To stop or not to stop...

[Dannygee]

In the last few months there have been 2 occasions where I have seen fellow bikers apparently stranded at the roadside, in laybys alongside the busy A road that I regularly use to pretty much go anywhere (work, ride out etc).
Both times the riders have been stood alongside their machines, lids off, looking at their bikes apparently perplexed.

Being the outstanding fellow that I am (& recalling the same thing happening to me some 20+ years ago) I pulled into the layby, on my bike, & asked if they were OK, needed a hand with anything etc & both times they looked at me like I had either just come from space or was there to rob &/or possibly molest them & basically told me to do one! (I wasn't going to do either,promise)!

My point is, is it really that rare for us bikers to see if each other are OK in similar circumstances or have we lost that sense of togetherness & willingness to assist in times of potential adversity?

I would certainly be happy for someone to stop by & see if I was OK if I was stranded on the roadside & I'll never forget the fella on his ZX9 that stopped & offered me a pillion to the garage when my Honda H100 failed me all those years ago!
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I just wanna ride, that's all...

Honda H100, Honda FX650, Honda NTV 650 Deauville, Suzuki GSX1250 FA Z

[Doomsnite]

I would be very glad of the help if mine packed up seeing as i know nothing about fixing them. I would stop to give someone a pillion as thats all i could do
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Triumph Street Triple-R
Sold: Honda Hornet CB600F-Y / Yamaha YBR125

[chickenstrip]

I've stopped on a few occasions to see if I could help. I don't have much mechanical knowledge, so for me, it's just to see if they need some fuel/use of phone etc.
I don't always do it as sometimes you just have to get where you're going yourself, but time and circumstances permitting, I will.

What I will often do is slow if I see someone who looks a bit lost/stranded and give a kind of questioning (how do you give a questioning ? ). If I get the thumb up in return, I assume they're ok and keep going.

I like to think someone would stop and help me if I was broken down with no way to help myself, so do unto others etc.
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[Eddie Hitler]

https://i.imgur.com/GP1Dves.jpg

[The Disapproving Brit]

[chickenstrip]

[groovylee]

i dont think it is so much that bikers have

[Snorty]

When my bike was playing up blowing fuses, somebody helped me look at the issue and get the bike home, he went and got me some fuses from the petrol station which was nice.

I had somebody lift my bike into his van and give me a lift to the petrol station when I'd run out.

Similarly I saw a lad pushing his scooter up my road, he'd locked his keys under the seat, I gave him a lift to his house to get his spare... I know how hard it is to push a bike up the hill!

I always stop or ask as long as I'm not in a rush to get somewhere - I've been helped out by other people/bikers so many times myself.
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[wr6133]

Used to stop. Found out nobody stops for me so now won't stop unless the stranded rider is blonde with a massive rack (have yet to spot a stranded rider of this variety).

[_Troy_]

I have stopped many a time, although the most help I have offered is a friend to chat to while waiting for a van.

I have had a member of this forum stop for me before. I was 2 hours into a 5 hour journey, soaked through, crawling through stand still traffic and my bike cut out. Although neither of us actually did anything to fix the bike (just had to wait for it to dry out a bit), it was nice to have someone willing to put himself out to see if I was ok.
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Current bike: ZX6R J1
Previous bikes: CLR 125 | GS500 | ZX6R G2 | SV650

[Rogerborg]

South Coast problems.

Maybe you didn't nod properly when you stopped?

Sure, stop. If they're dicks about it (like zat German couple on zere BMW who had chust stopped to enjoy ze view, NEIN assistance is rekvired!), will bite them for it, not you.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Dave70]

I've had folks pull up and ask if everything's okay and if I need any help on a number of occasions, both bikers and car drivers. 99% of the time I've just pulled over for a smoke and/or break but, it's nice that people bother and I've done the same myself, even though I know little about mechanics but I maybe of some use.

Just after I moved back to the UK I saw a bike pulled up at the side of the road, so I pulled over and stopped to see if they were okay. It turned out to be a lady biker who was travelling to the IOM for TT but had got lost. She was pretty amazed when a bike with Manx plates pulled up to assist her.
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There ain't no devil, there's just god when he's drunk.

2012: R125 killed by white van. 2016 R125 killed by 30,000 miles of redline. Current: 2016 Kawasaki ER6f.

[Dannygee]

[GeorgeB.]

When I borrowed a friends Divvy the other week, I saw a bloke at the side of the road on a roundabout under a motorway bridge.

Tooted my horn and did a thumbs up sign at him to see if he was alright but he just stared blankly.
I came back around and stopped next to him, hopped off and asked if he needed any help. He was very bemused at the though of stopping to help another biker, but long story short, pillioned him to a petrol station while my missus guarded his bike, got him started and then had a bit of a play with him up a dual carriageway.

I try and live by the good ol' "treat others how you want to be treated". I've had plenty of bikers stop and ask if I was okay when I was having troubles with the tank breather on the CB and breaking down every 5 mins.

Even had a guy stop when I was sat outside a mates houce texting him to tell him I was waiting.
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Current: '99 Fazer 600 | '99 Range Rover P38 4.6 HSE
Previous: Keeway TX125 | CBF 125 | CB400SF Project Big One
CBT 04/12/12 | Theory 03/12/13 | MOD 1 06/01/14 | MOD 2 13/01/14

[dandelion]

I stopped for a car driver that kept banging the back of his head on the headrest while driving and then pulled up thought he was having a seizure but it turned out to be a furious fap. Never again, unless obvious assistance is required. My standard for obvious has raised to vocal call for help.

[Dave70]

[groovylee]

didnt there used to be a signal for needing assistance? something like your helmet behind the rear wheel?

might just be imagining it
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Past - 1988 honda revere 600, 1996 kawasaki gpz500s, 1999 Yamaha R6

Current - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000R & 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R

[Doovy]

I was cruising up the A12 the other week on my RXS100, saw a guy with a moped pushing it up the hard shoulder miles from the exit.

Pulled over and he showed me the big nut holding the variator on had spun loose and made a break for freedom through the casing, smashing it to pieces. Amazingly he actually had the nut, although he had no tool-kit to tighten it up with.

I only had some screwdrivers on me, no spanners, so had to leave him. He wanted me to push him along with my foot on the back of his ped as I rode, I politely refused

Still, I tried.
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Yamaha RXS 100 > Honda CD 250 > Honda Hornet 600 > Honda CBR 600RR > Yamaha RXS 100 > Kawasaki ZX6R J2 > Yamaha FZ1

[map]

[Dave70]

[mudcow007]

got a flat last year on my way to the scotch piper (literally about 2 miles away from the pub) on a sunny wednesday evening....

id say about 200 bikes went past, of which about 5 asked if i was ok

I would still stop if i seen someone kerbside though

[Baffler186]

It's nice to stop for people, but the last 3 times I've stopped to help out it's been; "it's ok thanks, I've called my boyfriend", or "no I'm fine". I'd stop immediately if someone was stood next to their bike with their thumb out or whatever, but if it's not obvious then I don't generally stop. It's easy for someone to indicate if they need help or not.
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Current: 2009 SV650 S, 1990 Kawasaki GT550
Previous: 2009 CBF125, 1998 GSF600, 2004 FZ6 Fazer, 1978 CB400a Hondamatic

[Doovy]

[weasley]

If I see someone stopped in time then I will pull over or slow down and offer a quizzical - so far I have a 100% affirmational return rate.

When my KDX 125 ate its cylinder I was pushing it along a rural road to my nearest friend's house when a guy with a flatbed trailer pulled over. He helped my sling the bike on the trailer and took me where I was heading - my bike leaked fuel all over the trailer but he was more concerned about the cost of the lost fuel than his trailer.
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Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT | BMW F900XR TE

[Mark 37]

My local road is the a82, I can't go anywhere (visit family, get petrol, go to supermarket) without ridding along or crossing it.

So you can imagine the amout of bikers I pass (lots of foreigners wich has brought language problems) so I've made a rule of only stopping for those with pillions (because a lot are kids/young teens that have had issues) or for those who have an obvious mechanical fault. I'm clueless about mechanics but I can usually nip up the road for a specific tool when required (within reason).

I'd like to stop for all (carma and all that), but it just has not been possible and because I'm a solo rider (mostly) I am very cautious as to which situations I insert myself into.

Cheers,
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No matter how fast light travels, darkness was always their first.