OK guys I have been on here with other bikes and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease that is progressive. I even have to resort to a wheelchair on days that are bad. My question is...I want to put some kind of wheels that can come down when I come to a stop. I want and need as many ideas as possible that will help me make my treck to sturgis. I plan on trying to ride the whole way there. My father will be following me with a trailer and tools and clothes. Please bring in the ideas. My thought was to use the passenger mounts somehow.
You are violating one of the most important rules.....you cannot be getting that kind of sick this early in life. Sorry to hear of your diagnosis.
What if you trike kit it? I know of a couple riders who have done that because they cannot depend on their legs.
One of my father-in-laws riding buddies told me that it really sucks to finally retire and be able to afford to be riding that brand new Gold Wing he always wanted, when you pull up to a red light to stop, only to look down at your foot and realize it won't get off the foot peg. It happened to him a few times before he sent it in to become a trike. It allowed him to ride several more years.
Crap- man, sorry to hear about this. I sure hope you can find a proper mechanical solution- surely there are a good handful or more of creative peeps out there who've come up with a reliable, workable idea. There's a fully enclosed, recumbent 2-seater "motorcycle" (can't remember the name of it, but it's super kewl, even has A/C)- it has retractable wheels on each side that raise/lower depending on speed and a few other variables.
The technology is out there- don't know how easily it would be to implement on your particular bike. And- the day WILL come when you have to give up the bike... see about making plans to pass it on to another person who could use it, once you've made the mods you're thinking about.
One concern- what will you do if you get out on the road, and it "becomes" a bad day? Buddy, I sure hope you get it all figured out. SUPER glad to hear your dad's piloting the support rig- no matter what, you two will have the journey of a lifetime.
I've decided long ago that if I ever have to give up motorcycles, I'd buy a nice convertible. I spent 5 and a half years selling HD/BUELL, and I never really understood, but kinda/sorta, why anyone would spend the BIG $$$ to get a trike- unless you just HAD to put on the gear and the helmet, and at least be able to look forward rolling and still be on a Hog.
From a practical AND cost standpoint, a trike versus a convertible, it'd be the 'vert hands down.
Whatever happens, keep us all posted on how things progress for you- good and bad. Prayers and good knees-in-da-breeze mojo heading your way.
A couple of years ago I saw a guy at one of the Redwood Runs around here that had a Goldwing with wheels that dropped down out of his side bags when he approached a stop sign or light. I'll see if anyone can find out where he got them.
I did give up my bike until just last Friday. After I go and see this I will be selling it and donate all proceeds to the Michael J Fox foundation. Trying now to just go with wheels that come down. Keep up the ideas. There are some great ideas so far.
We have a local guy who lost use of his legs in an accident some years ago - he makes most track days, uses landing gear and is pretty quick, so I know that gizmo works fine for him.
My father and I designed exactly what your looking for but never built it. It's basically like the landing gear version. Ours would raise at 5 mph and drop at 3 mph. It was going to be pneumatic so it would have a little cushion. Man, that was 20 years ago! He's been gone for 15, time truly does fly. Sorry, you just hit an old memory bank I haven't thought of in a long time. When I first saw the landing gear set up I remember saying, damn! that was our idea! Hope it works out for you. My brother and I will be at Sturgis the week before and will probably leave on Saturday. Let me know if you come out a little early, the riding is much better then.
Keep us posted on how you're doing and how this trip goes for you!! It is do-able.
Stew Goddard was paralyzed from mid-belly down and rigged up outriggers with car seat electric motors to retract and extend on his streetbike. That required he keep cheapo wheel chairs at his most popular spots where he'd stop. He'd call first, honk on arrival and they'd bring out his chair. He now has a CanAm Spyder.
After his spinal injury, race officials would let him start on his RS250 in the Aprilia Cup - in the back row because his pit crew would hold him vertical for the launch. He'd often podium. Think about it, almost no stomach muscles and velcro attaching your butt to the seat and feet to the pegs.
My 82 year old riding buddy finally gave up on bikes. He had some vertigo problems due to diabetes so he switched to a trike but he never liked it. He's lost a little upper body strength and says the trike is so much harder to steer than a motorcycle he just didn't enjoy it anymore. A side car is much the same, just not a motorcycle. I understand where you're coming from.
I have been often humbled by meeting riders on the road who have overcome disabilities:An instructor with one leg who would Velcro his fake leg to the footrest, he complained about wearing through boots though. A rider who had polio and used elastic straps to hold his weak leg in place and a tube to store his crutches in. A couple of one armed riders at track days who modified their controls so that every thing worked off one handlebar. A one handed rider who used a ski binding on his handlebar to attach his stump to the right side handlebar. A paraplegic rider with landing struts which descended when he rode into the pits. And one guy who had lost his right arm at the shoulder and right leg just below the hip who races using the number 1/2 and has modified the bike to use only left side controls.
Found a great setup for me yesterday on YouTube. It was designed by some school kids. It will work out perfectly for me. Using wheelie bar wheels and taking off the passenger peg mount and making a drop rod to where the wheels mount and use an actuator to make it move.
I got to spend a few weeks on a Can-Am; it was a fun ride and a hell of an attention getter... I would still love to see it stripped down another 150 lbs or so - single sport hooligan - I don't ride a passenger.