Brotherhood of bikers

Motorcycling
1

“The Joy of Motorcycle Riding”

by Shalom Auslander

"I love motorcycles, and I love riding. Like many of you what first drew me to bikes was not just the experience of riding, but the feeling that I’d become part of a special community - a brotherhood, really. Nothing calms me more than a long ride down the interstate, waving to the members of my beloved clan. Except when I pass Harley guys. I hate Harley guys. Hate, hate, hate. When they pass me on the highway, you know what I do? I don’t wave. With their little tassel handlebars and the studded luggage and the half helmets - God, they drive me crazy.

You know who else I hate? BMW guys. Oh, do I hate those guys. I don’t wave at them either. They think they’re so great, sitting all upright, with their 180 degree German engines. God, I hate them. They’re almost as bad as those old *******s on their touring motorcycles. You know what I call those bikes? “Two wheeled couches!” Get it? Because they’re so big. They drive around like they have got all day. Appreciate the scenery somewhere else, Grandpa, and while your at it, I’m not waving to you.

Ducati guys - I don’t wave at them either. Why they don’t spend a little more money on their bikes? “You can have it in any color as long as it is red.” Aren’t you cool! Like they even know what a Desmo-whatever engine is, anyway. Try finding the battery, you Italian-wannabe racers! I never, ever wave at those guys.

Suzuki guys aren’t much better, which is why I never wave at them, either. They always have those stupid helmets sitting on the top of their stupid heads, and God forbid they should ever wear any safety gear. They make me so mad. Sometimes they’ll speed by and look over at me and you know what I do? I don’t wave I just keep going. Please, don’t get me started on Kawasaki guys. Ninjas? What are you, twelve years old? Team Green my (ooops). I never wave at Kawasaki guys.

I ride a Honda, and I’ll only wave at Honda guys, but even then, I’ll never wave at a guy in full leathers. Never, never, never. Yeah like you’re going to get your knee down on the New York Thruway. Nice crotch, by the way. Guys in full leathers will never get a wave from me, and by the way, neither will the guys in two piece leathers. And I’ll tell you who else I’m not waving at - those guys with the helmets with loud paint jobs. Four pounds of paint on a two pound helmet - like I’m going to wave back at that! I’ll also never wave at someone with a mirrored visor. Or helmet stickers. Or racing gloves. Or hiking boots.

To me, motorcycling is like a family, a close knit brotherhood of people who ride Hondas, wear jeans and a leather jacket (not Vanson) with regular gloves and a solid color helmet with a clear visor, no stickers, no racing gloves and regular boots (not Timberlands). And isn’t that what really makes riding so special."

2

Positively oozing with irony (I hope!!) - good one, Jay!

3

Without wanting to sound racist, but this author being jewish (name gives it away) I am not surprised that he completely lacks the sense for a global belonging or empathy for other people’s feelings.

4

Come on guys…IT’S A JOKE

5

Ok it’s a wind up it’s got to be well sort of how many times have you ridden down the road seen another bike dropped a nod and been blanked, how many times have you seen a Harley and not bothered or a scooter ok yes I said it the word scooter and just ignored it we are all on two wheels but were all getting too stuck in our own little groupings e.g. performance bike riders cruiser riders etc, it’s time to get on with the biking community before there is not one. Just many different fractions of what used to be a good strong community. So race, colour, creed, religion, bike to me dose not come in to it we are all on two wheels now that’s what matters and no any one that knows me will tell you that I am not a do good’er Im just a bod on a bike with a passion about bikes and the biking community.

6

Who you gonna start on next mate?

7

LOL - Jay, now look what you’ve gone and done.

Rottie - glad someone spotted the obvious. Ease up guys. Put the lightsabres away.

I’ll nod to anybody me, sometimes scooters (usually by accident - don’t the bigguns look like real bikes nowadays?). While I take M9’s point, and bravo for the sentiment, I personally don’t treat anything with 2 wheels as automatically part of my ‘group’.

Ooops

Not that I hold anything against scooters and cyclists per se, just they’re different enough not to be in my gang. If they acknowledge me then I’ll do the same back, and if the scooter pilot looks like a biker (or a pretty girl) then defo I’ll nod etc. Cyclists are buggers and most are fitter than me so that’s them sunk in my book. Unless I’m on me mountain bike of course

8

Ok I went over the top push bikes well ok ya win on that one ‘N’ I agree with ya coments on them

9

'Tis alright mate!

I recently sent a Hornet owner your way (Gary?) after he dropped it nr Regents Park the other week? Black, a year old (bike, not him LOL), cracked rear seat unit.

You getting him sorted out OK?

10

I agree with Andrew i’ll nod at most bikers while i’m on the bike sometimes i’ll get a nod back sometimes and sometimes not. but its about having fun on a bike and having good mates

11

Aren’t the couriers a moany bunch, never get any nods from those guys…

And don’t you hate it when your filtered and you notice a single headlight coming your way. so you take some space, and let them through… to find out it is a scooter… ugh

I get more nods on Sundays too, its like the commuters are pissed off too… no nods… heh

12

“I think the whole point of the article was NOT to pigeon hole people!”

Doh!

I’ve got a pigeon coop and I’m not afraid to use it LOL

13

Guys, I ride a scooter on everyday basis, when I’m not on my CD200 1979, which is something like a CG125. Now I ask, Am I less of a biker on that particular moment?

‘Don’t judge a book by the cover!’ Yes, that’s old but that says it all ! The fact that someone is not on a sportsbike or a modern fancy bike doesn’t mean that this person doesn’t share the same feelings and thoughts of you. Perhaps he/she got a new house? new baby? Had to sell the bike and is using a ‘little’ one just for now? Perhaps they love the same thing you do but can’t afoard it? Perhaps he/she is not as confident as you are ? and the last thing they need is a bad reception from someone like us!

I have seen people stop on my side with a Suzuki 1000 and look at me on my ZX6, like I was riding a **** thing there… (that is costing me up to today over 10k). I have been on track with my suzuki 1000 and guys with 400 passed me flying by… I have been on track with my 636 and have passed flying by guys with 1000s… I got almost every mod you can put on a bike and have seen guys on £1000 quid, 400cc bike being so much faster than me… I have never looked funny to them, before the trackday start, thanks good! It would be embarrassing after the session eh? There are bad and good examples out there…

Let’s bring to the biking community a good example eh? Perhaps together we can change some things and set standarts… That’s the spirity LB wants to pass to you biker. Let’s no discriminate, to not be discriminated!

This words are not particular to anyone. I have been thinking of it for a while now as I too, felt the discrimination on my skin. This not a nice feeling!

By all means I, as a good foreigner, don’t get the irony or sarcarsm but I’m with you Andrew, the point is NOT to do that!

14

sorry mate but scooters definately do not get a nod, esp that nob head who looked straight at me whilst I was two up in berkley sq last night, and still swerved in front me the little t*sser. 5 seconds later he almost went over the top trying not to hit a taxi in front. just because you ‘can’ change direction quickly at low speed doesn’t mean you ‘should’!!! (not bitter tho clearly)

daily commute has taught me to stay well away/get past those little b*ggers as soon as possible. couriers are well worth giving a wide berth to - they dont take any prisoners!

i love screwing with cyclists tho, sudden v-twin roar from their blind spot scares the be-jesus out of them

15

LOL !

16

How refreshing (not) to see this forum is no different to any other bike forum in that you tar all scooterists with the same brush. Not all of us are chavs on 50cc peds doing stupid things on the roads. Some of us have full bike licences but choose to ride scooters for the ease and distance: I commute only about five miles each way in a 30mph zone and don’t see the point in doing that with a proper bike. Nor can I afford to insure on at the moment, as I don’t have a garage and I live in the most expensive insurance group area.

17

I love to mess with couriers … I used to be one for a while & I can often make better progress by going slower & anticipating where the easiest gaps are to cut through … that really winds some of 'em up!

Anyways, I wave at most two wheel users especially if they wave at me, and sometimes other street users that wave, afterall bikers use all sorts of transport when they’re not on bikes! … including feet!

18

haha, all scooterists bar you and bike2travel naturally i’m 6’3" - i’d be draggin my legs along the floor on a twist and go

few guys here do the same with the scooter option and tasty bike for dry runs actually. My boss has a scooter and rediculous size harley which is as big as a lorry (not my personal taste but interesting bike nonetheless). To be fair, i guess its just that most scooter riders just have them as a convenience issue, not for the joy of riding. get nearly swiped by enough of them and you have to learn your lesson eventually!

what’s 30mph like out of interest?

19

I wouldn’t know, if you ride on the Embankment like me you’ll know that although the signs say 30mph, it’s pretty well free for all: you have to go at 45mph to avoid being squashed. As my top speed is about 60mph (I ride a 125cc Vespa Granturismo), I’m OK at that speed, much to the surprise of cars and the ped boys who used to try to race me. They don’t any longer, I’ve perfected the look of sheer disdain!

I use my bike for commuting, but every time I see it, let alone ride it, my heart misses a beat and I break into a big smile. So, yeah, it’s also the sheer enjoyment and fun factor.

I’ve also done touring on scooters in Italy: a few times around Tuscany (once for a week with my mom as a pillion), Liguria (Cinqueterre etc), Sicily and Campania (Naples). Very convenient, as there’s so much storage, and little to break down on a scooter! Plus anybody can fix them in Italy if they do go wrong.

20

Paivi, times are changing, I think in the past there was a distance between scooter riders and big-bike riders, but seeing as so many people interchange between them now, opinions are changing. I’m sure all of us full-bike riders have stories to tell of ‘chavs’ causing them trouble, but I don’t think any of us here would go as far as to say all scooter riders are troublesome. I certainly wouldn’t for sure!