I Had To Lay It Down: Myth or Real?

[jpalamaro]

This is a cool YouTube video showing a race rider overcoming an almost disastrous 'lay down' after hitting a patch of oil-dry. He stayed with the bike, combining talent, courage, and/or just great muscle-memory and reflexes and was apparently 'back in the race'. Someone commented on [another forum] that this should be a reminder to 'ride it all the way'.

We've all heard someone or other say, "I had to lay it down". My personal experience has not included 'laying it down' and am trying to envison a situation where 'laying it down' is better than 'keeping it up' (no sexual implied innuendo here, but go ahead little filthy minds, comment away)?

So, stick with the bike, who knows you may ride out of it, or, prematurely 'lay it down' and pray for the best? Opinions and commentary welcome.

[jduke]

I like to think there's always a chance the trees will part and I'll gently land back on smooth pavement and come to a classic sideways sliding stop. And all the carnage will be behind me.....When you throw the bike to the ground, you've pretty much given up all hope of ever coming out of it without damage to you, the bike or both.

[Kieran R1100S]

I was only thinking of this the other day, from a comment a roofer made to me, I had to lay it down. I have never, in 34 years of riding had a situation present it self to me, that I have had the time to decide between laying it down or staying with the bike. It's all happened so fast that I have had little or no time to react to what's about to unfold right before me. I have just been lucky in 3 major accidents I have had that I am still alive and walking. As for the roofers comments, well lets just say we that ride no better.

[PFFOG]

Laying it down to avoid a crash??? Laying it down IS a crash!!!

I am sure that there are stories of people who may have fared better by "laying it down" but that was just dumb luck. Luck is OK, but not something I would count on when it comes to bodily injury. Tires, brakes and steering forces are much more reliable and predictable.

[roger albert]

Laying it down is stupid and mininformed period.
Exception. When you're going to impact an object such as a semi-truck or starbucks drive-through awning, imminently, and laying it down results in a crash-and-slide-under vs a decapitation. This seems a tick far fetched, but is the only exception my pea-braincan envision.

[throttlemeister]

"I had to lay it down" is poser talk for "I was in over my head, f*cked up and crashed"

It's a myth. It's usually the result of combining poor braking skills and freezing up in the face of danger resulting in washing the bike out.

[jpalamaro]

Originally Posted by throttlemeister

"i had to lay it down" is poser talk for "i was in over my head, f*cked up and crashed"

it's a myth. It's usually the result of combining poor braking skills and freezing up in the face of danger resulting in washing the bike out.

+1. I think you may have hit the nail (oooops, no reference to Bubba) on the head!

[ckcarr]

I'd think a Starbuck's awning would act as a trampoline, catapulting you backwards with a double back flip where you would eventually land on your feet.

Believe it or not, this is an old topic here somewhere, with the same results you are already getting.

[jpalamaro]

Hard to come up with much new Craig, but sorry I didn't use the search engine. But, hopefully the YouTube video was interesting.

[ckcarr]

Originally Posted by jpalamaro

Hard to come up with much new Craig, but sorry I didn't use the search engine. But, hopefully the YouTube video was interesting.

That's the challenge! The one new thing (like in City Slickers)...

I tried to search but it rejected the common words, then was making me wait 10 seconds between retries.

[geothepencil]

Here's a story from Terry Poovey's website that kinda follows John's first post of staying with the bike.

From Huey : MY NAME IS HUEY , I WORKED FOR SPRINGER A WHILE AGO. TERRY AND I TALKED AFTER ONE THE INDY RACES WHERE SPRINGER WENT DOWN IN TURN 2 DURING A NATIONAL.. I COULDNT SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING, BUT I COULD TELL SOMETHING HAPPENED BY THE CROWD REACTION. IT SEEMSD JAY LOW SIDED IN 2 AND AS HE WAS SKIDDING ALONG, STILL ON THE BIKE , HE THOUGHT TO HIMSELF, I CAN SAVE THIS . HE SAID THAT HE JAMMED HIS LEFT FOOT DOWN AND GRABBED A HANDFUL OF THROTTLE, THE BIKE STOOD UP AND AWAY HE WENT.(SOMETHING MAYBE ONLY JAY COULD PULL OFF). AFTER THE RACE ,I WAS TALKING TO TERRYAND HE SAID, "HUEY, I COULDNT BELIEVE IT, I SEEN SPRINGER GO DOWN IN FRONT OF ME IN TURN 2 , BUT THEN HE PASSED ME ON THE BACK STRAIGHTAWAY."

geo

[jpalamaro]

Geo, there's a thread/was a thread going on in the RT forum...you know the one. The holy grail of slow riding, the 4 foot diameter U-turn (sarcasm) and the raging debate about using front brake in slow-maneuvers a la police training. But seems the front brake can (never tried it) save your bacon depending on which way you are falling.

Good story that you posted!

[bradzdotcom]

i've heard the stories about laying it down to slide under a semi. never seen it or heard anybody who could prove it happened on the street. probably has.

i have watched it done by stunt guys, but the trailer was stationary, and built primarily of balsa wood and styrofoam.

laying it down is not a myth at all.
in order to get your speedway bike license, a machine with NO brakes, you had to successfully lay the bike down and stop sliding in a pre-described spot on the track.
if i had a dime for every time i've intentionally tossed a dirt bike to the ground, i'd probably have an hp2s.

the mechanics of putting a bike horizontal are fairly simple, the commitment needs to be 100% to make it work:

1. give up hope of getting around/over/under whatever is in the way.
2. feed in too much rear brake, to lock and slide the wheel, while pulling the right hand side of the bars towards you. lean back and to the left with just about all you've got.
3. put your left foot out. you're trying to emulate the "back it in" or "cross-up" position you see the supermoto and flat trck guys do. basically, sideways, but tipped back.
4. keep leaning back and pulling the bars. with enough commitment, the bike will keep coming down.
5. there comes a time while laying it down that the tires are going to leave the ground and the bike will slide on the frame/fairing/pegs/etc. although it's probably never done this before, it's VERY good at it. bikes slide well.
6. once it starts sliding, you are officially just along for the ride. it's your decision to hold on and stay with it (used as a cushion for whatever you're about to hit), or part ways and cover your own butt.

remember: you're probably more abrasive than plastic, fiberglass or frame rails, so you'll often stop before the sliding bike does. (if the bike gets behind you....hey pal...you're on your own. all i know is if the scraping behind me is getting louder, the bike is gonna start a game of aggressive "tag you're it".

laying down a bike is a good reason to wear all the gear all the time. if you throw a cow and a kiddie pool out of pickups going 80, the sliding kiddie pool is always prettier to watch than the bouncing cow.

[jpalamaro]

Originally Posted by bradzdotcom

...laying down a bike is a good reason to wear all the gear all the time. if you throw a cow and a kiddie pool out of pickups going 80, the sliding kiddie pool is always prettier to watch than the bouncing cow.

Another +1.

[ckcarr]

The cow and kiddie pool scenario happened to me just yesterday. They must have been Christmas presents.

[geothepencil]

Originally Posted by ckcarr

I'd think a Starbuck's awning would act as a trampoline, catapulting you backwards with a double back flip where you would eventually land on your feet.

It hard to figure out which post to quote from because more than a couple ring true, but in my long but unremarkable riding career I have done just what Brad suggests by sliding a bike under a vehicle. The difference may have been that I abandoned ship before the crash and did in fact end up on my feet watching it happen. When your bike has no real brakes and you can't go left or right and straight ahead looks grim, I suggest that bailing is just about the best choice. In my case, it kept my perfect non injury record perfect. The bike, being a UJM street bike didn't seem to mind much either.

geo

[atypical1]

There's a world of difference between a pro racer being able to hang onto his bike after nearly coming off of it and someone having to "lay it down".

The bottom line is that you are always better off trying to brake. Rubber has considerably more traction than chrome, plastic, steel, etc. But it does make for a funny story. I wonder where the origins of that myth stem from....

james

[boxercup]

Greetings,

That is Thomas Luthi a fine pilot! I saw him do well at Assen this year. He has a good career in front of him.

I would expect that recovery from him!

Shabby work by the track team and corner workers though. ;~((!

[signit98]

Originally Posted by bradzdotcom

3. put your left foot out.

hmmm... sounds like the hokey-pokey!

[bradzdotcom]

look who's talking.
when was the last time you tossed that behemoth of a TT500 you ride in the dirt?
(or is it the other way around?)

(the TT part stands for Titanic's Twin ya know).
hokey my pokey buddy!

ps: hey, wait a second.....say....aren't you the same guy who did the on-purpose, super slo-motion bike lay down in an algae-infested creek, for all of us to watch and enjoy? twasn't that you ralfie?