Hold on, or Bail?

Originally Posted by Kate

Tend to let go and pray it keeps away from me. I usually use the trick I learnt when horse-riding - go as limp as possible to minimise broken bones.

I think I do the same... might even be where I picked it up from.

The only reason I ask is that while I have this instinct to get as far away from the bike as possible, Jax seems to grip on for grim death... I'll tell you a example.

While in the south of France I stupidly chose to ride up a very steep cobbled street, at the top the bike lost grip and started to slide back and topple over. I put my foot down but couldn't hold it up due to the steepness of the hill and braking didn't work as the tyres where just sliding. So I bailed, rolling backwards off the bike (in a proper back roll) to get as far away as possible. As I could see the bike sliding down the hill and squashing me. Jax meantime on the back of the bike, hung on, and for some reason tried to get as much of her self under the bike to protect it... I was half-way down the hill by then, and then walked back up and pick it up off her.
Even though I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt I had no marks, (I know don't start) though Jax had a few cuts and bruises.

What would have you done?

once i didn't have a choice, i just remember sliding along the road.

Second time i bailed just the bike ****ted the car, saved serious serious injury..

Depending on the situation ill bail

I always seem to bail when I know its gone without having to think about it.

First ever off:

Accidently hit it to neutral coming off an M1 sliproad across a large, dual lane round about and started loosing speed with an Artic heading at me so I paniced and whacked it into first, had the throttle wide open and the clutch out....result...wheelie across 2 lanes and across the other side heading for the crash barriers seperating the road from a long drop back down onto the M1 0_o
Decided that 2 and a half seconds wasn't long enough to work out how to steer and land a wheelie properly so I "stepped off" and took my chances with the tarmac.

Bike landed itself and ended up against the barrier with nothing more serious than a bent mirror and I slid to the side of the road and got up with nothing bruised except my Ego.

Another biker slowed down to see if I was OK but when he saw me grinning like a maniac he must of decided I was being a **** and was cleary ok So rode off but I was too buzzed on adrenaline to care =p

2nd off:
A car cut in front of me to go down a side road (we were going in opposite directions he was on-coming up hill and I was going down hill).
He stalled it right across my lane giving me no-where to go except into on-coming traffic or the pavement.
Decided to lay the bike down into the car and make a roll for the pavement but I got it the wrong way round some how and the bike bounced off his front tire, went up onto the pavement (Thankfull smacking off a wall and coming to stop on the curb though jamming the throttle open and destroying itself in the process) and I went down the road and got his bumper square in my stomach and spent the next 5 minutes rolling round on the floor unable to breathe wondering why I've gone blind.

3rd off a car cut out in front of me and stopped right across my lane in the pouring rain and again I had the same choice, out into on-coming traffic or up onto the pavement and a bus-stop so I dumped the bike down onto the floor and made to hit her side panels, made a very impressive dent if I do say so myself, no harm to me but she later claimed whip lash and that she was unable to work etc (this is a 4x4 driver we are talking about!) but my bike bent the front forks.

4th off I had no choice in as I hit the left over junk from a pervious car crash that hadn't been cleared away properly that took out my rear wheel and sent me into a wobble, took it to the side of the road in case I had to dump it and hit gravel, combined with the wobble, well, that was me face surfing before I knew what happened

Well, I've so far only fallen off at low speed while training.

First time I went over with the bike doing a u-turn and got trapped under the bike... Instructor had to come and pick the bike up off me

All the other times I rolled away as soon as it hit the point of no return.

So I guess I'd probably bail in a proper accident, given the chance.

Originally Posted by lukemillar

If I had to consciously make a decison, I would let go. My brother-in-law is a surgeon and has seen his fair share of bike accidents, but he said you should let go. Apparently some guy on an R1 had T-bone a car that pulled out on him. He hung onto the bars and the front wheel snapped sideways suddenly as it made contact. The force ripped all the tendons/nerves/(can't remember the exact medical terminology) out at his shoulder. The bottom line is the his arm is now dead. Blood still flows, bones aren't broken but you can't move it. He said it's horrible to tell a patient because they find it hard to understand why it can't be fixed and many opt for amputation.

this is one of the most common accidents. It happens then the wheel hits something which cause it to hit full lock instantly.
I've read about this bailing idea and apparently the best thing you can do is to stay on the bike as you can reduce your speed as long as you can use the brakes. So it may look like you've come away lightly if you bail and the bikes crashed - but the bike could have hit with far less speed if you'd stayed on. I don;t know what i'd do though, but if someone has the time to make a concious thought theres probably enough time to avoid the crash!

In general terms fling it ,let go, get away from one piece of hot hurtling metal that could end up a fireball. Having made that statement I have put myself between the bike and the ground/garage wall/garden deliberately while slipping or tripping coming out the garage or down the drive trying to avoid our cars While slow maneuvering you can use your body to save the bike but although you might not break anything it still hurts,every situation is different but if you have a choice def let go

I've only dropped mine twice. Once while doing a kd in a car park and the stna ddug in. I got it pretty much stopped and managed to stop it highsiding me, but it then flung me off the other way.

The second time I was skitching and I thought I'd look cool if I tried it one handed. Then the bike tipped in and I was left doing a few circles sliding on my knees before I finally just grabbed brake and lowered it as best I could.

But these were both under 10mph, so no damage. If I'd been going faster I still would have tried to save it, but not if there was something that would put me at further risk by soing so. Say, speeing towards a truck, in which instance I'd bail.

Hmm, low speed spils I'd bail - I knew I couldn't hold the bike up so I let it go gently thus minimising damage to me and it.

There was the comic situation where I lost my footing at the petrol staton and ended up trapped between the bike and the pump - I had the weight of the bike but not the space to lever it back up. Some kind person rescued me eventually.

My big off happened so fast I didn't have an option, and got spat off anyhow.

There were a few slidey situations where I hung on limply 'til the bike righted, but I don't think I was in any danger of an off.

bail.... I had my SV land on my knee cap when I came off.... if I hadnt have had armour in the trousers... I'd be a knee cap down... once I'd got to that point, it was let the bike go... though I did attempt to grab it while going down the road on my ass to try and slow it down...

my head was gone at that point, my brain was still deciding on how to take the next corner....

both times ive tried to hang on, but didnt really have any choice in the matter and got thrown off.