Ever worry about a stranger after seeing them on a motorcycle?

[Guth_imp]

This past weekend my wife and I were out exploring Oregon's wine country. While doing so we stopped in a small town where we strolled around a bit and had some lunch. Right after we arrived I noticed a trio of motorcyclists just as they were headed out. The last rider stood out to me as his kickstand drug along the main drag making quite a racket for quite some ways before it finally hit something big enough to kick it upwards.

My wife and I ate lunch at a restaurant there on main street where we were seated right by the front window. About the time we were finishing up our meal I saw the same trio of riders return to town. They parked right across the street from the restaurant where we were eating. The same fella that had left his kickstand down earlier when leaving wasn't really sure how to park his bike. After nosing it into the curb his riding buddies said something to him and he tried to move the bike around so that his back wheel was up against the curb. He then backed the bike into a car while doing so. A woman actually walked over to inspect the car to make sure no damage was done before she gave him the okay to carry on. I don't even think it was her car as she appeared to be just a bystander.

After many years of riding I'm still not exactly "smooth" at parking my bike. (I can say that ease of parking is one aspect of my Hawk GT that I do miss.) I can also still find things to criticize about my own riding in the name of getting better. But in this particular case I don't mean to be critical of this other rider. I really just wanted to share this story as I found myself a bit worried for this guy who was clearly rather new to riding. Also, he wasn't a small guy, but it was obvious he was having a bit of a struggle with the big cruiser that he had chosen. Maybe it was just a rental bike, I really don't know. In the end I figured that it was none of my business, but as I watched all this play out I realized that I had actually grown a bit concerned about a complete stranger. None of us are guaranteed safe travels out there on two wheels. I just hated to see someone seemingly stacking the odds even higher against themselves.

Anyone else have a similar experience? Maybe such stories aren't all that rare. I learned to ride a motorcycle when I was still a kid. By now I've surely romanticized in my mind any such problems that I might have had way back then. I know that we all have to start somewhere. I can't help but think that it's much better to get that kind of stuff out of the way early on, long before hitting the street as an adult much later on in life. Hopefully the guy I saw struggling somewhat goes on to enjoy many years of safe and happy riding.

 

[Blockhead_imp]

I recently saw a guy on a full dressed Harley drop the bike at the Pa./Ohio turnpike border toll booth while reaching to pay his toll.

He was with a few other riders, it was obvious he was a newbie though. They helped him pick up the bike, he was a flustered mess. Truckers honking at him from behind were no comfort I’m sure, he almost dropped the bike again when he took off. The poor guy seemed way beyond his comfort zone on that big heavy bike...I hope he got to his destination safely.

 

[cookiemech]

I spend a fair amount of time on a Harley forum and I never cease to be amazed at individuals who have never ridden before, yet just HAVE to buy a Harley for a first bike! I rode for 28 years and probably 350,000 miles before buying my first Road King, and was still uncomfortable riding that big heavy thing for a week.

I guess easy credit is the reason people step right up to the big expensive bikes rather than doing what I (and most others) did years ago, which was to buy an old, cheap bike and actually learn to handle and ride it.

I'm not unsympathetic; I'd certainly be glad to advise and help someone like that if I could. Since the advent of state-sponsored motorcycle "safety" training, I think many people actually believe motorcycle riding is "safe" and just another hobby. It ain't.

 

[redbirds_imp]

Too many new riders want to start out on a big cruiser because they feel so comfortable on the showroom floor. The easy reach to the ground and the laid back riding position belie the effect of riding a very heavy bike with a long wheel base.

I feel fortunate to have started out riding dirt bikes in the late 60's. All types of lessons about control may be learned with less risk in the dirt.

 

[Rocky_imp]

I spend a fair amount of time on a Harley forum and I never cease to be amazed at individuals who have never ridden before, yet just HAVE to buy a Harley for a first bike! I rode for 28 years and probably 350,000 miles before buying my first Road King, and was still uncomfortable riding that big heavy thing for a week.

I guess easy credit is the reason people step right up to the big expensive bikes rather than doing what I (and most others) did years ago, which was to buy an old, cheap bike and actually learn to handle and ride it.

I'm not unsympathetic; I'd certainly be glad to advise and help someone like that if I could. Since the advent of state-sponsored motorcycle "safety" training, I think many people actually believe motorcycle riding is "safe" and just another hobby. It ain't.

Very true and wise words.
I see that scenario here a lot too; older rider with no riding experience trying to handle a big bike (Harley?) or other monster cruiser. It's so obvious they barely know what they're doing.
I just silently shake my head in dismay and wish them well.
We've already had some deaths this season when an older rider lost control of his cruiser and crashed.
Very sad.

 

[KiowaEagle_imp]

I spend a fair amount of time on a Harley forum and I never cease to be amazed at individuals who have never ridden before, yet just HAVE to buy a Harley for a first bike! I rode for 28 years and probably 350,000 miles before buying my first Road King, and was still uncomfortable riding that big heavy thing for a week.

I guess easy credit is the reason people step right up to the big expensive bikes rather than doing what I (and most others) did years ago, which was to buy an old, cheap bike and actually learn to handle and ride it.

I'm not unsympathetic; I'd certainly be glad to advise and help someone like that if I could. Since the advent of state-sponsored motorcycle "safety" training, I think many people actually believe motorcycle riding is "safe" and just another hobby. It ain't.

Very true and wise words.
I see that scenario here a lot too; older rider with no riding experience trying to handle a big bike (Harley?) or other monster cruiser. It's so obvious they barely know what they're doing.
I just silently shake my head in dismay and wish them well.
We've already had some deaths this season when an older rider lost control of his cruiser and crashed.
Very sad.

Very true and wise words.
I see that scenario here a lot too; older rider with no riding experience trying to handle a big bike (Harley?) or other monster cruiser. It's so obvious they barely know what they're doing.
I just silently shake my head in dismay and wish them well.
We've already had some deaths this season when an older rider lost control of his cruiser and crashed.
Very sad.
Add in the fact that they are wearing little to no protection (no helmet law here in PA) because they want to look the part and it makes for a very bad mix.

 

[emptysea]

Yes, I worry about other motorcyclists who do not seem in full control of their bikes. I don't know why I worry about them, but not about someone not in control of their car (at whom I typically just roll an eye), but maybe it has to do with empathy. We were all there once, or at least most of us were, where we edged a bit past that "70% of your ability" threshold. Maybe this empathy is sort of at the heart of "the wave", and the "What year is that one?" and "Where are you from?" conversations that we don't share with our 4-wheeled counterparts.

 

[Roper_imp]

Last night, I was coming down a canyon which had several spurs for camping areas. Every mile or so, there was a sign which read, "Watch for vehicles entering road," because there were an awful lot of blind corners followed by a spur to a campsite. Plus, it was dusk, and I already had passed several deer along the side of the road. A fellow motorcyclist on a sport bike followed me for a couple of miles. As soon as we got to a short straight section, he accelerated to at least double the 35 mph speed limit in order to pass before the twisties began again. I worried for him. He was going too fast to stop if a camper pulled onto the road or a deer jumped across. I caught him at the bottom of the canyon. Traffic was backed up because of construction. Thank goodness he was okay.

 

[use2b_imp]

mostly I worry for the young guys I see doing all the stupid things i use to do Luck and eventually a degree of wisdom entered my brain and i gave up those ways.= high speed and wheelies ......
When i owned the only Goldwing I never liked " a 1500cc Aspencade = HUGE and Heavy even had a Reverse.... Anyway a smaller guy who had the same bike dropped it at a red light after slipping in oil with his foot and down he went. I got off my bike and tried to help him but he angrily declined any help and said " I got this " so i got back on my bike to watch as he used his back and legs to pick the big bike back up only for it to fall even harder on the other side. he then asked me for some help ! So yes i worry about the abilities of all riders having so many close and not so close calls with them , yet at the same time being ever mindful of my own ability's especially since 70 YO is not that far away .

 

[LongRanger_imp]

I think much of it is driven by naivety and ego, only to be exacerbated by testosterone and peer pressure. Group riding can be especially hazardous. The folks I feel most badly for are the gals who ride pillion (on a sport bike or a cruiser, it doesn't matter) in street clothes, no helmet, or worse. Once they climb on, their fate is out of their control.

 

[2017EX_imp]

Good Topic Guth. I am reminded of the old saying " you have to learn to walk before you can run". My learner bike back in '68 was an 80cc Suzuki, which was ungraded many times over the years as riding skill, experience, and budget increased.

I traded in a Harley CVO I owned for the past ten years on my CB. The Harley was a beast to wrestle at slow speeds around town. Then, it had feet forward controls, which is a whole different ball game in terms of perception of balance while riding and cornering. lastly, " a mans just gotta know his limitations " and getting up there in age, I needed something lighter and easier to handle. The difference in weight from the Harley to the CB shaved off almost 250 lbs.

I cringe every time I see a guy ( or girl ) on a motorcycle cruising down the road with no helmet, wearing a T shirt, shorts, and flip flops. It is their choice for certain, but I think those of us who have ridden for years would agree that it is not a good choice.

 

[gtcoupe65_imp]

Good Topic Guth. I am reminded of the old saying " you have to learn to walk before you can run". My learner bike back in '68 was an 80cc Suzuki, which was ungraded many times over the years as riding skill, experience, and budget increased.

I traded in a Harley CVO I owned for the past ten years on my CB. The Harley was a beast to wrestle at slow speeds around town. Then, it had feet forward controls, which is a whole different ball game in terms of perception of balance while riding and cornering. lastly, " a mans just gotta know his limitations " and getting up there in age, I needed something lighter and easier to handle. The difference in weight from the Harley to the CB shaved off almost 250 lbs.

I cringe every time I see a guy ( or girl ) on a motorcycle cruising down the road with no helmet, wearing a T shirt, shorts, and flip flops. It is their choice for certain, but I think those of us who have ridden for years would agree that it is not a good choice.

Thats funny, I just gave my younger son my 05 Harley Ultra 103 Screamin Eagle. Same reason, bought a new 2014 CB1100 and instantly fell in love. Just about 500 fewer pounds to lug around on. If the Ultra handled as well as my old Road King, I'd probably still be riding it.

 

[misterprofessionality]

oh boy, i've got one of these:

I watched a squid on a BMW r1200GS drop it at low speeds not 6 weeks ago. He was riding with a friend, on a much older sport tourer (VFR i think), and the friend was in the lead. It was clear that they were out for an afternoon ride together, and that said squid was way proud of his brand new GS. As many of us know, it's a fairly heavy bike. and it's high up, and it's relatively powerful. it's really not a beginner bike, but I always seem to see people with very little experience or sense riding them. We all know of the guy that's been mentioned above, whose whole dream is to own a big bad Harley, so he's just gotta buy one for his very first bike because he can't wait. We also all know of the short-sighted dumb kid who's just got to pop some dank whoolies, so he leaves the showroom on an R1 or a FZ9 or god forbid a Busa for his first bike. But i'm beginning to suspect there's a third group on the rise. there's a subset of...i dunno what to call them....independently wealthy 30-somethings (yuppies? do they still exist?) who are really psyched about buying a brand new R1200GS or an Africa Twin or a Super Tenere for their first bike.

anywho, this guy was definitely one of those guys. no helmet. polo shirt. shorts. i was in the far left lane, they were in the far right. my lane was somewhat traffic-clogged, so they passed on by, and i lost sight of them for a moment or two. when i came upon them again they were coming to a rather sudden stop behind a line of cars at a red light and sure enough, the BMer couldn't keep his footing and fell over. I sat at the stop light a couple lanes away and watched his friend park and try to help him lift it carefully while people honked and yelled out their windows behind them to move out of the way. The cringe i felt was powerful.

i'm making a big assumption that the guy's got money, so he's probably going to repair his damages no problem and carry on riding this monster bike that he can't handle all season. considering his propensity for riding without a helmet i found myself thinking on the way home that it's only a matter of time before he loses his life. There's a lot of traffic deaths in this state. the lack of a helmet law here surely contributes.

There's also the short story of the guy on the lime green custom Hayabusa who was so enamored with the way my stock black CB1100 looked that he spent too much time looking at it and went face first into the back of a minivan. he was going the opposite direction on a local road in traffic, and i gave him a little wave as he approached. he waved too, but i could tell by the angle of his helmet he was giving my CB a very long look, like he'd never seen anything in the world like it. I was trying to pay attention to my own stretch of road, but i saw the moment his front end crunched and his helmet hit the back windshield. thankfully he wasn't going fast enough to even break the back windshield of the minivan, but it **had** to hurt, and that Custom Busa was certainly going to be off the road for quite a while after that.

 

[rotor]

As mentioned repeatedly above, heavy, hard to maneuver motorcycles are part of the problem. But I have another observation:

There is a large number of riders that get on their bike only occasionally, primarily - if not exclusively - for that big trip once a year, when their annual vacation rolls along. All skills deteriorate during period when they are not exercised, and motorcycle riding is no exception. Being an occasional motorcycle rider is, in itself, a hazard.

 

[Stichill]

I'm not too worried about riders who struggle with low-speed maneuvering. In most cases the casualties are egos and property damage. Although there can be injuries as well, they are usually not life-threatening. In many ways, skill at parking-lot speeds separates advanced riders from the noobs and ne'er improves. I'm certainly not as skilled at low speeds as I'd like to be, but I keep practicing. It's much more important to be vigilant and canny while riding and maintain control of the machine at speed under all conditions of traction.

 

[Guth_imp]

Interesting tales all. The guy that I observed looked like he was just a regular guy that simply wanted to enjoy riding a motorcycle. He did not appear that he was trying to fit into any certain "category" of riders. He had some safety gear. Did not appear to be trying to impress anyone. Perhaps it's just rare that I see a new rider these days. I just hope the guy is able to survive his initial entry point into riding.

I guess it's just a matter of "progress" or whatever you want to call it. What many people consider to be an average sized motorcycle these days is nothing like what I viewed bikes when I was younger. There are only so many safety mechanisms that they can build into motorcycles. If someone wants to go big to start then so be it. I don't want to sound like a grumpy old man — I'm not mad about anything here. Just a bit surprised is all.. I suppose the thing is that while motorcycles have changed quite a bit over the past number of decades, people themselves haven't. So it goes eh?

 

[Cormanus]

The alternative to people 'going big to start' is the sort of regulation we have in Australia where there are two classes of motorcycle license and you are limited to certain bikes for at least a couple of years and then you have to pass a further test to be allowed to ride large capacity bikes. Some of the LAMs (Learner approved motorcycles) are up to 650cc so they can perform pretty well and I suspect many people who ride motorcycles for commuting or weekend spins don't ever bother getting an unrestricted licence. In my view, it's not a bad arrangement, but there's a moment when the state intrudes to far into these things. It's a matter of opinion where that line is drawn.

 

[Roper_imp]

The alternative to people 'going big to start' is the sort of regulation we have in Australia where there are two classes of motorcycle license and you are limited to certain bikes for at least a couple of years and then you have to pass a further test to be allowed to ride large capacity bikes. Some of the LAMs (Learner approved motorcycles) are up to 650cc so they can perform pretty well and I suspect many people who ride motorcycles for commuting or weekend spins don't ever bother getting an unrestricted licence. In my view, it's not a bad arrangement, but there's a moment when the state intrudes to far into these things. It's a matter of opinion where that line is drawn.

When I was in Japan many years ago, the "beginner" class was only up to 100cc. The market for "look fast" mods was huge. I had an friend--a Japanese college student--who had a 100cc Suzuki which looked exactly like a 600cc GSX-R. Only the sound gave it away. Well, that, and it topped out at 100 klicks.

In Utah, you have to pass a written test and a riding test to get a motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license. Most riders just take the foundations course to satisfy the riding test. The size of motorcycle you use to pass the riding test determines your license restriction: 90cc or less, 249cc or less, 649cc or less, 650cc plus = unrestricted. Also, for the first two months, all new riders are considered learners and cannot ride with a passenger, after dark, or on interstates. I think those are pretty reasonable requirements. If I could change anything, it would be learners for six months rather than two months.

 

[Jeeves_imp]

I worry every time I go to a dealer for whatever reason, and see the 20-30 year old du jour, pie-eyed about the sport bike they are buying as their first machine. I can't change their minds and make them do something more logical, but I DO pray for their safety and hope they get through assimilating the real mechanics of riding before they decide to get too crazy...

 

[dwcurton_imp]

Back when I sold my old V-Strom after getting my CB, the guy buying it was a typical story. He'd ridden as a young man, gotten married, and hadn't been on a bike in decades. Now he wanted to get back into riding and absolutely wanted an ADV bike. He was shorter than I was and older, and could barely reach the ground even though I'd lowered my bike an inch from stock. Still, he paid cash and the deal was done, except he had no one to follow him home. So I reluctantly agreed to follow him and then bring him back to get his truck.

The entire 30 minute trip was cringe inducing. Every stop was a guess as to whether he'd get his foot down before dropping the bike. Every take off was a wobbly affair as his control of clutch, gear, gas and steering was questionable at best. Turns were unstable, and even straight line driving was iffy. I was sure he was going drop it right in front of me.

Somehow he made it home, got off smiling and laughing like he had the greatest time. Completely unaware.