Let’s face, once you’re on a motorcycle and riding, life is much easier and the bike is EASY to manage! But what about when you arrive at your destination and your parking options are limited?
Is parking a problem? Can you push and wheel your bike out?
Or do you rely on friends and loved ones to move your bike for you?
Manual handling is all about technique rather than brute strength. It requires an understanding of the weight distribution and how to ensure you keep your bike weighted in the right place.
TOP TIP
You sit on your bike and try to push the bike whilst sat on it? I can assure you this is much harder and increases the risk of a bike drop! Especially if the surface you’re pushing on is uneven or gravelly and your bike boots slip!
The best way to manoeuvre your motorcycle is by standing next to it and pushing. Going backwards? Do this:
- Lift the bike up and stow the stand
- Transfer your right hand to the rear pillion seat and splay your hands across the ridge of the seat to get more grip (do not use a grab rail, this will usually cause you to pull down on it and unsteady the bike)
- Keep your left hand relaxed to ensure you don’t accidentally steer the bike
- Push forward and down into the seat with your right hand so the bike starts to move backwards
- Keep your head up for balance
- Keep the bike slightly towards you rather than away from you
- If you need to stop at any point, you can push your right hip into the tank (like how you would carry a child if you picked them up) of the bike to let your lower body support the bike
- When popping the side stand down, instead of putting your right hand onto the handlebar, pop your hand on the tank. This will still keep the bike stable (as long as you’re not on a camber) and then you can see where your side stand is more easily!