and they work really well. The one concern I would have using one from the exhaust from a bike is the engine running with the bike laying on its side. I would be concerned about the oil sump/pump starving for oil. Not sure how far you could get away with leaning a bike like ours with the engine running.
 
Bmacleod said:
The air bag makes sense and they even use them in heavy equipment recovery and they work really well. The one concern I would have using one from the exhaust from a bike is the engine running with the bike laying on its side. I would be concerned about the oil sump/pump starving for oil. Not sure how far you could get away with leaning a bike like ours with the engine running.
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If I carried one of these, it would not be with the expectation of using the exhaust from my motorcycle to right it. It would be to use the exhaust from a generous car owner close by. If I ever bought one, I would test inflating it with a high volume 12V air blower that I have for inflating air mattresses to see if that would work as a second option.
 
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Andrew Shadow said:
If I carried one of these, it would not be with the expectation of using the exhaust from my motorcycle to rite it. It would be to use the exhaust from a generous car owner close by. If I ever bought one, I would test inflating it with a high volume 12V air blower that I have for inflating air mattresses to see if that would work as a second option.
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Agreed, not using the exhaust. The ones I'm looking at come in low, medium and high pressure models. The low and Medium units are more than enough.
Lift Capacity: 2.5 ton and 4.2 ton Pressure required 10psi and 14 psi respectively. They are both the same size 24x24 _ 18 in high. Don't know the price or price difference. The "medium" on if full on Kevlar so I suspect +$$$.
I'm trying to calculate the needed lift to get it up off the "police" crash bar and get the side stand down. (maybe somebody knows ;) )
 
Uncle Phil said:
I understand the 'squat' technique, but when your knees have been replaced and your shoulders have been replaced, they don't put in hydraulic pumps for extra 'push'. :biggrin: My situations have been where the ST1100 is too low on the dropped side to be able to get in a squat position (usually on an incline).
I've ordered one of those motojacks in the hopes that I will never need it! ;)
Sort of like the reason I carry a spare fuel pump on long trips.
Since I started doing that, I have not had fuel pump fail - 4 failed up to that time on long trips! :think1:
Click to expand...
I ordered the motobikejack a couple hours ago also. I hope like you, I’ll never need it.
Reminds me of our previous home that we owned for 20 years. I had bought a 8,000 watt generator that I never needed during a power outage . It was cheap insurance though when I divided the cost by 20 years
 
Ken Valkyrie said:
I ordered the motobikejack a couple hours ago also. I hope like you, I’ll never need it.
Reminds me of our previous home that we owned for 20 years. I had bought a 8,000 watt generator that I never needed during a power outage . It was cheap insurance though when I divided the cost by 20 years
Click to expand...
I just went to their website. That could be a contender. Will you be doing a test with it? ;)
 
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NVDucati said:
Agreed, not using the exhaust. The ones I'm looking at come in low, medium and high pressure models. The low and Medium units are more than enough.
Lift Capacity: 2.5 ton and 4.2 ton Pressure required 10psi and 14 psi respectively. They are both the same size 24x24 _ 18 in high. Don't know the price or price difference. The "medium" on if full on Kevlar so I suspect +$$$.
I'm trying to calculate the needed lift to get it up off the "police" crash bar and get the side stand down. (maybe somebody knows ;) )
Click to expand...
The other thing you have to think about with the airbag is where you are going to place it. Anywhere along the length of the bike is plastic. You would be hard pressed to find a non-plastic part to lift against. You could end up trying to lift the bike by the pannier or the fairing. Perhaps the spot between the 2, where the small cover over the battery/fuse panel is might be sturdy enough.
 
Bmacleod said:
The other thing you have to think about with the airbag is where you are going to place it. Anywhere along the length of the bike is plastic. You would be hard pressed to find a non-plastic part to lift against. You could end up trying to lift the bike by the pannier or the fairing. Perhaps the spot between the 2, where the small cover over the battery/fuse panel is might be sturdy enough.
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Yeah, I've been thinking about that and generally the circumstances when I need to use any mechanical device.
If one could plan to tip over on a flat, tar, parking lot, the steel / ratchet strap jack might likely be better.
I was looking at the issue of the bodywork contact. Mine is a police bike with the full crashbars and the (evidently) beefed up side guards. With the bike on the side stand, I slide a sheet of plywood up against the side of the front tire and tilted it up against the crash bar (plywood simulating the ground). I can make the case that on uneven ground along the side of a road ... there is enough room to get a bag in there. Part of me wants to believe that the bag system would spread the load wide enough to do no damage. Another aspect , pointed out above, is storing either device in the side case. While there might be s statistical reason to think that bikes go down more often on the left side. LOL are my middle initials. A air bag could ride under my dry bag. I don't have a passenger seat.

Have to say, if there are strong enough people standing around (laughing at me) I would hope to get a hand. Open to more input.
 
Every time somebody asks about picking up an ST somebody mentions how a 95lb (?!) woman or 12-yo girl can right a Wing. It ain't the same thing. I bet neither could do it with an ST. As mentioned the back-squat method has its limitations as well. So they can right an H-D. It ain't the same thing.

The GoldWing demo shows it resting on an engine guard and the angle isn't very steep. What if it or an ST went over their engine guards. Yeah the back-squat method makes the best use of human anatomy. But let's see that 12yo or 95lb woman right an ST. It can be done but not as easily as some would have us believe.

Puzzles me seeing a couple of the H-D riders rolling with their left leg extended.
 
ST Gui said:
Every time somebody asks about picking up an ST somebody mentions how a 95lb (?!) woman or 12-yo girl can right a Wing. It ain't the same thing. I bet neither could do it with an ST. As mentioned the back-squat method has its limitations as well. So they can right an H-D. It ain't the same thing.

The GoldWing demo shows it resting on an engine guard and the angle isn't very steep. What if it or an ST went over their engine guards. Yeah the back-squat method makes the best use of human anatomy. But let's see that 12yo or 95lb woman right an ST. It can be done but not as easily as some would have us believe.

Puzzles me seeing a couple of the H-D riders rolling with their left leg extended.
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I find my ST13 easier to lift than the gl1800 I mentioned was. Mine does have rear tip over bars though.
 
Bmacleod said:
The other thing you have to think about with the airbag is where you are going to place it. Anywhere along the length of the bike is plastic. You would be hard pressed to find a non-plastic part to lift against. You could end up trying to lift the bike by the pannier or the fairing. Perhaps the spot between the 2, where the small cover over the battery/fuse panel is might be sturdy enough.
Click to expand...
Definitely, it would not go well if it was placed against something really flimsy like the side-case or the belly-pan. I can't say for sure, but my initial gut reaction is that placed along the side of the bike it would work with out damaging anything. The bike is being righted, not lifted off of the ground, so the full weight of the bike is never born by the bag. If I had one I would give it a shot, but I'm not buying one.
 
ST Gui said:
It can be done but not as easily as some would have us believe.
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This guy makes it look pretty easy with an ST1100. It would be the same with an ST1300.
I have never tried it and am curious to know how much effort it takes. I keep thinking that I should do it just to know, but I never have.
I note that the guy doing it is no 95 Lb. woman. He also seems pretty stalky and not that tall, which all works in his favour for this.

 
core-aggie said:
Agreed ... there's a well known technique to pick up a bike "backing up to it and lifting" ... you do NOT face the bike, lean over, and try to man lift it. ... quite a few videos on this
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OK on a flat piece of road, but not easy pointed the wrong way on a hill
 
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