To the Editor:

I feel I must comment on the short account on the motorcycle accident in this week's [10/31/14] Bee.

You stated that the rider “deliberately laid his bike down in order to come to a gradual controlled stop.” What that means is “I lost control, didn't  brake properly and crashed.”

The idea that a motorcycle sliding down the road is under control as opposed to being upright and braking has absolutely no merit.

I have been riding for 50 years (nearly 300,000 miles) and have read many articles in motorcycle magazines about “laying it down.” There is not an expert rider out there who buys into that thinking. You won't hear it at riding schools either.

To all riders out there who buy into laying it down, I urge you to rethink it. Keep it upright and use controlled braking to come to a stop. There is no such thing as a controlled slide.

Finally, I do hope the rider's injuries weren't too serious and wish him a quick recovery.

Ken Mackenzie

71 Hanover Road, Newtown                    November 3, 2014