Riders with disabilities

[Geology Rocks]

Just curious if there are any other riders on here with disabilities? Have you had to make any modifcations to your bike? Do you have a handicapped plate for your bike? If it was a newer injury did you notice any specific difficulties in riding from before to after the injury?

I have dead muscle, damaged tendons, and nerve damage in both legs and will need a cane, leg braces, or both to get around. I cant give up riding and will do what I need to do in order to ride.

I hope others still get out and ride!

[Offcenter]

If he can do it, you can do it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNKuesBVmYs
See you on the road!

[Valker]

My son lost his left foot about 7 years ago. He rode a LOT before and has ridden tens of thousands miles since. He or I would be happy to correspond about any issues.

[the_sandman_454]

A friend of mine whose left arm is paralyzed was able to modify the controls on a couple of bikes to work righty only with significant success.

I'm sure you can find a combination of modifications to allow you to do it. Worst case, such as if you can't balance the bike when stopped, there's always a hack, trike, or that funky Can-Am reverse trike thingy.

[Geology Rocks]

Thanks for the encouragement! I know 100% i will get back out there. My goals are to cross the US, Canada, and hit the arctic circle. I also want to hit the equator in Africa. Those are goals I am not wanting to give up on.

I wanted to post this thread because I was curious if there were long distance riders on this forum who have a disability. I thought it might be helpful for outsiders reading this as well as people on here. I have come up against a negative mindset in people who think if you are hurt you cannot ride as its impossible. I thought this might help them see it can be done, and is being done.

Thanks

[Offcenter]

When you come up against those negative people, ignore 'em.
If you can't ignore 'em, show 'em the video!!

.....and let us know how you make out, pics of what modifications you
come up with, etc. !!!!!

[HappyRiding]

I had a spinal injury two years ago that effected my left leg. I had little feeling in my left foot, no use of my calf muscles and partial loss of my thigh muscles. I was and still am not able to push off of my toes when I walk or push the bike upright off of the sidestand.

I started riding my small DS bike first until I got where I could find the shifter without looking and then started riding the WeeStrom. I can only tippy toe the Wee so I have a few issues that wouldn't exist if I could flat foot it. One of the biggest challenges was figuring out how to mount and dismount since I couldn't stand on my left leg and pivot. Once I started mounting from the "wrong" side, I was a new woman. Still, I have to be extremely careful about where I park. If it is leaning to far onto the sidestand, I don't have the umph to push it upright. I am pretty slick about using my body weight to tip the bike to the right until my right foot finds the ground most of the time. I have had to solicit help several times when I had "parking issues" but that is usually when I am riding with someone who stops somewhere that I wouldn't if solo.

My bike was good therapy for me mentally and physically. It gave me real goals. Riding my bike I am not that "woman with a limp." I was a solid rider before and I am a solid rider now. I haven't really made any modifications to the bike although having a lower and lighter bike would have been nice on many occasions. The PITA thing that persists is not being able to "feel" neutral when I shift. Luckily, there is an idiot light on the bike to tell me when I have found neutral.

After two years, I am finally starting to see a little progress to my nerves healing. I can tell hot from cold on a part of my foot and my calf muscle is beginning to fire again. I have hopes of all being good as new some day but for now I am happy to have what I have.

Where there is a will, there's a way.

Sara

[GHO100]

I'll just leave this one here:

HEAL Clothing Doug Henry GoPro Video from DB Studios on Vimeo.

[anotherguy]

We have a customer who was paralyzed from mid chest in a scuba diving accident. He's one insistent headstrong mofo. Rides a custom made small block Chevy powered trike. We've been sorting out the issues (someone else built it) for the past few months. It's actually a nice ride.

It started with him bringing it in so we could lower it a bit so he could get on/off unassisted. Then installing a fuel tank,trying to fix a barely operating rear brake. Now it's back for some fixes from a hit and run that left him with a broken femur. Tough fucker he is.

[LngRidr]

This guy

http://www.davebarr.com/

more badass than i ever will be probably.

[markk53]

Years back when I was working at a dealership we had a kid who rode a rough looking Virago 750 circa 82, who had no right arm (gone from the shoulder). He did it no problem, clutch, brake, throttle on the left side.. There is currently a one armed flattracker racing AMA Pro-Am races.

We also did an 89 Gold Wing (reverse proven after a year on the market) set up with a side car using integrated braking and hand shifter (he got impatient, I wanted a pnumatic or electric selenoid shifter) for a T6 paraplegic. I set up the single hand lever braking for the three calipers, he had the sidecar builder set up brackets in the sidecar to hold his broken down wheel chair. He could pull himself up on the seat, the would pop the wheels off the light weight chair, tucking them in the sidecar, then collapse the chair and fit it in the car too. The tonneau cover snapped down over the sidecar seat area and off he went. Rode all over the country with that rig.

I also saw a sweet shifter set up a Gold Wing rider did using his on-board compressor. He pressurized the engine guard tubing, had the compressor set up to switch on and off at given pressures. He then had a pneumatic/electric shifter set up that operated off the clutch disengagement switch. He had a dual pole dual throw switch (I think that's the right designation) that would work the upshift when flipped up and downshift when flipped down. It was seriously trick. I just wish I'd have taken a closer look when I had the chance. Of course there are now kits used by chopper guys who want to do away with cables and levers.

Just some of what I've seen and helped with to let people know it is out there.

[markk53]

Originally Posted by GHO100

I'll just leave this one here:


HEAL Clothing Doug Henry GoPro Video from DB Studios on Vimeo.

Doug Henry - what can one say...

[anotherguy]

This is Earl "Lefty" Roloff. A riding friend of the old man. Dad said" the fucker was faster with one arm dammit!" Forgive the quality it's a photo of a photo.

[rdwalker]

I was just watching the GlobeRiders' video on R1200GS.

One of the sections was on Mike Paull's GS, equipped with an EZS sidecar. Despite missing a leg, Mike participates in (and, I believe, guides) many exotic adventure tours.

Mike's bio from their site.

[RVDan]

I rode with a damaged right knee for a long time. I walked with a cane, it was excruciatingly painful to put weight on the knee while bent, straight leg it wasn't so bad.

Riding was easy, I did adjust the rear brake pedal a bit and I wore short boots so I could move my ankle to push the brake instead of moving my whole leg like I used to, but it was less painfull to ride than it was to push the brake pedal in the car. Swinging the leg over took a bit of time to figure out an elegant way to get on, once figured it was no worse than how I would fall into the car and roll out of it.

The worst part is stowing the cane. I used an adjustable aluminum cane so I could collapse it and just layed it across the bars, the brake line and cables held it reasonably tight against the windshield, it never went anywhere.

Yes I had a handicap placard that I hung off the bar end. I got questioned a lot about it, especially on good days that I went out without the cane.

Thankfully I've healed enough that the doctor would no longer sign the form letting me use the handicap spots