This question relates directly to an earlier post about braking technique. This is why it is so important to use the front brake so that when you are faced with a situation where instinct kicks in you grab a handful of that bad boy in front rather than standing on the rear brake and learning what "I laid er down" (I locked up the rear and low sided it) means. If you are hesitant to use the front brake find a nice big empty parking lot an practice so you get a feel for it. It takes a supreme effort to endo a Harley.

 

Too many variables, like surroundings, your speed, etc. Plus your ability to keep from panicking. Its always a split second decision but I try and have managed to avoid and only once have gone down....hear me, I'm knocking on wood........rat-a-tat-tat

 

I agree that the hypothetical situation is too vague for a positive answer. Given that, though, I would never voluntarily drop my bike. "Laying it down" IS wrecking! One option not mentioned yet is accelerating through the danger. It's interesting that very few people think about simply gassing it through a situation. I've been fortunate in that I've had VERY few occasions over the years for emergency manuevers, but there have been one or two in which I've punched it past the danger. Just a thought...

 

I have been riding for many years now and I have been sideswiped from the rear by a car that was speeding and I went down once with my best friends wife on the rear when I hit the throttle at an intersection that had some gravel. I have had numerous close calls but the number one thing to remember is to always be on the look out for the driver who is going to pull out in front of you or is turning left in front of you. I watch to see if they are stopping and usually will have my clutch and front brake lever covered and my foot ready to hit the rear brake. Once I had a farmer type coming up a side road as I was riding down the main road at about 60 mph. I saw and watched and he didn't appear to be slowing down as he neared the road. I started to shed some speed and sure enough he bounced out into the road in front of me without stopping. I had to brake hard, but it was not even close to an accident because I was alert and prepared.

I had one incident a few years ago before I got my harley that kinda gives me confidence that I won't panic and just brake until the bike goes sideways and I go down. I have a 77 Yamaha 650 upright twin. I had just changed the neck bearings out to pass a state safety inspection and I had trouble getting all the air out of the front brake (had to remove the brake line to install). I stayed with it until I had a good brake in the front and went on to the shop and passed the safety inspection. On the way home I was on Broad Street in Richmond, VA in the outside lane crusing at about 50 with the speed limit being 45. There are turn lanes and I saw a lady approaching and entering the turn lane on the opposite side of the highway. I just barely had enough time to wander if she was going to stop when she came across the highway directly in front of me. As I noted earlier, I had covered my brakes and I hit them first...then things really did seem to go into slow motion. The bike was sliding with the rear wheel coming out to the right. My front tire was sliding and squealing and I watched the lady turn her head when she heard the squealing and she saw me for the first time. My knees and elbows were already hurting from the anticipation of impacting the roadway at approximately 40 to 45 mph. I guess my brain was calculating while I personally was just watching the scene unfold. After doing the proper math and geometric angles, my brain took action while I felt like I was still just watching the scene. I realilzed that I might be able to ride around the rear of the car. I let off both brakes and regained control of the bike, kept the rpms upand threw it into a hard left swerve, and then just as quickly threw it back to the right and I went around the rear of the lady's car with a couple of inches to spare. Now the main thing that saved me was the fact that the lady did not panic and hit her brakes when she heard my front tire squeal. She kept moving and that gave me the opportunity to ride my way out of a bad situation.

I got up the road a few hundred yards and found a large parking lot to pull into. I turned in and sat there on my bike with my knees shaking for a few minutes and finally regained my composure and rode on home.

The best we can do is keep our senses sharp and assume they may turn or pull out in front of us and if possible have an escape route. I am much more alert when riding my back an when I am driving my truck.

Drive defensively,
Tnicean

 

That reminds me of last summer, going through an intersection on a green and because I was watching traffice closely instead of daydreaming I noticed one coming at full speed running the red on my right. We were right on track to hit and I tapped the brakes and slowed up enough to slide right through the intersection just after he went through the red. I was so close to his rearend I could have touched it with my leg. Before I could even react any more the olblue light started a going and Johnny law had this guy dead to rights. The wife was on back and boy was she shook. These days you can almost never relax, gotta always be on the alert for idiots....

 

Maybe another way to answer the question....you need 50' to stop...you only have 15'. Whatta ya gonna do?

 

real good stuff here. . . i like what yall are saying. truth be told who the hell knows what ya gonna do in that situation. . .me i'd prob stay w the bike. i also ride motocross very dif i know but it teaches you to react fast real fast. if u dump the bike that's it game over. if you saty w her you might make it thru. ya never know.

i hope none of us ever have to find out. peace.

 

Yeh as long as the wheels are rolling you have a chance. Once you're sliding you're at the mercy of everything else.

 

Practice, Practice is very important, how many pratice quick stops at 70 MPH? In most instances though swerving is much better then applying the brakes but of course that takes practice, practice, riding season is coming back infor most and they need to dust off the cob webs and practice these techniques before getting on the road. If I'm off the bike for a week or two I always brush up on the basics. Ride Safe, Ride Often!

 

I would believe that I would ride it out and hammer on the front brake as that is where the majority of the braking power comes from. Laying it down is like throwing in the towel.

I may be wrong and hope I never have to worry about that