Topic: I am wrong, HD riders ok

[ekim98]

I push the 750 a little to hard today and broken down after 418 of a 445 mile trip. The only people who even stopped were a man and wife, both on Harley's to offer assistance. Two guys on crotchrockets didn't even wave. I already had a truck with a trailer on the way so I thanked them and they were off. All he said was " looks like a case of beautiful weather riding to hard" and he was right. I apologize for stereo typing bikers, especially HD riders.

[troppo]

I push the 750 a little to hard today and broken down after 418 of a 445 mile trip. The only people who even stopped were a man and wife, both on Harley's to offer assistance. Two guys on crotchrockets didn't even wave. I already had a truck with a trailer on the way so I thanked them and they were off. All he said was " looks like a case of beautiful weather riding to hard" and he was right. I apologize for stereo typing bikers, especially HD riders.

Sounds like the stereotypical harley rider isnt the gang-member any longer.
More and more as has been mentioned they are decent folks, while the crotch rockets are more the domain of the younger set (could that be a bad stereotype too?)

[Raul CB750K1]

There is a logic behind that: crotch rockets ride so fast that the tunnel vission impedes seeing anything outside the road. Harley bikes are so slow that only harley rides have the time to notice you are on the shoulder 


Don't put all the blame on the ones who didn't stop. I bet you that if you waved them to stop when you saw them, 100% of them would have stopped and give help. Even in this individualistic world, I think that 99.99% of the people wouldn't turn their backs when asked for help. The difference is that today, people either have trouble to recognize when a situation asks for help, or if they do, they just look other way waiting for somebody else to help. "If it was indeed an emergency, he should have let me know"


Last year I left the reading light on in my car for three days. Sure enough, when I tried to start, the battery was flat. I have roadside assistance, but didn't want to wait one hour for it to arrive. What did I do? Wave the first car to stop and asked them if they wouldn't mind to give me a jumpstart with my cables. They gladly did, but their battery was so small that was not powerful enough. I thanked them and waited for the next van to come and did the same. He also helped me, but it turned out that my cables was very thin for the current involved. Finally had to call assistance, but only after two complete strangers helped me.

You must be generous to give help, but you should leave your pride home and ask for help when you need it. Many of us consider ourselves so good, so successful, that we would never admit we need from others. And we disguise it as "roadside assistance", that is, I don't need help, I'm just buying a service like I buy a beer. People is too proud to ask for help, and many times they feel offended when offered help. No wonder that people refuse to offer help unless asked for it.

I have had neighbour's kids sleeping at home when their mother got so sick that his father got to take her to the hospital and stay with her. And I got a neighbour come to sleep at home at 1 in the morning to look after my 2 year-old daughter, and leave her husband and daughter at her own home when my wife started to bleed for a miscarriage and we had to go to emergency room. Still there is some help that no money can buy.

[Uncle Ernie]

Very good point about the tunnel vision.  Sometimes I don't stop because by the time I realize what I just saw and decide maybe I should do something- I'm a long way off.  A lot of times I realize the nice scenery around here is wasted on me because I'm not paying attention to the trees or mountains- just the upcoming road conditions.

[troppo]

Very good point about the tunnel vision.  Sometimes I don't stop because by the time I realize what I just saw and decide maybe I should do something- I'm a long way off.  A lot of times I realize the nice scenery around here is wasted on me because I'm not paying attention to the trees or mountains- just the upcoming road conditions.

+1 on that

[Raul CB750K1]

A lot of times I realize the nice scenery around here is wasted on me because I'm not paying attention to the trees or mountains- just the upcoming road conditions.

The Kawasaki advertisement in Spain says: "if you want to watch the scenery buy yourself a postcard" 

[ekim98]

Very good point about the tunnel vision.  Sometimes I don't stop because by the time I realize what I just saw and decide maybe I should do something- I'm a long way off.  A lot of times I realize the nice scenery around here is wasted on me because I'm not paying attention to the trees or mountains- just the upcoming road conditions.

I'll go along with that up to a point. Even being focused / tunnel vision you still need to be aware of your suroundings(spelling) it was a public road not a track. And I'm not trying to stereo type the 2 guys that didn't stop. There may have been  perfectly good reasons. I'm just saying that I was wrong in my view and am making a consious effort to correct a fault that I've carried. I even got a new view from one of the Gard Harley riders and I'm takeing it to heart too. I'm still not a new found Harley motorcycle fan but I'm looking at those in a different light too. I guess I'm trying to grow up a little.

[jtb]

The one time I was stranded with a flat, the only person to stop was a harley rider.  He was a tech at a dealership.  I, too had a truck on the way.

[333]

It is human nature to remember only the negative, so most stereotypes began as a negative experience, then associated with the person involved in the experience.  Granted, there was a little more than that got this one started(Pearl Harbor...) but most people that lived through that are too old to ride.  And that was a long time ago.  Most of my experiences with Harley people have been good ones.  Some have both Harley's and Honda's in their stable.

[Bob Wessner]

A lot of times I realize the nice scenery around here is wasted on me because I'm not paying attention to the trees or mountains- just the upcoming road conditions.

The Kawasaki advertisement in Spain says: "if you want to watch the scenery buy yourself a postcard" 

Around here, if you want to avoid deer, you have to watch the scenery as well.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

I'm a Harley rider, a Honda rider, and a Kentuckian by birth. Those are all good reasons I'd stop to help if I know someone needs help. However I think my many years in Kentucky taught me more about helping another than anything else. The point someone made about waving another biker down is very valid. There are SO many bikers on the road these days if you stop for every biker on the side of the road you'd never get anywhere.   

[ekim98]

I'm a Harley rider, a Honda rider, and a Kentuckian by birth. Those are all good reasons I'd stop to help if I know someone needs help. However I think my many years in Kentucky taught me more about helping another than anything else. The point someone made about waving another biker down is very valid. There are SO many bikers on the road these days if you stop for every biker on the side of the road you'd never get anywhere.   

I agree, but where I was stopped wasn 't really a place for people to just take a stop, not that that real makes any difference, and thinking back someone mentioned it, they probably didn't even notice me there in plain sight - no pun intended.

Bob has an excellant point about the deer to. +1

[754]

The way I look at it, If the rider had only stopped for a stretch, a smoke, or to look at a map, you get to say hi & meet 1 more person in life..

Then you can ride on..

 Who knows, he may save your butt further down the same road or later..

[ekim98]

The way I look at it, If the rider had only stopped for a stretch, a smoke, or to look at a map, you get to say hi & meet 1 more person in life..

Then you can ride on..

 Who knows, he may save your butt further down the same road or later..
[/quote

+1

[Raul CB750K1]

They say that helmet on the ground means "I need help". I didn't know that a couple of years ago, when I was covering a rally and got ahead to take some pictures. To avoid the helmet being scratched, I left the helmet on the ground and lied down to take pictures "from below". When we arrived at the first rest stop many of them told me that they were about to stop when they saw the helmet on the ground, and much more when they thought I was ill laying on the ground, until they noticed the camera.....

[Ecosse]

ekim98, glad to see a Patriot Guard Rider's supporter here.

I haven't ridden with them but try to at least support with $$.

[burmashave]

Once again, Raul, you have provided some measured comments and observations.

The one time I was stranded with a flat, the only person to stop was a harley rider.  He was a tech at a dealership.  I, too had a truck on the way.

I had a similar experience back in '88. I had a problem on my bike that needed an immediate pull over for tinkering. A couple of minutes later, an old school guy on a Harley stopped to offer help.

[edit: typo]

[dpen]

I think we'd all have examples of this
  a few years ago on my BSA I stopped for a smoke - few minutes later a bloke on a ratty XS1 with a sidecar & dog stopped to see if I was ok
  next smoke break it was a couple of surfies in a kombi - there's good & bad everywhere

[neil young]

as raul stated....i took a riders training program and the intructors said that if you need help....place your helmet on the ground beside your bike.

[ekim98]

as raul stated....i took a riders training program and the intructors said that if you need help....place your helmet on the ground beside your bike.

I never new that about the helmet on the ground. 

[754]

Helmet on the ground was suggested back in the 80,s but I think many would not recognize it. You could face the riders, give a slit throat motion and then point to the bike.. they might get it..looking dejected will help..

 The big problem today is a lot of riders cant help fix a bike...

 but they may have a phone (which I dont) or know where a nearby shop or enthusiast is located.. or where NOT to go looking for help.

[neil young]

Helmet on the ground was suggested back in the 80,s but I think many would not recognize it. You could face the riders, give a slit throat motion and then point to the bike.. they might get it..looking dejected will help..

 The big problem today is a lot of riders cant help fix a bike...

 but they may have a phone (which I dont) or know where a nearby shop or enthusiast is located.. or where NOT to go looking for help.

;all valid points

[DarkRider]

Usually if i see a rider at the side of the road i will stop even if im in my cage at the time...actually when i still had my pickup i had a sorta "rescue" tool kit in the tool box on it. But most times i have encountered stopped riders its usually them taking a break or stopping to look at a map..in those cases i usually lead them as far as i can go to where it is they need to go.