I had to drop it?

[sinned]

Discussion on today's Newstalk ZB between Larry Williams, Mike Hosking and Wendyl Nissen on riding Vespas. Larry said: "I had to put it down once myself - Car coming the other way - not my fault - I had to drop it"

How often have you heard the statement - "I had to drop it"? Who deliberately drops their bike? Have a listen here: http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/audio2/19103350.wma 2.50mins into the discussion.

My guess is one of the following occurred:
1). He applied the rear brake only and slide out of control
2). In panic turned the bar like a wheel - opposite happened - turned more, lowsided and slide down the road on his sorry arse.
Should have:
1) Used the front brake or
2) Counter steered to avoid the cage.

How many people would have listened to this discussion and formed an opinion on dropping a bike to avoid and accident?

[Wasp]

only heard one story of someone dropping it delibretly - they were headed into the back of a very menacing truck with no way to avoid it

[James Deuce]

I'm not even going to go there.

Except to say that there are very few incidents in human history where voluntarily giving up all attempts to manage your fate have resulted in anything other than death, injury, or tragedy.

Think about it for a couple of seconds: Throw away a perfectly controllable motorcycle that can provide a minimum of two options for escape or lessening the impact, or leap off and let the "Gods" sort it out amongst them?

I've yet to meet the "God" who gives a rat's banana about an individual human being.

If you're out of control and fall off, you didn't "drop" the bike deliberately. You fell off. Stop massaging your ego in public. It's embarrassing.

[Ixion]

I've done it offroad, when the alternative was going over a big cliff. But thats a bit different.

There could be occasions on the road where it might be better to drop and slide than hit upright. Maybe a train level crossing, with a long train going over it and you're not going to stop in time?

In general , I reckon it's best to hold onto control until the last possible moment.

[DemonWolf]

Interesting words Jim2... I tend to agree.

the only times I've deliberately dropped a bike, was, going into a corner too fast hitting gravel and ending up in a toitoi. second time, again going into a corner too fast misjudging and running off the road into gorse, third time clipped the end of a car and slid down a bank.. bah too numerious to recount here! and I've never deliberately dropped a bike, I stick to it like glue (or get thrown away from it involuntary)..

oh wait.. I do remember a time when I was a youngster on a farm bike when I jumped off the bike.. the throttle had jammed open and I got fricken scared and jumped off seconds before hitting trees\fence... but that was the only time!

[buellbabe]

hmmm... never gave this much thought altho I have heard people say the same thing "I put it down bla bla bla"
But now that I DO think about it I have to WHY would ya? I have hit the deck a few times over the years and in each case I tried my damndest to avoid that happening! BUT I have also been trapped underneath a bike and slid down the road unable to prevent the broken femur that resulted!
In hindsight if I had dumped the bike maybe that wouldn't have happened but "it all happened sooooo quickly" and isn't that usually the case?

[Dai]

Deliberately dropped the bike once.

A cage pulled out of a side road right in front of me.

I had the choice of going straight into his side at 30mph and going over the bars etc

or

wrenching the bike to impact side on whilst getting both legs over on the side that wasn't going to impact.

It was a split second decision and I'm glad I made it.

Bike was written off and I escaped with minor abrasions and a little bit of whiplash.

I hate to think what would have happened to me if I had of gone head on into the side of the car, or the passengers in the car. A broadside better than a head on-- oh yes.

Car driver's insurance company paid out a lot of money on that one.

[buellbabe]

Dai, you were extremely lucky to have the time to do that!

[Dai]

Dai, you were extremely lucky to have the time to do that!

Didnt even think about it, really.

It was the "Oh F**%, Im going to hit him, RUN AWAY" factor.

also by then it was 25 years of riding bikes and crashing them.

As with everything, you do something often enough or for long enough then instinct takes over and you go on auto pilot.

This brings back the age old arguement about experience and time on bikes.

The longer and more often you ride the more your actions become instinctual.

Also I am a big cry baby and I dint want to get hurt. Time really does slow down in an accident.

[Motu]

I've done it on a speedway track with a stuck throttle,and it's fairly common with speedway riders to lay the bike down when there is trouble ahead - they have no brakes and if they did the consequences would be far worse under braking.I've heard of guys laying a bike down and going under a truck trailer.If I was in a situation where I weighed it up as the best option I wouldn't hesitate to lay it down.Don't think your way into a box,it might not be safe in there....

[Dai]

I've done it on a speedway track with a stuck throttle,and it's fairly common with speedway riders to lay the bike down when there is trouble ahead - they have no brakes and if they did the consequences would be far worse under braking.I've heard of guys laying a bike down and going under a truck trailer.If I was in a situation where I weighed it up as the best option I wouldn't hesitate to lay it down.Don't think your way into a box,it might not be safe in there....

Maybe it was my early training that kicked in. 3 years racing on the beach with the Papakura Motorcycle Club in the early to mid 70's. For ever laying a bike sideways in that sport just to get round the flags..

[buellbabe]

Didnt even think about it, really.

It was the "Oh F**%, Im going to hit him, RUN AWAY" factor.

also by then it was 25 years of riding bikes and crashing them.

As with everything, you do something often enough or for long enough then instinct takes over and you go on auto pilot.

This brings back the age old arguement about experience and time on bikes.

The longer and more often you ride the more your actions become instinctual.

Yeah... I have been riding as long as you mate and agree with the instinct thing but have still never deliberately dropped a bike! Guess I have not found myself in a situation where I needed to?

[Motu]

Maybe it was my early training that kicked in. 3 years racing on the beach with the Papakura Motorcycle Club in the early to mid 70's. For ever laying a bike sideways in that sport just to get round the flags..

Oh yeah,I've done it on the beach too - flying down the beach I saw some people sitting up in the dunes,then I saw they had fishing lines out to the water! I put the bike down as the quickest way to stop on that surface.

[pervert]

I take a dive off dirt bikes all the time, it's often the best option in many situations...for example; I would rather the bike tumble down a 5 metre cliff by itself than with me trying to stay on...

...don't know if I would be game to jump off a road bike though...

[sunhuntin]

never done and hope to never have to. i have laid a bike down once while learning to ride on fresh mowed grass....thats shits slippery! but it wasnt deliberate.
id rather try and stay with the bike [preferably on top] but my first off, i knew if i stayed on, itd be suicide. so i left her to her own devices and saved my ass first.
the last "off" i could see two options...deliberatly put her down and end up having time off work and off riding when theres no staff to cover, or stay on, hope for the best and not have time off work. that option would have taken out myself and also the guy i was riding with. plus, being a rarely used road, have two busted bikes was not an option...i could have pillioned with him if needed.
took the second option, stayed upright even when stopped, and went back to work the next day barely able to lift the pumps.
i did hear of a guy who deliberatly put himself under the bike to protect it and i like to think id do that myself, but self preservation is laughing in my face.

and it is true, that time slows down while an accident is being acted out...im beginning to remember thoughts from both accidents that i didnt realise id had at the time. it slows down, but still goes so fast.