Acknowledging old bikes

[srob]

Quick question. If you see an old bike and the rider nods at you- would you return the nod?

The reason I ask is that I was out on a 1963 Velocette Venom the other day, and I'd say that less than a quarter of other bikes did (on a 70 mile ride). It may have just been a coincidence but I was a bit shocked as when I was on the ZX6 the vast majority of other bikers acknowlegded.

Don't know whether people naturally assumed I was an old codger (I'm not, I'm 25), but should that matter? I may be reading far too much into it, but when I'm riding any bike I'll always acknowledge any other bike, as it's the traditional sign of 'yeah, I'm fine thanks'.

I was a bit disapointed to be honest. Is snobbery creeping into biking?

[DennisTheMenace]

I allways nod back no matter what they are riding ,they are bikers , allthough this year less people seem to nod back , miserable gits

[catso]

DennisTheMenace said:

I allways nod back no matter what they are riding

Me too, even Scooters, cruisers, rat bikes and bike cops.

Unlike Shalom Auslander, who wrote this;

"To Wave or Not to Wave By Shalom Auslander

I love motorcycles, and I love riding. Like many of you, what first drew me to bikes was not just the experience of riding, but the feeling that I'd
become part of a special community--a brotherhood, really. Nothing calms me more than a long ride down the interstate, waving to the members of my
beloved clan.

Except when I pass Harley guys. I hate Harley guys. Hate, hate, hate. When they pass me on the highway, you know what I do? I don't
wave. With their little tassle handlebars and the studded luggage and the half-helmets--God, they drive me crazy.

You know who else I hate? BMW guys. Oh, I do hate those guys. I don't wave at them, either. They think they're so great, sitting all upright, with
their 180-degree German engines. God, I hate them. They're almost as bad as those old bastards on their touring motorcycles. You know what I call those
bikes? "Two-wheeled couches!" Get it? Because they're so big. They drive around like they've got all day. Appreciate the scenery somewhere else, Grampa, and
while you're at it, I'm not waving to you.

Ducati guys--I don't wave at them either. Why don't they spend a little more money on their bikes? "You can have it in any color you want, as long as
it's red." Aren't you cool! Like they even know what a desmo-whatever engine is, anyway. Try finding the battery, you Italian-wannabe racers! I never,
ever wave at those guys.

Suzuki guys aren't much better, which is why I never wave at them, either. They always have those stupid helmets sitting on top of their stupid
heads, and God forbid they should wear any safety gear. They make me so mad. Sometimes they'll speed by and look over at me and you know what I do? I
don't wave. I just keep on going.

Please, don't get me started on Kawasaki guys. Ninjas? What are you, twelve years old? Team Green my ass. I never wave at Kawasaki guys.

I ride a Honda, and I'll only wave at Honda guys, but even then, I'll never wave at a guy in full leathers. Never, never, never. Yeah, like you're
going to get your knee down on the New York Thruway. Nice crotch, by the way. Guys in full leathers will never get a wave from me, and by the way, neither
will the guys in two-piece leathers. And I'll tell you who else I'm not waving at -- those guys with the helmets with the loud paintjobs. Four pounds of
paint on a two pound helmet âEUR" like I'm going to wave back to that! I'll also never wave at someone with a mirrored visor. Or helmet stickers. Or racing
gloves. Or hiking boots.

To me, motorcycling is a like a family, a close-knit brotherhood of people who ride Hondas, wear jeans and a leather jacket (not Vanson) with regular
gloves and a solid-color helmet with a clear visor, no stickers, no racing gloves and regular boots (not Timberlands). And isn't that what really
makes riding so special?"

[rsvmilly]

DennisTheMenace said:

I allways nod back no matter what they are riding

Same here. Even the traffic cops.

Occassionally, they'll nod back but only if they're on their own. I do think I'm trying my luck wearing a dark visor, though.

[black-k1]

rsvmilly said:

DennisTheMenace said:

I allways nod back no matter what they are riding

Same here. Even the traffic cops.

Me too. I find most bike cops nod back. (Sometimes by wagging their finger and shaking their head! ) I have even been known to nod/wave to the odd moped rider.

[skinnyboy]

would you get a nod on one of these?



always wanted an Arial Leader!

[Wacky Racer]

skinnyboy said:

would you get a nod on one of these?

You used to get plenty of nods on one of these......



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocett

[skinnyboy]

Wacky Racer said:

skinnyboy said:

would you get a nod on one of these?

You used to get plenty of nods on one of these......



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocett

Ventriss!!!

[Fire99]

I nod to most..

I have to admit i have forgotten to nod to the odd Pizza Delivery boy and a few times to a swarm of Scooters who were buzzing round cars like a swarm of bees...
I have to be honest and sometimes don't think they are true bikers...

The rest, yep..

And i've become rather partial to the odd cruiser these days, though i'm hoping my doctor has some pills for that

[srob]

That pic's of an LE (Little Engine) Velocette. The one I was on was the Venom- a '60s superbike.

It makes the best noise I've ever heard a road bike make- once you get it started. There's a real knack to starting it which can end in a lot of pain if you try and kick it over on the wrong stroke!!

[anonymous-user]

Having picked up my first bike recently I was amazed by the number of bikers nodding to me - something I hadn't expected. Since I've been merrily nodding away at everyone on two wheels although it does seem to be the sports bikes that acknowledge me more often.

[Wacky Racer]

srob said:

That pic's of an LE (Little Engine) Velocette. The one I was on was the Venom- a '60s superbike.

It makes the best noise I've ever heard a road bike make- once you get it started.

Exactly...


The only Velocette "superbike" of the sixties was the Venom Thruxton which ceased production around 1969, and by then it was around 40 years out of date.......


Wouuldn't say no to one though.........

[srob]

The Venom I was on was a Clubman spec bike- there wasn't a lot that would keep up with one in the 60's according to my old man (he had one new in the early sixties).

They were genuine 'ton up' bikes and the designs of the majority of British bikes of that era could be traced back nearly that far. Can't imagine why the japanese manufacturers cleaned up when they arrived

[YamR1V64motion]

Quinny said:

But the most important thing was never to wave to a Harley rider.

thats a cardinal sin

[speed8]

I'll nod to most bikes although I won't bother with the shell suit scooter folk.

If I'm filtering I rarely nod as I'm already busy with other stuff.

I like the French thing of giving a little wave as you go past but for us that would be our throttle hand so not really as easy as it is over there.

[hobo]

black-k1 said:

rsvmilly said:

DennisTheMenace said:

I allways nod back no matter what they are riding

Same here. Even the traffic cops.

Me too. I find most bike cops nod back. (Sometimes by wagging their finger and shaking their head! ) I have even been known to nod/wave to the odd moped rider.

I nodded at a bike cop a few months back. He proceeded to turn around & do me for having a number plate which is on the small side. Also thought my visor was illegal (which is wasn't) & that my exhaust was none standard & could be too loud (which is not the case either).

Lesson learnt.

To be fair I nod at pretty much anyone with the exception of scooters.

[gordski]

Isn't nodding one of those things that actually make us better poeple. How often do you get in a car and the only interaction with someone else is when you give them the V's for cutting you up?
When I go out it makes me think that there are actually poeple still around who are happy to acknowlegde that others do have a right to be alive and to enjoy our roads. God bless us all!!!

That said when I was at WSB at Brands I gave up nodding, to many bikes and me neck started to hurt, is that an excusable reason (I can get a note from my Mum if it helps)?

[speed8]

gordski said:

Isn't nodding one of those things that actually make us better poeple. How often do you get in a car and the only interaction with someone else is when you give them the V's for cutting you up?
When I go out it makes me think that there are actually poeple still around who are happy to acknowlegde that others do have a right to be alive and to enjoy our roads. God bless us all!!!

The TVR thing is very similar. Even when I wasn't in the cerb I would give a wave or a flash to any I saw and usually got a wave back.

[kingb]

skinnyboy said:

would you get a nod on one of these?



always wanted an Arial Leader!

ive got an un faired version of that called the arrows!! mine is a track bike thou

[y2blade]

i always Acknowledge other bikes new or old..i mostly get a cheery response back