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I've read a few stories in the last little while that have mentioned deliberately dropping the bike as a way to avoid a collision. I know there is a bit of contraversy over this as a defensive driving strategy, and that its considered an outdated method.

What I want to know is, how exactly is it done?

Anyone have any footage of someone doing this?

Braking a bit before you go down and then just tilting to one side so you fall off the bike and the bike low sides.


But if you have time to consciously lay it down, you rpobably have time to make a better choice.

Slam on the rear brake and hold it while starting a turn. The rear end will come around and if you hold the rear brake the bike will lowside.

Shiv wrote:But if you have time to consciously lay it down, you rpobably have time to make a better choice.

I'd have to agree too. David Hough also suggests in Proficient Motorcycling, "From my perspective, if you've got time to do anything, you've got time to brake, and braking reduces impact force. Rubber has a lot more traction than plastic or steel. If you can't avoid a smasho, wouldn't it be better to smash at 5 mph than 25 mph? I'll keep it in the rubber, thank you, and brake hard right up to impact."

Oh yeah, then there's the guy in Edmonton the other day: cop jumped in front of him to halt him (speed trap) and he lowsided the bike - don't know if the dump was deliberate or not - and the bike hit the cop and broke his leg. Rider bruised up but alright.

Rubber braking on concrete will always allow you to swerve or stop faster than metal sliding on concrete.

When bikers say they had to "lay her down" what they are really saying is, "I wasn't paying attention and I crashed because I didn't know how to control my motorcycle."

As my MSF instructor once said during our training course, "The only time a good rider EVER will NEED to lay down a bike is if they are getting paid to do stunts in a movie."

There was an article in Motorcycle Cruiser a few months ago about "Motorcycle Myths" and having to "lay the bike down" is one of them. You shouldn't have to lay it down to avoid a collision. The articles goes into more detail why. I'll see if I can find it.

If anyone else can find it faster, please post it.

My MSF instructor beat us over and over that no matter how many years and type of riding you have under your belt, you will screw up. The only question is how big, how often and under what conditions. I have no reason to doubt him.

I don't have that level of education or experience to have an educated opinion. Other than listening to those that have more experience than I, that also makes sense, which is alot of people.

I am an optomist, so to "lay it down" is admitting defeat.
One more than one occasion moments before impact I recall thinking "I can save it, I can save it". I didn't save it...

It's BS. If you "lay it down" you will slide into whatever you were going to collide with.. and at a higher speed. If you use both brakes effectively, you will slow down much much faster than if you and your bike are sliding down the street.

Furthermore, if you have time to "lay it down" you probably have time to swerve out of the way of the danger..

The cop just jumped out in front of a speeding vehicle? Is he stupid?

I would never intentionally lay my bike down. Even if I impact another vehicle, it would be better IMO to use the time I had to maximize deceleration and take the hit, rather than slide across the ground and hit harder. If I'm lucky, the impact would send me flying over the car and I'd slide safely to a comfortable, pillow-like stop. On a lowside, I'd just go smashing into the car (or worse, under it).