About being a biker

[howworkclutch]

If you're new: welcome.  If you've been around a few years: I'm sorry for your family's loss
 
I saw a video on facebook the other day that got me thinking about biker'in and what it means.  In the video, a guy was blasting up that angeles road everyone loves out west. He was going into a left-hand sweeper when another bike (triumph) comes over into his lane. He goes down and ends up in the hospital... a little banged-up but otherwise ok. The guy on the triumph split the scene.
 
Last year a group of us were trekking across the blue ridge mountains on our way to a party.  We only see each other once a year, every year, for this event. We don't talk to each other on the phone or send emails. But we always put together a plan the week before the party and we ALWAYS have a great time together. Some of us live on other continents, some on different planets (yours, truly: guilty as charged). Last year one of our group had a blow-out in a mountain curve and went over a cliff.  He was alright, but the whole group stopped and hung with him for 4 hours while we waited on a wrecker-with-winch to show up. They took the bike to a nearby shop and our hero was able to convince the shop owner to take a hammer to the bike and make it ridable. The rest of the group headed to the party. 
 
Along the way we got rained on so bad that one of the guys bike wouldn't run. Water was running into the intake. We did 41 mph on the interstate for three hours with him in the lead: and he coated us all in raw gasoline that came out his tail-pipe. We had to stop every 50 miles so he could get gas. It sucked, but we got through it.
 
We were 8 hours late getting to the party. We were soaked to the bone and covered in gasoline. The guy who wrecked showed up 30 minutes after we arrived.  After a day like that we were ready to throw down: and we did. We had a great weekend and a lot of laughs.
 
A few years ago I was going home in at 2am and saw a guy sitting on a bike along the interstate. I stopped. He said he thought he was out of gas. So we walked up/down the grass looking for some kind of container so I could drain some of mine and get him going again. We never did find a container, so i gave him my card and said "here is my number. if you get help before i get back please just call and leave a voice mail so i'll know you got home". I rode up to the next exit and bought a gallon of windshield cleaner. I dumped it into the windshield cleaner bucket and refilled it with gas. Then, with that gallon of gas in an unapproved container, I got back on the interstate.  Dude was gone when I returned. So I rode the 45 miles home with a gallon of gas on my lap. When I got home I had a txt message: Sorry man, I forgot about the reserve in my tank. Made it home safe. Thanks. Let get a beer tuesday? 
 
I still consider that guy a complete and total asshat, but he is one of the finest friends anyone can have. We've had a lot of fun together over the years.
 
When I had my accident last year (rode off a cliff) about 50 bikers came from out of the woodwork to get me and the bike back up the cliff. I was taken to the ER in a friends truck. That happened four hours from where I live.... I get around and make it a point to be good to others who ride.  You never know when you'll need each other.
 
When a good friend of mine told me he wasn't going to be able to make our yearly run because he needed a new tire and wouldn't get paid until after the run was over, I had one overnighted to his door. He paid me back after the party. The following year he shipped a battery to another bikers door.  Pay it forward.
 
Getting back to the first story... If the guy on the Triumph caused me to wreck, but stopped to help, I would have instantly forgave him (after calling him every name in the book plus a few newly-invented ones).  People do dumb things all the time, but its their actions during the aftermath that define them. I'm sure he and I would have had a few beers and a lot of laughs over it for years to come.
 
Understand that bikerin' makes us family.  Accept, forgive, help when you can, and laugh the dumb stuff off.  If you can't be that kind of person: buy a damned miata and eff off.
 
One last thing: not every harley rider is a douche. Nearly every harley rider is a douche, but at least give em enough time to prove it
 

[prediddy]

Well said!

[mike6116]

Good story, im a new biker on road, have been on bikes since young, but not even ride on streets or highways, just rided on closed locations, now that im into the real world im getting this feeling you talk about, and im willing to help any biker on the road who need my help, this is what make us human.
 
Keep going on and help others when needed
 
Mike

[hippiebikerchick]

Great stories!
 
As a woman, I have to be careful about stopping to help but I have stopped to help a bicyclist and a bicyclist once stopped to ask if I was ok.
 
If I deem the situation safe I definitely will make sure a fellow biker is all right.
 
I'll always be indebted to my neighbor and fellow biker for going to get my hubs motorcycle after his accident 2 years ago.

[ch3rryghost]

Enjoyable read, but you just sound like a guy that's always willing to help. I understand that it's always easier to help someone 'like' you, we all fall prey to that but it's bigger than helping out your two-wheeled brethren; it's about doing what's right. I put it in perspective by thinking 10 mins out of my day to help someone stranded, or whatever it may be, will save not only that person but everyone else that may be affected by the situation a shit tonne more time. To me, that's a fair trade off and it'd be wrong of me not to help.
 
There are obviously barriers to going around and helping everyone I see, but in every instance that I can and feel comfortable doing so, I stop and ask, "Do you need help?"
 
 

[howworkclutch]

I dig what you're saying. And you're spot-on: I am one of those who helps others.
 
But understand this: as noble an idea as it may be [to help others], its my "willingness to take risk" that compells me. Taking risk is fundamental to cycling. Doing for others always involves a risk and its because of that risk that I engage. And since everyone-on-two-wheels also openly accept risk: they're automatically family and get the very best of me.
 
Unless I'm on the liquor then they get the very best of the worst of me. I'm telling you my jokes are just that bad.

[magsz18]

I am new to all of this but i definitely understand what you're getting at.
 
There is something special about riding a motorcycle and it is obviously shared by every good soul that gets on a bike to enjoy the freedom. There is no reason why we cannot be a big ol fraternity toward each other.
 
As we all know, there are assholes in this world and no matter how well intentioned WE may be, not everyone shares that mindset so its really nice to hear that there are some really solid people out there riding bikes, people so solid that they seem to take it to the next level.

[phicurious86]

I'm introverted to the point that I actively avoid interacting with other people in the flesh, if I can help it, but I will say that I smiled a little the first time I came across another biker on the road and he waved at me and gave a nod of the head. I had never waved at anyone in a car before, unless I was at a 4 way and the jackleg with the right-of-way was lolly gagging at the stop, but right then and there I decided there was something valuable and admirable about acknowledging another 2 wheeled motorist.
 
I wave at every biker I meet and I still smile a little every time they wave and nod back.
 

[rewplayff]

my rd125 broke down near my home and a guy helped me push start it at least 3 times before I told him It was fine I can walk the thing home half a mile away.