"Disabled", can I still ride?

[Morganhahaha]

I'm looking to get a dual sport (street legal?) dirtbike for getting around town and on my college campus. I have a prosthetic leg, my knee is a free swinging hinge and my ankle doesn't bend, however, I can lift my prosthetic leg up and down (lifting the foot off the ground with the knee bent) from a sitting position.

I weigh about 170 pounds 6'3 inches in height and its proving to be a real hassel getting around my college campus, as my prosthetic leg isn't really made for getting up and down hills.

I'm guessing I should get at least a 125cc bike but the real problem is shifting, I'm not sure if I'd be able to shift with my left foot and I'll probably try and learn how to ride before I go buying the thing just incase its not for me, but one thing I was thinking about doing was taking my MIG welder and welding a bar that would wrap around the front of the engine to the right side so I could manipulate the foot shifter using my right foot somehow.

Would this be possible? And if so, what bike should I get, and from where? I'd need something in Central New York but could possibly travel to go get it.

Please let me know, I'm very interested in riding and I don't let this prosthetic leg keep me from doing what I want :P

 

[Chili]

You most certainly can ride, it will just be a case of finding someone capable of modding the bike to suit your needs. Kris Brown the owner of Cooperland raceway rides with a prosthetic leg and hauls serious ass on the mx track!

 

[Kav]

I know some on this site did build a bike for a rider that was missing a leg. They put a auto-clutch in and adaped the rear brake so it could be controled on the handle bars. he also made a linkage that alowed the rider to shift with their right foot. Rekluse sells there auto cluth with a handle-bar mounted rear brake.

BTW Kris is a awesome rider!

 

[YZ165]

Glad to hear you don't let things get in your way when you wanna do something. I'd say look into a Yamaha TW200. They have big tires that make them a snap to ride, and have electric start I believe. Here's a couple links to get you started. There's prolly plenty of other bikes that would work great as well, and I'm sure someone will chime in with ideas. As far as the shifter goes, I'm sure you could get the shifter moved to the right side somehow. Any fabricator should be able to come up with something. If I was closer, I'd do it for you. Hope that helps, YZ165

http://www.4strokes.com/models/yamaha/2002/tw200.asp


http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=TW200+yamaha/v=2/SID=e/l=IVS/SIG=12esk7mv1/EXP=1119670274

 

[Detonator]

There should be a good bit of info about adapted rides out there. Although this link http://www.mertlawwill.com/prosthetic/Lawwill_ProstheticFS.htm deals with prosthetic attachments for arms, it's a good place to maybe email the owner and ask a few questions.

If you discover some good info, be sure to post it here as a resource for other people.

 

[Papakeith]

Sure you can ride. There was one rider on here a while ago who didn't wear his prosthetic leg while riding. He even posted a video of himself. pretty darn quick if I remember.

Welcome to DRN.

 

[nikki]

I think Kav was talking about a CR250 that AJ from Service Honda (DRN screen name AJ Waggoner) did his magic for a local rider who rides with no left leg. He moved the shifter to the right, moved the rear brake to the bars (where the clutch lever was previously), and installed an auto-clutch.

We have another guy who races a YZ 450F (or maybe it's a 250F) around here who has no left leg, but has a rod with a platform on the bottom, and I believe he can shift with that. But on a 4-stroke bikes, you don't have to do as much shifting as a 2-stroke.

And Kris Brown..... for someone that can turn lap times with pro riders and jump insane 100+ foot jumps, you would never know he was riding with a prosthetic leg

 

[KiwiBird]

If all you want is a commuter have a look at the scooter offerings from the various manufacturers as many have an auto tranny and no shifter.

 

[Morganhahaha]

Oh wow, lots of responses :D Thanks guys

I was thinking about scooters but something about them seems so weak and funny looking. But with a dirtbike it would look pretty slick and I'd love to go offroad with the thing occasionally too, a lot of my friends from college upstate have dirtbikes and ATVs, I'd like to be able to go out with them sometime. Theres plenty of places to ride up there too.

At college I have access to an assortment of tools and machinery that I've got experience with, one kid in one of my classes was fabricating a chopper, I could probably ask him a few questions if he hasn't graduated yet.

Anyways, I'm low on cash, how cheap do you think I could get a dual sport in at least 125cc ? And where would be a good place to buy something like this (used)? My college is in Oswego, NY (On lake ontario) but I'd be able to travel to Syracuse and around that area to pick it up.