Moving the Big Mother around........

[DP1400]

When I joined the Forum a while back i had intended posting this then, however, better late than never I guess!

If like me, you won`t sleep at night unless your beloved `14 is parked in exactly the right spot in your garage, driveway or wherever, this may well be of interest to you:-

For soooooo many years I moved my bikes around by either sitting on them and `scooting` them around to park them up, or i`d clumsily stand to one side and gingerly manouvere them into the right spot pushing and pulling until such time i`d got it right. Whilst undertaking the latter, I`d always be nervous that if the bike fell away from me i`d have no way of avoiding dropping it!

Using the following technique, I guarantee that moving the bike around will be easier & safer, this technique is especially beneficial for shifting heavy bikes like our 14`s around......

Essentially, ensure that the side stand is `down`.
Stand in front of the bike astride the front wheel.
Grasp both bars and stand the bike upright whilst locking the front brake with the thumb of your left hand.
All bikes, once perfectly upright will balance themselves and feel really light.
Now you have the bike perfectly upright and your thumb feathering the brake lever, you can push & pull your bike really easily and safely into a really tight spot, steering it as you go.
Once you`re happy with the overall position, let the bike ease slowly onto its sidestand ensuring that you push forwards slightly to ensure that the sidestand doesn`t flick up into its riding position.
Job done!

The above technique can also be applied to get you out of trouble too - in the unfortunate event that you inadvertently park your bike on a slight downhill gradient (we`ve all done it!!). It really does make moving the Big Mother really easy

I`m aware that many of us have been riding for longer than we care to admit, therefore all of the above will be nothing new, but i`ll be happy knowing that the info above will help someone out.

Try it, you`ll be amazed!

Safe and happy riding guys n girls

[Notty]

I did that but my side stand caught on something as I pulled it towards me and flipped without me noticing  £250 dent repair on the tank and a bad back as I tried to hold it 

[DP1400]

Erm......i forgot to mention, make sure your side stand isn`t likely to catch on anything as you pull the bike towards you otherwise it could flip up without you noticing resulting in an expensive tank repair job and a bad back as you try to hold the bike up......

[Kiwifruit]

@DP1400    My 14 is offended that you should refer to it as a "Big Mother"......... 'Big Bikes Matter' 

[Globalrider]

I rarely move any of my bike without sitting on them

[grog]

Sorry DP, not for me.

[froudy]

This was the reason that in the end I sold my GSX1400. Due to my worsening Arthritis I was really starting to have problems manoeuvering it around.
I always used the @DP1400 method to get it into my shed as access was really difficult. It was easier to reverse it in using this method and then be able to ride straight out again. To make matters more difficult I had to bump the rear wheel up and over the 45mm threshold. I should have made a small wedge/ramp really to make it a bit easier.

[Big Phil]

Ha! The first time I took my 14 out after buying her in February I stopped off for a coffee at a very busy local biker haunt. Very little room to park but eventually found quite an empty space. Parked up had a coffee and a chat and then back to the bike that I now realised was parked on quite a downhill slope facing a wall😳🙄😂🤣😂 How I got the bike out is beyond me and was sooooo close to embarrassing myself totally by asking for help. I will never make that mistake again.

Holding the bike from the front by the bars may work but I wouldn't have the confidence to try it. I always keep the side stand down when moving my bike in and out of my garage and keep an eye on it to ensure it's not flicked back up. Yes it is a Big Mother to move!

[Hooli]

But they aren't that heavy? trying moving a lardy bike like a Pan if you think a 14 is hard work.

[grog]

Getting stuck on Rocket, asking for help, normal stuff. Park on grass, it falls over, normal stuff. Really need a plan with those buggers.

[Mick_J]

With 5 bikes all parked in a row I use this technique almost every time, it's easy once you get the hang of it, never dropped a bike using it.

[Big Phil]

Just checked out the weight of a Rocket! 797lbs absolutely mental that's 60% heavier than a 14 😳

[grog]

Phil, big n heavy but unreal bikes. Tyre wear is only reason i dont have one. Had a 3 foot front end slide on hot slippery tar up in Nth Qld, wife on back, that was scary but it rode thru it. Totally impressed. Only bike ive ridden that matches 14 low down grunt.

[froudy]

Ha! The first time I took my 14 out after buying her in February I stopped off for a coffee at a very busy local biker haunt. Very little room to park but eventually found quite an empty space. Parked up had a coffee and a chat and then back to the bike that I now realised was parked on quite a downhill slope facing a wall😳🙄😂🤣😂 How I got the bike out is beyond me and was sooooo close to embarrassing myself totally by asking for help. I will never make that mistake again.

I only ever made this mistake once and that was on my Bandit 600, which is considerably lighter than a GSX1400

[grog]

Mate does that all the time on his Goldwing, loves to show off his reverse gear.