We worked a motorcycle officer training day yesterday. It's a pretty intense experience. I might share some more thoughts as well as some photos later. The reason I mentioned it here is that Dean W was working, too, He'd just returned from the World Superbike races in Utah. While there Dean snagged a bumper sticker from Utah's motorcycle safety program.
Dean was holding the sticker while I snapped a photo. I thought about cropping it but it seems to me that it looks better this way, for some reason.
Interestingly, it somewhat ties in with a discussion over at Jay Green's Road Captain USA blog. We've been talking a bit about laying a bike down versus braking. Jay was kind enough to grant me permission to post a somewhat lengthy comment on the matter. Stay tuned here for a longer post on the subject.
Miles and smiles,
Dan
P.S. to Doug in Ohio. I've haven't forgotten your request for that road rash link. I know I have it here. I promise to take the time to run it down in the next couple of days. Thanks for hanging in with me!
10 comments:
Nice bumper sticker! And nice response over at the other blog. I think we talked about that once and you convinced me that braking is GOOD. When the topic comes up about laying it down I think of the self-employed barber in Portland who laid his Harley down when a drunk driver crossed over the center line early one morning. The barber lost his leg. It's a difficult choice to sort out.
I'd never heard of the "laying the bike down" concept until I started riding. I can't imagine choosing to lay a bike down. But then I can't imagine sliding into base in softball either. Who comes' up with these things?
I'll have to save this one for my son who mentioned something about showing off his tats while riding, when he gets a bike. Obviously a discussion on gear is in order.
"I had to lay it down!" is a claim I've heard several times and in every case it was boasting as the story was being retold. I think, in reality, the riders making this claim simply screwed up, lost control, and went down. The newest phrases I've heard are, "I low-sided," or "I high-sided." Again, loss of control and justifying it.
Once I was faced with hitting the side of a mountain, or laying it down and I chose the mountain. Maybe it was that 300+ foot drop that influenced me, but even being off the road braking was a better option for me.
Look forward to your post on this topic.
many many many yrs ago it was taught in certain mc safety (public and law enforcement) classes to learn how to lay it down safely. i stress, this was many yrs ago. can you imagine...
I look forward to your post on the laying down topic.
Read your short response on the other blog. I "never" laid down my bike! Maybe those who ride
US-built in Milwuakee or York machines lay down their machine however I have never seen a Goldwing/Yamaha/Suzuki/kawasaki
lay down their touring or sport machine to avoid an accident.
Better braking systems perhaps on
the newer design metric machines?
One of the other less known reasons for me stopping riding, aside from the major medical issues was the protensity of my elderly Goldwing to often pass itself during emergency braking.
That is the rear wheel and sometimescthe front wheel would lock, and allow the bike to slide
often on very warm days; the surface of the pavement was often melting in those circumstances. I found I was
actually afraid to brake full on, the bike did often slow but felt something was missing.
Have seen the missing link in automobiles, ABS; however that option should not take the total place of properly controlled emergency braking. If said braking is impossible, I shouldn't be riding, at speed or in situations to require same. And now the bike is sold, I shall not ride again. A four
wheel walker is my new walking transport. Oh and I do drive an automobile however it does have ABS, which is comforting.
Dear IronDad (Dan):
It is the consensus of a lot of folks I ride with, many who average well over 50,000 miles a year on motorcycles, that when some says, "I laid down the bike," it is like saying, "I fell off before I could think of doing anything else."
I'm curious to read your opinion on this.
Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Toad
Twisted Roads
Love the sticker! No hurry on the link. While it may prove helpful in convincing a friend, it may very well fall on deaf ears.
Still hanging. :-)
That house is not only uglier than I'd imagined (And if you're the owner reading this- I'm sorry, but your house is ugly) it looks unfinished and/or poorly thought out. The fireplace chimney, for example.
My dream house will probably be at least partly underground, with a good field of fire (I mean, uh, nice views) and a garage/shop complex that would make any mad scientist chortle with glee.
And it will cost a whole lot less than $2M.
OK, not that I'm overworked at the moment... but the house comment belongs to the next post. Duh.
Post a Comment