I had to drop it?

[The Stranger:Me]

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

So how fast were you travelling to start with?

[Squeak the Rat]

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

The guy's a goose. There are cases where dropping a bike is the best option but they are rare and require some quick-smart accurate threat assessment. IMHO about to hit a stationary car is not one of these cases. I'll take my chances going over top having used the extra bit of distance to slow down with rubber on road rather than body on road then solid object.

We can only be thankful that there probably aren't too many learner riders or potential riders tuned into ZB.

[Dai]

So how fast were you travelling to start with?

30 MPH (50KPH). One of the few times I have ever deliberately stuck to the speed limit. Hence the reason I remember it so vividly.

[kevfromcoro]

nah ..ditch the bike.....i have done it many times..of road..wouldent hesitate to do it on road.....solid obejects aient that nice..if u are wearing a bit of protective gear..u will get away with a few minor scratches...stay away from buses...trees.. concrete walls....its a bit of a split decesion to make...... but survivle its wots its about......RIDE...SAFE...KEV

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

captain goes down with his ship

[Squeak the Rat]

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

30 MPH (50KPH). One of the few times I have ever deliberately stuck to the speed limit. Hence the reason I remember it so vividly.

So you wouldn't have hit the car at 30mph?

How far away was the car when it pulled out?

If you had instigated an emergency stop, at what speed would you have been going when you hit the car?

Did you slide into the car?

[Dai]

So you wouldn't have hit the car at 30mph?

How far away was the car when it pulled out?

If you had instigated an emergency stop, at what speed would you have been going when you hit the car?

Did you slide into the car?

Didnt have a chance to do an emergency stop.

Distance? 10 years ago. Car in front turning left into street I'm starting to go past it on the outside, car in the side road to the left suddenly pulls out to turn right on the main road I was on. Distance , mmmmm , F*#K all, reaction time even less.

Bike went sideways to the left and broadsided the car. I slide in behind it.

Witnesses, cops, cage driver and insurance companies all agreed I did everything I could to avoid the accident. Cage driver took all the blame. He "didnt see me". ZZR1100 Bright blue and purple, headlights blazing, road clear and I was wearing a bright yellow safety jacket. I looked like an explosion in a paint factory.

[Shadows]

If I was unfortunate enough to be in possession of a Vespa I'd probably drop it too. The only difference would be that it would involve a tall building and I certainly wouldn't be sitting on the thing at the time.

[Lou Girardin]

C'mon, everyone knows that footpegs and metal parts slow a bike far faster then brakes and tyre rubber.
It's just fisics, innit?

[Motu]

Your lack of motorcycling experiance is showing Lou - that's exactly why you lay it down off road,on a speedway track or on the beach.But you have only ridden on the road.....

[Ixion]

Yes, sand will slow a bike on its side (or a person) very fast.

So too, if there is brush or undergrowth, you will usually stop quite quickly (maybe a bit bruised). Which is relevant , since roadsides often have suitable ground cover. That would be the main situation I can think of where I'd lay it down. If the choice was to hit something on the road - no time to stop, or head off the road, with a cliff or bank coming up. I have always been uneasy about the prospect of riding over a cliff face (sand dunes can be buggers too).

[pritch]

C'mon, everyone knows that footpegs and metal parts slow a bike far faster then brakes and tyre rubber.
It's just fisics, innit?

Good one Lou!

Once upon a time "riding it into the ground" was talked about as an option in dire circumstances. Maybe our brakes weren't as good back then?

There may be circumstances where it would be better to low side the bike and let it go, the bike weighs more and will travel further than you. Like Lou said it's basic fisics and kinetic energy and all that...

[James Deuce]

Yeah, but brakes slow you down far faster than leather, or a swandri and yellow rain pants, or skin on tarseal.

[scumdog]

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

That's what I was thinking, at even 50kph you may have (if lucky) 3-4 seconds to :
See hazard,
Recognise it's 'importance' to your potential future,
Consider options, (brake/swerve left or swerve right/hit hazard/drop bike. etc)
Pick the option that (you hope) will work best,
Act! (and pray!!)

To see a car pull out of a side-street so close to you that you cannot stop and pick the option to drop the bike must require some outstanding thought/reaction time IMHO....

[Macktheknife]

I don't recall ever having dropped the bike deliberately, but I have 'got off' as a last option. When I realised that I had no time left to avoid the very large post in my way, I thought 'I just need to make sure my body doesn't hit that', so I jumped. Bike was pretty fucked but I was not anywhere near as bad.
Seemed to me then, and now, that it was the best option.