gt@hplvla.UUCP (gt) (08/10/84)
<<< LEAN WHEN YOU TURN >>>
Just a note here on stopping to help someone who is stranded
beside the road. I can't count the number of times I have
stopped to help somebody who was just getting a sweater out
of the tank bag or something. It's allright a few times,
but it can get old about the fourth or fifth time in the
same day.
If you need help, try to look like you need help.
If you don't need help, try to be aware of other motorcyclists
slowing down and looking at you, if everything is ok then
give the thumbs up so they know it. Don't just wave, as that
is too ambiguous.
George Tatge
HP Loveland Instrument Div.
ihnp4!hpfcla!hplvla!gt
Today's safety tip:
Always wear your seat belt.gam@proper.UUCP (Gordon Moffett) (08/13/84)
@
When I was on my vacation this summer (yes, with bike), I noticed
most but not all motorcyclists passing me the opposite way would
wave to me. I eventually got in the habit of waving back and
waving at most (but not all) other motorcyclists I saw.
I feel I'm saying "Hello there, bro'/sis, I'm a motorcyclist too"
or something like that. How did all this get started anyway?
Any other comments about this social gesture?
--
Gordon A. Moffett
{ hplabs!nsc, decvax!sun!amd, ihnp4!dual } !proper!gaman@hou2h.UUCP (A.NGUYEN) (08/15/84)
- Personal observations: - in PA and points South: everybody wave to everybody else - in NJ, NY: sometimes - in CT, MA, NH: rarely - in CA: never? Me? I only wave to sport bikes, unless the other guy waves first! (-: Au
prins@cornell.UUCP (Jan Prins) (08/15/84)
We just returned from a small motorcycle trip through New York State. And we met lots of waiving motorcyclists. But there are class loyalties. As we were zipping down the backroads on our 4 cylinder rice grinders, we occasionally encountered a clan-rider on a Harley. You know the frontal aspect: boots, knees, and two eyes peering out from under a German WW II helmet. Since we hadn't encountered much in the way of waiving from these fellows, we were surprised when an oncoming member lifted his left hand and initiated a greeting. Well, hands across the water, and that sort of thing, so we all waived back frantically, risking life and limb. But as the distance closed between us it became clear that the oncoming rider wasn't moving his hand back and forth the way we were. In fact, a solitary finger appeared to be the major feature of his salute. Heh heh. Oh well. cornell!prins
ken@ihuxq.UUCP (ken perlow) (08/16/84)
-- >> I have found the "Hello there" gesture to be accepted >> and returned differently in different parts of the >> country. Also, it depends greatly on the type of biker >> involved as to how they will respond, for example: >> 1) Riders in Wisconsin never wave at anybody, its an >> unwritten law..... I lived (& rode) in Wisconsin for 12 years. The fair-weather riders probably don't give you the time of day because they're too busy cramming a season's touring into the 5 nice days that aren't hunting season. Bikers who pass me in January I don't wave at, I salute! The few. The proud. The mushers. Yah, hey! >> 9) Riders on bikes under 500cc don't wave, they don't consider >> themselves part of the same group, besides they're too >> concerned with keeping they're rears from falling asleep >> from the vibration and watching out for semi's trying to >> mow them down...... >> James Shallman I find just the opposite--there I am tooling up US 12 on a 200, and none of the cruisers wave back. I think they think I missed a turn someplace. But I wave long & hard--it helps return some sensation to my fingers. It's true that Harleys just zoom by, but if my kidneys were getting that kind of workout, I'd be in a very unfriendly hurry myself. -- *** *** JE MAINTIENDRAI ***** ***** ****** ****** 15 Aug 84 [28 Thermidor An CXCII] ken perlow ***** ***** (312)979-7261 ** ** ** ** ..ihnp4!ihuxq!ken *** ***
psal@othervax.UUCP (08/16/84)
==== <FOR THE LINE EATER> ==== I've always regarded waving as dangerous. I flap my clutch fingers twice:- this has the same effect, but my hand never leaves the handgrip. C.Thomas Weinbaum von Waldenthal
animal@ihuxq.UUCP (D. Starr) (08/17/84)
Newsgroups: net.cycle Subject: Re: Re: "Hello there" (kidneys, hands and flat tires) References: <1501@proper.UUCP>, <892@drutx.UUCP>, <1135@ihuxq.UUCP> Keywords: touring,waving (hands) >It's true that Harleys just zoom by, but if my kidneys were getting >that kind of a workout, I'd be in a very unfriendly hurry myself. There may be a number of reasons why Harley riders don't wave very often, but kidney discomfort isn't one of them. I just returned from a two-up, 6000-mile trip on my FXRT, and neither my kidneys nor my passenger's required unusual attention. In contrast, note that the author of the above remark is complaining about possible long-term damage to the nerves in his hands after riding a Honda to Wisconsin. Something about vibration... Anyway, I'm not sure that waving is really all that important, although I still do it a lot. What's more important to me is whether somebody will stop to help out if I'm broken down, out of gas, or lost. In over 130,000 miles of riding (85,000 of them on Japanese bikes) over the last seven years, I've been in that situation more than a few times (enough to be a statistically meaningful sample, I think), and have noticed that Harley riders stop and ask if they can help. Most Japanese bike riders (annoyingly, often those riding the same make and model that I'm on) just zoom on by (though sometimes they wave). Moreover, the Harley riders are often able to help. Most of them seem to be pretty good mechanics, or can siphon a bit of fuel, or can direct me to whatever obscure destination I'm trying to find. Some even have a six-pack in the trunk, which is an awfully nice sight when you're trying to tune up a Yamaha by the roadside in the Arizona desert in July. It is possible that Harley riders are more helpful because they break down more often, although my two Harleys have had fewer problems than any of my Kawasakis, Suzukis or Yamahas. But now matter how reliable an appliance a motorcycle is, eventually it'll run out of gas or get a flat, and then it's nice to come across someone who can help. Besides, I've made a number of temporary and even a few long-lasting friendships that way. All told, waving may be nice, but I'll take someone who doesn't wave but helps out over someone who waves but keeps going any day. Dan Starr AMA No. 121989 Oak Park Roadrunners M/C P. S: If any of you inadvertently received a copy of this essay through normal mail, credit it to the fact that 'f' and 'r' keys are struck by the same finger.
ken@ihuxq.UUCP (ken perlow) (08/17/84)
-- >> It is possible that Harley riders are more helpful because they >> break down more often, although my two Harleys have had fewer >> problems than any of my Kawasakis, Suzukis or Yamahas. But now >> matter how reliable an appliance a motorcycle is, eventually it'll >> run out of gas or get a flat, and then it's nice to come across >> someone who can help. Besides, I've made a number >> of temporary and even a few long-lasting friendships that way. >> All told, waving may be nice, but I'll take someone who doesn't wave >> but helps out over someone who waves but keeps going any day. >> Dan Starr Could be. The only time I've wiped out on the highway (two up-- rear tire blew), a biker coming the other direction (it was US 1 in Oregon) stopped and helped. He was riding a Harley--an old one, Dan. He did say something about being glad to get off for a bit. That wipeout happened, by the way, because we patched the tire when it went slowly flat the day before, but didn't get a new tube at the earliest opportunity. Never patch a tube except to get you to the next store. When that happened, I also found it instructive to look at the smooth skin of my palms on that warm May afternoon through the holes in my leather work gloves. I still use the pair I bought the day after. -- *** *** JE MAINTIENDRAI ***** ***** ****** ****** 17 Aug 84 [30 Thermidor An CXCII] ken perlow ***** ***** (312)979-7261 ** ** ** ** ..ihnp4!ihuxq!ken *** ***
kar@ritcv.UUCP (Kenneth A. Reek) (08/18/84)
The first "bike" I rode was a Honda Express, which was classified as a moped
despite the fact that it had no pedals (should've called it a "mo"...). Even
on this rather wimpy looking thing, motorcycle riders would wave to me when
we passed.
I imagine that this started when there were far fewer motorcyclists on the road
than there are now and seeing a kindred soul was something of a treat. It
seems that this custom is slowly dying out, around here anyway.
--
Ken Reek, Rochester Institute of Technology
{allegra,seismo}!rochester!ritcv!karan@hou2h.UUCP (A.NGUYEN) (08/20/84)
-- > Moreover, the Harley riders are often able to help. No way! How can they when they don't even have any metric tools! :-) > Most of them seem to be pretty good mechanics, or can siphon a > bit of fuel .. So they can suck harder than I can .. :-) > Some even have a six-pack in the trunk .. I knew it! That's all Harley guys are good for! Partying! :-) May God be with you on your tipsy way! > Dan Starr > AMA No. 121989 > Oak Park Roadrunners M/C Au Nguyen AAMRR Novice 961
shallman@drutx.UUCP (ShallmanJT) (08/21/84)
I have found the "Hello there" gesture to be accepted
and returned differently in different parts of the
country. Also, it depends greatly on the type of biker
involved as to how they will respond, for example:
1) Riders in Wisconsin never wave at anybody, its an
unwritten law.....
2) Riders in Denver never wave because they are too concerned
with the cars behind them trying to become the cars in front
of them without changing lanes........
3) Riders on bikes with cafe fairings never wave, they are
preoccupied with driving fast and looking cool. Besides,
they can't see you because of their tinted faceshields
and mirror lens sunglasses..........
4) Riders on Harleys (are you kidding!) never wave, Riders
on Harleys never even acknowledge your existence.....
5) On full dressers (Gold/Silver Wings, Ventures, Voyagers, etc.),
the passenger always waves, the driver may or may not wave,
depending on whether he is busy tuning the radio, adjusting
the radar detector, filling the coffee maker or programming
the VCR........
6) Riders on bikes without fairings never wave because if they
let go of their death-grip on the handlebars with one hand
to wave, the air blasting them in the face will remove them
from their bike, besides, waving doesn't fit with their image....
7) Riders that ride without helmets never wave, first of all
it does't fit with their image and secondly they can't see
you because of the wind in their faces........
8) Riders never wave at you until you wave at them, and I'll be
damned if I'm going to wave first and then not have them
wave back......
9) Riders on bikes under 500cc don't wave, they don't consider
themselves part of the same group, besides they're too
concerned with keeping they're rears from falling asleep
from the vibration and watching out for semi's trying to
mow them down......
At least thats the way things appear to me. It should be noted
that my opinions are not to be construed as unbaised...... and are
definitely not those of my employer.......
James Shallman
Room DR31E48
American Telephone and Telegraph Information Systems Laboratories (ATTISL)
11900 N. Pecos
Denver, CO 80234faunt@saturn.UUCP (Doug Faunt) (08/26/84)
Some organizations are advocating placing your helmet alongside the road, as a signal that you want help. I think it wins. ...!hplabs!faunt