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How to slide a motorbike under a lorry

Because you just never know

Danielle de Wolfe
25 October 2010

It’s the staple of every Eighties action movie and TV show, but how exactly do you slide a motorbike under a lorry? There’s only one man to ask: top British stuntman Riky Ash (Fallingforyou.tv).

Fig 1 “You need to be going at 50-60mph plus,” says Riky. “Brakes on bikes are so efficient that if you’re doing 30mph, you’ll just come to a stop. As you approach the wagon, begin to lean to the side you want to slide on. Let’s say the left. Hit your back brake, the pedal on the right. The rear wheel will lock up and lose traction. Do this at the last possible moment. You want the momentum of the bike to carry you under and clear of the wagon.”

Fig 2 “After you hit the brake, turn the handlebars to the left,” he continues. “The bike will have no choice but to go on its side. Keep your left leg under the bike. It’s a very similar principle to the skids you did on your pushbike as a kid.”

Fig 3 “Once you begin to go under the wagon, let go of the handlebars. You don’t want to become tangled in the bike. You’re still in contact with it, so you’ll be carried along.”

Fig 4 “As soon as you’re clear of the wagon, you want to roll away. The bike will carry on at ’12 o’clock’ and you want to roll away at ’10 o’clock’. Sometimes the bike will separate itself by lodging in the tarmac and flipping. If this happens, just let it go.”