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10 Motorcycle Myths

10 Motorcycle Myths

By Walter F. Kern

Myth 2. It's better to lay a motorcycle down if you see an impending crash.

More than 30 years ago, before I even had an interest in motorcycling, I remember hearing talk among co-workers about what they would do if they were riding their bikes and saw an impending crash coming. They all agreed that the best thing to do was to deliberately lay their motorcycles down on the ground and avoid the crash. Some had even practiced doing this.

I didn't know anything about bikes except that I had always wanted to ride since I was a kid but never did. I thought that this seemed like a strange way to avoid a crash by becoming a crash yourself.

Perhaps this was in the days when tires weren't so sticky and brakes were drum only. I do know that the helmets weren't all that great and that many states didn't have helmet laws. So, it seems even more dangerous now as I think about it than it seemed then when I knew nothing about riding.

Today, the bikes stop faster, some even have ABS brakes to stop in a straight line on any surface.

The helmets are better, the apparel is better. The training is better and people aren't afraid to use their front brakes to stop faster.

So, be prepared with MSF training. Practice good braking techniques. Learn to avoid or swerve around problems and anticipate situations that may force you to react to save your life. Stay on your bike in an upright position. Don't lay your bike down and hope that it will slow you down. It may just flip you into traffic and make things much worse.

Be safe. Read 10 Ways to Be Safe on a Motorcycle.

10 Motorcycle Myths:              <= Myth 1   2 of 10   Myth 3 =>

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