I had to lay 'er down

If a car was headed for a cliff, would you apply the brakes as it goes over the edge?

Generally before! Car or bike, heading over the cliff is a bit late to react. Even you must agree!

Jim

No, before.
It would be too late as it went over the edge.

While some guys would brake as they go over, since the coffecient of rubber and asphalt is greater then your clothing, I would jump out/off, or lay it down, before I get to the cliff.

Situational awareness? lmao How the hell would you come up with that scenario in your mind?

I have an uncle who was a dispatch rider in France during WW2. They rode Harleys and were trained how to properly lay it down so as to stay with the bike and use it as cover while under enemy fire.
Unfortunately he was shot off his bike on a country road from behind by strafing enemy aircraft...

He doesn't ride anymore (he's in his 90's now) but I am sure if he could he would tell you he couldn't picture any other reason to lay it on it's side. Other than the one Zerk came up with.

No, but bailing out (as in the movies) would only work better than applying the brakes in the event the brakes weren't working

I am joking, I thought we left seriousness 20-30 pages back.

Now to be serious again. With a perfect ABS system ad brand new tires and brakes, you still may not have enough room to come to a stop. That is the rocket science part that is lost on lots people in this thread. We could intergrate, and then differentiate, and throw in a constant for distance, and run some calculations, but I don't feel the need. How about big number for speed, and small number for distance to edge.

Fact, you will roll/slide further if you bail off the bike than you will go staying on the bike and on the brakes. If the situation you describe exists, you are completly fucked either way. Bad riding results in bad consequences!

Jim

I would rather slide on the ground, if I knew there was no chance of stopping the vehicle. People don't pass the bike when sliding on the ground at the race track do they? But when you come to the cliff, you can practice what you preach.

I realize this is not going to happen. But I laugh at all the folks who just say bad riding habits caused this. No shit. But that is life, I am not perfect. People here act like if you did everything just right, nothing bad would ever happen. BS. We should all probably park the bikes, go for a walk, and have a salad too.

You missed the point. Slide on the ground so you can go over the cliff faster?

Jim

No. I am disagreeing with you. I would rather slide on the ground.

Fallacious. Yes, the bike will SLIDE faster than the rider, but the bike will, if upright, brake shorter than the rider will slide to a stop.

t. R. U. T. H.

The speed of the sliding rider and the tumbling bike are often about the same. It just depends upon the bounces they each take but it's not unusual to see the bike bouncing right along with the rider trying to push it away so it doesn't hurt him.

Wouldn't we just wind up back where we started?

David B.

BUT if your on a Harley and lay er down as you come up to the cliff you could use the tassels on the bars to lasso a tree Indiana Jones style and save yourself AND the bike... well it's as valid as some of the other theories here

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Now I know why some have that color-coordinated whip hanging off of their never-used brake lever.

But seriously, how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

This conversation is more like pinheads dancing on an angel.
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I was joking as well. Found your post amusing.
Thought the smiley would convey that...