After ten years off of Harleys I got a deal too good to pass up on a 2009 Softail Heritage Classic. It had been under a blue tarp for the last few years;.I just finished bringing it up to spec and it hasn't been in shape this good since it left York.
When I was still in my sixties, I had a Road Glide that I could pick up by myself if necessary, as it was just once. It was a fight, but I got it done.
Now, I'm almost 80, but still in good health and reasonable strength. As an experiment in what's possible, I'm going to lay this bike down gently on a tarp and see what I can do with it. If I just can't get it up, well, I've got a muscular neighbor who'll help bring it up. And should it happen on the road, I've got a AAA card.
Does any reader have how-to tips on the subject, other than "Keep the shiny side up?"
Pilgrim

 

Lots of good videos on YouTube that should help you.

Here are a few:

 

Thanks for the links to YouTube; I should have thought of that. Duhhh!

What's demonstrated in all of them is pretty much what I recall doing on a muddy Wyoming construction site. The bike scooted out from under me in the mud. It was a real soft letdown. I tried doing it as the videos suggest, but the bike just kept sliding away from my lift pressure. Finally, a long-haul trucker who was laughing his *** of watching me got down and came to keep it in place as I lifted. It came right up, but I had to spend almost an hour at a carwash in Rawlins to de-mud it.

That bike had no bag guards, so finding a lifting point for my left had was a problem; I don't recall where I grabbed. With that in mind, I intend to carry with me a figure-eight tiedown strap to loop around a frame member between the seats. Attach it and then put a hand through the loop and then lift. The videos show just how far off the ground that crash guard keeps the machine; I had forgotten that it doesn't go down flat. With that much head start, I'm certain I can get it up.

Thanks again!
Pilgrim

 

At 80 years young it sounds like trying to lift a fallen bike is a good way to hurt yourself. My back hurts just thinking about it. You can always hope that someone comes along to help you out. Or .... you can carry something like this in your saddlebag and do it yourself. Before going to 3 wheels I thought about buying this.
https://www.motobikejack.com/

 

the method used by the Aruba Police Department works as well. I dropped my road king recently. Haven't done that in over 26+ years but my modular helmet slammed shut on my while i was practicing 18 foot u-turns. scared the poop out of me mid bar lock and i became a fairy and she went down.

I have a goofy shoulder thing going on but this method made it easier for me.