laid down my bike

[rlucas]

How about, "you can lead a fool to knowledge but you can't make him think."

Close..."You can lead a whore to culture, but you can't make 'er think."

[winddancer]

Ok so i saw the doctor today at the ball of my thumb there is a chipped bone so they are going do surgery on Tuesday to remove it and pin the joint i will be in a cast for 6 weeks. 

[Bones]

Ok so i saw the doctor today at the ball of my thumb there is a chipped bone so they are going do surgery on Tuesday to remove it and pin the joint i will be in a cast for 6 weeks. 

So I gather you won't be going around doing this  for a while.   Sorry mate, couldn't help myself.

[winddancer]

Ok so i saw the doctor today at the ball of my thumb there is a chipped bone so they are going do surgery on Tuesday to remove it and pin the joint i will be in a cast for 6 weeks. 

So I gather you won't be going around doing this  for a while.   Sorry mate, couldn't help myself.

LOL

[ribbert]

A couple of years ago, the country's biggest accident research facility came out with this:

In all accidents involving motorbikes hitting something while under brakes, 80% of them could have stopped short of the collision if using the bikes maximum braking potential.

Being able to get close to maximum braking from your bike at any time under any circumstances without notice is surely the holy grail of motorbike control. It is also probably the least practiced and most difficult thing to master (or somewhere close)

There's only a few feet difference between a close call that's forgotten 5 minutes later and a life changing, life ending accident.
I know Pat agrees with me on this, braking exercises should be something you do every ride. You need to know what it feels like just prior to locking, what it sounds like, how to grab a handful in a panic without locking up, modulating it over changing surfaces, such as having to leave the bitumen while under heavy brakes, or water or gravel or paintwork etc.

I occasionally come across an older rider on a new bike who advocates the 'lay it down' theory and then goes on to tell me the number of accidents they have avoided by doing so (dropping you bike and  tumbling down the road isn't an accident?) and how they have disabled their ABS to this end.

I often wonder after one of these conversations if, with modern sticky tyres, when the bike is half way down and your foot either leaves the brake pedal or backs off a bit or even if it doesn't, if it wouldn't grab and result in a spectacular high side instead.

I have no plans for field testing this theory.

Noel

[Pat Conlon]

I agree 1,000% with you Noel....

When you take your bike out for your weekly ride, find a quiet *clean* road, warm your tires up, warm your brakes up...then practice, let your rotors cool, then practice, cool, practice, cool,..and practice some more.

Not just your front brakes either....use both front and rear together....I use a two finger squeeze until I feel the front tire shudder. (because in dodgy traffic I keep my brake lever covered with my two fingers)
With R-1 calipers HH pads, ss brake lines, and FZ-1 14mm m/c, a 2 finger pull is all I need

For me...I tend to press too hard on the brake pedal, so I practice a soft firm foot movement.
I find I can modulate the front with 2 fingers much better than modulating the rear brake with my foot...so I specifically practice the rear lockup threshold.

The worst that can happen with this weekly practice is that you may glaze your rotors...no excuse not to practice....rotor glaze is no biggie, it's easy to remove. A cordless drill, a rotary scrub, and all is good.

After you spin the wheel and scrub the outside face of the rotors, you have to take your front wheel off so as to remove the rotors and flip them over, remount the wheel and then you can scrub the opposite side (inside face) of the rotors. Besides, from time to time, it's a good to get a fresh transfer layer on them anyway.

Practice then cool down. practice, cool......practice, cool......practice, cool.......once a week.

[fj johnnie]

 For my sons grade eight science project, we did a stopping distance study with my sons four wheeler. It has disk brakes on the front so it stops relatively well. We drove at a predetermined speed and then did panic stops repeatedly, three times  with front brake only, three times with rear only, and three times with both. We tested multiple surfaces, sand, gravel, asphalt and grass. Each stopping distance was measured.
He learned very quickly how the front brakes are far superior for reduced stopping distance but also to assess the surface you are on. I cant tell you how many people in their 40's or older still don't understand the effectiveness of their braking systems. Good advice Pat. Practice those panic stops. Find your limits!!!

[JoBrCo]

My point, from the very beginning, was that one shouldn't fear controlling the bike, whatever is required.  While it's true that everyone keeps her upright, using the machines controls, as well as their experience allows, the bottom line is while they shouldn't fear learning what it takes in mastering their bikes completely, becoming one with it, life is the only thing that really matters here!  First and foremost any innocent bystanders wanting to remain in their own lane of life, while staying out of yours, then ones fellow riders, and finally oneself.  Such that if in fact any particular arbitrary event requires one to either slide or fly as opposed to going down with the ship, then one mustn't equally fear doing so, commanding those actions just as well.

By no means should ditching be the first course of action when it's believed one is in over their head, rather controlling, ditching, then finally ejection/bailout, so says the NATOPS manual! 

I commissioned my 1984 FJ1100 in 1985 and sent her to temporary mothballs in 1995, realizing 10 years and 31,000 miles of accident free flying, never ditching or ejecting.  Although I did drop her in my drive way, and once or twice along side a road, and once on fresh blacktop, a few others as well, getting caught up in any particular moment, on the sidelines.

[winddancer]

Had my surgery today they put in 2 pins put in and I have a soft cast for 2 weeks then hard cast for 4 weeks thanks for all your good wishes and prayers

[Klavdy]

Will you be able to play the piano after the cast comes off?

[winddancer]

Maybe but that would require knowing how to play the piano in the first place.

[yamaha fj rider]

Good to hear that you are on the mend. You will be back at full speed before you know it.

Kurt