if you can drive a stick can you ride a bike?

[ryko]

hello all,
November 05 i cut four tendons, all arteries, and nerves in my left foot (the back of the ankle, including the achillies). Its been a year, i can run, play tennis, drive a jeep wrangler with a manual tranny and am considering buying a starter bike.
question: would i be able to ride a bike( b/c of the foot shifting)?

[inspiron]

Hi.

There are alternatives available if you have the will to ride: Many cruisers can be set up with floorboards and rocker-shifters - you can upshift with your heel and downshift with the ball of your foot, so you don't need a lot of strength to lift your toes to upshift.

There are also racing kits available to reverse the gearbox, so you upshift by stepping on the lever, and upshift by pushing it up. Since upshifting is less "critical" in most cases, this could be an alternative for you.

Further, IIRC, there are kits for some bikes to modify them with a hand shifter.

And finally, there are some new models that have automatic shifters. The 2006 Yamaha FJR-1300 comes to mind. It had an automatic clutch and electronic shifter - you should shift with the foot lever or with a switch under your left thumb.

That said, I wouldn't recommend the FJR 1300 as a starter bike...

[Danr]

Originally Posted by ryko

hello all,
November 05 i cut four tendons, all arteries, and nerves in my left foot (the back of the ankle, including the achillies). Its been a year, i can run, play tennis, drive a jeep wrangler with a manual tranny and am considering buying a starter bike.
question: would i be able to ride a bike( b/c of the foot shifting)?

You don't list where you are from, but if you can get into a MSF class you will find out if #1 you can ( I don't see why not)
# 2 If you like it.


BTW

[robertc729]

[old-n-slow]

I have no idea how bad (or good) your foot is, but anything is possible. 3 years ago my nephew, while riding his GSX-R 750, lost his left leg below the knee when hit by a drunk driver. During 2 years of rehab, he rebuilt the bike, added an air shifter and he rides that bike today. I guess it all depends on how much you want to ride.

[ryko]

i am from panama city beach florida. my foots rehabilitated pretty well besides feeling on the bottom.

[Rockhead]

Originally Posted by Danr

You don't list where you are from, but if you can get into a MSF class you will find out if #1 you can ( I don't see why not)
# 2 If you like it.

[Freakinout]

If you can run, you should likely be able to shift the bike. You should consult your doctor and/or physical therapist though.

You'll probably get tired a little sooner than other riders. I prefer bicycle riding to keep my legs and ankles in good shape.

[ryko]

hey guys, thanks for all the quick and decent responses. though, i have another question. would it be a bad idea for my friend to teach me how to ride (basic parking lot maneuvering) on a sx-750 ? ive ridden 50s and 125s dirtbikes, as well as my buddies three wheeler.

[inspiron]

Don't do it! If you want to learn to ride, learn from a professional. Having a friend teach you the basics is like getting marriage advice from a pimp. He probably knows quite a bit about a few aspects of riding, but he's probably not got the skill and patience to explain it to you.

[Freakinout]

Take the MSF course, that will be the best way to learn the basics of street riding.

[robertc729]

Definetely take the MSF course to learn to ride and also to see if you are able to ride comfortably.

[ryko]

where can I attend an MSF course at? the DMV?

[inspiron]

Motorcycle Safety Foundation

[HellBent]

Shifting with your foot on the peg requires flexibility of the ankle. But even if you lack that flexibility it is possible to shift by hooking your toe beneath the lever and lifting, rather than pivoting your foot. I have ridden a lot with my ankle in a cast which allowed no flexibility.

As for your friend teaching you to ride...There is absolutely NOTHING in the MSF curriculum which your friend cannot teach you if he is an experienced and SAFE rider. Will he teach you these things is another question entirely. In my opinion the MSF basic riders class is over-rated. MSF is a non-profit corporation sponsored by and created by the manufacturers to promote the product. Their goal is to create customers for their sponsors.

Curt

[inspiron]

The main reason that I recommend the MSF course over having a friend teach you to ride comes from my experiences learning to ride a horse.

I watched a wife (who was an excellent rider) trying to teach her husband to ride - this would have been grounds for a divorce! They were screaming at each other in the riding hall. Familiarity is not necessarily good in this kind of situation.

An MSF instructor is an authority - you accept more readily what he or she says, and do your best to follow their advice/instruction. Why do you think that military drill instructors act the way they do? It's not because they are sadistic and enjoy turning the recruits to jelly - they do this so that the recruits respect them and follow orders without question or discussion.

This kind of relationship is also important when learning to ride a bike - you should concentrate on what the instructor says, without discussion. If your wife/husband/buddy is teaching you to ride, you will be more likely to get into discussions or arguments.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by ryko

hello all,
November 05 i cut four tendons, all arteries, and nerves in my left foot (the back of the ankle, including the achillies). Its been a year, i can run, play tennis, drive a jeep wrangler with a manual tranny and am considering buying a starter bike.
question: would i be able to ride a bike( b/c of the foot shifting)?

I know there has to be a way because one of the riders I ride with has a fake left leg.

[wildwolf]

Originally Posted by ryko

hey guys, thanks for all the quick and decent responses. though, i have another question. would it be a bad idea for my friend to teach me how to ride (basic parking lot maneuvering) on a sx-750 ? ive ridden 50s and 125s dirtbikes, as well as my buddies three wheeler.

Yes a bad idea.

However, if you have ridden dirtbikes, the concept is relatively the same. It's just you reach higher speeds (while on pavement) on a street bike than a dirt bike. You know how to ride..you just need proper instruction on how to handle a street bike, and the MSF is the absolute best method for obtaining that instruction.

[chrisan]

most important is to get a good pair of riding boots like Alpinestar or Sidi /professional stuff/ for better ankle support and protection.
You'll feel much better on the bike too.