Total Motorcycle Community Forums

i think my tires would have more traction than the metal parts sliding along the road.

sportsterideragogo wrote:3. (the one I took) Put the bike down, and hope I get rid of enough energy sliding to not hit the trailer.

Unfortunatly, the road had just been repaved, it was hot out, and the blacktop was kinda sticky. I was sliding along just fine, until the rear tire caught and I got catapaulted. It sucked.

I would add, I've been riding for the better part of 30 years, and this has been my only serious crash-aside from dirt bikes.

I really want to be respectful here so please take this as constructive criticism: What about option #4 - Use the brakes? None of your other options mention it and you've stated that your focus was to get rid of enough energy sliding to not hit the trailer. How about substituting braking for sliding? Try to look at this objectively and ask yourself: Would this have made the outcome different? Proper use of your brakes should stop you much quicker than sliding....

ejshotgun wrote:I agree for one thing no one can know everything. And there are always exceptions.

And I hope I didn't come across as thinking "I know everything". The "lay 'er down" story has been around for as long as there has been bike accidents and B.S. in the pubs afterwards. I have never really heard the tale in person where I haven't seriously doubted the accuracy of the story. If you have a story to prove otherwise, I'd love to hear it. I have an open mind afterall....

I did START by using the brakes-both of them. It became abundantly apparant immedietly that it wasn't gonna do it-I was going to strike the side of the semi trailer-period. 55mph covers 100 feet of distance pretty quickly. (not to mention-Harley's do not have exactly world class racing brakes...lol)

It was either keep on the brakes, and hit the side of the semi trailer in an upright position, or throw it down, and skid into the tire. I CHOSE to throw it down.

When something like this happens-you don't really have time to pause and ponder your actions-you just have to do it.

I originally posted this as an example of someone actually chosing to lay the bike down. I didn't expect to get critiqued.

You're missing something here.

If he had time to come to a full stop then so did you. Assuming you were paying enough attention to see him start to stop. He did have brake lights right?

Trucks cannot slow as quickly as bikes, especially one pulling a trailor.

In that kind of situation its easy to look back and think of other things you could have done.

Although personally I would have rather hit the side of the truck while trying to brake as best I could. The last thing you want is to purposely 'slide' into the tire, because while that rubber and steel may be a tad softer than the aluminum siding of the truck, what would have happened if you had slid underneath the truck tire as it pulled away? It is very possible that as you approached him, the stopped truck attempted to head forward again. Better to be smacked along the side of the truck than under it in that case.

I think the point everyone here is trying to make is that at no time is it a good idea to willingly abandon control of your vehicle. Once you 'lay it down' you leave it up to fate...if you kept on your wheels and did your best until the end, at least you were still attempting to maintain control.

I guess it would be like a cage driver seeing he's going to be in an accident, can do nothing to prevent it, so just points the car in a nice direction and lets go of the brake and throws his hands in the air.

sportsterideragogo wrote:I originally posted this as an example of someone actually chosing to lay the bike down. I didn't expect to get critiqued.

Well, you did offer it up as an example and I chose to respond carefully as to not offend. Not carefully enough it seems....

Hmmmmmmn....Do I dare say this?....YES!

OK....Once I was a M/C Medical courier, we rode Suzuki GS500's, great little bikes I reckon!

Anyway....on my usual route back to the Pathology Lab, there was a one way street at a 'T'-intersection, us M/C couriers would turn down this road many times during the day.

So it was a '2' way road....we'd turn right into a one way street & basically had the turn 'Nailed' You know....it was automatic, the line, the speed, the lean angle etc.

So one day I wad dedicated, leaned over to the max, about to go down the one way street (Yes, the correct way) & Surprise!!! a Car zooming up the wrong way....Yes it did happen Fast & the decision I made was to lock up the back wheel & lay it down rather that have a head on with said vehicle.

Worked liked a charm! Even though I ended up sort of under the car a bit with my bike, I know it was the right choice compared to have an awful impact with the front of his vehicle, bonnet, windscreen etc.

So for me at that time under that situation, it worked. A handy trick to have up your sleeve & something I have never had to use since.

As I too believe in NEVER GIVING UP control of the bike when an incident happens, however there are rare times when laying it down can work.

* I can just imagine sportsterideragogo scenario & I believe he made the right choice for him at that time.

Central Ozzy, glad to hear you pulled out of that one okay.

You are very lucky that you did not end up completely under that car.

About 10 years ago, when I was 19 I layed my bike down doing over 70. It was a new Yamaha FZR 600. Well I was a foolish kid, out on a crotch rocket and should'nt be alive today. I did not have enough expierience at the time and was racing a friend out on country roads. I had to make a quick stop and the bike slid from under me. The pavement had some loose stone so that thing just kept on sliding. I tucked in on the bike(instinct I guess)and held on for dear life. I landed in the front yard of my girfriends house(what luck)and still remember to this day how quick it happened. My helmet and right side of my bike took the most abuse, but the tiny scars on my elbow and hip remind me of what inexpierience and speed got me. I never quit riding, I have however quit riding like I was chasing death.

CentralOzzy wrote:So one day I wad dedicated, leaned over to the max, about to go down the one way street (Yes, the correct way) & Surprise!!! a Car zooming up the wrong way....Yes it did happen Fast & the decision I made was to lock up the back wheel & lay it down rather that have a head on with said vehicle.

Al,
With all due respect how did you stop faster by sliding than by braking?