Know what you mean about the torque - the Cali had a fair bit of it's own.

Don't be put off getting a cruiser - just don't become one of the ignorant morons who rides one. I don't like to tar everybody with the same brush and I apologise to those of you who do wave (thought I myself haven't come across one on the road since I rode the Cali). And before anybody asks, yes, the hubby had a Harley in his early biking days and we had the Cali 8 years ago, so we've had cruisers, and no, I still don't get it.

It wasn't like this 20 years ago - we were one big happy family of bikers, but sadly no more. The bikers in the car park may have looked as us because we're English, who knows. But how can 25 fellow countryman ignore a fellow biker??

So while I'm having my rant, I'll have a few more. I also dislike intensely the 'my bike is better than your bike' syndrome AND the elitism of what constitutes an adventure - driving in Spain, it's an adventure for me to ride to the next village to get my weekly shopping. Adventure is a state of mind, not how many miles you ride, how many wheels you travel on or where you go.

It's all beyond me. Nuff said. I'll get off my soapbox now.

I just wave or nod at all bikers, (even the little scooters ) most acknowledge me, some don't, oh hum . I have noticed a attitude amongst some factions, but that is their problem, not mine I give these types a extra special wave/nod, it seems to wind them up
Keep waving/nodding, you know it makes sense


Trophymick

Mick, like you I nod to almost everyone; if I didn't nod check who is walking along the pavement on my side of the road - I can get distracted !

I do remember worrying about having nodded once - a very young lad (didn't look as if his chin had ever met a razor) on an obviously new moped who had just been ignored by a group of riders who had just passed me. Being a friendly type I gave him a wave, and the shock on his face was scary, I was worried I might have given him such a shock as to cause an accident!

In April Mrs MarkE & I spent a weekend in East Anglia, visiting Ely cathedral and some other interesting histrical buildings. As it was the first (and last) good weather this year the roads were full of bikes, to the extent Mrs MarkE thought I had developed Tourettes! About half nodded or waved back.

Morning all.
<waves>
Sun is out.
<waves again>

When I started riding motorbikes in the UK of the seventies ,I suppose we were hairy bikers .Certainly if you walked into a pub or restaurant wearing a leather or a Barbour jacket you were very likely to get thrown out before you could utter a word .
We were seen, I guess ,as a subculture ,the evil children of society .A tag that was hung on us because of the antics of the Rockers during the sixties .

We weren't acknowledged by society ,so it was normal to acknowledge one another on the road by a nod or a wave .Bikes were owned by cash strapped enthusiastic kids [like me] , "Ride to work Ronnies" on commuter bikes who didn't really count as bikers and -those guys we all envied - ,the experienced tradesman who rode bikes out of choice and had the latest and best machines .

Time passes and bikes are now usually the second or third vehicle in the household .Bike owners are less enthusiastic and ride in the summer instead of all year round .The social barriers are less visible these days and many bike riders do not really know much about the bikes they ride.
There used to be only "standard " bikes available , if you wanted a cafe racer or a chopper you had to make it yourself .Now you can buy just about any kind of bike you can imagine with zero input from the owner other than providing the cash .So the individual involvement is less .
Cafe racers used to be my cup of tea but I'd always wave or flash my lights to chopper riders ,not only to acknowledge them as fellow riders but aslo the input and effort they put into their machines .
Cameraderie I guess .

Motorcycling is fragmented because of the specialised bikes and the riders they attract .The commitment to bikes is less because the only input is cash ,when cash is short the bike will go before the car .
That's why they don't wave ,they don't see themselves as motorcyclists .

Wave to the buggers ! [and shake your head when they don't wave back ]

__________________
Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

Thumps Up! Very cool. Those guys can RIDE!

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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!

Mollydog,
I reckon that copper (that is a good old-fashioned English word!) was showing you which side he expected you to come back at him with your own overtaking.

Dave

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Dave

when i first came here i wondered why everyone needs to stretch their legs after overtaking me! only to find out that's how they wave here. due to overtaking on the left you would need to leave go of throttle! =no gas = no overtaking! so we wave with foot(me included now)!
as for filtering it's normal here, even the police move over for you if your sensible with it. once going down a road at 70kmh in a 70kmh zone i was passing cars who were doing exactly 70! after passing so many i came upon a gendarme doing (yes you've guessed 70kmh). he moves over to the right,flashes his indicator and lets me pass . thought it was dodgy at first but passed sensibly and waved with my leg. great stuff i thought!
also i stop if i see a biker at the side of the road,even in my 40ton truck!
we need to stick together. we are one.
only one bad experience was when i started biking on the road in 1986 riding a fs1e 50(dont laugh we all started somewhere). stopped at a little chef in newtown,wales. went in and was told to leave because they dont accept bikers! not impressed and have'nt been to one since!

Nice Story Kev.
Your missing Petit Chefs I would think (not) - just as well because a number of them seem to be boarded up and deserted; can't say I will miss them either!

Dave

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Dave

Try the "hello kitty" wave :

YouTube - BIKER WAVES

__________________
Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

When I started riding,in the mid'60s,it was common practice that,when a motorcyclist was stopped at the side of the road for a fag/piss ect,he'd give the thumb-up sign to any passing motorcyclist that all was well. The sign to give if you needed assistance was the thumb-down. I still use those signs today.Unfortunately,most of todays riders don't understand such sign language.They just look at me,uncomprehendingly.in much the same way that a cow looks at a passing train!

I always nod,wave or put a leg out(depending on which country I happen to be in at the time)to all motorcyclists. Whether the compliment is returned,or not,is not important to me.

We have loads of bikes on the road in California. Waving is very common. Doesn't matter what you are riding, bicycle, scooter, chopper, everyone seems to wave. At times it gets a bit tedious, but all-in-all, a very nice gesture.

means, "I am the last rider in this group".

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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!

I was always looked upon as being a bit different aswell due to my long hair, tatoes, clothes and all in all, hippie appearance.
The kind of guy that the rockers of the 60·s loved to go for, just because I was·nt like them. What makes me sad is that people (some) still like quick trials and for not understanding, liking , accepting that we don·t all look or express ourselves like---You/them --- totally flip, loose control/tolerance and misbehave by ejaculating insults and other stupidities in public, on public, even in a supposedly easy going and good vibes forums like the Hubb.
Hope and expect an appology from someone who, if not totally daft (and the rest of your interceptions don·t make me believe so) wishes Love and Peace for his fellow man, as any other sane person in this sometimes insane world.
Love and peace once again and sincerely hope to meet You one day (tried at the uk meet but did·nt find You) Because of this kind of experience, I always say hello to all bikers I pass by on the road, and if they don·t return the salute.... like everything else in life.... their problem. They loose out on a could be interesting friendship?
Dan

Hi Dan ,
I do recall ,long ago and in a thread far away , including a link to a Monty Python clip on "youtube " ,it was the village idiot sketch but someone had titled it "idiot on the hill ".
It was in reference to and also to highlight the antics of a banned and now "rehabilitated" [ don't hold your breath ] member of the HUBB who had [ has] a proclivity to get his jollies by upsetting others .
A use of multiple personalities is one of his tactics .
I am indeed sorry and somewhat surprised that you should think I was referring to you .
Furthermore I am sorry to hear that the Rockers were also present in Spain ,I had always thought they were a peculiarly British phenomenon .
Sorry [again ] to have missed you at Lumb Farm , it's on my old stomping grounds ,I could have taken you to a few pubs and shown you what a real pint of Pedigree tastes like and seen what kind of a drinker you are .
However I was busy on the ranch in Canada ,like the daft bugger that I am ,shovelling "you know what ".
Best Regards,

__________________
Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."