A Harley Rider was NICE to me

[burkbuilds]

I've done my share of bashing on some of the Harley Riders out there, so I feel kinda obligated to share my experience Saturday morning. I was taking the side roads over to I-75 when I heard him coming up from behind me. At the 4-way stop he pulled up along side of me. I glanced over and I'll have to admit that I "profiled" this guy immediately, and I couldn't have been more wrong. He was on an 883, wearing a skull cap, flat black, had a pretty long beard and an even longer pony tail which was hanging down his back almost to his waist. He had on a leather sleeveless jacket with all kinds of biker emblems on it and a white short sleeve T-shirt, black chaps and boots. He wasn't wearing an OUTLAW emblem, but otherwise he would have blended right in with them. I was a little surprised when he immediately spoke to me, "In about two more hours we won't be able to stand this heat any more", he said, "yeah, you got that right", I replied. He took off fast and I followed along behind him. At the next intersection, I pulled up beside him as we waited for traffic to clear so we could both make a left turn. "Where you headed?" he asked. "I'm going up to the lake for a cook out with my family." I replied, "how about you?" He said,"I'm heading over to the flea market to look for some bargains." "Good luck" I said. "Keep the rubber on the pavement" he hollered and took off again. Once again I pulled out at a leisurely pace and followed along. As I approached a set of curves I saw him up ahead of me, he put his left hand down and signalled for me to slow down, which I did, thinking maybe there was a cop shooting radar or something. When I got to the curve I saw that someone was having a yard sale, people had parked in the road and oncoming traffic was swinging out into my lane to pass them. Glad he gave me a warning. At the next light I once again pulled up beside him. "Ever been to NIGHTFALL?" he asked me. "No" I replied. "You ought to come on down, the cops block off Market Street but they let you ride your bikes all the way down and park near the music stage, they got beer and wine and it's a good time." he told me. "Thanks, maybe I'll see you there some time". I said and we drove off when the light changed.
That was about the most anybody I didn't already know has spoken to me at stops while I was riding. Nice guy, kinda rough looking, but really a nice guy. I guess he makes up for a lot of other Harley riders who won't wave or speak to you if you aren't on a Hog. Just thought I should share this with everybody.

[Easy Rider]

when I heard him coming up from behind me.

but they let you ride your bikes all the way down and park near the music stage, they got beer and wine and it's a good time."

Just like life in general, nobody is all good or all bad. Bad people can do nice things and nice people often do bad things too.

I ride often with a few guys who have Harleys........but none of them fits that description.

Any bike that I can hear "coming up from behind", I'm really likely to ignore.

Bikes and booze don't mix no matter what kind of bike you ride.

[blaine]

That brings to mind the old saying"You can't judge a book by it's cover".


http://www.postimage.org/templates/images/smiley/sporty/45.gif (http://www.postimage.org/)

[GZ250]

personality lies behind the tongue and your heart. and we do not know and person until we are introduced to each other.

this evening i was talking to a guy, he is visiting his brother in NC. we were standing outside the hotel room and started chatting and i asked him where from? he is from memphis, OH and he brought his and his brothers Harley on a trailer down here. He brother bought his Harley in OH. anyway, he owns a 1500cc new Harley which he bought recently from after a long break in his riding life. Previously he owned Yamahas and the recent previous was Yamaha Venture.

So he is not a die hard Harley rider. He is nice retired guy and traveling with his wife.

[Water Warrior 2]

I think there are few really bad guys on H-Ds. They just make up for all the good guys spreading good will.

[alanmcorcoran]

My experience is most bikers are actually pretty nice, HD or otherwise. There's a few douchebags for sure, but I think percentagewise, the non-bikers have the edge in douchebaggery.

I have noticed the "harder" they look, the "nicer" they tend to be.

[dhgeyer]

I belong to Manchester Motorcycle Club, Manchester, NH. It's really a biker club, with more Harley's than anything else, although any bike is welcome. They have "colors", which to the uninitiated would look like outlaw colors. Members are not required to buy or wear colors, and I do not. Half the guys in the club would scare the Hell out of you if you just saw them on the street, much like the fellow described in the OP.

This club does about half charity rides, sends care packages to soldiers on duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, and on and on. Their last big event was a ride to a nursing home over by the coast, where they let the patients sit on their bikes, gave a couple of them rides around the parking lot, and so on. Those old people were so thrilled, partly that they had the "biker" experience, but partly that a bunch of people like that came and paid so much attention to them.

I think most biker clubs are like that. The one percenters kind of ruin it for the 99 percenters.

[Water Warrior 2]

Had a good personal example of judging a book by it's cover a couple years ago at Starbucks with the coffee crowd. Usually the "Bad Guys" roll past on their way to the hotel to do their business. This time however a group(6 or 8) rolled up to Starbucks. OMG, enough to make your blood run cold. Loud chrome covered bikes, tats all over bare arms, leather vests, a large patch on their back............you get the picture. So they go inside to get the coffee and then sit outside.
None of them even lite up a smoke. They were quiet spoken, appeared to be very polite and totally out of character. Ventured a peek at a back patch when one of the "Bad Guys" turned around. A big patch with various images like a booze bottle within a circle and a line drawn through it. Also a line through drugs. Also a line through smokes. There was no line through the Cross which was central in the main patch. My education continues.

[alanmcorcoran]

Don't jump to conclusions WW. They might have been part of the "Set Free Soldiers" Christian bike club - which has been known to include some serious badasses: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/set- ... uilar.html (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/set-249247-free-aguilar.html)

[dhgeyer]

There is a movement, or subset, of biker clubs known as "Bikers for Jesus". I don't know much about them, other than having met a couple of them. I don't think the ones I talked to were 1%ers. Again, a few can spoil it for the many.

[Water Warrior 2]

Don't jump to conclusions WW. They might have been part of the "Set Free Soldiers" Christian bike club - which has been known to include some serious badasses: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/set- ... uilar.html (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/set-249247-free-aguilar.html)


I would like to think these guys were decent folks. Haven't seen them since so maybe they all expired in a small turf war. One really never knows.

[alanmcorcoran]

They probably were. I was guessing that the Set Free Soldiers, being a Christian bike club, might also have club insignia that makes use of religious symbolism, yet rather than "turn the other cheek" they put a number of Hell's Angels in the hospital. The detectives investigating the brawl later rounded up 150 of their members and claimed that the fight was both pre-arranged and instigated by the Soldiers, but there was some skepticism about their impartiality. I regularly ride in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa and so I paid particular attention to this story when it first came out. I have a vague recollection that some of the Soldiers had profiles indicating, at least in a previous life, they might not exactly always have been Good Samaritans. Of course, this might just be limited to this particular chapter or even specific individuals within the chapter. Ultimately, only one guy faced attempted murder charges and I think he pled down to a lesser offense.

[Water Warrior 2]

Dang it, now I'm thinking of ATGATT and a bullet proof vest.

[Scheezo]

I've had candid encounters with Harley guys over the years. Mostly "Buy American" to which I respond "I don't want to spend all my time fixing it". Its fun back and forth but we're all bikers. Mostly nice people. When they don't wave I get irritated tho.

[GZ Jess]

My biker opinions have changed many times over the years and I know there are bad and good. My husband has joined (and I am prospecting) a MC with back patches that's called Law Dogs, they include all first responders including law enforcement, firemen and EMS. There colors include the upper and lower rockers as well as a back patch very similar to the 1% set ups. But if you look closely most have police and fire patches as well and most wear the anti 1% patch (a blue patch with a line through the 1%). Following is my first real experience with bikers and what I try to remember when I hear a pack of bikes rolling up on me.

When I was 19 I had a boyfriend in the Marines stationed in biloxi, Mississippi for training. I drove from Ohio to see him one weekend and I remember intermittently traveling with a group of bikers and their support vehicles. I would pass them then I would pull off for something then they would pull off and so on we waved on several occasions. It turns out that it was a bike week when I got down there and a lot of fun. Well I was way more tired on the drive home so about half way I pulled off at a truck stop and rolled my windows up, locked my doors and fell asleep in the cab of my truck. I don't know how long I was out but when I woke up I sat up and realized that my truck was circled by a bunch of bikes and big guys. I was about to grab the cell phone and panic when a grandpa biker knocked on my passenger window. I rolled it down (at first just a little) and he said "ready to move on little lady?" I said "Yes thank you". He then proceeded to explain that they had pulled up and went in the store and heard a few truckers talking and laughing rudely about a young girl asleep in a truck on the lot. When he went outside he saw it was me who he remembered traveling with so he and the guys circled my truck to keep me safe. I was shocked and my opinion of biker changed that very day. They may have saved my life! We actually traveled quite a distance together.

Jessica

[alantf]

There colors include the upper and lower rockers as well as a back patch very similar to the 1% set ups.

Explain please. :??: (Remember - I'm not American :) )

[dhgeyer]

Alan,

See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outlaw_motorcycle_club for a pretty good explanation. There's a section on "Colors" partway down the page.

These things aren't absolute. There are exceptions to the conventions.

[GZ Jess]

That is a good explanation of colors and rockers. Like the article said not all clubs are 1% or outlaws and not all club consist of only Harley bikes. There are a ton of different makes in my husband's club and I actually go a lot of compliments on my GZ and by the way, although I had a little trouble accelerating as fast as they did, I kept up just fine on my little 250.

Jessica

[Scheezo]

I never understood the Harley ONLY clubs. If its American bikes they demand then why not something like... ohh.. Indian (DROOL)? I do, however, find myself REALLLY liking the new Sportster Forty-Eight.

[GZ Jess]

I never understood the Harley ONLY clubs. If its American bikes they demand then why not something like... ohh.. Indian (DROOL)? I do, however, find myself REALLLY liking the new Sportster Forty-Eight.

The 48 is really bad a$$ looking but whenever I am ready to move up I am thinking something with bags, windshield, floor boards, you know the kind built for touring because that is my ultimate goal some day! I don't know what make yet, I will have to sit on a ton because having a 27 inch inseam limits me a lot!

Jessica

[Water Warrior 2]

Jess, there are quite a few Japanese cruisers out there with a fairly low seat that are mid size. Lynda's M-50 is one of them. With a 800 cc V-twin you can keep up with all but the really fast guys. Honda also makes some very nice mid size cruisers that you might try on for fit and comfort.

[GZ Jess]

Thanks WW, I have sat on some Harley's that would work but for 1/2 the money I could get a great metric cruiser as well. I just haven't had the chance to sit on any yet. I just googled the M-50 and that is a pretty bike.

Jessica

[Water Warrior 2]

Thanks WW, I have sat on some Harley's that would work but for 1/2 the money I could get a great metric cruiser as well. I just haven't had the chance to sit on any yet. I just googled the M-50 and that is a pretty bike.

Jessica
Lynda's M is nicely farkled for long rides and comfort. She said the GZ was a great trainer to teach her how to ride with confidence and move up when the time came.

[Zackman]

I just recently started riding and prior to starting I always heard about the camaraderie between bikers. On my first ride out I was coming out of a corner and looked and saw a H-D rider coming in the opposite lane of traffic. He immediately waved to me and kept riding his massive expensive Harley...I got waves from probably 10 other riders in the past week and most of them were riding H-D's.
The only "rude rider" was on a Kawasaki Ninja 650cc, I came up to a stop sign and he rode up and passed me, then when into the opposite side of traffic to pass a car going the speed limit.

[Water Warrior 2]

Had a rude rider pass me on the right side while I was making a left turn. He was in my lane and on a scooter. It takes all kinds and all we can do about it is pray for a Darwin Award to clear the streets of these clowns. I hope to see Scooter Boy again and give him a little scare with a very wide Vstrom.

[alantf]

Had a rude rider pass me on the right side while I was making a left turn. He was in my lane and on a scooter.

This is a MAJOR problem on the island. They can ride these scooters from age 14, with no licence required. So what you've got, basically, is children with no road sense whatsoever, and a childish need to show off to their friends, riding in dense traffic, with no idea of the danger that they are causing, or the danger to themselves. Just last year, I was in a stream of traffic that was approaching a blind right hand bend. I couldn't see round the bend, so I stayed behind the car in front of me. One of the idiots on a scooter decided to pull out & take the right hand bend, right over to the left of the opposite lane. The traffic came to a stop for a long time, & it wasn't until we heard the wail of the sirens that we found out that he'd ploughed straight into the front of a mercedes coming, quite legitimately, towards him. His childish brain (or lack of it) just hadn't told him that the lane he was in was for traffic coming towards him.

[ncff07]

Had a rude rider pass me on the right side while I was making a left turn. He was in my lane and on a scooter.

This is a MAJOR problem on the island. They can ride these scooters from age 14, with no licence required. So what you've got, basically, is children with no road sense whatsoever, and a childish need to show off to their friends, riding in dense traffic, with no idea of the danger that they are causing, or the danger to themselves. Just last year, I was in a stream of traffic that was approaching a blind right hand bend. I couldn't see round the bend, so I stayed behind the car in front of me. One of the idiots on a scooter decided to pull out & take the right hand bend, right over to the left of the opposite lane. The traffic came to a stop for a long time, & it wasn't until we heard the wail of the sirens that we found out that he'd ploughed straight into the front of a mercedes coming, quite legitimately, towards him. His childish brain (or lack of it) just hadn't told him that the lane he was in was for traffic coming towards him.

Seeing a car coming toward you and getting out of the way is just common sense. either you got it or you dont. apparently that kid didn't have it unfortunatly.

[Easy Rider]

Had a rude rider pass me on the right side while I was making a left turn.

What ???

Let's see a show of hands......how many riders would NOT do that if the guy making the left was well out of the way and was waiting to turn ??
I would slow down but would not give it a second thought.

While it might be technically illegal, it seems pretty dumb to stop if there is plenty of room to go by. (And no, I don't approve of "lane splitting" under most circumstances either.)

[Edit] Just occurred to me that you didn't specify what you were driving at the time. I assumed bike in my reply. If it was a cage then...........never mind. :roll:

[alantf]

Seeing a car coming toward you and getting out of the way is just common sense. either you got it or you dont. apparently that kid didn't have it unfortunatly.

He was riding so fast/so stupidly that he'd just gone round a blind bend, & didn't even see the car before he hit it. He just "had to" get past everything on the road, just to show that "he could". The consequences could never have passed through his mind, just "hey, look at me - I'm passing you all" :skull: He was riding a 50 cc scooter, so when he saw us experienced riders on bigger , more powerful, bikes, patiently waiting, he must have thought that it would impress people if he passed us all. So much for children on lethal machines. :cry:

[ncff07]

I think we all have a phase when were growing up and think were invincible but its always bad when something like that happens. But sometimes its not always the kids though. Theres been 5 or 6 bike fatalities in this county alone so far this year. The one that sticks out in my head was a 25 year old that had just taken the MSF class and passed it and when he wrecked he had just left the DMV getting his endorsement 15 minutes before and was on some sport bike doing over 120 and lost it. Too much bike too soon and not enough experience although I dont think id ever venture to get that fast no matter what im on.

[Water Warrior 2]

[quote="Water Warrior":3w46xkf5]Had a rude rider pass me on the right side while I was making a left turn.

What ???

Let's see a show of hands......how many riders would NOT do that if the guy making the left was well out of the way and was waiting to turn ??
I would slow down but would not give it a second thought.

While it might be technically illegal, it seems pretty dumb to stop if there is plenty of room to go by. (And no, I don't approve of "lane splitting" under most circumstances either.)

[Edit] Just occurred to me that you didn't specify what you were driving at the time. I assumed bike in my reply. If it was a cage then...........never mind. :roll:[/quote:3w46xkf5]
Was on my bike and he passed me while I was going around the turn. He might have been gambling on his smaller size and manueverability but might is right if the sh*t hits the fan. There were 2 left turn lanes and "WE" were in the left most lane. With cages in the right most left turn lane he had no where to go if I moved over to the right in my own lane once we were half way around the turn.

[Water Warrior 2]

I think we all have a phase when were growing up and think were invincible but its always bad when something like that happens. But sometimes its not always the kids though. Theres been 5 or 6 bike fatalities in this county alone so far this year. The one that sticks out in my head was a 25 year old that had just taken the MSF class and passed it and when he wrecked he had just left the DMV getting his endorsement 15 minutes before and was on some sport bike doing over 120 and lost it. Too much bike too soon and not enough experience although I dont think id ever venture to get that fast no matter what im on.
That is why a graduated licensing system is in need. Trouble is most North Americans would cry and scream about their rights being violated. Yup, get your endorsement, get a really fast bike and exercise your right to kill yourself. Just don't take out somebody else when you die.

[ncff07]

I think we all have a phase when were growing up and think were invincible but its always bad when something like that happens. But sometimes its not always the kids though. Theres been 5 or 6 bike fatalities in this county alone so far this year. The one that sticks out in my head was a 25 year old that had just taken the MSF class and passed it and when he wrecked he had just left the DMV getting his endorsement 15 minutes before and was on some sport bike doing over 120 and lost it. Too much bike too soon and not enough experience although I dont think id ever venture to get that fast no matter what im on.
That is why a graduated licensing system is in need. Trouble is most North Americans would cry and scream about their rights being violated. Yup, get your endorsement, get a really fast bike and exercise your right to kill yourself. Just don't take out somebody else when you die.

The really scary thing about where I got my endorsement(North Carolina) was how the DMV does it, in order to get the full motorcycle endorsement you have to take a written test plus a road test which is riding in their parking lot around cones and braking and stuff like that and the DMV waves that riding test if you pass the MSF class BUT the thing is you can take just the written test and no road test or class and theyll give you a motorcycle learners permit which is good for 18 months even if the person has NEVER been on a bike before and doesn't know anything about riding one other than reading the handbook.

And that person has full riding priveledges with it other than riding with a passenger. They cant have a passenger until they get a full endorsement.

[alanmcorcoran]

Had a rude rider pass me on the right side while I was making a left turn.

At least he passed you on the right when you were going left. I've had a few near misses with the impatient passing me on the right when I was going right, and on the left when going left. I wouldn't say I'm at 100% but I have gotten much, much better at (nearly) always checking with my head (not the mirrors) before I go to the left or right. A few times I've been surprised to see someone or something there that I was not expecting. My current habit I'm trying to tame is the tendency to look behind me for too long as I'm changing lanes and then, when I turn back to the front, discover the traffic has stopped (and I am inches from climbing up someone's bumper.) I've had two really close calls with this. Traffic out here seems like it can regularly go from 85 to 0 in a few seconds and if it happens when you are looking behind you it's at minimum gonna be a near miss. The Strat has fantastic brakes. The GZ, well it's a lot lighter and doesn't go as fast, but the brakes are not what I'd call fantastic.

[dhgeyer]

That is why a graduated licensing system is in need. Trouble is most North Americans would cry and scream about their rights being violated. Yup, get your endorsement, get a really fast bike and exercise your right to kill yourself. Just don't take out somebody else when you die.

That's the dilemma we have, and I think more so in the US than Canada. The conflict between freedom and saving lives. It isn't just motorcycles, either. It's harder to get a license to drive a car in Germany than in the US; much harder. And, it's a lot easier to lose it. I think that's probably true in most of the European countries, although I don't have that data.

Of course, if you make it harder to get a license, fewer people will, so fewer motorcycles will get sold/built/available used and etc. We would lose political clout, which we have a little of, at least, although not much the majority of places. Some dealers would die, maybe some manufacturers. The entire pastime would get more expensive as it got rarer. The Jap brands are pretty safe, as we are no longer their big market, but some of the smaller brands could die out. And fewer people would die.

A culture of freedom, or one of legislated safety? Where do you draw the line? Tiered licenses? A real training course that takes weeks or months, and really trains you on how to ride safely in traffic, maintain your bike, deal with emergency situations, and survive? The MSF course we have is better than nothing, but only barely so in comparison to what a real training course would entail.

Tough questions. I think I favor tiered licensing. I also think some real consequences for abusing the freedom we have would save a lot of lives. Ride stupid, get caught, you don't ride anymore. Period. The young lady (car driver) that caused our accident and permanently disabled my wife didn't even get a ticket for failing to yield the right of way. If we want to get serious about saving motorcyclists' lives, one piece of the equation must be a system under which, if you cause a serious accident involving a motorcycle, bicyclist, or pedestrian, you never drive again legally, or at least not for several years. Right now, we're a freebie.

Lots to think about.

[BillInGA]

And that person has full riding priveledges with it other than riding with a passenger. They cant have a passenger until they get a full endorsement.

In Georgia you can get your motorcycle permit after taking the written exam, but you are limited: no passengers, no divided highways and daytime only. It's only good for 6 months, but can be renewed indefinitely. I've met some riders who have never done anything but renew their permit. :crazy:

Full privileges are bestowed upon passing the practical test, which involves dodging some cones, negotiating curved lines and some braking. Nothing as rigorous as the California test, which is the only other one I'm familiar with.

Bill

[Easy Rider]

There were 2 left turn lanes and "WE" were in the left most lane.

Oops, that's different than my first understanding.

You BOTH were turning left and he passed you while in the same lane.

I got it; I'd be pissed too.......just like when a jackass pickup truck rabbits into a right turn lane at the first possible second, passing several cars in the lane he just left, some of whom might be turning right too.....only to then wait at the light for the traffic to clear. Mindless hotdogs.

I'm really sad that my beat up old pickup finally died.
I had some fun with it on a couple of occasions. :whistle:

[5th_bike]

If we want to get serious about saving motorcyclists' lives, one piece of the equation must be a system under which, if you cause a serious accident involving a motorcycle, bicyclist, or pedestrian, you never drive again legally, or at least not for several years. Right now, we're a freebie.

Lots to think about.

Reminds me, I was in Turkey once, the pedestrians there enjoy respect from cars because if a car kills a pedestrian, the driver gets charged with murder. I heard of a taxi driver committing suicide after he hit and killed a child (with his car, and not intentionally, of course). Very sad story, yet I like that law.