Originally Posted by GGDub
and how exactly do you practice such a technique? Specifically, without losing skin while practicing? I'm sorry but I have a hard time believing that, in the nanosecond you have to make decision to brake or hit the car, that you can realize that you're going over the handlebars so you better lay it down instead. No matter how hard you practice, there's always a chance someone will right hook/turn in front of you when its too late and you won't be able to stop in time without either hitting the car, going over the handlebars and if you're lucky sliding out. The only way to avoid this is to ride real slow and then you might as well be walking.
Practice is exactly how one develops instincts to quick turn or stop hard without going over.
Keep practicing quicker and harder stops from lower speeds, learn the tipping point of ones bike. Learn to balance front to back. Practice some hard stop with intentionally lifting rear wheel (by leaning forward) (you can do this on grass) Then do same stops, but with weight shifted back. Then do the same at higher speeds. Over and over again. Get a partner to yell random stop times (or jump toward you)
The whole idea is you want to develop the instinct to lean back and brake just hard enough to stop without going over, not the instinct to grab brakes as hard as possible.
Yes it is easier said than practiced. (You may find the hardest part is repeatedly getting back up to 20mph+, just to stop again, talk about tiring) Don't do this just for one session, but at regular intervals.
Also practice quick turns.
All this practice may not prevent going over or fully help you decide in split second when to grab brakes, when to turn or when to intentionally go down, but it will give you the instinct to know how quick you can stop, what it feels like etc. so you are better armed to sub[conscisoulsy make those split decisions.
Al