Topic: Any of you had any "run-in's" with other riders?

[Gordon]

I've never been the subject of any outright aggression like that from another motorcyclist, but back when I was a novice rider I definitely got my share of unappreciative looks from other bikers when stopped at intersections or at the gas station.  A novice rider gives off a lot of "tells", and some less scrupulous but more experienced riders will take that as an opportunity to either show off or flat out be an #$%* to the new rider. 

[BobbyR]

Surprised to hear of your misadventure. It's too bad that happened.

In CT there are a lot of both types of bikes and I would have to say the worse offenders are usually riding the modern go fast rice rockets. These are the gang wanna be with numerous tats and piercings.

I ride both; I have an older Harley and two 1976 Hondas. Never had a real problem with anybody. Could be my body language doesn't promote such dealings. I'm also a cop!

Funny thing though. We have a weekly run up to Marcus Dairy in Danbury CT every Sunday.
Kind of a see and be seen type of event. When I bring the Harley I'm just another in a sea of bikes.
Whn I ring the Honda I get a crowd around the bike!
The typical statement is "I remember when bikes had chrome fenders!"

Again, sorry you had such an experience. Wish it would happen to me...in town!

Wow I did not know Marcus was still going, I need to check it out. I was looking at houses in Wilton some years back, nice town. I rode through there last year. For me I just shoot up 35 to Ridgefield, make a right and Wilton is just down the road. me

[Terry in Australia]

I've got to agree with Lloyd, as soon as I saw "I'm pretty new to motorcycles" in your post I thought, yeah, it might have been you getting in someone's way, due to your inexperience, not so much some dirtbag harrassing you for the fun of it. Of course, I wasn't there, but I see it here quite often, especially with noobs on scooters. Cheers, Terry.

[BobbyR]

I was on my way to Bear Mountain, and the road is very twisty up to the bridge. There is a scenic lookout at the high point of the road. A very loud HD started up the road behind me and he was on my ass. I did not want to get in his way so I sped up. I was not on it hard just going up the road, and he disappeared somewhere early on. I got to the lookout and he pulled in also, he had some friends there. The guy got off his bike and came running at me and his friends followed. One thing led to another and it was going to get ugly. I will say right now I was going to get my ass kicked.

A group of Black sportbikers were parked nearby, one broke from the group and his friends followed, they looked like the offensive line from the NFL. The HD guys got quiet, very quiet. I was confused until I realized that one of the sportbikers was one of the welders at work. I had taken him on a few field trips with me, which made an easy day for him.

The HD guys said they would find me alone sometime. I brought Col. Colt with me for the rest of the season since I need to use that route to go to my favorite places. That was a couple of years ago. I now travel unarmed.

Mostly you are ignored on a Vintage bike, or someone says something nice.         

[Gordon]

I'm intrigued, Bobby.  What was their beef with you?

[no718.com]

I haven't had any problems here, but just because it seems a lot of you have had an issue with the Harley guys so for your enjoyment, it's not just you

http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/251889

That was a great episode!!! Oh man could not stop laughing . . .

[Frankenkit]

in my experience, the Harley guys who are going to cause you problems are the ones we like to call "suburban badasses" or "Devil's Dentists/Doctors/Lawyers" Guys with more money than actual life, so they go out and buy a Harley and play the a-hole card loose and often to "prove" how cool they are.

The older biker crowd often recognizes SOHCs from their day and will admire your old bike or at least give it some respect. 

I've ridden to the HD boutique with MickeyX before, and while the noobs sneer and s about my ride, the older folks, mechanics etc will gather around and want to talk about it, how new it looks, how smoothly it runs, etc etc.

This shouldn't be a common occurrence for you unless you have some kind of a-hole bumper stickers on your luggage or something.

[psykod]

Maybe we've got a new gang of "Mad-Max" types trying to make a name for themselves here in Dallas...haha:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/crime/stories/070710dnmetbolton.11710eae0.html

Edit:  For some reason, I thought the OP was in Dallas.

[Operator]

I agree with the general consensus that usually our bikes get a level of respect from the "real bikers"

Last summer I was at a bike rally and an old boy was camped next to me with a late 50's Harley. In the morning we were all gearing up for the poker run and here he is, standing on the seat to get enough leverage to kick that old monster over.....as a joke I turned on the key, leaned across my bike and pushed the kickstarter on my 750 with my hand and it fired right up. A few of his Harley buddies started taking shots at him that if he had an old Honda like mine he wouldn't have so much trouble kicking it over.

[BobbyR]

I'm intrigued, Bobby.  What was their beef with you?

We had just come out of a roundabout and getting on the road. I heard him behind me and he was on my ass. i figured i was going too slow so I just cranked it up, no peg scraping, just a reasonable speed. After a turn or two he was gone. I guess he felt I had disrespected his bike.

He and his boys were real Guido types with tank tops and tats. Hard guys can have ink, but ink does not make you hard. When it was 4 to 1 it seemed OK to them, when the balance shifted, it was not OK. Their eyes told me they were not hard.

One on one he probably would have mouthed off and been done with it, or done nothing. If not, I would have whacked him with my helmet several times.

Never saw them again, had no problems since. Don't pack heat when I am riding. I am a peaceful man who minds his own business. Oh yeah, when I need to demo high pressure line Brazing out in the field, Lyndon is my go to guy.

[sangyo soichiro]

One on one he probably would have mouthed off and been done with it, or done nothing. If not, I would have whacked him with my helmet several times.

That's the second time you've tempted me with this maneuver.   
I'm sooo going to whack somebody!   

[Frankenkit]

Even better is to deliver a swift kick to the groin, remove their helmet, and proceed to beat them with their own helmet

[TwoTired]

One on one he probably would have mouthed off and been done with it, or done nothing. If not, I would have whacked him with my helmet several times.

That's the second time you've tempted me with this maneuver.   
I'm sooo going to whack somebody!   

Isn't that assault with a deadly weapon?   

I was taught that you can drive the cartilage from the nose and bone structure behind it into the brain with the heel of your hand.  ...can lead to death.
I've been able to avoid any situation to try that, though.

It does end fights fairly quickly, I'm told. 

[BobbyR]

One on one he probably would have mouthed off and been done with it, or done nothing. If not, I would have whacked him with my helmet several times.

That's the second time you've tempted me with this maneuver.   
I'm sooo going to whack somebody!   

Works really good actually. Or at least it did when I was young and less restrained.

[BobbyR]

One on one he probably would have mouthed off and been done with it, or done nothing. If not, I would have whacked him with my helmet several times.

That's the second time you've tempted me with this maneuver.   
I'm sooo going to whack somebody!   

Isn't that assault with a deadly weapon?   

I was taught that you can drive the cartilage from the nose and bone structure behind it into the brain with the heel of your hand.  ...can lead to death.
I've been able to avoid any situation to try that, though.

It does end fights fairly quickly, I'm told. 

It is assault for sure, or self defense. In NY the deadly part is defined by the object. Usually you wind up hitting them in the side of the head which knocks them off balance. The subsequet blows can be at your option. Knees are good since they can't get up and chase you quickly.

[xfactor]

I wave to everyone doing the 2 fingered sideways thing, to every rider. However plenty of them look at me then just ignore me, and people on just about ever type of bike have done it to me. I had a dude on another SOHC look at me and just ignore me, but I have also had Harleys and Crotch Rockets do the same.


Croix

[weekend_junkie]

Under-promise, over-deliver.

[fletcha221]

Our little shop builds everything.....HD's, Honda, Scooters, you name it. Might just be the generation (we are in our late 20's) but a cool bike is a cool bike. If found that most dudes with a chip on their shoulder don't change their own oil and own a $20,000 HD they know nothing about. Anyone who has an appreciation for motorcycles, and really loves them....really could care less about what brand it is. Unless it's French.....screw the French:)

I took my little cb350f cafe to bike night, and it got more attention than the 50K Choppers.

The world is full of rude idiots...I think that that is what you experienced.

"Make it idiot proof, and someone will build a better idiot"

[CB750Ken8]

Around here you wave to any rider albeit a crotch rocket (only because they are gone by the time you wave) you usually get a wave returned.

[Irk11]

I had something funny happen last week. I rode my Kawasaki sportbike to Summerfest, (a music festival in Milwaukee). They have a really nice, free, motorcycle only parking lot near the main gate sponsored by Harley. As you come in to the lot you are lined up and parked by attendants in order of size of bike. I parked where I was flagged, got off my bike, and noticed the 50 year old "baddass" suburban dentist, on his sportster arguing with the attendant. He was told to park next to me, but after about 3 minutes of arguing the lot manager came over and let him park on the other side of the lot in with the roadkings. I talked to the attendant, and he was complaining to her that his bike was too valuable to be parked next to Jap bike. Total ass!  Kinda funny cause another Harley rider who saw what happened walked over and told the guy that a that his bike wasn't special at all, and that Harley sold thousands of sportsters just like it!

[BobbyR]

I had something funny happen last week. I rode my Kawasaki sportbike to Summerfest, (a music festival in Milwaukee). They have a really nice, free, motorcycle only parking lot near the main gate sponsored by Harley. As you come in to the lot you are lined up and parked by attendants in order of size of bike. I parked where I was flagged, got off my bike, and noticed the 50 year old "baddass" suburban dentist, on his sportster arguing with the attendant. He was told to park next to me, but after about 3 minutes of arguing the lot manager came over and let him park on the other side of the lot in with the roadkings. I talked to the attendant, and he was complaining to her that his bike was too valuable to be parked next to Jap bike. Total ass!  Kinda funny cause another Harley rider who saw what happened walked over and told the guy that a that his bike wasn't special at all, and that Harley sold thousands of sportsters just like it!

First of all I am sure he has a small Pee Pee. A Sportster is a chick bike anyway.

[country joe]

You're gonna have a**holes in any crowd. Bikes, cars, you name it. My Dad is and has been a Harley guy for probably 35 years now. He always turned his own wrenches on everything and appreciated any bike that had good craftsmanship, or was unique no matter what the brand was. But I do know guys like the one who flipped you off. Probably bad mouthing anything that wasn't a Harley. Ahh, screw 'em. Not everybody on a Harley is like this, trust me.

[dave500]

yeah bobby,itll be cool,some good posts here,its all attitude, most of us will talk to anyone,i sometimes get nods at filling stations from even sports bike guys half my age who can ride and race twice as hard as i ever did,and cruisers ,and car drivers,some walk over for a quick yack,that roundabout thing bobby,,years ago,,dont ask me why i was about 35,,a patched harley rider tried to overtake me from a standing start at a tee intersection on the wrong side,i was in my car,so in my 308 cid v8 auto holden i just planted it once we were in a straight line,i had a 2.78 rear end at the time and plenty of torque he hit second by the time we were really hooting in a built up area,he missed third and really over revved as my auto chirped into second and i pulled away,he had a female pillion,,man im thinking this guys gonna be pissed off he got beat by a car and missed a gear at the next stop light my doors gonna get kicked,he was so far behind by then he caught the next red,,i still have that car!

[no718.com]

One on one he probably would have mouthed off and been done with it, or done nothing. If not, I would have whacked him with my helmet several times.

That's the second time you've tempted me with this maneuver.   
I'm sooo going to whack somebody!   

Isn't that assault with a deadly weapon?   

I was taught that you can drive the cartilage from the nose and bone structure behind it into the brain with the heel of your hand.  ...can lead to death.
I've been able to avoid any situation to try that, though.

It does end fights fairly quickly, I'm told. 

I'm not trying to shamelessly self-promote here but since we're on the topic . . . I do always carry my trusty 'Peace Maker' with me while riding, handle sticking out of my back back for quick reach. Always "ends fights fairly quickly" or makes friends even quicker!

http://no718.myshopify.com/collections/accessories/products/peace-maker

[sangyo soichiro]

One on one he probably would have mouthed off and been done with it, or done nothing. If not, I would have whacked him with my helmet several times.

That's the second time you've tempted me with this maneuver.   
I'm sooo going to whack somebody!   

Isn't that assault with a deadly weapon?   

I was taught that you can drive the cartilage from the nose and bone structure behind it into the brain with the heel of your hand.  ...can lead to death.
I've been able to avoid any situation to try that, though.

It does end fights fairly quickly, I'm told. 

I'm not trying to shamelessly self-promote here but since we're on the topic . . . I do always carry my trusty 'Peace Maker' with me while riding, handle sticking out of my back back for quick reach. Always "ends fights fairly quickly" or makes friends even quicker!

http://no718.myshopify.com/collections/accessories/products/peace-maker

That is just one coooool looking stick!