Don's Corner
Advice from Don Honeycutt, ANABD Adaption Advisor
1. Will these modifications work?
All of the suggested control configurations listed will work for some riders with the specific disabilities described. There is no difference with European, Asian or American made bikes that affects usability of this equipment.
However, no two disabled persons, regardless of the label on their disability, have the exact same abilities. So, each setup needs to be custom fitted to the rider. Before any project is started, the rider needs to do a lot of research on available equipment, with help and input from the ANABD, and make a realistic assessment of his/her strengths and weaknesses. Also, the question of what the rider intends to use the bike for needs to be answered. The final consideration is budget. Start with what you can afford to commit to the project and start adding up the cost of parts. Then double the cost of parts to estimate the labor cost if you are seeking professional assistance.
Here is one example of real world decision making. As I often advise, if you cannot stand over a bike, lift it off the side stand, pick up either foot and reach all of its hand controls without falling over, then you cannot safely ride that bike and you should try a smaller bike, a trike or a sidecar. For this reason, I do not recommend a foot clutch, except on a three wheeled rig, as, in the real world of pavement, you often come to a stop and find only one foot has a stable place to rest. If that foot operates your clutch, then you have a problem.
Even over time, a disabled rider's needs will change. Robyn Donnelly of DRA (Disabled Riders of America) could walk until a couple of years ago but no longer can. My right arm has strengthened to the point that it can be relied on to steer the bike and gives my left arm a rest. A disabled friend of mine (right leg amputee) rides an older full dress Harley with no modifications at all. Currently, he is thinking of switching to a sidecar as his body continues to change.
2. Who does such modifications?
Getting the control modifications fitted to a bike can be a real problem. Twenty years ago, I bought a 1982 Hondamatic 450. I realized all I needed was to move the front brake lever and throttle to the left bar to be able to ride the bike.
After being turned down by at least a dozen bike shops, I finally found a mechanic willing to ignore the liability issues and make the changes for me. After learning that I had crashed the bike four times in the first month, he refused to work on my next bike, a Hondamatic 750. He referred me to another shop, where the owner (Matt Harlow) was willing to work with me to improve my control setup and to design and build what eventually became the Ninjamatic.
Since then, Matt Harlow has gone out of business and I was 86ed from another shop after my bad crash in Canada in 1994. I cannot blame anyone for not being willing to set up a bike for a disabled rider as the legal liability issues are real.
Currently, I have two bike shops and two machinists willing to work with me on my projects and I do as much of the labor as I can. For example, the one sided handlebar set back bracket shown in DRA, that was made by one of my machinists, from my hand drawing, then I did the final fitting myself. By doing so, I saved at least 3 hours of shop time (at $90/hr.). Most machinists want to work from a professionally drafted drawing and most mechanics want to work on equipment, with which they are familiar. If you have a mechanic install equipment that they haven't installed before, be prepared to have important steps skipped and critical installation details missed. The many posts on DRA about problems with the electric shifters always end up being traced back to installation errors. That is why I made a posting, with drawings and pictures, on the critical dimensions in such installations.
So, any disabled person wanting to ride, needs to find skilled help, willing to use imagination and accept liability risk. Then treat those people well and pay whatever they ask, without complaint. It is important to accept the cost of modifications may likely exceed the original cost of the bike. That has been true of every bike I have owned except for the Ridley. I hope this answer some of your questions. Please feel free to contact me through email (and furnish a phone number for me to call you), writing is difficult for me. Contact me at anabd.org@gmail.com; please put Adaption Advisor in the subject line.
The range of adaptions is as broad as the imagination (and technology)
will allow. This includes:
Right Leg (Amputation or restricted strength/mobility:
1. Dual lever system on the handlebars can be configured to work with the front and rear brake on the right side.
2. Transferring the rear brake control pedal to a thumb operated lever on left side of handlebar.
3. Use a linkage to transfer the brake pedal to the left side of the bike, either alongside the gear pedal or directly behind it for heel operation. Left Leg (Amputation or restricted strength/mobility:
1. Electronic push button gear changer that fits 1" and 7/8" handle bars, a kit is an easy to fit mechanism, which operates the gear change by way of a pair of small push buttons mounted on the handlebars. This system operates off the bikes existing electrical set-up so you do not have the problems of recharging, etc. that are involved with pneumatic (air-shifter) systems.
2. Use a linkage to transfer the gear pedal to the right side of the bike. This may reverse the operating direction of the gear pedal. 3. Installing a twin cable twist grip on the left side of the handlebar to operate a modified gear pedal. This method requires a lot of regular adjustments to compensate for cable stretch.
4. Move kickstand to the right side of the bike.
Right Arm (Amputation, Brachial Plexus Lesion, reduced strength/mobility) :
1. Transferring the throttle to the left side of the handlebar.
2. Transferring a thumb operated front brake lever to the left side of the handlebar.
3. Use a linkage to transfer the front brake lever to a left heel brake.
4. Install a dual lever on the left side of the handlebar, where one lever is used for the clutch and the other lever is used for the front brake.
5. For stability there is a prosthetic hand that has a quick release and mimics the wrist movements while attached to the handlebar. Designed by Mert Lawwill, the hand is designed to operate exactly like a normal hand. The socket is where a normal wrist would be and it has total movement in any direction until you go beyond the travel limit and then it ejects setting you free. When you push or pull on the handle bar it is much stronger than a normal hand so you can ride safely.
Left Arm (Amputation, Brachial Plexus Lesion, and reduced strength/mobility) :
1. Transfer front brake operation to a right hand thumb brake, then use front brake lever for the clutch.
2. Install a K-Lever2 on right side of handlebar configured to work the clutch and front brake.
3. Move clutch operation to left foot gear changer pedal and install a pushbutton gear changer to the right side of the handlebar.
4. Install an Easy Clutch to ease the tensions on the clutch lever.
5. Install an Auto Clutch unit; this will remove the need to clutch while shifting.
6. For stability there is a prosthetic hand that has a quick release and mimics the wrist movements while attached to the handlebar. Designed by Mert Lawwill, the hand is designed to operate exactly like a normal hand. The socket is where a normal wrist would be and it has total movement in any direction until you go beyond the travel limit and then it ejects setting you free. When you push or pull on the handle bar it is much stronger than a normal hand so you can ride safely.
Upper Arms & Shoulders (strength/mobility) :
1. Install Heli Bars to improve your control, and reduce fatigue for safer riding and long distance touring.
For 1" bars the Heli Horizon bars rotate bars ups and down, forward and back, in and out. They offer adjustable wrist angle for supreme complete control.
Other adaptions are also available for 7/8" metric motorcycles.
Back & Hip Problems and Fibromyalgia:
1. Install an Air Hawk seat cushion. It will help eliminate painful pressure points and promote consistent blood flow for a longer more comfortable ride. The Air Hawk seat cushion cradles your hips and works well for spinal issues, bad, or protruding disks, fibromyalgia, etc.
Wheelchair Users (bilateral amputation, paraplegia, MS, Cerebral Palsy, reduced mobility in legs, balance problems, etc.):
Usually with these types of disability there is one obvious problem, stability. In order to ensure stability a third road wheel is needed, whether it is in the form of a motorcycle/sidecar combo or a trike.
1. There are manufacturers who specialize in sidecar outfits specifically designed for wheelchair users.
2. In the case of trikes it is always preferable to have a trike manufactured to suit the individual rider.
If you are aware of other adaptions kindly let us know any information, costs, contacts, pictures, etc. We will take it under advisement. Necessity truly is the mother of invention. Maybe your product will help may others to continue to ride with "the air in their hair" too. Send information to anabd.org@gmail.com; in subject line please insert "suggested adaptions to consider".
So you have a physical disability, perhaps you've had it all your life
or just maybe you woke up in a hospital bed and found out the body you
knew is no longer the same. You may ask: "What do I do now? My body
has limitations. Will I still be able to experience the freedom of my
motorcycle?"
As long as you are willing to accept your limitations, then the answer is a resounding YES. Some of you out there are worried about what others will think of you when they see adaptions on your bike or even see your prosthetic out in the open. Stop right there….don't be your own worst enemy, just get out there and ride!
As long as you are willing to accept your limitations, then the answer is a resounding YES. Some of you out there are worried about what others will think of you when they see adaptions on your bike or even see your prosthetic out in the open. Stop right there….don't be your own worst enemy, just get out there and ride!
DON'S CORNER
Advice from Don Honeycutt, ANABD Adaption Advisor
1. Will these modifications work?
All of the suggested control configurations listed will work for some riders with the specific disabilities described. There is no difference with European, Asian or American made bikes that affects usability of this equipment.
However, no two disabled persons, regardless of the label on their disability, have the exact same abilities. So, each setup needs to be custom fitted to the rider. Before any project is started, the rider needs to do a lot of research on available equipment, with help and input from the ANABD, and make a realistic assessment of his/her strengths and weaknesses. Also, the question of what the rider intends to use the bike for needs to be answered. The final consideration is budget. Start with what you can afford to commit to the project and start adding up the cost of parts. Then double the cost of parts to estimate the labor cost if you are seeking professional assistance.
Here is one example of real world decision making. As I often advise, if you cannot stand over a bike, lift it off the side stand, pick up either foot and reach all of its hand controls without falling over, then you cannot safely ride that bike and you should try a smaller bike, a trike or a sidecar. For this reason, I do not recommend a foot clutch, except on a three wheeled rig, as, in the real world of pavement, you often come to a stop and find only one foot has a stable place to rest. If that foot operates your clutch, then you have a problem.
Even over time, a disabled rider's needs will change. Robyn Donnelly of DRA (Disabled Riders of America) could walk until a couple of years ago but no longer can. My right arm has strengthened to the point that it can be relied on to steer the bike and gives my left arm a rest. A disabled friend of mine (right leg amputee) rides an older full dress Harley with no modifications at all. Currently, he is thinking of switching to a sidecar as his body continues to change.
2. Who does such modifications?
Getting the control modifications fitted to a bike can be a real problem. Twenty years ago, I bought a 1982 Hondamatic 450. I realized all I needed was to move the front brake lever and throttle to the left bar to be able to ride the bike.
After being turned down by at least a dozen bike shops, I finally found a mechanic willing to ignore the liability issues and make the changes for me. After learning that I had crashed the bike four times in the first month, he refused to work on my next bike, a Hondamatic 750. He referred me to another shop, where the owner (Matt Harlow) was willing to work with me to improve my control setup and to design and build what eventually became the Ninjamatic.
Since then, Matt Harlow has gone out of business and I was 86ed from another shop after my bad crash in Canada in 1994. I cannot blame anyone for not being willing to set up a bike for a disabled rider as the legal liability issues are real.
Currently, I have two bike shops and two machinists willing to work with me on my projects and I do as much of the labor as I can. For example, the one sided handlebar set back bracket shown in DRA, that was made by one of my machinists, from my hand drawing, then I did the final fitting myself. By doing so, I saved at least 3 hours of shop time (at $90/hr.). Most machinists want to work from a professionally drafted drawing and most mechanics want to work on equipment, with which they are familiar. If you have a mechanic install equipment that they haven't installed before, be prepared to have important steps skipped and critical installation details missed. The many posts on DRA about problems with the electric shifters always end up being traced back to installation errors. That is why I made a posting, with drawings and pictures, on the critical dimensions in such installations.
So, any disabled person wanting to ride, needs to find skilled help, willing to use imagination and accept liability risk. Then treat those people well and pay whatever they ask, without complaint. It is important to accept the cost of modifications may likely exceed the original cost of the bike. That has been true of every bike I have owned except for the Ridley. I hope this answer some of your questions. Please feel free to contact me through email (and furnish a phone number for me to call you), writing is difficult for me. Contact me at anabd.org@gmail.com; please put Adaption Advisor in the subject line.
The range of adaptions is as broad as the imagination (and technology) will allow. This includes:
Right Leg (Amputation or restricted strength/mobility:
1. Dual lever system on the handlebars can be configured to work with the front and rear brake on the right side.
2. Transferring the rear brake control pedal to a thumb operated lever on left side of handlebar.
3. Use a linkage to transfer the brake pedal to the left side of the bike, either alongside the gear pedal or directly behind it for heel operation. Left Leg (Amputation or restricted strength/mobility:
1. Electronic push button gear changer that fits 1" and 7/8" handle bars, a kit is an easy to fit mechanism, which operates the gear change by way of a pair of small push buttons mounted on the handlebars. This system operates off the bikes existing electrical set-up so you do not have the problems of recharging, etc. that are involved with pneumatic (air-shifter) systems.
2. Use a linkage to transfer the gear pedal to the right side of the bike. This may reverse the operating direction of the gear pedal. 3. Installing a twin cable twist grip on the left side of the handlebar to operate a modified gear pedal. This method requires a lot of regular adjustments to compensate for cable stretch.
4. Move kickstand to the right side of the bike.
Right Arm (Amputation, Brachial Plexus Lesion, reduced strength/mobility) :
1. Transferring the throttle to the left side of the handlebar.
2. Transferring a thumb operated front brake lever to the left side of the handlebar.
3. Use a linkage to transfer the front brake lever to a left heel brake.
4. Install a dual lever on the left side of the handlebar, where one lever is used for the clutch and the other lever is used for the front brake.
5. For stability there is a prosthetic hand that has a quick release and mimics the wrist movements while attached to the handlebar. Designed by Mert Lawwill, the hand is designed to operate exactly like a normal hand. The socket is where a normal wrist would be and it has total movement in any direction until you go beyond the travel limit and then it ejects setting you free. When you push or pull on the handle bar it is much stronger than a normal hand so you can ride safely.
Left Arm (Amputation, Brachial Plexus Lesion, and reduced strength/mobility) :
1. Transfer front brake operation to a right hand thumb brake, then use front brake lever for the clutch.
2. Install a K-Lever2 on right side of handlebar configured to work the clutch and front brake.
3. Move clutch operation to left foot gear changer pedal and install a pushbutton gear changer to the right side of the handlebar.
4. Install an Easy Clutch to ease the tensions on the clutch lever.
5. Install an Auto Clutch unit; this will remove the need to clutch while shifting.
6. For stability there is a prosthetic hand that has a quick release and mimics the wrist movements while attached to the handlebar. Designed by Mert Lawwill, the hand is designed to operate exactly like a normal hand. The socket is where a normal wrist would be and it has total movement in any direction until you go beyond the travel limit and then it ejects setting you free. When you push or pull on the handle bar it is much stronger than a normal hand so you can ride safely.
Upper Arms & Shoulders (strength/mobility) :
1. Install Heli Bars to improve your control, and reduce fatigue for safer riding and long distance touring.
For 1" bars the Heli Horizon bars rotate bars ups and down, forward and back, in and out. They offer adjustable wrist angle for supreme complete control.
Other adaptions are also available for 7/8" metric motorcycles.
Back & Hip Problems and Fibromyalgia:
1. Install an Air Hawk seat cushion. It will help eliminate painful pressure points and promote consistent blood flow for a longer more comfortable ride. The Air Hawk seat cushion cradles your hips and works well for spinal issues, bad, or protruding disks, fibromyalgia, etc.
Wheelchair Users (bilateral amputation, paraplegia, MS, Cerebral Palsy, reduced mobility in legs, balance problems, etc.):
Usually with these types of disability there is one obvious problem, stability. In order to ensure stability a third road wheel is needed, whether it is in the form of a motorcycle/sidecar combo or a trike.
1. There are manufacturers who specialize in sidecar outfits specifically designed for wheelchair users.
2. In the case of trikes it is always preferable to have a trike manufactured to suit the individual rider.
If you are aware of other adaptions kindly let us know any information, costs, contacts, pictures, etc. We will take it under advisement. Necessity truly is the mother of invention. Maybe your product will help may others to continue to ride with "the air in their hair" too. Send information to anabd.org@gmail.com; in subject line please insert "suggested adaptions to consider".
American National Association for Bikers with a Disability
ADAPTIONS
518 36th Street WestPalmetto FL 34221
941-981-3851
FEIN Registered 501(3)(c) 90-0444721
Florida Registered Charity No. CH31990
