Remarkable generosity

[craigs23]

It was a cold and damp Tuesday morning, as I chugged away, at my usual dawdling pace, on the way to work. 15 miles into the ride, bang, the rear tyre goes. Fish tailing to a halt, with another 15 miles still to go to the office, I'm a little flummoxed; especially as I had a 9:30 deadline for a project that needed to be at a client's meeting. I pushed the bike another hundred yards or so to a field entrance, opposite someone's driveway, to make the necessary call to work to try and get a lift in, thinking I'd have to chain the bike up to a nearby fence.

A woman driving her kids to school emerges from the driveway opposite and calls over - I can park my bike in the drive, it'll be a bit safer there. I respond with thanks, and once the road's clear, push the bike across the road, to make the call to work.

The woman arrives back about 10 minutes later, saying that I can keep the bike in one of the barns until I sort some sort of recovery. Again, I thank her and walk the bike around to one of the couple of barns on the estate; which turns out to be an old farm of sorts. Turns out, her and her husband have been bikers for years, and just got back from a trip to Germany on their Triumph Sprints. I notice them parked up in one of the barns, along with a couple of crossers and older 80s bikes.

She mentions that it's not a problem to keep the bike safe until I can arrange to have it picked up, the farm being very secure and away from prying eyes. Again I thank her.

She asks me how far I am from work for which I reply that I'm only halfway there. She's got to pop into Brighton this morning anyway, and offers me a lift. At this point I'm feeling pretty humble, but accept her generosity - I had, above all, had a deadline to meet and was hoping to get into work early - at best, I'd be on time now.

We chat about bikes for the journey in and I arrive at work on time (to later find that the meeting was postponed), we exchange contact details and part ways - I mention whether it would be okay to keep the bike until the weekend, as having thought about it, I won't be able to get some tools down to repair the puncture until the weekend. She says that won't be a problem.

Later that day, I receive a call from her husband - he'd already taken a look at the bike and mentioned that the inner tube has several holes in it, probably down to me riding/pushing it after the tyre burst and isn't repairable.

But also not to worry, as he's also replaced it with one off one of his other bikes....

...and serviced my back brake for me (I'd been meaning to clean out the drum since it started squeaking last week).

The bike is now ready to be picked up again. I mention that it might not be until the weekend before I can get a lift down, but that's not a problem - whenever's fine.

They're not users of this forum, but I've just been surprised by these remarkable acts of generosity - from people that I've never met before and the only connection we have revolves around bikes. I'd heard such stories from Dad before, from yesteryear when there seemed to be more comradeship between bikers than I had ever experienced. I've been humbled to agree that this does in fact still exist.

In the meantime, I've been having fun adapting to a bike with 10 times the power of that which I've spent the last 2000 miles riding. Why does everyone keep nodding at me now? Even the same bikers I acknowledge day in, day out, who tend to ignore me on the CG, have started noticing me again. I'm pretty sure they're nodding at the bike, not me....

Anyway, isn't biking great?

[Faraz]

[salty21]

you jammy sod

nice to see some decent folk still out there, i was beginning to wonder
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04 NSR 125(sold) ---- 03 CBR 600rr(sold) ----90 pan euro ST1100 '' ----02 CG 125
94 CB400 Super Four ---- 2000 VTR SP1 (sold) ---- 08 ninja p8f(sold, meh) ----05 CBR600rr

[deanoet]

renews your faith in humankind doesnt it
no skin off their nose, yet helps you massively
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CBT Passed 18th July 2007 : Previous Bikes> CG125 : Current Bike> Hornet 600 : PASSED DAS 30th Oct 2007
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[craigs23]

[dodger]

Always nice to read about stuff like this...
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My Bikes: Piaggio NRG| Aprilia RS 125| Suzuki GSX-R 600|Yamaha Fazer Ducati 848
Europe 2008

[thefallenange...]

bikers are generally better because it's considered a hobby where as driving a cage is more of a chore.
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Past - CG125 ,KR1S, SV650s, Street Triple R - Current - Duke 390

r.bridge1988@gmail.com

[Ant]

top people!

Where do they live i need the bike servicing, i'll let my own tyre down
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04 ZX10R ~

[.....]

When they lure you back they'll offer you a cup of tea which you'll accept out of politeness. The next thing you know things go a bit fuzzy and you pass out.

You'll wake up in the barn, tied to the rafters while the wife shags you with a strap on and the husband watches.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Another insightful rating for you Mr Craig.
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My Flickr

[tutton]

That would make you all warm and fuzzin inside.
I sat and waited for 2 hours with a broken down bike today to have no one but my mates stop. You won the draw
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Past: '05 Peugeot XPS '99 Aprillia RS125 '94 FZR600R
Current: '02 ZX636 A1P '51 CCM R30

[jon_nsr]

plenty of people like that around here.

got a puncture on my old firestorm, and some guy who rides a mille up in scotland drove my brother about 15 miles to my house to get my stand and spare wheel.

drove back, and helped do it, and then came back a few days later to drop it off.

I dont know if he uses this forum though.
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1999 GSXR750

[Ariel Badger]

Either they are real nice people or they are going to murder you and wear your skin like a gimp suit.
Best buy them a box of Chocolates.
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[killa]

Good thread Craig cheers. Nice to ear things like this.

I got my mate round last weekend to have a look at his bike. He doesn't know much about mechanics...so i got him round and together i showed him how to do the chain, serivce the brake and put it all back together etc. Was a good feeling when he rode off with a prepped bike and called me later to thank me.
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Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[Mr Hammers]

Nice post. Love to hear these sort of stories. As i get older i get more cynical and misanthropic, and it's nice to be proved wrong once in a while.

Don't forget the flowers/choccies when you pick up the bike!
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A Guide To Powerbands

[Jai466]

Why can't everybody be like this...

You would not get that in London.

Maybe I should move.

You warmed my heart

[Jai466]

Box of choco and flowers and a Thank You card, would be excellent.

Just taking all that effort to write the card an buy the items takes time and I belive it worth more than money apart from the tube.

[b-f-c]

[Jai466]

[Xenocide]

Aww that's amazing. Makes you feel all fuzzy inside
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KTM LC4 400 | Honda VTR1000

[fourten]

so why didn't a damsel in distress (me) get even one thumbs up or nod when i was pulled over on the side of the A13 during rushhour last week??



Gee... Must have had some shit stained loo roll trail coming out my trousers....

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www.artridertraining.co.uk

[Kal]

Thanks for sharing, we hear the negative stuff all the time. It's nice to know there is stuff like this going on too.
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Kal...
I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It Ya Like To (HOON IT!).
1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

[craigs23]

I'm usually quite a cynical bastard, but it's been quite surprising that I've happened to stumble upon such kind generosity; definitely a gesture that I won't forget for a while and one which I'd hope to try and repeat to someone I see in such a predicament - even if it's just a quick valet.....

[JonB]

[ThoughtContro...]

CG - sounds great!

+1 to the small token gift as a thankyou gesture