Heavy ...

[mcatrophy]

Pushed the bike off its centre-stand, pushed it backwards out of the garage, steering it round towards the house wall, as I often do.

Leaned it onto the side-stand, bent down to push the button that does the remote garage door closing thing. Why is the bike leaning into me like that? Oh, sh*t, the side-stand isn't fully forward, it's pointing back.

This is bad. This thing leaning on me is HEAVY. I've not got a proper grip on it. Manage to get hold of the passenger grab rail with my right hand, then the handlebar with my left.

Push up - it doesn't go up, it goes back, leaning harder. I simply don't have the strength to push it straight up. (Please, no sniggers from the back of the class.)

I really, really don't want it to go down. There's no way I could pick it up by myself. The only other person around is my Better Half, she isn't very strong physically (mentally is another story) even if her new knee had fully healed, which it hasn't.

Quick look round, nothing to help.

Getting heavier.

A few inches behind the bike is a heavy concrete planter. An idea forms. I already know if I push up, it rolls back. Ok, push up, let it roll back, the rear wheel hits the planter. The bike stops rolling, my upward push finally starts to do something useful, I manage to get it high enough so I can get the side-stand to go forward, gently lower the bike.

Ahhh ...

I used to hate having to water those planters that She insists on having in front of the house, now I am extremely grateful that She had the foresight to put one of them exactly in line with where my rear wheel was going to be some nine years later.

I've also discovered an alternative to bar risers, just stretch your arms a little.

 

[dcarver]

Good save! ....and if the bike does have to hit the deck, be sure to protect the paint by placing your body between terra firma and the fjr....

 

[TomInPA]

Glad you saved it, but injuries are pretty common from trying to stop a heavy object beyond the point of no return. DAMHIK

 

[thewrenchbender]

Good save! ....and if the bike does have to hit the deck, be sure to protect the paint by placing your body between terra firma and the fjr....

Had my uncle's Fat Boy sitting in my driveway on my right leg/ foot for several minutes while I convinced him to calm down and that if we worked together we could stand it back up. Saw him going down and had to "step in" just couldn't let it go over without a fight. Shameless name-dropping follows-bike was a gift from Ashton Kutcher-but I woulda done it anyway.

 

[BkerChuck]

Nice save!

 

[LKLD]

Glad it work out well, and you didn't get hurt.

 

[gixxerjasen]

And from now on you too will do the double kick on the kickstand...just to be sure.

Just so you know, motorcycles are easier to pick up than they are to stop from coming down. You can get better positioned and use momentum to your advantage, instead of it working to your disadvantage. I'm not saying don't try to not drop it, but if you do, don't dismay because there's a good chance you can still get her back upright. Remember, lift with your legs, not your back.

Now, go buy your wife some new flowers to put in that planter.

Also, do not attempt lifting a fully loaded bike by yourself at 7900 ft altitude. It just doesn't work, get help.

 

[mcatrophy]

....Now, go buy your wife some new flowers to put in that planter...

No need.

1 - She doesn't know;

2 - planter is already filled with plants;

3 - I'm too mean;

4 - see (1);

(Click on image for larger view)

 

[ionbeam]

Glad it work out well, and you didn't get hurt.

Yes, +1

And from now on you too will do the double kick on the kickstand...just to be sure.
Just so you know, motorcycles are easier to pick up than they are to stop from coming down...

All mcatrophy was thinking was that he just finished spending hours changing the broken front stay and didn't want to do it again

Now he is being told by gixxer to learn to sing "Let it go, let it go..."

 

[gixxerjasen]

I was not saying that at all. What I was saying is that in his head he was thinking "I'd better stop it now because no way I can pick it up by myself." If you can stop it, you likely could have picked it up.

 

[El Toro]

I was really glad to get to the happy ending of this story.

I have to admit, I had visions of strained back or worse.

FWIW, I think that was my favorite color.

All's well that ends well. Keep up the good work

.

 

[Gaoler]

You don't have a gravity kill switch..?

 

[mcatrophy]

I was really glad to get to the happy ending of this story.
I have to admit, I had visions of strained back or worse.

FWIW, I think that was my favorite color.

All's well that ends well. Keep up the good work :weight_lift: .

Really can't afford a strained back, She's got me laying a path using paving slabs. Did one of these about nine years ago. I'm using the same slabs, but the concrete they're made of is obviously denser, they seem to weigh much more than they used to.
Either that, or I've had too many more birthdays.

Got to finish it and recover for another Scottish trip in September.

You don't have a gravity kill switch..?

Working on it, but fundamental physics keeps getting in the way. Just like I have to use the FJR to get around because my matter transmitter refuses to function.

 

[Fred W]

You don't have a gravity kill switch..?

No, the Europeans got the Immobilizer instead.

 

[lonerider]

Definitely the best use for a planter that I've heard described...

Glad you made the save without injury.

 

[FJRBandit]

Had something similar happen to me Mac - rolled my big Strom, complete with Happy Trails panniers and loaded top case, forward just a bit in the garage. Unbeknownst to me, the slight side tilt had caused the side stand to lift just enough that when I went to lean it back over it kept coming and pinned me to the wall.

I was still standing but pinned in an a way that I couldn't get any leverage to get it off of me without creating the necessity for a hernia operation.

I screamed like a little girl until my wife finally heard me and came to check to see what all the fuss was about. She probably heard me earlier but just revealed in the fact I was in distress -

Anyway, she saved the day.

Moral of the story, measure twice, cut once.

 

[eflyguy]

I wish I had video of the first time I tried to put my FJR on the center stand - which happened to be on my lift! I had no idea it was so hard compared to other bikes I own, and it went over AWAY from me. I managed to save it, I have no idea how..

 

[majicmaker]

Glad you worked that out, Mc. Same exact thing happened to me (Once)! After that one I double and triple kick the side stand every time!

 

[YummYam]

Amen to that.