I sold mine for this very reason (made a video about it too). As a former powerlifter I could deadlift 300kg, but this bike was just too heavy when it fell over in mud or slippery grass. I now ride a DRZ and I'm a happier man.
I've never had a hernia from watching a video before, this gave me that experience LOL! I pick mine up tomorrow and I'm not looking forward to this part, people say this is *harder* than an africa twin to pickup. You did a good job. There's a method of lifting it by the actual handlebar as a deadlift facing the bike but I would be worried about bending the bars, seem to be okay though. You did a good job
Dropped mine many times when I first got it - it has a very high centre of gravity and as standard nothing really to grab to make it easier to lift. I now have pannier racks on the back that add weight, but make it easier to lift and also add exhaust protection. In most cases I find the handlebar lift the easiest with this bike - get it in gear if you can, or I carry a Velcro strap to wrap around the front brake lever to stop it moving forward as you lift.
I'm 53 years old 5,9 70kg. I'm not a big man. I've dropped the bike once, and twice in the garage doing some test pick ups. So 3 times I've picked up the bike with no worries. About 10 litres of fuel in all cases. Yes the T7 lays flat. I did have sw motech crash bars which raises the bike a little when on its side. One of the lifts was without the crash bars. This may piss people off but most do nothing in regards to their physical fitness. Try doing some strength training. You don't need to lift heavy weights. Train the, legs, back and core muscle plus go for a quick walk to get the heart rate up. You will enjoy your riding a lot more because you a fitter and stronger.
Yep I need to get fitter. I go in the ocean lots. (Kitesurfing etc) And do that right through winter. So I’m not a couch potato. But don’t do exercise for the sake of exercise. (Like I used to.) When I was teaching kitesurfing I was pretty fit. Just carrying all the students gear up and down huge sand dunes all day was like doing a marathon. XD
(By way, I may have covid too. Which doesn’t help, had headache and chest infection for 2 weeks. Today was first day out of bed. So prob at 3/4 strength today. But it was the first day that hasn’t been raining, so had to get out of the house while I could. )
@@wonkywheels1037 cheers. Just like flu on your chest really. Will do a test tomorrow to be sure. But heard this afternoon covid was in our little 3 year olds nursery. And he’s had bad cough for days, so chances are it is covid.
I can only agree. The legs and the core is the most Important part for your life - not just for lifting bikes 😅 just train twice a week some squats and deep squats with some short but intense walks. You will be mich more confident on your bike in all situations. The dead lift style to pick up a but injures a lot of people because they actually never do dead Lifts and their backs are too weak or the technique is just unknown.
Thanks for the honest appraisal. I think this video will be HELPFUL advice for many. I had a BMW F800GS and it was too brutal to pick up by myself. Injured my back. I loved riding the bike but I was very reluctant to ride alone or push my skill level because of the weight. I bought a CRF300L and am having much more fun off road, knowing I can pick it up WHEN I drop it.
Glad it helped. It’s all a learning process for me. I’m clearly no super fit macho guy. But I’m getting more confident with the bike slowly. Picked it up in very muddy conditions after falling off a few times since this vid. Totally doable. But certainly not super easy.
I tend to agree with Johannes's comment. I have a Royal Enfield Himalayan almost exactly the same weight. I also have 50 lb of gear bolted onto it at least and have picked it up more than five times in one day in the sand. I can tell you I was getting desperate towards the end. I love the Himalayan and for where I live it's pretty darn good. Someday I would like to do a little more off-road and have been watching a lot of videos of the crf300l and 300 rally. When I saw you straining to pick up the bike I said to my wife that's exactly what it's like. Great video thanks it's best when you see it done for real. By the way Jocelyn Snow who is five foot one and a half picks up big bikes on flat ground so technique counts.
As you said, there are always compromises. I was always told, never do off-road/green lane by yourself. That way if you do drop it, you always have a helping hand, especially if you hurt yourself.
Anything from a deep squat is going to be difficult, so try avoiding that style of lift. That rear rack was not helping because it is so low to the ground. Using a higher rack and rear handle would be better. Tall guys definitely have things working against them in that first part of the lift (and benefit in the last half) and explains why shorter people have more success with that approach. The best technique for a tall guy is to use the handlebar, dont go lower than mid-squat on the legs, and get away from the bike as much as possible. The approach I have taken is to lighten the bike and carry as little crap as possible. That means no crash bars, lighter exhaust, lighter battery, lighter fuel tank, lighter everything (I'm not kidding...). I do use GB Racing engine covers and Barkbusters for protection, and have been considering a wide engine guard very low to create a pivot and higher starting point for the lift.
good tips there. i still like my heed read crash bars, pretty much every ride i have to spin the bike on the kickstand to get it into its position on my small driveway. and those HEED rear handles make that MUCH easier. But you maybe right... too low to help with a full pick up, leverage is compromised.
I've enjoyed your videos a lot, thanks! You're the perfect guy to ask this question to... I'm quite new to trail riding/greenlaning and I'm looking to get a 2nd bike for that(I have a BMW 750GS but it's too heavy and I'm keeping its setup road focussed). I'd like to be able to ride the TET and trails hours from home or perhaps even in Europe. I live in Surrey and the local trails are rather muddy, not a whole lot of gravel trails around here from what I've seen. I'm torn between a Honda CRF300L and the Caballero Rally. Having ridden the Fantic and the Honda 250l what would your thoughts be? I'm thinking that the Honda will be very reliable, lighter, cheaper and will hold its value well - it's the sensible buy. I love the style of the Fantic and it's something I'd be happy riding around on the roads for fun too, not just trails. I'm worried about its reliability, resale value and ergonomics of the Fantic though (it's not a dirt bike and I've heard it's hard to stand properly on with the way exhausts are and it might be a bad choice to learn on). I'm over 6'2 in case that affects anything. Good call on the Tenere, it looks great - will be looking at one of those in the future once I'm more skilled off road
I think I would go for the crf300 (maybe rally version) The Caballero is way more attractive. And more fun on roads.(with extra HP) But end of the day if you are on lots of trails the 300honda seems like a prefect choice. Reliable. Easy to sell on again. User friendly. Easy to look after. Fun and capable. Or if you want a bike that people think looks cool. Then the Fantic Caballero. :) You just got to buy with either your head or your heart on that one. Both are fun. Both will do the job. My main warnings regarding the Fantic is it’s just hard to tell about long term reliability. Also harder to sell on. Not that I had any issues with mine, but it’s not a Honda engine at the end of the day. So question mark about reliability will always be there.
@@biscuitsalive many thanks for getting back to me that's really helpful. May go for the 300L then and upgrade a few things + try to deal with the "redness" issue :-D
@@alexjson should be a safe bet. Although personally I would go for rally. If you do any long tracks the lack of wind protection makes your ride much more tiring. (Head buffeting on A roads etc) Only down side is it’s harder to fit into a regular sized van.
@@biscuitsalive cheers. thought about adding a screen to the 300L and having a rotopax mount if needed. Will need to keep to the little roads as much as possible I guess. I was very interested in the rally but figured I'd try and keep the weight down + it looks like it has more breakable bits so would need crash bars which would even more weight. I don't a car/van so no worries about trying to get a bike in it, wonder if I could drag it along the back of my GS ;-)
It’s definitely one of the harder bikes to pick up. Heard couple of people say that it’s harder than many heavier bikes. (GS’s etc) Due to its high centre of gravity and how it lays so flat.
Try lifting at the handlebar. Your Lever is much better there. If on lefthand side, steer all the way to the right, grab the left handle with both hands, straight arms, feet flat. Works fine with my Africa Twin 750 that weighs a tad more...
Thanks. Although several people have said the T7 is harder to lift than the AT. I think big rock moto did a vid just about lifting bikes. Did those back to back. T7 got worse result.
I first dropped it in deep sand at an angle it was impossible for me to lift it with my back towards it or on knees. I eventually just lifted it from the handlebars. Determined to make it through on the second pass I dropped it again to the other side. Once again the only way was to lift from the handlebar. It’s a terribly heavy bike my third time I barely got it up in even deeper sand. It’s very top heavy and is flat as a tortilla when it’s down. I’m getting better in sand but dropping it is always inevitable.
Great video, thanks for sharing, good to see it's not just me. I've recently put on 20mm lowering links, that might help with the weight distribution getting her off the ground, we shall see. I have had approx 10 drops in the past year on fire roads, had help on most of them, thank goodness 😂
I loved the Fantic but as soon as I started doing longer journeys I quickly wanted something more comfortable for fast roads. I do miss the Fantic anywhere I may drop my bike. But it’s nice to try a few diff bikes and see what clicks I guess.
No I should have tried that today. Went in without much of a plan. Will try that next time though. Watched a vid earlier where a girl Picked up T7 by the handlebar. So clearly it works.
Thanks for the vid, makes you think. As I will be new to biking again and more interested in green laning I think trying to pick that up everytime I come off will be very tiring. I think I'm swinging back towards the Honda CRF300l again lol
The weight is why one of them is not sitting in my garage. I know of two vloggers that sold their T7’s because of the lift weight as it’s a two person job. Would need to be 180 kg max
Your not going to get a 700 twin adv that weighs 180 wet. Lots of people pick these up without issues. Best thing is to not drop it in the first place.
I weigh 145 pounds and I am 5 foot 8 inches tall. The bike isn't that hard for me to get up. But if it was in mud that wouldn't be easy. Luckily in my part of New Mexico we don't get much mud!
Please DON'T try lifting the bike from the downhill side, if you should find yourself in such a situation! That would be dangerous, and would certainly increase the difficulty and amount of effort needed. Instead, spin the bike around while it's on its side until the wheels are the lowest part of the bike, and then lift from the high side. If the hill isn't too steep, and the trail leads up the hill or down, you could try turning the bike to face the direction you want to travel before lifting. But just be aware that trying to head up a hill from a stopped bike on the hill is more likely to dig ruts than get you anywhere. Better to head down the hill and try again with momentum/inertia on your side.
I agree. But it does depend where you are. Some cliff side trails I’ve been on I can imagine sotuations where a tree is stopping any rotating of bike. Or simply cliff downhill so you just have to lift it as it is. But generally yes. Spin it round till it’s wheels are at lowest point.
Na. It is certain that you weight about 3 times less that the motorbike. However. You dont need to lift the motorbike in your shoulders. Your are goin to leverage it so it is not so hard. I have been done it a lot of times and there are others techniques that work far easier. For instance. Take your T7 from the handlebar and up. It is easy and take far less effort. It is a proven method.
@@biscuitsalive I was disagreeing about the amount of effort that you need to lift the motorbike. I think it is not difficult at all but using another different technique. But great video 😃😃
I use a technique I call the "front wheel fulcrum" - I detailed it on my vlog - you might find it a bit easier on the T7. ruclips.net/video/l_Vm58s_GvE/видео.html
@@biscuitsalive I agree, and I don't choose too many tricky trails and suspect I may dump it anyway. I primarily ride alone that's just the way it is. Cheaper than health care injury or bills. Ride safe.
I sold mine for this very reason (made a video about it too). As a former powerlifter I could deadlift 300kg, but this bike was just too heavy when it fell over in mud or slippery grass. I now ride a DRZ and I'm a happier man.
I've never had a hernia from watching a video before, this gave me that experience LOL!
I pick mine up tomorrow and I'm not looking forward to this part, people say this is *harder* than an africa twin to pickup. You did a good job. There's a method of lifting it by the actual handlebar as a deadlift facing the bike but I would be worried about bending the bars, seem to be okay though. You did a good job
Dropped mine many times when I first got it - it has a very high centre of gravity and as standard nothing really to grab to make it easier to lift. I now have pannier racks on the back that add weight, but make it easier to lift and also add exhaust protection.
In most cases I find the handlebar lift the easiest with this bike - get it in gear if you can, or I carry a Velcro strap to wrap around the front brake lever to stop it moving forward as you lift.
I'm 53 years old 5,9 70kg. I'm not a big man. I've dropped the bike once, and twice in the garage doing some test pick ups. So 3 times I've picked up the bike with no worries. About 10 litres of fuel in all cases. Yes the T7 lays flat. I did have sw motech crash bars which raises the bike a little when on its side. One of the lifts was without the crash bars. This may piss people off but most do nothing in regards to their physical fitness. Try doing some strength training. You don't need to lift heavy weights. Train the, legs, back and core muscle plus go for a quick walk to get the heart rate up. You will enjoy your riding a lot more because you a fitter and stronger.
Yep I need to get fitter.
I go in the ocean lots. (Kitesurfing etc)
And do that right through winter.
So I’m not a couch potato. But don’t do exercise for the sake of exercise. (Like I used to.)
When I was teaching kitesurfing I was pretty fit.
Just carrying all the students gear up and down huge sand dunes all day was like doing a marathon. XD
(By way, I may have covid too. Which doesn’t help, had headache and chest infection for 2 weeks. Today was first day out of bed. So prob at 3/4 strength today. But it was the first day that hasn’t been raining, so had to get out of the house while I could. )
@@biscuitsalive yep being unwell is not the best. All the best with your health.
@@wonkywheels1037 cheers. Just like flu on your chest really. Will do a test tomorrow to be sure. But heard this afternoon covid was in our little 3 year olds nursery. And he’s had bad cough for days, so chances are it is covid.
I can only agree. The legs and the core is the most Important part for your life - not just for lifting bikes 😅 just train twice a week some squats and deep squats with some short but intense walks. You will be mich more confident on your bike in all situations. The dead lift style to pick up a but injures a lot of people because they actually never do dead Lifts and their backs are too weak or the technique is just unknown.
Thanks for the honest appraisal. I think this video will be HELPFUL advice for many. I had a BMW F800GS and it was too brutal to pick up by myself. Injured my back. I loved riding the bike but I was very reluctant to ride alone or push my skill level because of the weight. I bought a CRF300L and am having much more fun off road, knowing I can pick it up WHEN I drop it.
Glad it helped. It’s all a learning process for me.
I’m clearly no super fit macho guy. But I’m getting more confident with the bike slowly.
Picked it up in very muddy conditions after falling off a few times since this vid.
Totally doable. But certainly not super easy.
I tend to agree with Johannes's comment. I have a Royal Enfield Himalayan almost exactly the same weight. I also have 50 lb of gear bolted onto it at least and have picked it up more than five times in one day in the sand. I can tell you I was getting desperate towards the end. I love the Himalayan and for where I live it's pretty darn good. Someday I would like to do a little more off-road and have been watching a lot of videos of the crf300l and 300 rally. When I saw you straining to pick up the bike I said to my wife that's exactly what it's like. Great video thanks it's best when you see it done for real. By the way Jocelyn Snow who is five foot one and a half picks up big bikes on flat ground so technique counts.
As you said, there are always compromises. I was always told, never do off-road/green lane by yourself. That way if you do drop it, you always have a helping hand, especially if you hurt yourself.
Anything from a deep squat is going to be difficult, so try avoiding that style of lift. That rear rack was not helping because it is so low to the ground. Using a higher rack and rear handle would be better. Tall guys definitely have things working against them in that first part of the lift (and benefit in the last half) and explains why shorter people have more success with that approach. The best technique for a tall guy is to use the handlebar, dont go lower than mid-squat on the legs, and get away from the bike as much as possible.
The approach I have taken is to lighten the bike and carry as little crap as possible. That means no crash bars, lighter exhaust, lighter battery, lighter fuel tank, lighter everything (I'm not kidding...). I do use GB Racing engine covers and Barkbusters for protection, and have been considering a wide engine guard very low to create a pivot and higher starting point for the lift.
good tips there. i still like my heed read crash bars, pretty much every ride i have to spin the bike on the kickstand to get it into its position on my small driveway. and those HEED rear handles make that MUCH easier. But you maybe right... too low to help with a full pick up, leverage is compromised.
I've just bought a pulley and am keen to see how I can use that.
I think it’s well worth having a ratchet and strap in your bag if out by self lots. Or pulley.
Don’t like relying on others unless I have to.
I've enjoyed your videos a lot, thanks!
You're the perfect guy to ask this question to... I'm quite new to trail riding/greenlaning and I'm looking to get a 2nd bike for that(I have a BMW 750GS but it's too heavy and I'm keeping its setup road focussed). I'd like to be able to ride the TET and trails hours from home or perhaps even in Europe. I live in Surrey and the local trails are rather muddy, not a whole lot of gravel trails around here from what I've seen. I'm torn between a Honda CRF300L and the Caballero Rally. Having ridden the Fantic and the Honda 250l what would your thoughts be?
I'm thinking that the Honda will be very reliable, lighter, cheaper and will hold its value well - it's the sensible buy. I love the style of the Fantic and it's something I'd be happy riding around on the roads for fun too, not just trails. I'm worried about its reliability, resale value and ergonomics of the Fantic though (it's not a dirt bike and I've heard it's hard to stand properly on with the way exhausts are and it might be a bad choice to learn on). I'm over 6'2 in case that affects anything. Good call on the Tenere, it looks great - will be looking at one of those in the future once I'm more skilled off road
I think I would go for the crf300 (maybe rally version)
The Caballero is way more attractive. And more fun on roads.(with extra HP)
But end of the day if you are on lots of trails the 300honda seems like a prefect choice.
Reliable. Easy to sell on again. User friendly. Easy to look after. Fun and capable.
Or if you want a bike that people think looks cool. Then the Fantic Caballero. :)
You just got to buy with either your head or your heart on that one.
Both are fun. Both will do the job.
My main warnings regarding the Fantic is it’s just hard to tell about long term reliability.
Also harder to sell on.
Not that I had any issues with mine, but it’s not a Honda engine at the end of the day. So question mark about reliability will always be there.
@@biscuitsalive many thanks for getting back to me that's really helpful. May go for the 300L then and upgrade a few things + try to deal with the "redness" issue :-D
@@alexjson should be a safe bet.
Although personally I would go for rally. If you do any long tracks the lack of wind protection makes your ride much more tiring. (Head buffeting on A roads etc)
Only down side is it’s harder to fit into a regular sized van.
@@biscuitsalive cheers. thought about adding a screen to the 300L and having a rotopax mount if needed. Will need to keep to the little roads as much as possible I guess. I was very interested in the rally but figured I'd try and keep the weight down + it looks like it has more breakable bits so would need crash bars which would even more weight. I don't a car/van so no worries about trying to get a bike in it, wonder if I could drag it along the back of my GS ;-)
I’m thinking of buying this bike and after my Interceptor 650 I’m kinda worried about whether I’ll be able to pick it up haha
It’s definitely one of the harder bikes to pick up.
Heard couple of people say that it’s harder than many heavier bikes. (GS’s etc)
Due to its high centre of gravity and how it lays so flat.
Try lifting at the handlebar. Your Lever is much better there. If on lefthand side, steer all the way to the right, grab the left handle with both hands, straight arms, feet flat. Works fine with my Africa Twin 750 that weighs a tad more...
Thanks. Although several people have said the T7 is harder to lift than the AT.
I think big rock moto did a vid just about lifting bikes. Did those back to back. T7 got worse result.
Thanks for the video.
I first dropped it in deep sand at an angle it was impossible for me to lift it with my back towards it or on knees. I eventually just lifted it from the handlebars. Determined to make it through on the second pass I dropped it again to the other side. Once again the only way was to lift from the handlebar. It’s a terribly heavy bike my third time I barely got it up in even deeper sand. It’s very top heavy and is flat as a tortilla when it’s down. I’m getting better in sand but dropping it is always inevitable.
I did some sand today. Nothing very deep but first wheel was all over the place.
Managed not to drop it tho.
Great video, thanks for sharing, good to see it's not just me. I've recently put on 20mm lowering links, that might help with the weight distribution getting her off the ground, we shall see. I have had approx 10 drops in the past year on fire roads, had help on most of them, thank goodness 😂
Just found your channel, what happened to your Fantic? Great quality vids by the way =)
I loved the Fantic but as soon as I started doing longer journeys I quickly wanted something more comfortable for fast roads.
I do miss the Fantic anywhere I may drop my bike.
But it’s nice to try a few diff bikes and see what clicks I guess.
@@biscuitsalive - Thanks for the reply. I hear you... so many bikes to try... So little time (and money) LOL =)
Have you tried the end of the handle bar lift? Seems to be the other technique.
No I should have tried that today. Went in without much of a plan. Will try that next time though. Watched a vid earlier where a girl
Picked up T7 by the handlebar. So clearly it works.
Thanks for the vid, makes you think. As I will be new to biking again and more interested in green laning I think trying to pick that up everytime I come off will be very tiring. I think I'm swinging back towards the Honda CRF300l again lol
There is no perfect bike. Always a compromise somewhere. But think I will change the exhaust and battery. That’s a few kg right there.
CRF would be much easier to pick up. That’s for sure. Picked up my 250 a few times and it’s not a big deal unless In super slippy mud.
Well done thanks for sharing 👍
The weight is why one of them is not sitting in my garage. I know of two vloggers that sold their T7’s because of the lift weight as it’s a two person job. Would need to be 180 kg max
You can shed a few KG. Exhaust and battery change alone can bring it down below 200kg.
But would struggle to get it to 180 without spending thousands.
Your not going to get a 700 twin adv that weighs 180 wet.
Lots of people pick these up without issues.
Best thing is to not drop it in the first place.
I weigh 145 pounds and I am 5 foot 8 inches tall. The bike isn't that hard for me to get up. But if it was in mud that wouldn't be easy. Luckily in my part of New Mexico we don't get much mud!
I tore my lower back muscles lifting mine on Sunday, should have pushed instead of lifting with my back in the mud, fkn nightmare
Shit. Hope it’s better soon!
Please DON'T try lifting the bike from the downhill side, if you should find yourself in such a situation! That would be dangerous, and would certainly increase the difficulty and amount of effort needed. Instead, spin the bike around while it's on its side until the wheels are the lowest part of the bike, and then lift from the high side. If the hill isn't too steep, and the trail leads up the hill or down, you could try turning the bike to face the direction you want to travel before lifting. But just be aware that trying to head up a hill from a stopped bike on the hill is more likely to dig ruts than get you anywhere. Better to head down the hill and try again with momentum/inertia on your side.
I agree. But it does depend where you are. Some cliff side trails I’ve been on I can imagine sotuations where a tree is stopping any rotating of bike.
Or simply cliff downhill so you just have to lift it as it is.
But generally yes. Spin it round till it’s wheels are at lowest point.
Moral of the story …don’t ride in dodgy areas on your own .
Na. It is certain that you weight about 3 times less that the motorbike. However. You dont need to lift the motorbike in your shoulders. Your are goin to leverage it so it is not so hard. I have been done it a lot of times and there are others techniques that work far easier. For instance. Take your T7 from the handlebar and up. It is easy and take far less effort. It is a proven method.
Yep I will try that one.
Not quite sure what you are disagreeing with though.
@@biscuitsalive I was disagreeing about the amount of effort that you need to lift the motorbike. I think it is not difficult at all but using another different technique. But great video 😃😃
I use a technique I call the "front wheel fulcrum" - I detailed it on my vlog - you might find it a bit easier on the T7.
ruclips.net/video/l_Vm58s_GvE/видео.html
I’ll have a look. Thanks.
Get a motowinch
Not a bad idea. If I’m doing some tricky trails on my own.
@@biscuitsalive I agree, and I don't choose too many tricky trails and suspect I may dump it anyway. I primarily ride alone that's just the way it is. Cheaper than health care injury or bills. Ride safe.
Thats one of the reason for me selling my t7...
that is no reason, just learn how to do it