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Unfortunately,
this is not the kind of thing you want to go out and practice,
and hopefully its not something you will ever need to do.
However, chances are good that at some point your bike will
fall over for some reason. Since you can't practice it, and
you may eventually need it, try to remember these simple steps:
-
Check
yourself for damage. Often in a situation like this, the
adrenaline is flowing and you might not notice that you
have a nasty cut or serious injury. Failure to take care
of yourself before your bike may make things worse for
your situation.
-
Remove
any extras from the bike that you can, including bags,
passenger, cargo etc...
-
Turn
the wheel to full-lock towards the ground. If the bike
is on its left side, turn left, and if its on the right,
turn right.
-
Leave
it in gear. If possible, put it in first gear, but this
may only be possible if its down on the right side.
-
Squat
down with your legs almost fully extended. Put your butt/lower
back into the seat. Place one hand on the right grip and
grab the brake, place the other hand at your side under
the seat or on the rear rack.
-
Start
pushing into the bike by extending
your legs for the initial lift, and then start moving
your feet backwards in small steps. Use the tires to anchor
the bike, and in essence your are rotating
the bike's center of gravity, not lifting it. Keep your
feet as flat on the ground as possible for traction.
-
The
bike will rise up as it rotates. Be careful to go slowly,
as once it passes the 1/2 way mark, its gets markedly
easier. You do not want to push the bike very rapidly
so that it falls the other way! You can imagine that with
the bike behind you, it would be very difficult to keep
it upright if it started to fall the other way. Therefore,
you should always keep it leaning into you, just as you
do when pushing it.
-
Once
the bike is near vertical, turn your body towards the
front of the bike and grab the grips. If you are on the
left, this is easy and you can then put down the side-stand.
If you are on the right side of the bike, rotate into
the bike. This is more difficult and you will have to
move quickly as you balance the bike. Once its stable,
mount the bike from the right-side, put down the side
stand, and then dismount.
-
Check
for damage on the bike. If there is gasoline everywhere,
clean it up and/or give it time to evaporate before starting
the bike. Give yourself some time to collect your wits
and calm down before riding away. Also, its a good idea
to ensure that your turn signals and lights are working
properly, and if they are broken, ride accordingly.
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