An interesting day on a 125

[Gerard C]

As my Burgman 650 is in for some work doing - the wheels are being powder coated - thank you for asking, I am using my Baby Burger as a run about. What a difference! Waves, nods are ignored by all and sundry. Its got L plates on for my daughter and the effect is that apparently I have turned invisible and I better take extra care.

As a compulsive nodder and waver to anyone on two wheels I found this very strange.

Whilst down town Wakefield - for my hair cutting - thanks for asking. I saw an unknown Burgman 400 go past and I found myself following and when he parked up I stopped to introduce myself as you - or at least I do.

The look of disdain as he clocked my 125 had to be seen to be believed. I now know what scum must feel like. You would think I was a Begger.

No - apparently he is not interested in any rides or meets - he was a hard rider having had the 400 for a year and a half he had covered about 8,000 miles! And anyway he preferred riding out on one of his two BMW's with other real bikers. His next trip was to be as far as Northampton! Ooer I thought. Our trips to Great Yarmouth or Barmouth won't impress this Guy I thought, neither will the 20,000 miles done in a year and a half on my 650 so I better leave him to it. So pausing only to ask for any spare change and sell him a Big Issue I parted company.

All in all an interesting day.

[smeghead]

Hi Gerard,
It's always fascinated me this waving/nodding we bikers do. A few months ago I swapped to a 400cc Majesty and I find that bikers still wave and nod, not all of them though, Harley riders are all cocks, they never wave at anyone, same when I rode bikes, big bikes at that, despite my best efforts I was resolutely ignored by 'weekend warriors' on their hogs. When I had my bikes I found that scooter riders rarely acknowledged me but now I am on level terms that's changed and I usually get a wave or a nod. Scooterists on small capacity machines and learners tend not to wave, in my experience, I don't really know why. I am old enough to remember when bikes were less reliable that they are now and keeping friendly with the 'community' was probably more important that it is now, lets be honest when bike broke down we didn't have a mobile phone to call the AA we relied on roadside help from a passing biker and this probably kept us all mates. By default I would imagine most small capacity riders are young and feel they don't need the friendly roadside help we possibly did. Or they are just rude!!

[Gerard C]

Giving them the benefit of the doubt, young riders on small machines are probably concentrating on not being knocked off. Theres no excuse for it in more experienced riders though. We have all been through it as we worked our way towards whatever machine we choose to ride. Or alternatively they could just be Cocks. Theres a few about I find.

[smeghead]

You make a fair point Sir, however I can remember being able to coordinate my body in such way that a nod or wave was possible at an early age! Lets be honest, they are cocks!!

[MrGrumpy]

Curiously, I've always found Hog owners relatively friendly re waving - maybe they feel an oppressed minority in Sportsbike obsessed UK! Some BMW owners are very friendly, but some just utterly ignore you. I remember stopping at a service station once and a bloke on a BMW R-RT stopped right by me, but wouldn't even make eye contact let alone say Hi! There again, he appeared to be a BM fanatic, clothed from head to foot in BMW branded clothing...

[horobags]

after riding bikes for twenty odd years and having nods and waves for all that time, my first maxi , a tmax mk1, I noticed straight away that the number of nods had halved. Some riders would nod from a distance then close up and realise they were nodding at a scooter and glare at you, bunch of tits! So to be honest Ive lost faith in the biker nod, and hardly bother even though Im back on a bike at the moment. Saying that I will always return a nod or wave to the old school friendly biker. One thing that did impress me was when in france and belgium everyone ,bike, scooter, gives you a big wave which I thought was really friendly.

[MjW]

Too many bikes in France not to be open minded.


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[pikey]

after riding bikes for twenty odd years and having nods and waves for all that time, my first maxi , a tmax mk1, I noticed straight away that the number of nods had halved. Some riders would nod from a distance then close up and realise they were nodding at a scooter and glare at you, bunch of tits! So to be honest Ive lost faith in the biker nod, and hardly bother even though Im back on a bike at the moment. Saying that I will always return a nod or wave to the old school friendly biker. One thing that did impress me was when in france and belgium everyone ,bike, scooter, gives you a big wave which I thought was really friendly.

Thats because we av not herd of ze ugilly bunch over ear

[maxine500]

[SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND SMILING EYES][SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND SMILING EYES]pikey, I likey!

[johnp]

When my Nexus was in for repair i as was given a Honda SH125 for a couple of weeks, i never got any nods from other bikers as i was on a little bike ad felt uncomfortable with that.