Lay-R-Down
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I think the only time you'll here this is by an inexperienced rider who doesn't have a lot of experience or confidence to lean their bike over a little (or a lot) farther to make the corner that they just headed into too hot. They lock up their back brake causing a skid and say something they think will let them save face. "I had to lay er down". Sorry I don't buy it. I was riding through a parking lot when a car backed out right in front of me. I remember countersteering and then reaching for the brakes. Next thing you know I'm sliding across the pavement and I kissed the pavement with my chin. I was ATGATT and never got a scratch or anything. I screwed up and locked up both brakes. Suppose I could've said "I had to lay er down" but I just tell people I screwed up, locked up my brakes and like you said, crashed. I have learned from that (hopefully) and practice using progressive squeezes of the brakes and not grabbing a handful.
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I don't know how "laying a motorcycle down" would avoid an accident. First off, a bike on its side cannot be controled. Second, last time I checked, metel frame or plastic fearing does not have the traction ability that rubber tires do so how could that possible make a bike stop faster?
Generally people have 2 stories to tell at the bar after landing on thier ass on the road.
1. "Someone pulled out in front of me and I wasn't paying attention and didn't have the skills to avoid hitting them or brake properly, so I hit the rear brake too hard and was too stiff with fear to touch the front brake and fell down looking like a complete fool."
2. "Some SOB cut me off, so I layed er down and saved the day. I didn't even use the front brake so I didn't go over the handlebars! Good thing my hog ridin experience saved the day or I'd be dead instead of drinkin with yooos guys"
I heard #2 more times than you can imagine.
1. "Someone pulled out in front of me and I wasn't paying attention and didn't have the skills to avoid hitting them or brake properly, so I hit the rear brake too hard and was too stiff with fear to touch the front brake and fell down looking like a complete fool."
2. "Some SOB cut me off, so I layed er down and saved the day. I didn't even use the front brake so I didn't go over the handlebars! Good thing my hog ridin experience saved the day or I'd be dead instead of drinkin with yooos guys"
I heard #2 more times than you can imagine.
I've always wondered how you learn the correct way to "lay a bike down"? Is that something you practice? Like I practice panic stopping. I haven't heard a lay it down story from anybody firsthand lately. I don't get it. It just sounds like intentionally giving up control.
Well, sometimes when you're being chased, you have no choice but to lay it down, slide under the trailer of the 18-wheeler blocking the road, pop it up on the far side and keep going. Which is of course fairly simple if you're riding a narrow-profile high-torque Italian V-Twin.
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It's unintentionally giving up control. But how are you gonna tell that to your drinkin' buddies and not look like a jackass? Of course, many of them have done it too, so they know you're a lyin' sack of...
Another problem with the layin 'er down story is that some of them actually come to believe their own nonsense and don't learn anything from the episode.
CM
Another problem with the layin 'er down story is that some of them actually come to believe their own nonsense and don't learn anything from the episode.
CM
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10 Posts
I have to agree with MJS on this one !!
Unless you were going to fast, not enough distance in front of you, or just the lack of experiance, you "Crashed ". That is a fact.
Let me add, that, If you own a gun, or are into martial arts, or on a team playing football, you have to practice. Weather in the stunt business, or on the street, you have to know what your doing, and how to do it, or the consequences are yours, in full view. Attitude, is weighed, on both sides of the fence.
Garry Van Kirk
Bikers Accident Survivor Forum
www.bacsuv.com
Unless you were going to fast, not enough distance in front of you, or just the lack of experiance, you "Crashed ". That is a fact.
Let me add, that, If you own a gun, or are into martial arts, or on a team playing football, you have to practice. Weather in the stunt business, or on the street, you have to know what your doing, and how to do it, or the consequences are yours, in full view. Attitude, is weighed, on both sides of the fence.
Garry Van Kirk
Bikers Accident Survivor Forum
www.bacsuv.com
I'm an MSF instructor and I've got to say I was dumbfounded when another instructor I was working with told a student that he preferred to ride a certain style of bike because it would be easy to lay down in case of trouble. Seriously?! "The reason you are here oh fresh young budding rider is to learn valuable skills that you can develop to keep yourself out of such situations, or the correct reactions should you end up in a bad situation. Please do not listen to the gentleman to my left!" I have to agree that talk of laying a bike down is either ignorance or some way of saving face after crashing.
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1,900 Posts
I had to "Lay" one down once. I was backing into a parking space, down hill, when I slipped and simply laid my vfr on it's side. Other than that, I've almost tucked the front a couple of times due to overly happy braking.
What's this "rear brake" you speak of?
What's this "rear brake" you speak of?
When I was a MSF instructor, one of the ladies in the class stated how her husband saved their lives by laying his Yamaha Venturer down. They had some pretty serious road rash but were otherwise fine. I then asked how much damage was done to the bike when it hit the truck that left turned in front of them. She said nothing but the damage from laying it down because the bike came to a stop before it reached the truck. Hmmm.....
Oh yeah? How bout this one? Im riding on Route 17 in Vermont, west to east over the Appalachian Gap, with three other riders. Im in the lead setting a brisk pace on my hopelessly outdated V-twin SuperHawk. . I came smoking into one of the many blind left hairpins to see a moose taking a leak right in my line. What did I do? What could I do? I had to "Lay-R-Down" on the left side and slide under the moose, simultaneously frightening the moose off of the road and using the left side of my leathers to squeegee the moose urine off of the asphalt, thus providing safe passage for my comrades. Damage to the bike was minimal, the moose is unharmed, my leathers look great with the scuffs, and my friends are alive today because of my heroic actions.
Now teach that in your MSF course!
(In case youre wondering, there is no way I just made up the moose story to explain a lowside caused by too much throttle at the apex of the turn after a clumsy transition from the brake. That would suggest a crash caused by series of errors on my part too much speed for the conditions, poor manipulation of the controls, etc. Yeah, like that could happen.)
Now teach that in your MSF course!
(In case youre wondering, there is no way I just made up the moose story to explain a lowside caused by too much throttle at the apex of the turn after a clumsy transition from the brake. That would suggest a crash caused by series of errors on my part too much speed for the conditions, poor manipulation of the controls, etc. Yeah, like that could happen.)
Laying er down might have merit in some situations, such as when its inevitable youre going to Tbone a car at an intersection.
Probably depends on your brakes and instincts. On my klr I've been able to evade problems using the bikes agility, because the brakes sure werent up to the task a couple of times. Never felt the need to lay er down but many old timers swear by it.
Probably depends on your brakes and instincts. On my klr I've been able to evade problems using the bikes agility, because the brakes sure werent up to the task a couple of times. Never felt the need to lay er down but many old timers swear by it.
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I'd say unequivocally that anyone who says I had to "lay 'er down" is lying. No one does that. It's just trash talk. How do you practise it anyhow? It's on the level of someone who claims he is going to buy a new Buell. It's pure bs from people who have to create exaggerations to add spice to their miserable boring lives.
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