Laying it down?

[BeerMonger]

I got my motorcycle license a week ago, after successfully completing a 20-hour motorcycle safety course. I rode my Suzuki to work 1 day this week (I'm training for a 200km bicycle ride, so that's my main bike atm).
Anyways, a few people at work are asking if I know how to lay a bike down properly because it's very important. Some of these people actually ride. How do I (as a newbie) convince these riders that laying down your bike isn't an option, and that it's just an excuse to save face? (without totally offending them). Or is it worth it?

My response today was, "When you learn defensive driving in a car, you don't practice how to evacuate a car submerged in a lake, because they hope that the skills you have learned will avoid such a scenario."

 

[mriddle]

Nice first post :clap:

This will be interesting.

Welcome to the forum btw.

 

[donimo]

As I could see how knowing stuff like that could be helpful in a "how to fight a tiger" sort of way, I don't see how you can practice it?

 

[rudy]

If you have enough control in a bad situation to choose how the bike "lays down", you should have enough control to avoid the situation all together. When bad things happen, it's usually because of things being out of control. And you're right, laying it down is not an option. Keep it upright. Rubber on the road stops faster than metal and skin on the road. Once those patches lose contact, there's no control and you're just along for the ride.

How much experience do these guys have? Have they ever laid their bikes down?

 

[donimo]

If you have enough control in a bad situation to choose how the bike "lays down", you should have enough control to avoid the situation all together. When bad things happen, it's usually because of things being out of control. And you're right, laying it down is not an option. Keep it upright. Rubber on the road stops faster than metal and skin on the road. Once those patches lose contact, there's no control and you're just along for the ride.

How much experience do these guys have? Have they ever laid their bikes down?

thats it in a nutshell, I was booting around on my wifes scooter after fixing up the brakes etc, it had just rained and a truck pulled out of a blind driveway right in front of me, I swerved and went down, it was instant, nothing (IMO) would have made a difference. Glad I was only doing 30, "just" a broken tailbone.

I have lots of guys here at work who give advice contrary to what the MSC course taught, guess who I beleive...

 

[tkent02]

Most of the "Lay her down" types are the same ones who think front brakes are only to be used while stopped at lights, you have to stand the bike up to use brakes in a curve, bikes don't need rear suspensions, a lot of other idiotic concepts that get people killed all the time.
They use only the rear brake all the time, when they panic and lock it up they fall over, then they say they "had to lay her down" so they look cool to their other idiot friends.

 

[BeerMonger]

How much experience do these guys have? Have they ever laid their bikes down?

I don't know, but years. And yes.

 

[Buffalo Bill]

I would just offend them, it may save their lives.

I would just offend them, it may save their lives.

How 'bout: "Are you Dumb, or Dumber?
Just Kidding.
But I would have said the first thing that came into my head, like:
"When was the last time you took a safety course, or read a book about it?"
Another idiot myth I heard was that: "Crash helmets break your neck when they bounce off the pavement, and the government knows that."

 

[sharpy]

You can always ride standing on the seat and if you hit a car you will fly over that car with out taking your kneecaps out. :dancing:

Main thing is if you are "crashing" where ever you look thats where you will end up so if you see a car or a light-pole look somewhere else and only pratice makes you a better crasher.

 

[tkent02]

only pratice makes you a better crasher.

Quote of the week.

 

[Redman]

State that the the rubber of the front tire braking and the rubber of the rear tire braking does a lot better job of slowing down the bike that does the end of a foot peg and the end of a handlebar scrapping the pavement (that is hard to argue against, is fairly well excepted fact). And that you would rather jump and fly over the car rather than get jammed under the car and get run over (my opinion).

Most people that say they "had to lay it down" are just saying that. What really happend was they locked up the rear brake without using the front brake so that it fishtailed to the point where they lost controll and fell over.

.

 

[sharpy]

Quote of the week.

And we all know thats true LOL. Who here hasnt got scars on ALL the pointy bits of there body?

 

[spyug]

If you talk to any older motorcycle cops they will tell you this "lay it down" procedure was taught to them. It might be those guys heard it from someone like this or even were taught it themselves (if they're from the 50s and 60s).

As everyone else has mentioned, this is now motorcycle "folklore" and is totally useless and missinformed. Keep it on two wheels. Learn to ride in all conditions and educate yourself to perform controlled stops and swerves. Keep your head on a swivel, always do shoulder checks before lane changing, check your mirrors frequently, keep a cushion of space around you, constantly scan the traffic patterns, look far ahead and always keep an out.

Always remember, rubber grips metal slides.

Ride safe and keep it upright.

Cheers,
spyug

 

[poogy]

Ask if you can practice with their bikes?

 

[earlfor]

I'm sorry, but my first thought every time I hear someone say they HAD to lay it down is................IDIOT!!!!!! It would have been better if you had taken the time to learn how to use the brakes and steer.

Wow, it looks like I am going to crash. I dont think I will wait. I'm going to go ahead and do it now before I get there. LOL

Earl

 

[tkent02]

If you talk to any older motorcycle cops they will tell you this "lay it down" procedure was taught to them. It might be those guys heard it from someone like this or even were taught it themselves (if they're from the 50s and 60s).

As everyone else has mentioned, this is now motorcycle "folklore" and is totally useless and missinformed. Keep it on two wheels. Learn to ride in all conditions and educate yourself to perform controlled stops and swerves. Keep your head on a swivel, always do shoulder checks before lane changing, check your mirrors frequently, keep a cushion of space around you, constantly scan the traffic patterns, look far ahead and always keep an out.

Always remember, rubber grips metal slides.

Ride safe and keep it upright.

Cheers,
spyug

I believe it is taught to cops so they can lay the bike down, take cover behind it and come up shooting. It makes sense in that case, maybe sometimes.

 

[Guest]

Well,looks like I'm the idiot.Having cut my teeth on dirt bikes,mostly enduro's etc in the bush , and not on the moto x track , I learned to "lay it down" as a matter of survival.I have consciously layed a road bike down once.I was out for a ride and forgot to check my tyre pressures then ran wide on a corner.I could have smashed into a solid rock face , upright on two wheels, or lean a little and jam the back brake on.I went for the second option.Saved me but absoloodle destroyed my bike.What you all have said is right.It's not a thing you want to do.The bike takes off like a rocket and you don't want to get caught between it and what stops it.Also you don't want to slide under anything,like a car or a truck.....but sometimes you just gotta do....... Cheers,Simon.:-k

 

[Colorado85gs550]

The "lay it down properly" phrase is one that I was tought back in 95 out in Hawaii at the Campbell Industrial Park road course......

I was racing a 90 ZXR750 back then while I was stationed at Ford Island.....

We were taught how to lay it down properly because of the nature of what we were doing. The class I first took for racing used a bike converted with sliders and no fairings to show how to crawl onto the bike if you lose it while dragging a knee through a long sweeping corner. We also extensively went over how to slide on our back and where to place our arms if we went down at high speeds to keep from planting a limb into the asphalt!

I don't think speaking about this to someone who drives on a commute is worth wasting your breathe about since there is too many obstacles in traffic.

I agree with the others posting that driving defensively is most important and not worrying about "how to lay it down"!!!

 

[82Shafty]

ahh ahhhh ahhhhhhhhhhhh Hardley Ableson.

I would tell your friends that this does not apply to you because you do not ride a HD.

2) Tell them that when someone hits the NOS button, they really don't go into warp speed like on the fast and furious.

3) This cat never even attempts to slam the bike over into the corner; he panicked and locked up the rear tire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8Uug3S-Lro&NR=1

 

[Big T]

ahh ahhhh ahhhhhhhhhhhh Hardley Ableson.

I would tell your friends that this does not apply to you because you do not ride a HD.

2) Tell them that when someone hits the NOS button, they really don't go into warp speed like on the fast and furious.

3) This cat never even attempts to slam the bike over into the corner; he panicked and locked up the rear tire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8Uug3S-Lro&NR=1

There's really no way to convince them they are wrong because they already know how to ride a bike (*)

So, just hope the subject passes. If they bring it up, mention that you've been practicing stoppies and see what they have to say.

Gotta love that Deal's Gap video - no riding skills whatsoever. But he can ride!!!!