Laying the bike down: nice euphemism for crashing, and then not having the ***** to face up to it.

 

Ya can't brake or steer when the bike isn't upright...no thanks!

 

This and the other guys who said similar are the ones I agree with. "Laid it down" is code in some people's lingo for losing control and crashing. makes it sound like a voluntary act, but it's probably not.

 

In answering the part about how to lay a bike down with ABS? I doubt it can be done using the brakes. Nor do I want to try.

 

I've been involved in 2 crashes, didn't really have time to think about "laying it down" I tried everything I could to avoid the accident. It kinda like practicing panic stops, you never know what you will really do until you're actually in a "Panic" situation. A lot of things are easier "said than done."

 

IIRC, back in the 50's-60's-70's "laying the bike down" was considered an option to avoid a crash. (A "controlled" crash to avoid a worse crash, I guess.) My father had a friend who was a motor cop in Georgia back then, and I'm pretty sure he told us that for certain situations this was what they were taught. Of course, back then brakes and tires were nowhere near as good as they are now, and there was no ABS, so something we may see as a bad idea today may have been considered viable back then.

Nowadays, the only people I know of who have done it or refer to it as an option have been old guys who've never been to an MSF class. IMO (and that of MSF) most emergency situations can be handled with braking, swerving, acceleration, etc. while the bike is upright and under control. If you have enough time to consciously lay a bike over on its side, you have enough time to use emergency braking and swerving to avoid the hazard.
There's no way I would ever intentionally lay a bike down. First I wouldn't know how, and second, the instant it goes down you become an out of control target on a road filled with cars, trucks, and a likewise out of control 1000 lb. sliding motorcycle-shaped hunk of steel you hope doesn't slide over you. Bailing off a bike to avoid a collision does you no good at all if you slide under the wheels of an F-150, wrap yourself around a sign post, or slide 100' with a Road King using you for a skidplate...
Just my .02

 

"Laid it down" ..translation: "I crapped my pants, stomped on the rear brake and fell over" Just a face-saving way of explaining why they dropped their bike.

From a purely physical stand point it's total baloney because rubber tires have a much greater coefficient of traction than painted metal parts, specially coupled with ABS or any decent caliper-pad combination.

 

My understanding is, you lock the rear wheel, let it slide out and then low side the bike to the ground. Since locking the rear wheel isn't an option with ABS, all you can do is steer the bike out from under yourself! Sounds painful to me!

Me neither!

Ride Safe,
Steve R.

 

Been there done that. I grabbed to much front brake in a panic stop and the bike immediately went down. Not something I did on purpose. Really wish I had ABS on my Bobber.

 

Laying the bike down correctly is a very difficult thing to do...so I prefer to just run directly into objects that appear in my path if I am unable to otherwise avoid them. There are people who will argue the "highside vs lowside" crashing maneuver....but I have come to within an inch of several vehicles that have pulled out in front of me and been able to steer out of it (one actually brushed my right sleeve with his mirror) so I will never opt to voluntarily "lay it down". But I have heard many claim they knew they were going to hit so they forced the bike down in order to "avoid a highside"....I sure hope none of them take up flying.

Then again...I did highside on a head on collision with a drunk driver. Not fun.