Stupid letter in this months, TWO wheels only!

[Spiral]

I read this in this months Mag.

"I'm 18 and have been riding for two years. I have been riding little bikes, 50cc to 125cc. On these bikes i wear all the bike gear, boots leathers etc and whenever another bigger bike would stop next to me i wouldn't get so much of as a second glance. Recently i acquired a ZZR250 but it doesn't say 250 on it. It looks and sounds like a bigger bike and all of a sudden i'm getting nods from other riders. People stop to chat with me at lights and i feel like i've been let into a 'club' now".

Hmmm after reading this i nearly choked to death i wanted to e-mail TWO and complain about this crap getting printed.

I don't know but what is the world coming to, are the youth of today that brainwashed by modern media that they think, Not just a bike but a biggerbike will make them popular?

Maybe that is why i haven't got my promotion or my other half won't let me get my leg over tonight, it is because i have only got 125cc BOO BLOODY HOO!

Maybe this kid should be told that if you talk to people they like kinda talk back to ya and this would be far better than some fucked up bikers myth club, or maybe he rides round stopping at and traffic light he can find in the hope someone will talk to him.

If you are reading this kiddo heres a couple of tips,

People either like ya or they don't, and whatever the case you should not spend one minute worrying about it.

Kinda reminds me of fight club this crap "You are not your R1"
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[Robin]

[Shaun]

I couldn't stop laughing when I read your stupid post, the letter makes more sense than your post does. I experienced exactly the same thing when I moved up from a 125, clearly because you're still on a 125 you haven't experienced it yet. Conversations at the lights, a lot more nods, just a couple of things that I noticed.

[iCraig]

I somewhat agree with what the young lad was saying, I ride a 500 and have done for 3 years and many people on R1's and the like don't nod to me cos I am on a "commuter" bike.

But I just think fuck em, if you don't nod to me, I don't nod back.
I sometimes say a quick morning to other commuters and even scooterists at lights, but I think most of the time people can't be arsed talking at traffic lights or giving so much of a friendly hello look.

[NickD]

The kid's got a point. That's pretty much how it is, and how it's always been for as long as I've been riding.
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[iCraig]

I see I got rated "off topic" in my first post here.

I don't see how it was, I was just merely putting another form of prejudice accross that bikers have.

Its the same as the "oh I'm not nodding to him cos he's on a 125" or "I'm on an R1 and I ain't nodding to that person on a 500 commuting to work".

I never really got the whole "I'm better than you thing so I don't nod or say hello", I rode a 50cc for 6 months I got nods and bikers talking to me, only cos I was the one that started the talking or nodding.

I could sit here and say that idiot on the Gixxer didn't nod to me or talk to me, he could be thinking the same about me, you just gotta be an extrovert and do the first move etc.

Obviosly there are some idiots on 2 wheels the don't get the the whole biking "thing" and don't bother with any of it.

[Spiral]

Funny i have a few mates all with different bike one has a kwak Zx 6r which is a 600 right down to me on a 125 but god ya know when we go somewhere on our bikes no-one talks to me at all and this is the reason, why my god all i need now is to get a bigger bike then people will talk to me.


Sarcasm mode on full

This is something that only a bunch of kiddys would actually take part in or maybe its an english thing, over here theres 2 kinds of bikers theres the good then there is the asshole type.
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****NORTHERN IRELAND NEWSFLASH!!**** According to a recent survey, 94% of loyalists said the best sex they ever had was in the shower; the other 6% haven't been to jail yet.***

[Sparks!]

Unfortunately I think the predjudices are very true..

Most who have met me know I look very young

At bike meets, and specifically in shops no one talks/helps me and treat me like a ped boi...

It's funny how people have a lot more to say once they find out that shiney blue R6 outside is mine!

p.s. most don't bother nodding at commutery type bikes because most of the time they are just commuters riding them who want to beat congestion and don't bother with any bikey things.. I don't nod at naked bikes any more unless they nod first.. (during work hours I mean..) as most are just commuters who won't nod back anyway leaving you looking like you've got some weird nervous nodding disfunction
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[Spiral]

[Bendy]

I'll nod at anyone on two wheels. I don't care if I get a nod back or not. Doesn't mean I want a conversation at the traffic lights though.

There's been a few people on small bikes lately say "oh I can't come along to a BCF meet cos I'll be laughed at". I tell them not to be silly but judging by some of the anti-ped, anti-commuter, anti-anything that's not plastic and shiny posts on here, you can see why they feel that way.

[Sparks!]

[dainesefreak]

I ride a Blade but I still talk to you c*nts.

It's a load of bollocks really, I nod to most, it depends on the person sitting on the bike not the bike they ride, some people are just twats.

[Bendy]

But they don't all ignore you. Don't all ignore me anyway.

I've had guys on massive Harleys blank me, I've also had them give me a nod. I've had ped bois ignore me, I've also had them give me the thumbs up. I've had a flash from a car hauling a bike trailer cos I gave them a wave as I went past. I've had plenty sportsbikers not nod back, maybe I wasn't riding a shiny enough bike...

They're on two wheels, I'm on two wheels. I'll say 'hi' and if they choose to ignore it, well it's their problem. I've done the friendly bit and they can be the ones feeling bad about being rude.

[dainesefreak]

Some people ignore me some don't, question is do I care? No. I don't ride a bike to be part of a club. It's nice to get a sense of belonging that you get from that nod, but would I still ride if I didn't. Yep.

As I said, depends on the person riding the bike. We could generalize even further and talk about manufacturers, "Bastard on that BMW completely blanked me" and they have, others haven't. Get my gist?

[CBRPETER]

For some reason over here, every bike rider nods to one another, because we all share a common bond, and the fact that its common courtesy for riders, as for the advertisement i think its a bit korny but he's right, just in a very gay kind of way.
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[synaptyx]

I got nodded at on both my 'ped and the X9. The X9 probably because from a distance it looks like a big bike. I always went out with my full face, or flip up lid (never ridden with it up - makes the eyes water), wore gloves and a proper bike jacket unlike most of the 'ped/scoot riders around here who seem to think visorless, open face lids, no gloves and a fleece (if even that) is all the protection you need. It's not just the 'ped riders either before I get accused of picking on them. I passed a guy and a girl on a Goldwing wearing shorts and t-shirts a couple of months ago. I was astounded. The girl looked about 11 - the guy her dad I assume. Wouldn't you protect your kid more than that!? That said, I'll nod to anybody on two wheels, except cyclists and Chavs. I don't know if nodding or not is down to protective gear snobbery, (I know protection is down to personal choice) or if there is just a friendlier class of biker round here.

On a similar theme: I got followed home by a car the other week, I was shitting it. The guy was beeping and gesticulating furiously. I couldn't think what I'd done to offend him, so I pulled up in my street and got off having decided to just walk away. He pulls in behind me and starts beeping. It was a mate. I'd never seen his car before, he was out with his wife doing some shopping. I hadn't recognised him without his Bandit 1200 and his gear on. Scared the utter crap out of me!

Back to nodding: I notice that the people less likely to nod to me are the black visor crew, especially if they're wearing power ranger outfits as well. Also the big bearded cruiser riding types can be less than friendly, which I thought odd (maybe I just keep seeing the same guy, they're so generic these days ). Take it as read that you don't get nods from Chavs on their beat up zips (mostly sans helmet, or balancing it above their ears). The friendliest lot I've found to be the 2up tourers often getting big grins and waves from both rider and pillion.

Spiral, no need to be hard on the kid. I felt like telling everybody when I got my first nod. You're right though, don't worry about it.

[dibbster]

[Shaun]

[synaptyx]

[Shaun]

Nah, I know what you mean really, back when I first started riding on a cg125 it was very rare a sports biker would nod to me, made my day when some did though.

I always try to nod to people on 125's now, just so long as it isn't just some idiot on a ped anyway.

[getyerkneedow...]

[stryker]

On a combined approach speed of 120mph I'd not notice a 400 from a 600 even if I didn't want to nod 400 riders.

You sure its not just paranoia? Like we never remember the times there was no queue at the supermarket?

[getyerkneedow...]

No its not paranoia. My friends are the ones who first pointed it out to me.

Even when i have been speeking to bikers who DIDNT know what i ride, a lot of them have said, that to "cut the ice" as it were in their minds, you have to be on 600cc's or more...

Get on a smaller CC bike and ride round the popular biking routes... you'll soon see what the 18yo in T.W.O, Me, and a few others on this thread are referring too.

[Nath]

[JonB]

When you are a newbie to the "Two wheels, with a motor" scene any nod is reassuring and it makes you feel all the more confident. I remember when I got my first "nod" when doing my CBT and I just felt happy from it.

Don't go hard on that kid, once I get a bigger bike I'm sure I will get more nods, especially once I rip off the L plates.
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