Old man trying new tricks.

[kernel gadaffi]

Hi all, new to the forum so please be gentle with me.

I've not long turned 55 and started riding bike on my mates farm aged 10, we had a succession of old and battered bike that we rode till the tongue popped out the front, he got a moped at 16, but l couldn't afford one, come the day l turn 17, a lovely 1 year old Honda CG125 was bought on the never never. I never really went beyond that as money was very tight, so eventually l had to pack in. Roll on 3 years and a change of job required transport, so a Suzuki TS 250 turned up and was going cheap, so it was mine and used daily for 6 months, an off caused by diesel on a wet road, no damage to the bike but my wrist was badly damaged, it had to be sold as l couldn't ride it. On March 26th 1986 l was hit by a car and lost my right leg below the knee, l was on crutches for 6 months, then l got my first prosthetic leg, years passed and l passed my car test, got into cycling and was doing fine until 29th February 2008, when an accident at work turn my life around again, l was left with spinal damage which couldn't be repaired, so apart from having having one leg, the right side of my body is weaker than the left and arthritis has started to develop.
Recently, l've had a strong inkling to get back on the motorised form if two wheeled transport, l have two problems, l never passed a test so would need to do that and l have limited movement in my right leg, l cannot bend it past 90 degrees, so the choice of bike l can use is limited and l cannot use the leg to operate the rear brake, l know there are options to get around this, but can the knowledge within suggest a bike l could cheaply and easily modify to put forward footrests and gear change onto?
I have the chance of two Suzuki SV650 bikes local to me and l know the bikes and the owners, who are not thrashers and maintain their bikes well, but can they be modified or is there something else more suitable?


Cheers.

Alan.
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I've nothing against my left leg.

1996 Mark 1 Suzuki Bandit 600.

[hellkat]

G'day.
Alan, you say?
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[kernel gadaffi]

That's me.
____________________
I've nothing against my left leg.

1996 Mark 1 Suzuki Bandit 600.

[doggone]

I suppose a custom styled bike is halfway there.
The much lower seat height will help and relatively forward controls to start with. They do tend to be considerably heavier though.
Best plan is going to be sit on a few at a dealers and see if it seems feasible.

The last couple of years I will sometimes get sciatica for a few days, and the idea of being on a bike with that going on - making one leg very weak - does not bear thinking about.
If you are reasonably tall don't rule out trail bike styles as they are much lighter and the riding position is very different to a sports bike.

[kernel gadaffi]

The trail bikes are too high and heavy for me, l was in two dealers on Friday trying several bikes, but the footrest position is too far back to allow me to get my leg onto or keep there during riding.
Keep the suggestions coming please, but nothing too sporty and a bugger to insure, l have that to deal with yet.
____________________
I've nothing against my left leg.

1996 Mark 1 Suzuki Bandit 600.

[Ichy]

https://www.nabd.org.uk/ is your friend.

I can understand why it wouldn't be your first choice but how about a scooter to get you some experience?
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https://www.metacafe.com/watch/1972097/how_to_behave_on_a_forum/

[doggone]

[kernel gadaffi]

I really don't want to go down the scooter route as I just want to buy one bike, convert it and that will do for the time being.
____________________
I've nothing against my left leg.

1996 Mark 1 Suzuki Bandit 600.

[bamt]

As mentioned above, the cruiser route may well be a good one to investigate.

E.g. the Kawasaki Vulcan S

https://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcycles/2015/2015-Kawasaki-Vulcan-S-ABS2-small.jpg

Similarly the Yamaha XV range, Harleys (though heavy) etc. Forward controls already so minimal knee bend, low seat height so easy to swing a leg over.

[Ichy]

Triumph Speedmaster or America have a good low seat and forward controls as standard.
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https://www.metacafe.com/watch/1972097/how_to_behave_on_a_forum/

[Rogerborg]

And that's a nope on the SV650, especially if it's the S model with the clip-ons. It's a fairly aggressively crouched riding position.

This site gives a reasonable ballpark: https://cycle-ergo.com/

Have you looked into the labyrinthine licensing process?

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/369984/routes-to-your-motorcycle-licence.pdf

It's going to be a bit tricky to get licensed up. You'll need to do a motorcycle theory test, CBT, training and tests.

Practically speaking, you might find yourself doing the CBT on a scooter or moped. That's fine, doing it on an automatic still validates your provisionaL entitlement to ride anything, auto or geared. Just get it done the easiest way you can.

Then you'll have to get a bike, modify it and insure it to ride under your provisionaL entitlement. Bikesure and Bennets both do this, but you might not like the prices.

You'll need find an instructor who will come out to you in order to do training. There's no provision for soLo riding on a bike larger than 125cc, you need to be accompanied by an instructor (or examiner) at all times.

To get yourself a full A license, the bike you use for your tests needs to be 595cc+ and 40kW+ which actually rules out some cruisers.

Which "trail" bikes did you find too heavy? To me, a trail bike is a lightweight bike, possibly tall, but not lardy.

I'm quite liking the Vulcan S as a candidate if your budget stretches to it. How much have you got to play with?
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[c_dug]

I'd honestly be looking at something like a Gilera GP800, a guy at work has one and it's held up to all year commuting very well (not that that's what you're looking to do, but it speaks for its quality at least).

NABD will help you sort a modified bike, but the scooter would get you going faster, and probably cheaper too.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[kernel gadaffi]

My driving license states l can drive, "any vehicle that can be controlled conveniently and correctly", given that l have my left (gear changing) foot, l would prefer a manual bike, budget is yet to be set as l've had a life changing event happened recently, where a 50 year hobby has been taken away from me and after the equipment has been sold, l should be left with £5,000 minimum. I don't really want to spend this much at this time, so l'd like to keep the price reasonable but do a decent job if l have to do the conversion myself.
I've ridden off road all my life, even after l lost my leg, so my bike handling skills are fine, l've been a car driver for years too, even though l didn't pass the test til l was 28, due to the restrictions put in me by the DVLA. I am a careful driver and as a biker, l take extra care as l know the risks and dangers.
So it looks like I'll have to keep looking and weighing up the options.

Thanks for your input.
____________________
I've nothing against my left leg.

1996 Mark 1 Suzuki Bandit 600.

[davebike]

Almost anything is possible I fitted a set-up to move the rear brake to the handle bars for a friend last year and hand gear change via up down buttons fro another disabled customer
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Dave
NC750Xdct + others at work !
[email protected]

[kernel gadaffi]

I've been scouring the internet for several days, looking for something along the lines of a 600cc bike, I missed a 1 owner Fazer with 11,000 on the clock for little money on Saturday, with the Fazer and Bandit having the tube frame running in front of the engine and underneath, I was wondering if one of those would suit and fit forward controls if assitance or a grant from the NABD was available. I've seen plenty of bikes that might fit the bill, the ER-5, GS500, Diversion et al, so I have plenty of choice, but naked is a must.
____________________
I've nothing against my left leg.

1996 Mark 1 Suzuki Bandit 600.