Serious question: Has anyone ever...
 

...intentionally ditched their bike early enough to avoid what they assumed would be a much greater accident if they didn't?

Taking from their experience one has to ponder where the lines drawn to determine when a bike can be recovered and when it's unrecoverable when things go terribly wrong. I'll think back to the day of my get-off and wonder if I stayed on the bike too long to try and recover, as I've done successfully so many other countless times prior to that accident, sometimes the best thing to do might not be what your instincts tell you to do.

If you bail, you did it wrong.

Ride it, swerve, brake, accelerate. If you bail, you just CAUSED a crash to avoid a crash.

:moocow:

True, but that's providing the bike and the situation are still under your control. My question was focused more on when things aren't controlled.

Here's a prime example of what I'm referring to.

"while skidding on two wheels from pavement to dirt/gravel - the bike not stopping in time I laid it down before I was launched over the bars & into a boulder.

Slid into two large rocks - broke windshield w/ large gut + bent forks, front rim, dented tank, etc.

But rode the bike home" (Pat)

Well for me on my last crash it came down to totally rear ending Bob or crashing....I did a little bit of both :lol:

Gave him a love tap and crashed.

Let me tell you. I have NEVER EVER come across anyone that could actually tell me how they 'laid it down'. They fuked up, grabbed a brake, crashed and slid, period. They may have slid away from whatever they were avoiding but then again, if they did they probably could have ridden away from it even better.

Fat guy huh? "Slid into two large rocks - broke windshield w/ large gut"

Yes, but you didn't just give up, you did all you could to brake before you hit me, and thankfully, all I had to show from you hitting me is some cracked paint on the tailsection. If you just overbraked, crashed and slid, you probably would have been going 20-30mph faster and gone under my bike :runaway:

That is true, and people thought my front brake was locked up and shooting smoke while doing a 12'oclock endo.............



:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

when your crashing I don't think you really have time to think, unless your an experienced crasher...Most people just do stupid things because they panic. When I crashed, thankfully, I don't remember jack poop. I was defenitly riding dumb that day....sew dumb...

Not true.
It's amazing how your mind can slow things down. I've avoided MANY crashes at very high speeds by using some skill, experience and good ole fashioned dumb luck.

Simply "laying it down" is NOT an option.

Unless you're Stiffy at Beaver heading for the armco :doh:

yeah or Collin Edwards on fire!

OK, You got me. If theres an exception to the rule it would be Stiffy. He crashes better then all of us.:P

and more often......