I tend to agree. I have also done the safety training courses (used to teach on them), and I think that nevertheless there are times when laying it down is the only, even if last possible choice, option. I was on a dirt road in Canada once when a right angle bend suddenly appeared in front of me (my fault, I was enjoying the scenery). Faced with a choice between braking as long as possible then going into a steel gate, I chose to lay it down. Was pretty lucky, as ended up with bumps and bruises only and bike only lightly scratched. I remember there used to be school of opinion that said if you do have to lay it down, get the bike in front of you and as far away as possible. Though whether you actually have the time to do that is another story ...
Philip > -----Original Message----- > From: GTS-1000 Owners List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf > Of John Laurenson > Sent: Thursday, 14 February, 2002 01:39 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: Time to debunk a myth (was Re: Advice on a purchase) > > > Never say never..........exceptions to every debunked myth > > Years ago, I was on the way back from Daytona one evening during a couples > group ride on a dirt bikes, with about 5 other couples, back when > I was into > enduro's in and dirt bike riding. We decided to relax and ride the beach > home. My wife was on the back and we were the lead bike. About the same > time my headlights picked up what appeared to be a rusty bar > directly in our > path, because its blended into the sand color I didn't see it > until we were > less than 50 ft. away. I realized I could never stop the bike in time. > > Surprisingly the first thing that immediately entered my mind was a > discussion I had a few months earlier with an older English gentleman. He > was talking about the instructions and the tests they had to pass in the > motorcycle English corps during the war. They were all instructed the > safest way to get off a bike on gravel or dirt was to lay it down > in a real > emergency. They all were required to lay their bikes down at 50 mph on a > gravel road as part of their training. > > In almost a reflect reaction I laid the bike down remembering > his comments. > We slid right up to the obstruction. If I hadn't we would have definitely > hit it real hard and it would have been a real mess. That conversation > probably saved our lives. The obstruction was a rusted railroad > steel rail > fence set up earlier by the PonteVedra beach club to keep dune > buggies away > from their section of the beach on the Atlantic. It would not > have moved an > inch if we hit it. They removed it soon after. > > I called my friend soon after thanking him for saving our lives. Without > question we would have hit the rail if I didn't lay the bike down. > > hawke > > > From: "Phil Benson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: Time to debunk a myth (was Re: Advice on a purchase) > > > > > >> This is not directed at Mark specifically, but at the rather > widely held > > view > >> that "layin' it down" is EVER an appropriate emergency > procedure. I take > > the > >> STRONG view that it's not. > >> > >> Folks, the rubbery parts will always, ALWAYS give you a better > out in an > >> emergency than the non-rubbery parts. To intentionally "lay > down" a bike > > is to > >> admit defeat. Period. Stay with the bike, USE the massive > and wonderful > > front > >> brake our GTSs have, and try to regain control. Swerve if that's > > appropriate. > >> > >> "Layin' it down" is a technique we DON'T teach at MSF. We do teach > > swerving and > >> braking. Accident involved motorcyclists often lack those skills. > >> > >> My take? Most people who claimed to intentionally lay down a bike > > actually used > >> inappropriate braking technique, lost control, and hate to > admit to wives > > and > >> girlfriends (may they never meet) that they're really pretty shitty > > riders. > >> > >> Phil > >> > >> > >> Mark Steiger wrote: > >> > >>> acouple of people did mention it would be tough to bring a GTS down in > > an > >>> emergency because of how nice it looks, and I do have to agree on that > > one.. > >> > >> > > >
