Motocycle Accommodations
Description
Collection
Title:
Motocycle Accommodations
Date:
11/1/1999
Text:
Chris Johnson asked me to post his response to my question in regards to accommodations to ride a
motorcycle. See below.
Subject:
Motorcycle Accommodations
Date:
Mon, 1 Nov 1999 09:57:39 -0500
From:
Chris L Johnson < <Email Address Redacted> >
To:
<Email Address Redacted>
CC:
<Email Address Redacted> , <Email Address Redacted> , <Email Address Redacted>
On Sun, 31 Oct 1999 22:21:47 +0000 <Email Address Redacted> writes:
> Chris, if I remember you ride a motorcycle. I had an inquiry about
> this from a local hospital rehab. group. Can you give me any details on
> modification to the bike or issues you may have encounted?
Dear <Email Address Redacted> :
Please re-post this to oandp-l as a response, if you find it helpful. I
cannot legitimately do so under the rulz.
-CJ
I am a right BK and left partial hand (2-2/3 fingers). I ride two forms
of motorcycles, road touring and competitive Observed Trials. I have 6
motorcycles! Yes, I am an addict. Once you are bit, that's it!
My wife and I road ride, or more specifically, do local country touring.
Her bike is a Yamaha Virago 1,100 and mine is a rare Yamaha XV920RH
Euro. Both are air cooled V-twins. I have no special accommodations
for road riding. When I want to use the rear brake, I simply lift my
right leg off the peg and actuate it with the heel of my shoe. My
current prosthesis does, however, have a posterior trim line that has
been trimmed to match the anatomy in the popliteal region through extreme
flexion angles. The hamstring tendons were tracked during flexion, and
the socket relieved for each while keeping the area between high. My
medial hamstring is really low and the cutout for it goes really low.
Thus I can sit practically over my feet with my knee in 110 degrees of
flexion and not have the prosthesis kill me or the leg want to lift out.
My current set-up is a 9mm Alpha with suction fit only and no sleeve.
Yes, the leg can fall of and it has, but it is rare. This leg I also use
for the next, and more major motorcycling adventure, Observed Trials.
I have been an Observed Trials rider since `88. I have done off road
since `70, and I will share later some of my former accommodations. To
see Trials, go to www.trials.co.uk and search around for photos. You
will be stunned. I will share a bit about it since I know most of you
don't have an inkling.
Observed Trials is a very old form of motorcycling that started in UK
some 80 years ago as riders would try to make it up hills and over
obstacles. Tryals, now spelled Trials. Bikes used to be modified
street versions years ago. Today, they are highly specialized, slim,
low, agile bikes. There is no seat as we always stand on the bike. They
weigh only 170 pounds (80 kg), are generally 2-stroke 250s, and are very
smooth, the controls easy. The motor has lots of low end, but they are
quick revving. Very quiet too. The tires are tubeless radials run at
very low pressures. The back tire looks almost flat, and the rear near
so. The purpose is to stick and not slip. Speed is wholly irrelevant.
In fact, the better you are, the slower you can ride and maintain
control, even tot he point of balancing in place as long as you want, and
hopping the bike around.
The rules of the sport are somewhat complex, but suffice to say the
purpose is to not put your feet down or crash when negotiating a series
of short courses appropriate for your skill level. Putting feet down to
regain control results in points. Crashing of failing the short course
results in the most points. Those with fewer points win. These short
courses are called sections. In each section there is provision for
classes, ranging from the bottom or easiest up many levels to the top or
hardest. The top classes see large obstacles, like car-sized rocks, big
logs and very steep hills.
I ride the top class in Michigan. This year I finished 3rd on my trusty
French Scorpa, a very slim, water-cooled, Rotax-powered machine. What
are my accommodations?
The only accommodation I have is I put my rear brake, which is normally
on the right, on the left. Both brakes are hydraulic units. Strong
brakes are very important in Trials. We will sometimes need to flip the
bike around, pivoting on one wheel or the other. One finger pull is
enough to promote a nose wheelie, and mild foot pressure will lock the
rear end up solid. I re-mount the hydraulic cylinder on the left by
welding on tabs for the master cylinder. I make a new brake lever, and
run the reservior hose and brake line over to that side.
Now you may be thinking about shifting, as that is also on the left.
Unlike fast bikes, we don't shift a bunch while competing, and the
lever is up and forward so you don't knock your bike out of gear when you
sometimes flail around. Thus while the rear brake pedal is just under my
left big toe, the shift lever is up and forward. The two do not
interfere with one another.
As for my left hand, I grip with the ring and little fingers. The index
finger, which has been transposed to my middle finger metacarpal base,
and which is short one joint, serves to operate the clutch lever. My
accommodation here was to use the shorty levers supplied by the brake
manufacturer, AJP of Spain. The shorty levers are ergonomically more
correct than the standard levers. I can just get my finger tip onto the
lever. We use the clutch so much in trials for balance, tricks, and
launching over obstacles. It is constantly in and out, and being
modulated to emulate an automatic transmission. I have to have excellent
clutch control, and be able hang on too! Somehow, I have just enough of
both to do well. Fortunately the clutch is also hydraulic and very easy
to pull in with one finger.
In the past, as a fast bike rider, I competed in Cross Country, a
motocross-like distance race (50 miles) on motocross bikes. On my last
fast bike (KDX 200 with KX suspension) I had no accommodations . I
used the rear brake, again, with my heel. It could get scary at times,
flying into a corner to slam on the rear brake, slide around and clutch
out of the corner. Missing the brake meant a very scary ride over the
corner berm and into the trees. Ouch!
The bike previous (`85 KTM 350), also for Cross Country, had a hand
operated rear brake just under the clutch lever. Problem with that was
lack of coordination with the clutch, and arm pump up and fatigue. It
takes a lot of force to operate a rear brake by hand.
Yet another (`85 YZ 250) had the rear brake linked with the right hand
front brake lever. The front brake was hydraulic, and the rear a
cable-operated drum. That worked OK when adjusted properly. But drums
will wear, and once I did a 30 mph face plant in a competition in
Oklahoma City on hard pack when I pulled in the front brake and the rear
had worn and got hot and was no longer engaging. Ouch! I got a
concussion from that one.
I lost my foot in `82 and started riding again in `84, which was a life
saver in terms of my own rehab. It was good to discover I could compete
against, and win against, normies.
Overall, I have found that simple accommodations work best. Assumed need
for complexity will often result in over-complex accommodations. The
natural assumption is to assume you will need more accommodations than
you actually do. Example: non amputees will assume the one-armed person
cannot do much and they do everything anyway. New amputees often do not
realize how adaptable we really are. I often joke, what do you think
God gave us all those spare parts for anyway... It really is a mental
game of cognitive adaptations. Mental prisons await those who assume
they are or will be automatically limited and don't bother to seek
solutions. The ones who lose limbs and do best are those for whom their
limitations are first mental, then physical, challenges to overcome.
For driving a car, I have no accommodations. I simply operate the
accelerator from the knee joint instead of the ankle joint. It is
completely automatic. I don't have to think about it. Actually, I am a
smoother driver than most! In a pinch, I can even drive a stick with
prosthesis off, with all foot controls being operated via the left foot.
I don't use handicap privileges. I did years ago in college, getting a
sticker to allow me to park anywhere. At that time, I had a rather poor
prosthesis and bone spurs. Ouch!
Say you are an AK and want to ride a motorcycle. There are numerous
solutions available. Worrying about falling over if you plant your leg
and the knee buckles? Well, that may and probably will happen. Without
any special accomodations, you can lear new skills instead, like just
before you stop, a quick turn toward the prostheitc side will cant the
bike toward the sound side to lean on the sound side leg. Some practice
and you'll have it. Will you fall? Probably. But look at bilat AKs who
walk without assistance. They made it there by falling, falling, and
falling again.
Say you are an arm amputee. I know of a BE in New Mexico who actually
rides Trials with no prosthesis. When called for, he pushes and pulls on
the handlebar with his residuum! I know of arm amputees who have
mechanisms to emulate a clutch, or leg amputees with electric shift.
There is a way. There is always a way.
I think too there is an organization of amputee motorcyclists. Haven't
found them or their web page yet. Suppose I should. Anybody know how to
get to them? I suppose I should join and be counted.
Hope you or someone else find this helpful.
Chris Johnson
Scorpa 250 EZ Fun/Gas-Gas 160/Fantic 305/Yamaha Virago 1,100/XV920RH Euro
and now vintage `74 TY 250
<Email Address Redacted> as Director of Engineering at College Park
see www.college-park.com and <Email Address Redacted> (personal address)
motorcycle. See below.
Subject:
Motorcycle Accommodations
Date:
Mon, 1 Nov 1999 09:57:39 -0500
From:
Chris L Johnson < <Email Address Redacted> >
To:
<Email Address Redacted>
CC:
<Email Address Redacted> , <Email Address Redacted> , <Email Address Redacted>
On Sun, 31 Oct 1999 22:21:47 +0000 <Email Address Redacted> writes:
> Chris, if I remember you ride a motorcycle. I had an inquiry about
> this from a local hospital rehab. group. Can you give me any details on
> modification to the bike or issues you may have encounted?
Dear <Email Address Redacted> :
Please re-post this to oandp-l as a response, if you find it helpful. I
cannot legitimately do so under the rulz.
-CJ
I am a right BK and left partial hand (2-2/3 fingers). I ride two forms
of motorcycles, road touring and competitive Observed Trials. I have 6
motorcycles! Yes, I am an addict. Once you are bit, that's it!
My wife and I road ride, or more specifically, do local country touring.
Her bike is a Yamaha Virago 1,100 and mine is a rare Yamaha XV920RH
Euro. Both are air cooled V-twins. I have no special accommodations
for road riding. When I want to use the rear brake, I simply lift my
right leg off the peg and actuate it with the heel of my shoe. My
current prosthesis does, however, have a posterior trim line that has
been trimmed to match the anatomy in the popliteal region through extreme
flexion angles. The hamstring tendons were tracked during flexion, and
the socket relieved for each while keeping the area between high. My
medial hamstring is really low and the cutout for it goes really low.
Thus I can sit practically over my feet with my knee in 110 degrees of
flexion and not have the prosthesis kill me or the leg want to lift out.
My current set-up is a 9mm Alpha with suction fit only and no sleeve.
Yes, the leg can fall of and it has, but it is rare. This leg I also use
for the next, and more major motorcycling adventure, Observed Trials.
I have been an Observed Trials rider since `88. I have done off road
since `70, and I will share later some of my former accommodations. To
see Trials, go to www.trials.co.uk and search around for photos. You
will be stunned. I will share a bit about it since I know most of you
don't have an inkling.
Observed Trials is a very old form of motorcycling that started in UK
some 80 years ago as riders would try to make it up hills and over
obstacles. Tryals, now spelled Trials. Bikes used to be modified
street versions years ago. Today, they are highly specialized, slim,
low, agile bikes. There is no seat as we always stand on the bike. They
weigh only 170 pounds (80 kg), are generally 2-stroke 250s, and are very
smooth, the controls easy. The motor has lots of low end, but they are
quick revving. Very quiet too. The tires are tubeless radials run at
very low pressures. The back tire looks almost flat, and the rear near
so. The purpose is to stick and not slip. Speed is wholly irrelevant.
In fact, the better you are, the slower you can ride and maintain
control, even tot he point of balancing in place as long as you want, and
hopping the bike around.
The rules of the sport are somewhat complex, but suffice to say the
purpose is to not put your feet down or crash when negotiating a series
of short courses appropriate for your skill level. Putting feet down to
regain control results in points. Crashing of failing the short course
results in the most points. Those with fewer points win. These short
courses are called sections. In each section there is provision for
classes, ranging from the bottom or easiest up many levels to the top or
hardest. The top classes see large obstacles, like car-sized rocks, big
logs and very steep hills.
I ride the top class in Michigan. This year I finished 3rd on my trusty
French Scorpa, a very slim, water-cooled, Rotax-powered machine. What
are my accommodations?
The only accommodation I have is I put my rear brake, which is normally
on the right, on the left. Both brakes are hydraulic units. Strong
brakes are very important in Trials. We will sometimes need to flip the
bike around, pivoting on one wheel or the other. One finger pull is
enough to promote a nose wheelie, and mild foot pressure will lock the
rear end up solid. I re-mount the hydraulic cylinder on the left by
welding on tabs for the master cylinder. I make a new brake lever, and
run the reservior hose and brake line over to that side.
Now you may be thinking about shifting, as that is also on the left.
Unlike fast bikes, we don't shift a bunch while competing, and the
lever is up and forward so you don't knock your bike out of gear when you
sometimes flail around. Thus while the rear brake pedal is just under my
left big toe, the shift lever is up and forward. The two do not
interfere with one another.
As for my left hand, I grip with the ring and little fingers. The index
finger, which has been transposed to my middle finger metacarpal base,
and which is short one joint, serves to operate the clutch lever. My
accommodation here was to use the shorty levers supplied by the brake
manufacturer, AJP of Spain. The shorty levers are ergonomically more
correct than the standard levers. I can just get my finger tip onto the
lever. We use the clutch so much in trials for balance, tricks, and
launching over obstacles. It is constantly in and out, and being
modulated to emulate an automatic transmission. I have to have excellent
clutch control, and be able hang on too! Somehow, I have just enough of
both to do well. Fortunately the clutch is also hydraulic and very easy
to pull in with one finger.
In the past, as a fast bike rider, I competed in Cross Country, a
motocross-like distance race (50 miles) on motocross bikes. On my last
fast bike (KDX 200 with KX suspension) I had no accommodations . I
used the rear brake, again, with my heel. It could get scary at times,
flying into a corner to slam on the rear brake, slide around and clutch
out of the corner. Missing the brake meant a very scary ride over the
corner berm and into the trees. Ouch!
The bike previous (`85 KTM 350), also for Cross Country, had a hand
operated rear brake just under the clutch lever. Problem with that was
lack of coordination with the clutch, and arm pump up and fatigue. It
takes a lot of force to operate a rear brake by hand.
Yet another (`85 YZ 250) had the rear brake linked with the right hand
front brake lever. The front brake was hydraulic, and the rear a
cable-operated drum. That worked OK when adjusted properly. But drums
will wear, and once I did a 30 mph face plant in a competition in
Oklahoma City on hard pack when I pulled in the front brake and the rear
had worn and got hot and was no longer engaging. Ouch! I got a
concussion from that one.
I lost my foot in `82 and started riding again in `84, which was a life
saver in terms of my own rehab. It was good to discover I could compete
against, and win against, normies.
Overall, I have found that simple accommodations work best. Assumed need
for complexity will often result in over-complex accommodations. The
natural assumption is to assume you will need more accommodations than
you actually do. Example: non amputees will assume the one-armed person
cannot do much and they do everything anyway. New amputees often do not
realize how adaptable we really are. I often joke, what do you think
God gave us all those spare parts for anyway... It really is a mental
game of cognitive adaptations. Mental prisons await those who assume
they are or will be automatically limited and don't bother to seek
solutions. The ones who lose limbs and do best are those for whom their
limitations are first mental, then physical, challenges to overcome.
For driving a car, I have no accommodations. I simply operate the
accelerator from the knee joint instead of the ankle joint. It is
completely automatic. I don't have to think about it. Actually, I am a
smoother driver than most! In a pinch, I can even drive a stick with
prosthesis off, with all foot controls being operated via the left foot.
I don't use handicap privileges. I did years ago in college, getting a
sticker to allow me to park anywhere. At that time, I had a rather poor
prosthesis and bone spurs. Ouch!
Say you are an AK and want to ride a motorcycle. There are numerous
solutions available. Worrying about falling over if you plant your leg
and the knee buckles? Well, that may and probably will happen. Without
any special accomodations, you can lear new skills instead, like just
before you stop, a quick turn toward the prostheitc side will cant the
bike toward the sound side to lean on the sound side leg. Some practice
and you'll have it. Will you fall? Probably. But look at bilat AKs who
walk without assistance. They made it there by falling, falling, and
falling again.
Say you are an arm amputee. I know of a BE in New Mexico who actually
rides Trials with no prosthesis. When called for, he pushes and pulls on
the handlebar with his residuum! I know of arm amputees who have
mechanisms to emulate a clutch, or leg amputees with electric shift.
There is a way. There is always a way.
I think too there is an organization of amputee motorcyclists. Haven't
found them or their web page yet. Suppose I should. Anybody know how to
get to them? I suppose I should join and be counted.
Hope you or someone else find this helpful.
Chris Johnson
Scorpa 250 EZ Fun/Gas-Gas 160/Fantic 305/Yamaha Virago 1,100/XV920RH Euro
and now vintage `74 TY 250
<Email Address Redacted> as Director of Engineering at College Park
see www.college-park.com and <Email Address Redacted> (personal address)
Citation
“Motocycle Accommodations,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 4, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/212337.
