Please excuse the following rant: What’s happening to bikers? I was out riding today and I must have passed eight bikers and ,as I always do, gave them a wave. I was disgusted that only two responded! I remember a time when everyone used to acknowledge one another, and it was not that long ago either.

Also on my last trip I was having problems with the bike running lumpy so I pulled over on the motorway hard shoulder and began to try and find the cause (fuel filter as it happens) however a convoy of bikes passed and they could plainly see that I have broken down (seat off etc) not one stopped, I was astounded! I always stop when I see a bike at the side of the road and have given riders lifts out of my way or drained fuel out of my tank etc, what has changed in the last few years?

All the people I passed today were sports bikes or large tourer type bikes with the rider bedecked in pristine leathers and the latest lids etc (nothing wrong with that) I ride a 10 year old workhorse and I ride every day (and have done for the past 15 years doing 15000 miles a year minimum) to either commute of for pleasure.

I can only think that they somehow don’t want to be associated with a “dirty” biker I suppose they consider themselves a cut above. They all saw me and were not cranked over or doing anything other then going in a straight line, so why not wave or nod the head?

I know that manners are rapidly becoming a thing of rarity in this country but I never thought that motorcycling would become a two tiered socitity, looks like I was wrong.

I will carry on acknowledging fellow bikers (if you don’t consider yourself a “biker” please stop riding bikes) and I will carry on stopping for stranded bikes, even if the riders are dressed like a Power Ranger. If you see a slightly tatty GPZ ridden by a guy wearing a Belstaff wax jacket please be nice and give him a wave.

Rant over, Thank you - Greg

Ah, it may just be localised. I was out today and passed about 12 bikers and every one of them waved or nodded. Although this is by no means the norm.
Matt

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*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

Could it be the 'born-again' factor in the UK?

I suspect that a lot of the "bikers" we see today on new machines and in pristine leathers are very new to biking and don't know about the biker wave .
They probably wouldn't know what to do in a breakdown situation anyway .
Maybe it's just an irrational fear of scruffy bikers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just keep waving that's what I do , they will get the message eventually .

BTW, why do N American motorcyclists wave with the hand and arm horizontal or even facing downwards ? That's always puzzled me .

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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 ."

Could this have anything to do with it????


http://www.irishbikerforum.com/forum...8704&hl=waving

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"Crashing's just proof that you're trying"

I've just bought my first landy, and started getting waved at by say 30% of landys I meet. Its not that hard to figure out why!!!! And its great, always brings a smile to my face and makes me nearly run over any bikers as I desperately try to wave back

But it is great and I've started doing it too, although I'm still learning who to do it to ....... (clue nr one, not the military!)

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Ollie

www.jollyfollies.com

Land's End to Sydney 2009

Big deal; so they didn't wave. Maybe they were thinking about work, had a fight with the wife/girlfriend/whatever, they were paying attention to the road instead of you, etc.

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Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

Waving is nice Bruce. I think biking in the UK has become very fragmented over the last 20 years or so, if you grew up on bikes in the 70's and 80's (and obviously before) riding a bike was enough to make you part of a homogenous group. Now it seems it's what you ride and wear that defines you as part of a group within a group and decides who waves to who and who might stop to help you. That's a bit of a shame I think. As a generalisation that hasn't happened in continental Europe where there seems to be more solidarity amongst the biking fraternity.

Everybody wave!

Perhaps UK bikers only wave with a 'high hand' as we drive on the left and a simple drop off the hand like the US/Cans do wouldn't be seen from the other side. The simple drop off or even a twist of the wrist so the hand barely moves is easier to do. That's also perhaps why we tend to nod more???

You missed a point about the US - Harley riders wave maybe 1 in 100. Sportsbikes 100 in 100 and even the Golwings about 70%. Just an observation!

Hi Rodger
Are you sure about all this? I mean really, really sure?

XXGood roads!

Here in Finland about 8 in 10 bikers wave back if I wave (raise my hand) for them. I havent tried not to wave.. A couple of times I was concentrating on something else and didnt have time to react when someone waved. Ofcourse if you are using the clutch you cant wave.

But it creates trust to humanity when someone waves before you can.

When I first started motorcycling everyone waved when we passed each other, and always stopped if the other was stopped. Since then I have continued to acknowledge other motorcyclists but I now nod rather than wave when I'm in the UK. Driving on the left behind a fairing I'm not certain my waved left hand could be seen by an oncoming rider.

I also make a point of always thanking a car that lets me past, dropping the left hand off the bar at home or waving the right leg overseas are not that difficult.

If I see someone stopped by the roadside I usually stop (there are exceptions). I doubt I can offer much practical help for a breakdown, but I can check you don't need medical help or I can loan you my mobile to phone for assistance, or just to tell your partner you're running late.

Twenty years ago in the UK, just about every biker acknowleged me and at traffic lights, when they realised I was a girl, they would try to goad me to race.

The last time I rode a bike in the UK was 6 years ago and the bike (Moto Guzzi California) got more attention than I did.

Last year, riding from the UK to Spain, through France and Andorra - not many waves through UK, EVERY biker in France stuck theire leg out, but when we got to Spain, nothing, nada.

The hubby and I both have XT's and we get ignored by 95% of bikers here - the only ones who acknowlege us generally have panniers on their bikes (as do we). Why? Because the Spanish think we are police. They haven't seen Metal Mules before so they don't know what they are. We're still on UK plates, but even when the cars go speeding past us on the motorways, they usually put their brakes on as they're passing.

But yesterdays incident was probably the most disappointing. There's a big Hog rally in Fuengirola this weekend and the hubby was on his way back from work when he overtook about 30 Harleys on the motorway - he was only going a few mph more than them. He waved to them all as he passed and not one of them acknowleged him. What made it worse - just about every one of them was on a UK plate!!!!

So, if any of you get back to the UK, read this and can remember my hubby on his blue XT with MM panniers on a UK plate passing you slowly and waving, why didn't you wave back????????????

Life is just too short to be bothered by such total BS. Just Ignore.

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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!

Mollydog, I think I may just take your advice and ignore. Two things happened this weekend which left me speechless. On Saturday morning, we were overtaken by a Honda cruiser. Both me and the hubby not only pulled to one side to let him pass, but we both waved as he passed us. His reaction? Nothing. No thanks, no acknowledgement, nothing.

I was 40 yesterday and we spent the day out riding and visiting some of the local beauty spots. We pulled into the car park at El Torcal and there was a Harley and a Honda cruiser getting ready to leave. We both got off our bikes and waved as they were pulling away and I can only describe the looks on their faces (pillion aswell) as pure contemp. It's a wonder they could see where they were going with their heads tipped so far back in order for them to look down their noses at us. Even the Guardia Civil that pulled us over in the afternoon were friendlier, and their reputation is anything but.

How sad that there is now a growing breed of riders who are anything but like-minded travellers. Or are they just too scared to take their hands off the handlebars and wave back? I never had that problem with the Cali, so I can only assume it is down to ignorance/snobbishness/elitism or all three.

A wave, a polite nod, a smile or a thank you costs nothing, but makes the world a happier place. I would be embarrassed now to be part of the growing cruiser culture and from now on, I will ignore.