You, on the Yamaha press fleet R6

On the A21 down past Hawkhurst, and then on the little twisty back road
to Peasmarsh and onto Rye. Yesterday, Wednesday 10 August, about
6.30-7pm.

You were trying, and I appreciated the toot and wave as I finally turned
off down Deadman's Lane into Rye, but if you can't keep up with an eight
year-old Ducati that's giving away over 30bhp to your whiz-bang, you
need to go on a riding course. Now.

That said, it was a fun 15-mile thrash and thank you.

 

The Older Gentleman says...

I can find out who has custody of that bike, if you like. Let me know
the colour and last 3 digits of the plate.

 

We've all been there. When I had my XJ900 not only did I paste my mate
on a Duccy 900 but also overtook an "expert" mid bend on a ZXR750
whilst I had me girlfriend on the back!

I also remember out cornering a CBR900RR on my CBR1000F. Some people
simply can't corner...

Zan

 

Couldn't tell you. It was black and on a 54 plate, that's all.

 

*cough* And you don't call me? <flounce>

 

Where? Context man, context.

 

Heh. Naw, I stayed in and went to bed at 9.30pm, believe it or not.
Hadn't had much sleep since returning from holiday.

 

Can't have been that far behind if you saw him wave and heard him sound his
horn.

Anyway, that's a good offer from you- a worthy Class 2 Nnnngh!

 

Forgiven, older one. Forgiven.

 

I was sitting at the intersection for my turn-off, waiting for traffic
to clear..... But no, he wasn't too far behind.

I just got ticked off when he overtook me in a scream of revs, then sat
behind the car in front, dithering about whether to overtake it.

So I overtook both of them and then had some fun.

Memo to self: must check the disc pads on the Ducati. I actually used
the brakes this time, and after eight years and 26,000+ miles the
(original) pads may need replacing at last.

Eh?

 

Why would TOG want to know and would the person who had the bike be
happy that you divulged such information?

Rowdy

 

Posting to the ng about how you left someone for dead. On a par with
nodding at other bikes, in Porl's world.

 

Nah nodding at other bikers isn't quite as sad as that. However, posting
either "No one nods at me boo hoo" or "Should I nod or not not?" is.

It can't be just me that feels this way. I'll get me pod.

 

You cemented relations with the awesome Brotherhood of Bikers tm.

 

A little over a week ago I found myself stuck by the A404/A4130 with
an empty petrol tank [1] and a dead mobile phone [2]. After 15 minutes
or so of trying to flag down anyone passing (not exactly a quiet route,
that) and watching people actively accelerate past where I was standing,
eventually a couple pulled over and let me borrow a mobile. And then a
bike, the first bike I saw (other than the - by this point fucking
useless - 7R at the root of my predicament), pulled over and the bloke
happily gave me a lift back to the office a few miles away to sort out a
solution.

Two years ago I had a rear tyre blow out at a ton on the M4, handily
shredding itself by the time I got to the hard shoulder. While on the
phone to the RAC, a bloke on a bike pulled over and did the thumbs
up/down thing to check I was ok.

Three years or so ago I broke down just outside Hinckley (while chasing
Wik and Porl en route to EOSM.) The only person who bothered to pull over
and offer assistance was a model plane afficionado in a corsa who (it
turned out) had a garage full of Hondas in various states of disrepair
and a rather tidy Z900. A bit later, when I was limping home from an
unscheduled pit-stop at the unhelpful bunch of cunts who pass as Drayton
Croft, he spotted me again (this time on the Z) led me back to his place
for a spot of impromptu carb maintenance.

There are people on UKRM who seem to think anyone who nods to another
"biker" (for whatever definition of the word) needs shooting. Or that
anyone with an upside down head would be a reasonable candidate for a
dose of Zyklon B. Or that the Ace Cafe should be avoided on principle.
Or that Ogri is the antithesis of everything they hold dear. It's the
21st century, not the 1970s - we don't need to ask permission to enter
pubs anymore, do we?

But "biker brotherhood" or not, the two-wheeled community (for want of
a better word) seems to be the one of the last vestiges of consideration
and common decency. Don't rubbish it, make the most of it. It won't
last.

Oh lordy, I'm rambling...


[1] Had just picked it up from service/MOT, and forgot it'd been on
reserve when I dropped it off.

[2] Because if you're going to make a cockup, make it a compound
cockup every time

 

If you are aware that someone needs help and you the have time then,
regardless of the mode of transport they are using, there is no excuse for
not helping if you consider yourself a sympathetic person. Restricting
potential recipients of aid solely to other bikers isn't laudable afaic. In
fact, I think it's pretty pathetic. And rather than bikers being the last
bastion of social decency there are similar reciprocal agreements in many
social areas where like-minded people share an interest, instead of simply
seeing the greater commonality in being a human.

 

[snip]

Nah, mate, ramble on <cue Led Zep freeaks>

I agree with the sentiment, entirely.
--
| Wik -UKRMHRC#10- 2003 R1150GSA -DC#1 -'FOT#0 'FOF #39 - BOD#12 BOB#12
|# You don't believe me | "Experience is the worst teacher.
|That the scenery | It always gives the test first
|Could be a cold-blooded killer. | and the instruction afterward."
***** human response from wik at blueyonder dot co dot uk *****

 

Since switching from the petrol powered shed to a newer diesel car
I've not bothered. The last time I stopped and gave assistance with a
can of petrol it was for a spotty oik on a tatty moped. Would have
been nice if he'd turned up later with the money for the fuel.

 

It's not the money, £5 for a can of fuel is hardly going to break the
bank. With him having gone through all the nonsense of taking my
address etc it would have been nice if he'd then repaid as promised.