Lay down your bike

[The Stranger:Me]

If leather and tarseal were better at stopping you, your brakes would be made from these materials.

[DUCATI*HARD]

i layed a bike down once,,,came up to a T section in the rain,,,going too hard,,,back brake locks up,,,bike fish tailing hard,,,straight thru intersection up onto footpath,,,up onto someones front lawn,,,heading straight at a brick wall,,,someones housedropped it on the side and both wheels slam up against the house,,,picked bike back up,,,started her,,,and took off again,,,all done in a well controlled manner,,,but that was like 10 years ago

[davereid]

If you have "layed the bike down" you have already had a crash. Seems unlikely that thinks will get better from there !

[wbks]

Sounds like a technique i heard from many a harley rider. They're story was that they learned and used this tecnique to avoid a lethal crash. They would see a highside coming and then just raise their leg and jump off either side of the bike. I was laughing at this which he didn't like. Considering the only time you can tell you are going to highside lasts about a half second before it snaps and flips... How many of you can lift your leg that fast? Anyone else heard this crap?

[dpex]

With all this talk of biker crashes happening lately I wondered about this technique I sometimes hear where bikers would deliberatly slide or crash their bike onto the ground to avoid a potentially fatal crash.

Has anyone had to perform this technique to avoid a cras or is it all just myth? I myself woluldn't know how to properly cras a bike so I just concentrate on good braking and looking for danger.

No worries mate. Just attend, as spectator, any track-day which Sinfull is riding. You'll get heaps of first-hand experience.

[XP@]

A friend laid his bike down and slid under a big truck that had pulled out in front of him.
As he came out the other side fluke managed to bite the tires which flipped the bike up. Wobbling a bit he brought the bike to a stop and promptly fell over again.
I didn't see this accident but i did see the after effects. And had the pleasure of taking the piss out of him as he tried to remove the smell of the same from his leathers.

[sunhuntin]

Have you heard about the 'stand-up technique'?

This says if you are having a head-on on a bike and there is NO way out of it, just before impact stand up on the pegs. The theory is that on impact you will be thrown clear of the bike (over it). This is designed to avoid a nasty case of 'tank-nuts' or groin into/through instrument/fairing injury.

yep, this is the method i used when i got pulled out on. all i had time for was to think "on impact, jump" before i was playing a cape-less superman over the front bonnet. had i stayed with the bike, i either would have been pinned under the car and dragged, or pinned under the bike and burned. felt guilty leaving the bike, specially hearing her struggle to a stall drowning under her own petrol, but would rather my skin stay on.

[vtec]

I've heard it from a Harley rider before. It's bullcrap. You get way better traction/control with the tyres on the ground. Can't see how intentionally dropping it can help you at all unless you're already on the grass and heading towards an obstacle. In otherwords, you've already failed.

[MD]

Have you heard about the 'stand-up technique'?

This says if you are having a head-on on a bike and there is NO way out of it, just before impact stand up on the pegs. The theory is that on impact you will be thrown clear of the bike (over it). This is designed to avoid a nasty case of 'tank-nuts' or groin into/through instrument/fairing injury.

.

I did this once and I'm pretty sure it saved me a lot more pain. I was following a car along Tuam St, Chch. He starts slowing under braking and pulls up left in a line of empty parking spaces. No indication of course, brakes to an almost standstill. As I am about to ride passed him he swings out to do a u-turn (don't you just love u-turns). I was an idiot, I should have realised that they were his parents standing on the other side of the road and he wanted to swing around to see them. Totally my fault not picking that up.

I hit the brakes, instant lock up of the rear. Didn't matter, I knew I only had less than 2 seconds before impact but I did manage to swerve across the centreline hopeful that he would hear my tyres screaming and stop before completing turn - the opposing lane was clear. He did make eye contact as I was about to hit his door pillar- gave me that "oops, my bad look ".

Anyway I knew from that first instant that a crash was 99% certain and I was looking for anything softer than the side of the car to hit. The clear blue sky above his roof looked decidely attractive, so I just pushed upward with my legs. friends saw the crash and later told me I got some real good height, well over the roof. Could become an Olympic event that.

But the best laid plan cocked up on landing. As I went over his roof I remember thinking, well done man, that's clever, now just land and slide. I went head over heels though and lost any idea where/when I was going to hit terra firma. The road pointed out to me when contact had in deed been made. Pushed my legs well up towards my chin and broke a leg..again, bloody bikes! The prick got done for careless driving and slapped quite hard with that damp bus ticket.

But back to the subject. YES, I think when it's all pear shaped and you haven't got time to veer left, right or stop, then find a clear trajectory and aim your aerodynamic bod at it.

[Sully60]

Difficult to conceive of a situation where you might need to do this today but it wouldn't be silly to file it away in the back of the mind. Just in case...

Not that difficult, check this

[jrandom]

Considering the only time you can tell you are going to highside lasts about a half second before it snaps and flips...

That half second can be pretty subjective, mind you. The one time I highsided on the road it felt like I spent about a full minute going sideways before I got spat off.

Imagine how long the crash would have lasted if I'd been baked!

[Usarka]

I was on the major road approaching a crossing where the others had to give way to me. A car pulled out, (r to l) very close to me and I moved right to avoid the contact. Next thing another can followed the first and I was going to hit this car so I swerved and dropped the bike which skidded and hit the car on the passenger side. I was fine and the bike lost it's pegs and levers on the road side.
I know if I'd hit the car full on, I'd have been in way worse condition. All of it happened instinctively and never had the time to plan my options.

Did you slow down quicker than the bike so by the time you came in conatct upi were going real slow, or did you somehoew head in a different direction?

If the former are you saying leather vs tarmac is bettier stopping power than brembos and pilot powers?

[Sully60]

Imagine how long the crash would have lasted if I'd been baked!

Yeah, you might have needed to stop off for munchies!

[pete376403]

It probably still is a valid speedway technique, certainly was when I was riding and the bikes have exactly the same brakes now as they did then (none).
In pre season practice it was a requirment to do a couple of drops when a steward at the trackside signalled.
In my 16 odd years of riding the skids I probably deliberately dropped the bike less than 5 times to avoid a pile up (but many many more times exceeding my riding ability...)

[Ixion]

The whole "lay down the bike to avoid a crash" is one of those strange USA things. It's big over there , especially with the Harley people, to the point where it's even recommended practice by some law enforcement agencies (!!).

It probably made some sense in the old days when most roads were gravel or pumice , because with a dropped bike the sticky out bits would dig into the ground and probably stop you quicker than the practically non-existent brakes of the day . Likewise, for speedway, which is on a cinder track

On a sealed road, laying the bike down is ALWAYS going to mean that you hit harder and faster than if you braked it out. And you lose the opportunity for a life saving dodge if an exit opens up , as often happens.

The only situation I can think of , generically, where it would be better to lay it down, would be if you were going to go over a cliff. It's better to slide over, with a chance of your fall being arrested by brush, than be catapulted over upright. Gravel, or grass, or sand, is another matter , and every case will probably vary. And there will always be the oddball freak "I paid it down and slid under the truck unharmed" stories, which cannot, however, be considered to justify a general practice.