How to wheel/push my bike about?

[MeridiaNx]

Ok, confession time........

I've been riding since 17 (now 22) and yet there's one thing I have *never* been comfortable with and that's wheeling my bike around when I'm not sitting on it.

Whenever I take it in for a service or whatever, the way they wheel them about makes it look so effortless but I really get nervous when I do it. It's nothing to do with strength, more the fact that I feel I can't control it fully.

Does anyone else have this problem? I always get on the bike when wheeling it in/out of parking spaces etc. I know about leaning it into your hip while standing on the left of the bike but even so.....

Any tips?

[kwak zzr]

i have a seat cowel on mine but i also leave the grab rail on its handy to hold on to while moving around and getting the bike onto the paddock stand.

[Stu]

I stand on the right not the left and leave the stand down then it can't fall either side. And yes I am very careful to watch the stand catch on something and flick up.

[Law]

I'm useless as well. Even worse on the bike.

At the moment I hold the handlebars for control, lean it into me and hook my leg against the crash bung to push the bike backwards and forwards.

I think the proper way to do it is to have one hand on the handlebar and one on the grab rail (if you have one). Practice makes perfect.

[kwak zzr]

ive only ever dropped bikes while astride them.

[fizzwheel]

I prefer to sit on it and paddle it about, or better still ride it to move it around.

I think the proper way to do it is to have one hand on the handlebar and one on the grab rail (if you have one). Practice makes perfect.

However if I'm moving it around and I cant paddle it ( i.e backwards up a slope ) then I do as Law says. I've pushed my SV up a steep slope into my garage like that way.

[MiniMatt]

Personally always been a bit envious of folks who can comfortably paddle away whilst sat on the bike - legs are a bit to short to get any sort of leverage.

Anyhow, off the bike, personally I keep to the left of it, both hands on the bars (not sure how I could cover the front brake with one hand on the grab rail - even if stood to the right I think I'd feel too twisted). Keep it leant into you as if it falls away from you then there's bugger all chance of holding it (well, there's bugger all chance of me holding it) wheras it'd have to be at some serious angle to fall into me.

Dropped a bike getting it off a centre stand once though, so I'm by no means an expert :)

[chazzyb]

My IAM group hold regular 'machine control days', and one the subjects is just this - moving your bike around. You end up being able to walk the bike around, walk yourself around the bike while holding it up, etc. I can't remember if this included pulling it it of spaces from the front holding the bars. The day also taught you how to pick it up once you'd dropped it. ;-)

[MiniMatt]

The day also taught you how to pick it up once you'd dropped it. ;-)

I find sheer embarrasment imbues one with superhuman strength :)

[MeridiaNx]

Law - Yeah I believe that's the proper way to do it as well, handlebar and grab rail. Still find it tough though, better try wheeling it up and down the street I guess.....not quite as impressive as riding off on the thing so I might feel a bit sheepish :D

Kwak - How on earth have you dropped them while astride the bike?! you got midget legs? ;-) That's how my dad dropped his Pan, it got so far over before his feet touched the ground that it was way too much weight to hold.

Chazzyb - That's where my dad picked it up from as well, and I had to do it on my CBT and test of course but no need since. Might see what the IAM group is like up my way, cos I went with the Devon crowd a couple of times and it was quite good fun....although a little older than suits me social-wise.

[hovis]

i find both hands on the grips the best with the right hand covering the brake

HTH

[gemma1675]

I'm another one who struggles with this. I can't paddle it as I am too short and it doesn't feel stable doing it on tippy toes! I stand on the left and hold the handlebars (and front brake). I then go very slowly and steadily.....

But my husband always goes for the "one hand at the front and one at the rear" technique and always seems a lot more in control than I do (his bikes heavier than my SV) - but as said above I would not be comfortable with that as you can't cover the brake! We have to push the bikes down our sloped drive so I need to be braking..... I just dunno! :smt102

I have been told it is more to do with confidence than strength though....;)

[SoulKiss]

I have been told it is more to do with confidence than strength though....;)

Then you were told correctly :)

With the same bike I have moved it about effortlessly one day, then thought "this is really heavy" the next.

1st occasion I wasnt even thinking about it, second ocassion I had an audience and was on a slight slope.

PMA is the answer

[Luckypants]

Did they not teach you this on your CBT / DAS course? I'm coming to the conclussion mine was a good course (although have some experience as well)

Hands on bars for walking bike around open spaces, bars / grab rail for tight manouvering, etc

Practice somewhere safe and get confident, it's a vital skill.

[Baph]

I learnt yesterday that if the bike is on even a slightly non-grippy (note: not remotely slippy, just less grip than normal), I can pick the bike up by the grab rail & move it around.

I do similar quite often when putting air in the tyres. I'll pick it up by the rear end & move the back wheel.

Luckypants will tell ya, I'm weedy!

PMA it is.

[ASM-Forever]

A lot of these Pre Menstrual Aches going around.....must be catchy :)

[Luckypants]

PMA - painted on the deck of my creek boat. Will remember that if I ever dust it off..... :drink:

[thumper21]

Did they not teach you this on your CBT / DAS course? I'm coming to the conclussion mine was a good course (although have some experience as well)

Hands on bars for walking bike around open spaces, bars / grab rail for tight manouvering, etc

Practice somewhere safe and get confident, it's a vital skill.

I got that on my lessons but it didnt make any difference. I can move the bike myself but make it look realy difficult! When wheeling in and out for an MOT I found a new trick this year, fluttered my eye lids and smiled very nicely at one of my mates! (I know I will go away and hang my head in shame)

[Bluesteel]

I tend to have a few jars first, then I seem much better at pretty much anything.

And if it does go wrong, it'll seem much funnier than it really is.

And you'll have forgotten by the morning.

[Steelman]

Not sure if it's one of those 'urban myths' but remember hearing that the reason Japan mainly had smaller and lighter bikes was that part of the Japanese riding test was to lay your bike down on its side and then pick it up again :smt003 If you couldn't pick it up, you failed :smt088

I find the SV dead easy to move around, but then I had years with big heavy bikes (BSA 650, GT750, BM 100s). I'm also lucky to be tallish (although that's a disadvantage in riding the thing ;) ) so can easy scoot it around whilst sitting on it. Best tips for pushing are as others have said, both hands on the bars with right fingers over the brake lever for wheeling around, and one hand on the grab rail and one on the bar for fine manouvering. It's interesting how few bikes have centre stands these days - that was always a real art getting a few hundred pounds of machine up onto the balance point :rolleyes:

And as for kickstarting - now there is a forgotten technique :D Nearly had my bl**d* leg broken before now when some temperamental beast backfired on starting it :eek:

This is definitely not a rant about the 'good old days' - far from! Bikes these days are wonderful pieces of affordable engineering that 30 years ago would have been unimaginable :smt003

[oldjack]

I'd heard that about the Japanese test too Steelman, makes sense, is it true? Any Japanese bikers on the org?:smt003

I can't even pick my little SV up now, I have a dodgy back, partly from having to lift my XS850 a few times 25 years ago, god knows what I'd do if I dropped the SV somewhere remote!

[sarah]

here (http://www.pinkribbonrides.com/dropped.html)'s how to pick up a bike. not tried it myself (yet)

[ASM-Forever]

The next time i see a female biker in distress(or a midget for that matter), i will be sure to pull over, advise them of the correct technique and proceed to wheelie off into the sunset :)

[RandyO]

how I wheel my bike around depends on what kind of surface and slope

but first an formost always walk it fronm the left side

on flat hard surface, I just grab handlebars and walk beside it

if I am doing tight manuvering, I walk it with my left hand on the left grip and right hand on the grab bar that way I can pick the rear off the ground with the grab bar if necessary to pivot the bike on the front wheel

soft surface like sand, or more often, snow or hard surface that is bumpy or rutted I walk beside it with the engine running & in gear slipping clutch with left hand and covering brake & throttle with right hand, sometimes after a winter ride, I have to push and spin the rear wheel to get back into my steep icy/snow filled driveway
http://images5.theimagehosting.com/SV in snow.th.jpg (http://server5.theimagehosting.com/image.php?img=SV in snow.jpg)

[Quiff Wichard]

i have a seat cowel on mine but i also leave the grab rail on its handy to hold on to while moving around and getting the bike onto the paddock stand.

u know I moved mine today and wished I had left the grab rail on.
but then it looks poor with a cowel and grab rail.. no offence Daz.

so so hard to get on the paddock stand though- or turn it around onthe side stand

[SoulKiss]

Actually had a fun situation today which led me to realise that there is a brake on the left side.

See I had to park facing downhill, in a tight space that I couldnt get into while on the bike.

So I chucked it in 1st - cos with the clutch out thats a "going nowhere" brake.

Clutch in to move backwards - oops I need to adjust my body position, clutch out , bike not going anywhere.

I will point out that the engine was OFF at this point

So another technique to add to the list.

David