Stopping for bikers.

[saltydog]

Got the leg out of a cast at the end of last week.
Saturday cranked the R1 for its first spin in 2 months. So off to the servo to fill up. Get 2kms from the gas and she splutters and dies on a straight bit of road with a bit of traffic.FUCK.
I cant push her, legs still dodgy, so hunt around for a stone or something to stop my stand sinking into the mud and a see a light in the distance.
A Trumphy pulls up and without hesitation dumps his girlfriend off the back to look after my bike and we are off to the servo for some gas.
Unbelivable, and in less than 5mins I'm back pouring the precious into the tank.
Restores my faith in all things biking.
So the moral of the story?
Always stop to make sure a fellow biker is OK, because some day it may happen to you......

A big thanks to LES and his lady at the locksmiths here in Whakatane ....hope burger fuel in vegas was yummy!

[tigertim20]

you know, funny thing I have found, in a cage when im on the side of the road, it can often take well over an hour before someone even stops to ask if you are ok, on a bike, the first or second bike to go whizzing past usually comes back and says whats the prob mate?
Its like the first rule of bikerhood, if you dont help out stranded brothers, you aint biker!!

[Maha]

Saw one about 15 mins ago in the Dome Valley (top of the passing lane) didnt stop as he had company....

[skidMark]

Ran out of ghas on a country road once, about 30 k from a gassy... started pushing it got about 2-3 k and a fella in a van came past.... GAVE me the fuel in a 5 litre fuel can in the back of his van... i tried to give him 20 bucks for it but he wouldn't accept it, theres still some good sorts out there.

[duckonin]

Stopped a few times for bikers one wanted a smoke in the middle of knowhere, the other between Queenstown and Lumsden he was on the side of the road looking at his bike so we turned around after a k or so feeling guitly, we got back to him only to have him tell us he was going to do a spot of fishing..Hmmm oh well we shall keep waving I guess, but really if a bike is stopped and by it's self on the side of the road pays to check, as it really is a prick of a position to be in....

[Ixion]

What goes round comes round. Tip for novices - if you are broken down, take y' helmet off (you'll want to anyway) , and walk back down the road fifty metres or so (not out of sight of bike though) and put helmet on ground beside road. Biker coming along will see it, know that you've not just stopped for a smoke or a chat, and it also gives him a bit of warning so he can slow down. Especially valid if there's a group of you but y' still need help - otherwise a passing biker may think "Lots of people already stopped , don't need me" he doesn't know you have no toolkit, or no mechanical knowledge or whatever. BTW even in this age of cell phones , STILL STOP. Not every road has signal, you may be able to help by calling through a message once you readh civilisation.

[steve_t]

What goes round comes round. Tip for novices - if you are broken down, take y' helmet off (you'll want to anyway) , and walk back down the road fifty metres or so (not out of sight of bike though) and put helmet on ground beside road. Biker coming along will see it, know that you've not just stopped for a smoke or a chat, and it also gives him a bit of warning so he can slow down. Especially valid if there's a group of you but y' still need help - otherwise a passing biker may think "Lots of people already stopped , don't need me" he doesn't know you have no toolkit, or no mechanical knowledge or whatever. BTW even in this age of cell phones , STILL STOP. Not every road has signal, you may be able to help by calling through a message once you readh civilisation.

Sweet. Is that a universal sign for "little help please"? Good to know!

[Ixion]

Certainly is in my world. Alternative to helmet, seat, pack or whatever. Course, I'll stop anyway , especially if the rider is sitting on the bike with that puzzled "wotz wrong" attitude : or hunched down fiddling.

[Maha]

Certainly is in my world. Alternative to helmet, seat, pack or whatever. Course, I'll stop anyway , especially if the rider is sitting on the bike with that puzzled "wotz wrong" attitude : or hunched down fiddling.

If its a 'he' hunched down fiddling, best you keep riding....

[Gremlin]

I stopped for a car in scenic drive one saturday night around 8pm a few weeks back.

Of all the odds, it was an ex mechanic of AMPS, who was trying to change a front wheel by the light of a mobile phone. My headlight was most useful for the chap.

Worst thing was, several cars had passed by before I came past, none had stopped... You really gotta check in those less populated places, as help can be far away...

[HenryDorsetCase]

Sweet. Is that a universal sign for "little help please"? Good to know!

of course in some worlds what happens is some prick stops, steals your pack/helmet/significant other, then drives by, not stopping, giving you the fingers and shouting "I stole your pack, loser".

maybe I'm unlucky that way.

[cruza]

Hell yeah , you have to stop . What goes around comes around . I always go out of my way to help , as I have had some real good bastards stop and help me when I've been on the side of the road. Last rescue was a fellow kb'er , first person that I've actually known.

[CookMySock]

I always stop if something doesnt look right. Sometimes I'll stop for a sleep, but not on a highway.. no one has ever come along and woken me up thank goodness.

Steve

[steve_t]

Probably not so relevant to bikers but I'm really getting fed up with people who are trying to see if everything's alright getting the shit kicked out of them. I know the guy in Hamiltron who went across the road to see if a screaming maori chick was being attacked by her dropkick boyfriend. The chick started punching the good samaritan guy who decided he should leave. The chick's boyfriend punched the guy in the back of the head and knocked him out. 8 other people then proceeded to lay the boot in. He has 2 fractured eye sockets, broken jaw, broken nose, and other bruises all over his body. This dude is nearly 40 years old and a really good guy. I don't think he'll ever try to help someone again and I'm pretty sure he'll never go out drinking every again. It's sad and disgusting.
Another mate tried to prevent a fight ie no punches were thrown yet, only a bunch of idiotic words, and he got a broken bottle slashed across his arm/wrist which severed the nerves and cut down to the bone! He has only recently regained feeling and control of his fingers but will never have feeling in his arm again

[klingon]

I always stop. As a female on my own (and given stories like steve_t's above) you might think it would be unwise for me to stop and offer help, but I have done and always will do it.

Of course you have to be a bit sensible about it, especially if you're in an isolated place. As always when stopping your bike, think about how you're going to get moving again - don't nose in somewhere that you're going to have to back out of. Keep your helmet on, engine running & in gear until you've assessed the situation and are confident there's nothing sinister going on.

I've only been riding for a couple of years but at a quick guess I suppose I've stopped six or more times to check on a fellow biker stopped on the side of the road. One guy I just waited and minded his bike while he went to the nearest service station, another I stayed and chatted while he waited for his wife to arrive with petrol, another was a woman who had developed cramp in her leg (the way she was rubbing it I thought she had come off and injured herself - a relief to find it wasn't that!) another couple of times they just said they were fine and waved me on.

The guy who was waiting for his wife to bring a can of petrol really summed it up for me. He didn't need my help, but I just hung out with him anyway. He was feeling a bit self conscious standing on the side of the road by himself and a bit sheepish to have made such a newbie mistake - he was probably in his late 60s and had been riding his whole life. I used 10 minutes of my day standing beside the road, talking about bikes. I believe we both benefitted from the encounter - it brightened both our days.