How do you get a 500+ lb scooter off of your ankle?

OK, how do you get a 500+ lb scooter off of your ankle?

Yep there I was, sitting on the ground with bottom of my scooter facing uphill, and my ankle being pinched between the parking lot and the piece that the pasenger footpeg is attached to.

How did it happen? Well, when you transition from a road to a 20 degree declining strip of pavement to a 5 degree declining parking lot you should do it at as close to perpendicular as possible. What did I do...... almost parallel. As I slowed down to find a parking place I put my feet down, well sort of. My right foot (uphill side) of course touched first. Brakes were fully applied by then, and gravity took over. Since my left foot was not on the ground, as the scoot started to lean, gravity had its way.

Back to getting a 500+ lb scooter off your ankle.

I sat there for a second thinking "this bites" and tried to pull my leg out. Nope this hurts so its a bad idea. Looked around to see if there was anybody that could help. Nope. Wait... there is a motorcycle comming down the road. He looks and he sees me sitting there with the bottom of my scoot facing the road, and he continues down the road. (Thanks brother) Now I'm pissed.

Good thing I have a big butt, like an bolder. I braced my right foot on the seat, placed my arms behind me and gave a big push. Lucky for me the scoot rolled just enough for me to get my leg out.

I stood up and said "Damn", I'm not hurt. Then used the "Ride Like a Pro" technique to stand the scoot back up. You know... where you push your butt against the seat and push with your legs.

Good, only a couple of scratches on the scoot. I hopped on, fired it up, and rode around for a couple of miles. Then I returned to the spot where it happened to see why it happened in the first place.

Well thats my story......... and I'll remember "PERPENDICULAR"

Keep the shiny side up
bob

Good work Bob. Glad you weren't hurt. I've dropped my Swing numerous times for one reason or another on the dirt road I have to navigate. I've tried the butt against the seat technique and haven't been able to get it to work for me.
Guess I need more practice at it. What I've had to do is set the parking brake so the scoot can't roll, and then muscle it back to upright position. Lucky I haven't hurt my back. I really do need to learn the other way.

Maybe next time I drop it - OH! Is there gonna be a next time?! - I'll try that way again and see if I can get it to work for me.

Matthew,

Here's a link to a site with pictues of how to do it. In the text, just replace "put it in gear" with "set the parking brake.

http://roadstarclinic.com/content/view/82/123/

bob

Thanks for the link. That was great. Hopefully I won't need it any time soon, and neither will you!!!

Glad you were not hurt Bob. I know the feeling, on a good day with the right humidity my legs are only 27 1/2 inches and thats on level ground. I learned early on about the sheer weight of the SW. That pissed me off about the other rider just passing by. One thing you did not mention was the auto-shutoff when the bike is tilted (ok laying on the ground). This is the emergency fuel shut off that kills the engine. Both times I went over I inadvertently increased the throttle, could have been bad if the back wheel wasn't off the ground already . When I stood the bike up it would not start, then I remebered a little blurb I read in the owners manual, to restart you must reset the system by turning the bike off and then back on. ++ on the perpendicular.

Bob, I'm very happy for you that you were not injured - were you wearing motorcycle specific boots?

I dropped my SWing for the first time recently (I never dropped my 04 SWing when I had it). From my motorcycle days, I automatically reached over and turned the key off. I carry a red colored Cordura strap called "Dragon Claws" in my non-locking glovebox.
The strap is sewn together at each end so that you can loop it around the front brake lever and then you wrap the strap around the grip so that it applies the front brake and keeps it on until you release the strap.

So I used the strap to keep my scooter from rolling away. I used the lift technique as best that I could remember and it worked for me. I now have a reduced photocopy of the lift technique in my glove box and plan to read it every now and then so that I can remember it.

The technique worked for me and I'm a small guy and I have a seriously bad back and limited movement in my right hand. So I encourage others to learn the technique. Oh, nobody stopped to help me either.

As for the Dragon Claw, I don't know if it is still sold or not, but I imagine that it would be easy to make one or maybe use a strip of one inch wide velcro that will attach to itself.

TonyM
Rio Vista CA

Firstly I'm glad your OK Bob.

Interesting subject, something I had not thought about. The previous machine wasn't as big/heavy. So food for thought on how I will recover should it happen to me.

I have found this method works the hard way.

TeeMon wrote:

I carry a red colored Cordura strap called "Dragon Claws" in my non-locking glovebox. The strap is sewn together at each end so that you can loop it around the front brake lever and then you wrap the strap around the grip so that it applies the front brake and keeps it on until you release the strap.

I wanted to see a picture of the "Dragon Claws" with Cordura, but I could not find any.

It sounds similar to the straps with the loops on both ends to tie-down the SWing. If they are similar then I carry five of these tie-downs in my left pocket (zip strapped for maximum compression) just in case I ever need an emergency tow. One strap for each corner and one to fasten the wheel down ... I learned this the hard way after a flat tire which was not repairable.

Good point Bill, I have mine in a bag with my trailer tie-down ratchets. I need to put them on board the scooter. They look like this:

Hey scooterbob,
Glad things turned out as well as they did. To quote that infamous(by now) addage: "been there - - done that". And more than once; or twice; or three times. Actually there was a fourth but it was a complete crash; the first three were nearly or completely standing still.

I got to use that famous lifting technique everyone talks about soon after I first received my SWing. Pulled up in my front yard and, as far as I can remember, just forgot to put my feet down (one of those newbie faults). Anyway, had just viewed the lift procedure on the web and found out it worked as advertised. I'm an average height guy (5' 8.5"?) and didn't have any problems with it.

The next two times were also uneventful. Another aspect I experienced on all the occasions was that I completely left the bike; didn't give myself the chance to be under it. Whether that was by chance or I consciously made the effort is debatable; things happen fast even in a slow fall.

Anyway, it's fortunate you weren't seriously hurt. And the other biker went on by??? Talk about a bummer! Good luck in the future.

My dad did that the other day, but with a 750 pound VTX-1300. He says it was a bit heavy.

I had to laugh when I saw the topic question. It has happened to me a couple of times and I have a rather unique solution. In my case, whenever the Swing pins my left leg I just reach down and remove the leg, crawl to my knees and push the scoot up enough to retrieve the leg.

I'm a left leg amputee.

Mostly it happens when I step on some gravel and the leg goes out from under me and over I go. However, about 4 years ago I got out of shape going a little too fast around a curve and put it down at about 50. I was wearing a mesh armoured jacket and leather chaps so most of the damage was to the scoot when I hit a guard rail. A little bruised and a cut on my chin took 20 stitches (went home and through away all me open face helmets but that's another topic). Somehow even though the Swing went down on the right side it ended up on my left leg. I took it off and crawl up on the guard rail to assess the damage. Before I could even discover that I was bleeding profusely from the chin, someone came along to help. As he approached he stopped and turned ashen. The chin must have looked a lot worse than it was but something else had caught his eye. Here I sat calmly smiling with blood pouring out of my chin and the empty left leg of my chaps just dangling. Poor guy. He was in total shock. It took a few seconds for me to realize what has stopped him. I quickly explained that my leg was under the scooter. I mean, it's a prostetic leg and I'm really okay. I'll bet he never forgets those first few seconds. Maybe I should put this in the "funny stories" forum. But I just couldn't resist answering your question.

I can shift a regular motorcycle but with some difficulty (having no ankle on that side). This is really what drove me to the Silverwing.

It's easier with boots, just slide out of the boots

How do you get a 500lb. scooter off your ankle? A hell of a lot easier than a 900lb. Goldwing.
So far I haven't dropped the SW but I can admit to being a well practiced Goldwing 'uprighter'. I was only pinned to the ground once by the big 'Wing but that was enough. Lucky for me it was on fairly soft ground and I was able to work my leg around enough to loosen the dirt so I could pull my leg out from under. My lower leg and ankle took a couple weeks to heal enough for me to walk normally. BTW - it isn't easy even with the 'butt first' method up standing a big bike up right when you can only stand on one foot.

Well - I hate to admit it but I dumped mine for the first time ever while riding last weekend while on my way to a friend's house on a very slick/muddy road with ruts I just could not avoid - muffler-side down. Actually, muffler-side down helped me put it back up because the muffler acted as somewhat of a pivot point so I didn't have to dead-lift the whole bike. I seriously doubt the sit-on-it method would have worked at all due to all the mud.

Thanks for the link though and now I get why people wear morotcycle boots. Lessons learned. :-)

KB

Hey,this is becoming quite common.
take it easy out there, summer is coming and you dont want to be laid up

kbcmdba wrote:

Well - I hate to admit it but I dumped mine for the first time ever while riding last weekend while on my way to a friend's house on a very slick/muddy road with ruts I just could not avoid - muffler-side down. Actually, muffler-side down helped me put it back up because the muffler acted as somewhat of a pivot point so I didn't have to dead-lift the whole bike. I seriously doubt the sit-on-it method would have worked at all due to all the mud.

Thanks for the link though and now I get why people wear morotcycle boots. Lessons learned. :-)

KB

On two wheels, it is not a matter of if, but when. However, that is seldom if ever a problem with trikes.

Bob Witte
www.TheTrinityTrike.com

Having just dropped mine I know how you feel. Glad that you are OK,,,That's the best part.

It is funny you mentioned trikes but there is a good reason I ride on two wheels - I prefer it :-)

Right back at ya on being able to walk away from dropping yours too. I understand the risks of riding on the road though I do recognize that I can be my own worst enemy at times. That's where riding smart comes in and recognizing my own limitations.