You can normally spot a fairy tale from afar. It starts like this, “Once upon a time, in a land far far away…”.
For motorcycle crashes it starts like this, “Yep, I had to lay her down…”. Immediately what follows is fiction. It is amazing to me how many people have employed this tactic they never practiced or were ever taught (sarcasm).
“Laying a bike down is never a plan, it is a consequence.”
Laying a bike down is never the plan of any rider, it is the consequence of failed braking. You over-braked your rear and induced a slide-out. You did not plan this, but this is what happens most of the time under panic braking because under stress you will slam your brakes.
For those who might want to cling on to the fairy tale that laying a bike down is a viable technique, answer these questions…
Where or how did you learn to lay your bike down?
What training is available for this technique?
Who teaches this technique?
How often do you practice this maneuver?
In other words, in the precious 2 seconds you have to decide what evasive action to take you’re going to rely on an induced impact (you and your bike hitting the pavement) which you never practiced, which will produce a much longer stopping distance and a higher impact speed, not to mention loss of control, because somehow you rationalized this was the best possible outcome?
Come on riders lets educate not propagate. Don’t let anyone say this to you without a challenge.
Metal sliding on the pavement has a much lower frictional value than rubber. Even if impact is imminent, you would do better to minimize injury by scrubbing off as much speed as possible before impact.
The one thing we have to mention here is that you are already in trouble because you failed to compensate for an impending hazard, not casting stones I have failed many times as a rider myself but let’s call it what it is. Don’t compound your troubles by losing control of your bike. All kinds of nasty things can happen if you slide-out.
It is important to note that braking alone will not cause you to slide-out. It is possible to lock up your rear tires and not lay the bike down. You can ride it out:
…or ride it out until impact if that is your situation.
Riders will crash for two reasons:
1. Failed to detect hazard
2. Lost control of the bike
Both are elements of training necessary for surviving the mean streets.
If you truly believe you successfully deployed a “laying it down” maneuver to avoid a crash or minimize injury I’m willing to hear about it. But expect to be challenged.
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