5 things no-one told you about becoming a biker

This article sucks, it's 5 things a self absorbed football playing sun reading fair weather GSX-R rider feels.

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 13:06

brilliant write-up, spot on!

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 13:12

Actually, I'm a VERY patient car driver.

Stick radio 4 on and I'm well happy.

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 13:33

"This article sucks, it's 5 things a self absorbed football playing sun reading fair weather GSX-R rider feels."

Let me guess, you ride a 1200GS, don't you?
I liked the article, funny and true at the same time.

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 13:37

Ducati. Actually that was very harsh, I do find alot of that funny. I think it's nice to chat to older guys that come up and ask me about my bike, I nod at everyone and don't like the nodding snobbery. I wouldn't want to fall into the tattooed fat biker category or the gimpy employee of the month category.

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 14:02

F8ck me but some people take things too seriously. Funny article as usual from Visordown. So much better than MCN.

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 14:37

Ahaha love it, thank you, oh btw I ride a 1200 GS .

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 16:03

You can by a nodding dog (oh yes), but no one makes a nodding biker? I'd buy one :-D

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 16:13

Very funny, the nodding etiquette is spot on....made me laugh!

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 16:41

6. You become obsessed by the weather (and clothes)

It's looking chilly in the morning, but the sun is out and it's going to warm up later. Leathers and a thermal layer it is, then. Hang on, though - it's going to be warm and a little bit rainy for the ride home from work. Textiles? Might be overkill. Waterproof outer-layer? It'll get a bit steamy. Normal leathers? Might rain just that bit too much.... Oh, god.

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 17:07

Very funny!

Thank you
:-)

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 17:12

I'm an American living in Ireland. Ok, get all the jokes in and if you fell on the floor laughing, get up. In the States you lift your fingers up off the gas. Here it's high wave, low wave, nod. By the time I figure this out I'll be in the hedges. I love it !!

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 17:57

What are these things called cars ?

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 18:12

Brilliant tongue-in-cheek article, stop taking it so seriously

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 19:33

My nodding code is:

No scooters, no Harley riders (never nod back), no Goldwing riders (riders who think they're in a car - so never nod back) and no commuters (who obviously just ride because they can't get a car - and never nod back).

Posted: 04/11/2011 at 21:26

excellent article. When I got my Bonnie I imagined chatting up all kinds of women instead I spend me time fending off old codgers reliving their glory days.

Posted: 05/11/2011 at 03:26

Good article, nodding section was great! Tried not to laugh too loud as I'm on a train to maybe buy my first Harley, hopefully won't stop nodding though!

I don't think I'm a more impatient car driver, but definitely massively impatient on a bike which isn't great.

Posted: 05/11/2011 at 08:14

J.WARD -
"no Goldwing riders (riders who think they're in a car - so never nod back"

Funny article, Old men who 'used to have a BSA' are plentiful and I always take time to have a chat with them whenever.
Bikers are bikers to me Wardy, 'L' platers, trikes, old, young, mopeds, Blades or Gixers but okay, maybe even I draw the line at scooters.
Having progressed thru some 40 years of riding and as many bikes probably, road, dirt and track, I now have a Goldwing too, besides my Fazer 1000.
I acknowledge all with a wave and it's a delight to see a new 'L' plater wave back in surprise - but it's equally annoying when riders with your attitude simply don't bother 'cos I'm on my Goldwing 1800. Shame on you.

Posted: 05/11/2011 at 13:20

When I was 16 (1960), riding my Vespa I'd have been sooo chuffed if a biker had nodded to me.

Posted: 05/11/2011 at 15:06

never leave your bike out in a frost, hard seat & VERYcold bum!
Avoid wet man hole covers!!
Nod at everybody, be proud!
resist looking like a power ranger ! LOL just kidding, old fart on bmw!(me)

Posted: 05/11/2011 at 17:32

I was a 16 year old learner on my Dad's Honda C100 (Step thru) and a guy on a Norton Dommie waved to me - I was IN! An accepted member of the fraternity! I felt 10 feet tall. 44 years later I'll wave or nod to any learner no matter what they are riding. Welcome to the Club, Mate.

Posted: 06/11/2011 at 11:04

Riding a Daytona 675SE in full leathers with a black visa, often young woman just look and smile as you go past

What they do not realise, is that underneath that helmet, is 70 year with six grandchildren.

It certainly brings a smile to my face and great for your ego!!!!!!!

Posted: 06/11/2011 at 18:13

Only reason I don't wave to scooters is because at lights, unlike other bikers, they're never looking at you so I assume (correctly I think) that they aren't interested in waving or interacting in any way.

But otherwise I'll wave at trikes, L-platers, Harlies, etc. When I was living in Ireland, I did find it ludicrous that this one guy in a half helmet would NEVER EVER wave: its like dude, you're not in fvcking America where there are two groups of riders in the Harley guys and the rest of the biking world, and where Harlies are used by drug-dealing gangs. You're in RURAL IRELAND! Stop PRETENDING like you're not a biker and are a breed apart!

And, generally imho women don't really like proper motorcycles, but i did get a ton of female attention when I started riding years ago on my dad's vespa!
I'm always happy to talk to anyone about my bike or bikes in general though, and meeting old codgers who tell me about their youth is often the highlight of my day. Once when I was on my Monster at a light, an old Irish gentleman was telling me about how back in the 1950s they'd take the baffles out of the exhausts on their BSAs and Triumphs. Was defo the highlight of my day as well as an education as I foolishly assumed that the loud pipes craze only began w/ faired sportsbikes in the 80s

Other than Harlies and scooterists (many of whom won't actually go on to be proper motorcyclists anyway), I find that everyone waves back or even first, even the supposedly notorious non-waving GS and Gold Wings

Posted: 07/11/2011 at 00:40

I nod at everyone apart from scooters with a chavvy rider with a motocross helmet, trackies and air max. I just think wont last long riding like that and what he's nicked and put under the seat

Posted: 07/11/2011 at 16:55

Lol I must admit I am a bit impatient. How come when on a bike you MUST get up the speed limit as fast as possible and woe betide any other road user who takes his/her time...?

Posted: 08/11/2011 at 11:55

"you MUST get up the speed limit as fast as possible". Guilty, but then I keep to speed limit.

I will wave at anyone: scooters, Harley's, and delivery guys.

Well I am South African.

Posted: 08/11/2011 at 15:10

I loved this :)

Posted: 08/11/2011 at 21:22

Kids will wave at you. Much to parents' disgust. But every kid wants a motorbike and they can't help themselves. So as you ride down the main street in 1st making a hellacious noise, you see the tug away from mommy, the little head turns,the hand slips from mommy's, a little face looks open-mouthed and then there's a broad grin, the kiddie points and then waves, and then mommy who has seen all this with great disapproval starts scolding, fearing what her little precious might turn into, backed up with a glare which means 'how dare you lead my child in such wicked ways' - and then you're gone, start over:)

I ALWAYS wave back at kids, with an exaggerated nod too, it makes the parents even more irate:)

Posted: 08/11/2011 at 22:32

Don't worry, you will all become usefull spare parts at your local hospital one day! Leaving your family to cope by them selves.
Grumpy

Posted: 09/11/2011 at 09:33

Missed one:
You become an arrogant shite with no manners.

As a youngster you are, I hope, brought up to say ‘Thank you’ if someone is nice or helpful to you.
It seems that none of this applies if you are notionally a ‘biker’.

Flashback to yesterday morning (well every morning, and evening for that matter) and filtering between several hundred cars stopped on the A31 or A3.
Bike in front working his/her way through the gap, dozens of cars and lorries edge over to provide extra space for us bikes to get through.

Does the bloke in front say thanks to anyone?
Of course he doesn’t – you don’t need good manners if you’re on a bike!

You don’t need to nod or hang a leg to every car or lorry you pass – but at least have the decency to say thanks to those who take extra effort to give you room to get through.

You may find that the car you piss off today is the one who says f..k you tomorrow.

Always give the kids a big wave, their smiles light up a pretty crap world.

Posted: 09/11/2011 at 14:27

I read this having just got in from an hour's ride in the p1ss1ng rain on my VFR 800 and agreed with almost all of it. I'll spend another hour in the p1ss1ng rain on my VFR 800 tomorrow and I'll still agree with it then. Maybe the article's not the problem here...

Posted: 09/11/2011 at 17:55

Re: the one about insects, well I was sauntering along at 60 ish one sunny day, with my visor open half an inch due to the weather. A bee suicided itself on the leading edge of the visor and my appalled face was aerosol'd with a cold spray of bee juice. It was quite a stomach churning experience and one I'm in no hurry to repeat...

Posted: 09/11/2011 at 19:13

But the bee juice was sweet wasn't it? :-D

Posted: 10/11/2011 at 04:18

I am an impatient car driver and fume at any vehicle who won't do the speed limit when there is no cause not to. I nod at most on two wheels - we are all bikers of one sort or another. I've had bees inside my lid before now so I can identify with the "flappy arm" dance.I allways try to thank car drivers who move to give me extra room or signal that it's ok to overtake. These people are quite rare and should be encouraged. While "making progress" I try to be considerate to other road users - I don't think it's a good thing to re-inforce the biker stereotype among the largely uneducated masses. I do feel part of an exclusive club.

Posted: 11/11/2011 at 21:34

That bikes/bikers are boring. When we all got our first bikes we thought we were set for life and that we would be beating women off with a stick. No-one told me that instead I would find myself having a conversation with someone on the merits of different tyre compounds.

Posted: 12/11/2011 at 11:23

Good articles will make you smile and nod a little (inside), and this one did.

I feel "the sadness" every time I meet the type of 1200GS rider mentioned, hoping that this time things might be different and he might have actually gone somewhere interesting or at least far, or maybe on an unpaved road, just once.

I nod back at anyone that nods at me, but don't usually nod at the uncool types which are generally scooters with blokes in track suits and ill fitting moto cross helmets, and anyone who is obviously riding like an idiot. Hate the way lots of couriers ride with complete disregard to being polite to anyone including other bikers.

Have learned over the years to switch brain mode when driving though. Putting on some classical music or radio-4 surely helps as well leaving extra time for the journey :)

Posted: 16/11/2011 at 11:42

The whole preconception thing is really bad sometimes and people often blurt out unbelievable stuff like "Oh so your an adrenaline junkie are you ?" or, "you don't look like a biker !"

But every now and then someone "nice" will say, almost involuntarily: you ride a bike, how cool ;)

Posted: 16/11/2011 at 11:46

You discover most (non riding) people think a Harley Davidson is the ultimate in motorbikes, as they always say, "what have you got a Harley?"

And I like the one they think you're a gang bikie, that's very true. People still equate; bikes = bad.

Posted: 16/11/2011 at 21:23

never knock the old blokes they have done the hard miles riding shit roads.every generation is different but the joy of flying along on whatever bike you have is the same.we know some riders are right up themselves but i wave to them maybe they will see the light. over here we know when the suns out the harleys turn up. talk about show ponys. remember that scooter rider might one day be on a nice road bike and encourage learners life on the road is hard enough.

Posted: 17/11/2011 at 11:28

No, *embrace* looking like a power ranger. I bought the most power-rangery jacket I could find, and it looks cool. Just a matter of how you wear it. Don't hide behind that boring black. Of course it takes good taste to pull it off, and taste is rare amongst men.

One more thing - obvious in hindsight but not at all clear before becoming a biker:

- Getting from point A to B easily turns into an adventure. The route you've done 100 times, which is utterly boring in a car, is suddenly as exciting as scaling the K2 - there's sheet rain coming down, its pitch dark, you can't see a thing out of your fogged up helmet and you are going way too fast in order to keep up with your apparently-gone-mad mate who is riding up front.

Posted: 07/12/2011 at 06:31