Here's How To Pick Up Your Big Adventure Motorcycle

For motorcyclists, dropping a motorcycle is their biggest nightmare. Modern-day motorcycles are pure luxuries. They are as precious as cars thanks to their premium nature and high prices, especially if you ride an adventure motorcycle.

Unlike other motorbikes, ADV motorcycles are the SUVs of the motorcycle world. They are big, heavy, tall, well-equipped, and adventurous. Above all, adventure motorbikes are also one of the most attractive and versatile options.

Adventure motorcycles are precious and expensive enough that no rider would ever want to drop this motorcycle. These big and heavy ADV motorcycles feature protection and crash bars to save the engine and other parts from damage in case of an incident. However, they are shiny and elegant enough to make your heart skip a beat if they drop during an off-road maneuver.

Well, if you plan to ride one of these big adventure motorcycles, you are going to drop it soon. ADV riding is all about dropping your motorbike and continuing your adventure journey again without complaining.

Nonetheless, dropping a big ADV motorcycle may be bad, but the bigger problem for most riders is picking the motorbike up. Most riders may give up on riding a big ADV motorcycle, especially for off-roading, just because they are hard to pick up when dropped.

Let us help you solve your problem if you don’t want to give up riding your ADV motorcycle and take it off-road. Keep reading this article to learn how to pick up your big adventure motorbike.

If you are already worried about dropping your adventure motorcycle, don’t be. It is very common for ADV motorcycle riders to drop their Adventure motorcycles, especially if they do off-roading. ADV motorcycles, especially the big ones, like the BMW R 1250 GS Adventure or Honda Africa Twin, are tall, big, and heavy. Their seat height is around 34-35 inches to ensure a very high ground clearance. Such a tall posture, long-stroke suspensions, a tall wheel setup, and high ground clearance allow for better off-road ability.

Riders get used to dropping and picking up their big adventure motorcycles once they go for extreme off-roading. It happens with almost every ADV motorbike rider. Adventure motorcycles are built for this purpose to go both on- and off-road.

More than being worried about how not to drop the big adventure motorcycle, you must learn how to pick it up. It can be a pretty daunting task to pick up a big ADV motorbike, especially if you are a shorter or female motorcycle rider. Not to forget, a big ADV motorcycle can weigh more than 500 lbs.

Also, if you go for an adventure ride alone, which we never recommend, it can be a bigger problem, especially while off-roading in remote areas.

• If you drop your ADV motorbike in the mud, you will have no solid ground where you can stand and push or pull the motorcycle to pick it up.

• Similarly, you may drop your ADV motorbike on sand or a slippery surface, which makes picking up the ADV motorbike hard.

• Similarly, when riding a big ADV motorcycle, you are likely wearing full ADV gear, which gets quite heavy due to sweating or if it is wet.

• Also, while dropping the ADV motorcycle, you are likely hurt too, and you may not be able to pick up a big ADV motorbike without help.

• If you don’t know how to pick up a big adventure motorcycle the right way, you are likely to hurt your back or shoulders.

• You may also damage your motorcycle by dropping it on the other side in an attempt to pick it up.

Therefore, follow the steps below to safely pick up a big adventure motorcycle even if you are a shorter or a female rider.

• The first, most common, and one of the most reliable ways to pick up a big adventure motorcycle is to do it with your back, hips, and arms.

• This is done while not facing the motorbike.

• Put the motorcycle in the first gear. This will prevent the motorbike from rolling on as you pick it up.

• Place your hips at the center of the rider’s seat, depending on your size and height.

• Do not keep your legs too far from the motorcycle or keep it too close.

• Keep your knees bent at around 90°. However, as you move the motorcycle up, keep sliding closer to the motorbike.

• Hold the clutch-hand side of the handlebar with your right hand.

• Hold the grab rail or anything that can be easily gripped on your motorcycle with your left hand.

• Make sure the handlebars are tilted towards the same side of the fall, not towards the opposite side.

• As you start picking the motorcycle up, make sure both wheels are engaged with the ground.

• Keep your back straight while looking up.

• Do not look down or keep your back curved while picking up the ADV motorcycle.

• Do not try to lift the motorcycle up.

• Try to push it back with your hands, hips, back, and knees while trying to stretch your legs.

• Now, gather all your energy and pick up the motorcycle.

• Take small steps back towards the motorbike while moving your legs closer to it. It will help push the motorcycle.

• Remember! Do not put extra force, and know where you have to stop to avoid throwing the motorcycle on the other side.

• Stop right before the motorcycle is upright.

• Use your right foot to open the kickstand

• Put the motorcycle on the kickstand.

• If you have dropped your big ADV motorcycle on the other side, opposite to the kickstand, the process remains almost the same for picking it up.

• Open your ADV motorcycle’s kickstand beforehand.

• Make sure the handlebars are tilted on your side (towards the direction of the fall or ground).

• Make sure the motorcycle is in first gear to avoid the motorcycle rolling.

• Repeat the same process as above to pick up your big ADV motorcycle.

• When the motorcycle gets upright, slowly put the motorcycle on the kickstand, which is on the other side.

Picking up a big ADV motorcycle while facing the bike in the front squat position. Remember, it is crucial to know different ways or methods of picking up your big ADV motorcycle. It is mainly because you may face different terrain conditions while off-roading on your big ADV motorcycle. There may be sand, rocks, mud, or puddles where you may drop your motorcycle. You may need to pick it up with a different strategy every time.

The second way to pick up a big adventure motorcycle is simply reversing the first method while facing the motorcycle this time. This is what a motorcycle rider will naturally do if his or her bike drops, if they don’t know the best and most effective way of picking a big ADV motorcycle up, which is to do it in the back squat position.

Let’s get to know how to pick up a big ADV motorcycle in the front squat position:

• Tilt the handlebars towards you on the side of the fall.

• Make sure the motorcycle is in gear if possible.

• Sit in the front squat position while facing the motorbike.

• Hold the grab rail on the motorbike with your right hand.

• Hold the side of the handlebar touching the ground with your right hand.

• Make sure you have a firm grip.

• Keep your back straight.

• Do not look down. Look straight.

• You will have to use your leg muscles to lift the motorcycle up, in addition to your arms.

• Make sure both wheels are engaged with the ground.

• Start pushing the motorcycle up.

• As the motorcycle is upright, take out the kickstand and park the motorcycle on it.

• Repeat the same process as above while making sure your motorcycle is in gear to avoid rolling on.

• Keep your back straight and take out the kickstand beforehand.

• Also, make sure the handlebars are tilted towards you in the direction of the fall.

• As you lift your big ADV motorcycle up upright, lean it further to put the motorcycle on the kickstand.

Picking up a big ADV motorcycle in the front squat position using the handlebars is a simple and straightforward way. Let’s learn how to do it:

• To pick up the big ADV motorcycle, you need to sit down near the handlebars in the front squat position while facing the bike.

• Get both your hands under the handlebars and hold them firmly.

• Make sure the handlebars, this time, are tilted to the opposite side of the fall.

• Make sure the bars are fully tilted to the other side while picking up the big ADV motorcycle.

• While picking up the big ADV motorcycle, make sure your body, especially your chest or your chin, doesn’t come in the way of the motorbike. The side mirrors or hand guards may cause scratches to your body.

• However, keep your back straight while lifting the motorcycle up.

• Now, lift the motorcycle up and start moving closer to the motorcycle as it gets upright.

• Before it gets upright, quickly move your right hand to grab the other side of the handlebar.

• As the motorcycle is upright, open the kickstand and place the bike on it.

The easiest way to pick up a big and heavy adventure motorcycle is by asking a friend or someone around to help you do it. Big adventure motorcycles, such as the BMW R 1250 GS Adventure, can be much heavier than you can imagine, especially if you are a small, vertically-challenged rider or a female motorcycle rider. It can be much trickier to pick up a big ADV motorcycle, especially while off-roading, due to the variety of terrain conditions.

Therefore, never be shy about asking someone for help picking up the motorcycle. It will not take as much force and energy, so you can continue your adventure journey in the wilderness.

It is, therefore, always advised to ride with a friend if you are taking your adventure motorcycles for dirt riding. This particular way of picking up the big ADV motorcycle is helpful, especially when you are either injured, hurt, or exhausted.

To pick up your big ADV motorcycle with the help of your friend, follow the steps below:

• You both must sit in a front squat position while facing the bike.

• Ask your friend to grab the side of the handlebar that is touching the ground, on the side of the fall.

• Make sure the handlebars are fully tilted towards your side, where you are standing, on the side of the fall.

• Now, you only have to hold the grab rail of your bike while picking it up.

• Now, a little force is required to push the motorcycle up as it is divided between the two.

• There you go! Your motorcycle is upright.

• Take the kickstand out and park your motorcycle on it.

Below are some of the most useful tips for adventure motorcycle riders to avoid getting in any trouble, especially while off-roading. Also, if you are new to adventure motorcycle riding, you should follow the following tips to ensure you ride safely.

Choose the right ADV motorcycle that suits your riding style, size, and height. Don’t go for the big adventure motorcycles that you can’t handle, especially on dirt tracks. Pick a lightweight ADV motorbike if you want to do both on- and off-roading on your ADV motorcycle.

If you want to go off-roading on most of your travels or trips, you can also choose a dual-sport bike. It is much lighter and maneuverable on dirt tracks than a heavyweight ADV motorcycle.

If you are a new ADV motorcycle rider or a female motorcycle rider, do not take the risk of going alone on an adventure ride. Always keep the company of your biker friends to help you deal with any emergency.

ADV motorcycle riding on both paved and unpaved tracks requires specialized training. Make sure to enroll in an ADV motorcycle riding course and practice hard until you become a good ADV motorcycle rider.