Laying the bike down
#51
05-12-2010, 12:03 PM
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When I layed my down it happened so fast I had no time to react. I would like to learn a safer way to lay her down also should it happen again.
#52
05-12-2010, 12:05 PM
Just don't lay it down... best solution. I know it's a little more complicated than that but that's my mindset. I have laid mine down before too, just put yourself in a position to avoid it, always.
#53
05-12-2010, 12:14 PM
[QUOTE=Far 3ast;6696061][quote=Red9;6695492]If
I would suggest for any of you who wish to argue and say you had time to concsiously decide to (bs) 'lay it down,' you also then had time to slow with proper application of both brakes and steer around the object you decided to 'take a chance and slide into.'
A friend of my recently, and intentionally, "layed 'er down". In these situations you don't really have a lot of time to weigh courses of action.
Here was the situation: we are approaching an intersection with my friend leading. We are about 150 yards from the intersection and the light just turned green. We are in the right lane of a 4-lane road (two lanes going our direction). The left lane has cars in it, but our lane is clear. This is a "T" intersection...the road to our right is obscured becuase there is a wall parallel to the road (we can't see traffic on the road to the right). As my friend enters the intersection (speed approx 20 mph), a bus comes into our lane running the red light. 75% of our lane is blocked by the bus. Cars are blocking the lane to our left. No way of knowing if the bus is going to stop or continue and hit one of the cars to our left. My friend hammers the brakes but doesn't believe he can stop in time to avoid hitting the bus. Decision time: hit the bus head on or low side and slide into the bus wheels first. He decided to lay 'er down rather than hit the bus head on. No way he would have been thrown clear.
Bike slid on the engine guard and stopped about 6" short of the bus. In retrospect, he probably could have stopped in time using the brakes, but could not count on swerving to avoid the bus. I can't say I would have done the same thing in the same situation, but I understand why he did it.
This guy kind of knew he was going to lay it down and just slide into the tire? A sight miscalculation and he would have slid in front of the tire and gotten run over by the bus. I would just say he panicked which is understandable.
I would suggest for any of you who wish to argue and say you had time to concsiously decide to (bs) 'lay it down,' you also then had time to slow with proper application of both brakes and steer around the object you decided to 'take a chance and slide into.'
A friend of my recently, and intentionally, "layed 'er down". In these situations you don't really have a lot of time to weigh courses of action.
Here was the situation: we are approaching an intersection with my friend leading. We are about 150 yards from the intersection and the light just turned green. We are in the right lane of a 4-lane road (two lanes going our direction). The left lane has cars in it, but our lane is clear. This is a "T" intersection...the road to our right is obscured becuase there is a wall parallel to the road (we can't see traffic on the road to the right). As my friend enters the intersection (speed approx 20 mph), a bus comes into our lane running the red light. 75% of our lane is blocked by the bus. Cars are blocking the lane to our left. No way of knowing if the bus is going to stop or continue and hit one of the cars to our left. My friend hammers the brakes but doesn't believe he can stop in time to avoid hitting the bus. Decision time: hit the bus head on or low side and slide into the bus wheels first. He decided to lay 'er down rather than hit the bus head on. No way he would have been thrown clear.
Bike slid on the engine guard and stopped about 6" short of the bus. In retrospect, he probably could have stopped in time using the brakes, but could not count on swerving to avoid the bus. I can't say I would have done the same thing in the same situation, but I understand why he did it.
#54
05-12-2010, 12:26 PM
Last July I "laid my bike down". Going about 50 and looked away from the road for just a moment. When I looked back, the car in front was braking hard to turn off the highway and I braked hard enough to lock up both wheels, then release, then lock them both up again. No way out but oncoming traffic, back of the car, or the ditch on the right. To say I consciously laid it down would be B.S. In hindsight and recalling what happened I turned the bars to the left and the bike just tucked out from under me in the skid falling onto the left side. It happened so quickly that there is no way I could have done it on purpose, much as my pride would like to tell me. I can see where in rare circumstances it might be the correct action to take, but now I avoid getting into such a tight spot to begin with. It was a painful and expensive lesson and I'm just thankful I learned from it and survived.
#55
05-12-2010, 01:08 PM
http://www.bofunk.com/video/4423/mot...h_dummies.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEjfUjd9nMc&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__J6re56PMk&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEjfUjd9nMc&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__J6re56PMk&NR=1
Last edited by cadman311; 05-12-2010 at 01:13 PM.
#56
05-12-2010, 01:16 PM
I layed my NSU 125 SuperFox down about 50 years ago. I was riding down a brick street at about 20 mph, when a guy pulled out from between two parked cars in front of me. I hit both brakes hard, and the bike layed down very gently on to my left leg and hip. I did avoid hitting the car, and could not believe it, but did not have a scratch on the bike, and did not even tear my jeans. I was not hurt at all. I think my bill fold kind of cushioned my butt. The bike rode on me and never touched the bricks. Don't think I would like to do it again on a Harley for sure.
My brother layed down my 1942 "45" on a curve, going about 50, when he hit some sand on the road. It had "crash bars" on it, and same story. No damage to the bike or him. Neither of these lay downs were planned. They just happen.
My brother layed down my 1942 "45" on a curve, going about 50, when he hit some sand on the road. It had "crash bars" on it, and same story. No damage to the bike or him. Neither of these lay downs were planned. They just happen.
#57
05-12-2010, 01:48 PM
When I was younger I could tell I hit, jump, run over, push, moved, pulled, run off of, stuck in and crashes were all my dirt biking fun. But now the bike is 3 to 4 times heavy. I could not just think I could jump cars with my Harley. The thing about riding in the mud and sand. Maybe with the weight of the harley in the dirt I would lay it down and walk away.
Last edited by cadman311; 05-12-2010 at 01:52 PM.
#58
05-12-2010, 03:55 PM
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#59
05-12-2010, 04:50 PM
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...the car in front was braking hard to turn off the highway and I braked hard enough to lock up both wheels, then release, then lock them both up again. No way out but oncoming traffic, back of the car, or the ditch on the right. To say I consciously laid it down would be B.S.... It happened so quickly that there is no way I could have done it on purpose.
Usually you can ride the yellow line; sometimes it's blocked.
Usually you can pass on the right; sometimes there is no time, the angle is wrong & it's gravel.
Sometime You may find the rode blocked, Your brakes at their limits, impact certain within another instant. At that time, please do not remember today's lesson: "If you had time to get your leg out from under the bike, you had time to ride it out."
#60
05-12-2010, 07:56 PM
............ Never done it on purpose though.
I went down back when I was young on a BSA - happened so fast I have no idea how I got on top, but was glad to take the nasty pipe burn on the ankle as opposed to the meatgrinder on the bottom side. As I recall, I slid out on the florida sand blown over the road.
Stuff from a cage happens a lot faster, and aside of steering attempts, there isn't much you can do. I have seen videos of riders flying over car hoods and such as that though, so I suppose there is some tendency to grow wings.
Stuff from a cage happens a lot faster, and aside of steering attempts, there isn't much you can do. I have seen videos of riders flying over car hoods and such as that though, so I suppose there is some tendency to grow wings.
There seems to be a theme here. Several posts about the speed of the situation. Mine was similar, so damn fast I had no idea WTF just happened. So you lock up the bike and it falls over or you crash into the side of a minivan. Conscious thought is impossible at this point. You react and you get what you get. Training helps for sure. Experience helps for sure. But when these things happen your only goal is to survive and to hell with the insurance company's motorcycle.
To quote aviation....Any landing you walk away from is a good landing. If you can reuse the aircraft then it was exceptional.
Same thing in a MC crash. If you walk away great, if the motorcycle survives then that is a bonus.
Sorry this is a little scattered but I am sick to death of the MSF crowd quoting the manual and pretending like there is anything other than a basic animal reaction at play. If your brain has time to make a conscious decision then it wasn't really that close.
Train train train and the reaction will be what you trained it to be but it will still be a unconscious decision.