So I'm on my way to meet a friend to ride north of the MetroPlex this morning, and my plan was to gas up at the meeting site, about 40 miles away. Starting off, I'm still in the main tank and I usually get 40 miles out of the reserve, so I figure I'm good to go.
Going west on I-635, about five miles into the ride, I have to reach into my reserve tank, which, again I've got a five mile buffer so I'm cool, right?
Well, then I'm going north on I-35 about ten miles later and I come across and accident that has traffic backed up for about a mile. I thought I got through it relatively quickly and still had some buffer to go, but then 25 miles into the reserve, I run out of gas......
Short story long, as I'm about a mile into walking my bike about two miles to the next gas station (you're right - it sure could have been worse), I notice a truck pass me and then start backing up. WTH? Then I notice a sports bike in the bed of the truck and realize my good fortune. The gentleman stops, asks what is up and when I tell him I'm short on gas, pulls out a gas can and drops in some. We introduced ourselves - his name is Ron. As we talked, he said he is learning to ride and his brother apparently is pretty good, and he couldn't let another rider get stuck. Needless to say, I thanked him sincerely and wished him the best.
It wasn't until he started to drive off that I realized that this was Karma in action. See my earlier post about Why Motorcyclists Wave. For a variety of reasons, Ron was very helpful today and saved my butt. Thanks tons, Ron! Best wishes! Here is hoping that when it is your time for Karma to come your way, it does with the same speed that you came to my aid today. You're a good man and a good friend in my book.
FWIW, props to all who reach out to help others - it isn't just a motorcycle thing. I just mention it here because it seems one of the communities I know where you really see it in action.
As for the trip, it was a great ride. The guy who suggested we ride is guy I've known for a while and we grab a ride from time to time. This time, Steve called me Thursday or Friday, and I hadn't been planning on riding but had the time and I know we've missed each other in the past, so I jumped on the opportunity.
We took another Shadow of the Valkyries ride - going north of Denton, up to 902 through some back roads, then over to 289 south to 121 over to Tioga and Clark's Outpost for BBQ. Up until 121, it was all new roads for me and it was really cool. (If you want to try it out, look for 3002 east from I-35 and map a route up to 372 and 3496.) Some of the roads were high-twisties, but also not in the best condition.
After a late lunch, we went over to 75 via FM 455 and 543 - my two favorite roads in Texas in large part because they were the first real twisties I ever took (thanks, Mer and Randy and all you Beginner Biker folk). Those roads are still great for turns. Disappointinly, 543 is a little rough for wear with some washout areas, but it still was a good ride. Thanks, Steve - great suggestion and it was great to hit the roads with you again.
So, to sum up - Texas is still beautiful for riding, and Karma is still good currency.
Coda - so it is now 2012, and nothing in this post has changed. Texas is still beautiful for riding, and Karma is definitely still good currency.
Showing posts with label Motorcyclists wave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motorcyclists wave. Show all posts
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Why Motorcycle Riders Wave
Those of you who don't ride motorcycles probably don't know this. Those of you who do ride probably do.
Motorcycle riders wave to each other. It usually is a small thing - a simple raise of a few fingers or nod of the head in a lot of instances. This article includes some of my thoughts on this great practice.
It has always given me a sense of community and never ceases to put a smile on my face. It means we're brothers and sisters on the road.
Today, though, it became a lot more - a reminder of what it really is all about.
I was riding home from work when I saw a guy riding a Harley coming into the intersection from my left. He waved, and as I was holding down the clutch with my hand, I just nodded. Then he entered the intersection to turn left in front of me. His front tire lost pressure, his bike lost contact with the road and he dropped the bike.
It took me about three seconds to really get what had just happened. Once it sunk in, I pulled my bike to the median and went over to him. As bad as things can be when you drop a bike, he was relatively okay. But I stood with him and made sure everything was okay. We checked out the bike and noted the scrapes and scratches, and then he got his bike back up and I followed him down the road to a gas station where he refilled his front tire. We talked a bit, making sure that he was good to ride home, etc.
That experience was a bit startling, but not what really drove home to me the issue of why motorcycle riders wave. What drove that home was one of the stories he shared - about a night where he was basically ridden off the road by a van and left behind in oncoming traffic, and about how no one stopped to help until two motorcyclists stopped and helped get him out from under his bike and out of the road.
My point? In many instances, we're all each other has. I've stopped a number of times for riders who look like they might be in trouble. This is the first time for someone who had dropped their bike, and I'm damn glad I did. Thinking back, I am sure I could have handled a situation like that on my own, but I'm sure I would appreciate having someone who understood riding (or even just someone to make sure I was okay) there to have my six, so to speak.
On the rest of the way home, I saw a number of riders. Bikes of all kinds - cruisers, crotch rockets, touring bikes. And every time someone waved, I could feel the camaraderie - and the underlying "when we waive, we celebrate enjoying riding together, but we also say 'I've got your six', too."
So if you ride - thanks. Thanks for being a part of that family that takes care of each other.
If you don't ride, please, watch out for the motorcycles out there. Car and truck drivers have a tendency to not notice motorcycles because they are more focused on the larger vehicles like themselves. I'm asking you to be proactive in noticing the motorcycles out there, and if you happen to see someone on a bike in trouble, consider checking to see if they are okay. The vast majority of the riders out there are not the stereotypical biker gang dude, but rather people who have found the joy of riding motorcycles.
If you are considering taking up motorcycling, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE consider taking a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course. The VAST majority of serious motorcycle accidents happen in the first year of a person taking up riding. Reduce those odds by taking a MSF course and then riding carefully for at least six months.
If you want more information, take a look at my old "Get in the Saddle - A Motorcycle Rider Beginner Basics" page. It has a lot of solid information about how to evaluate bikes, links to resources, etc. Some of them are outdated, and I plan on doing a revised version here on this Blogspot page, but for now, it is still a useful page.
Also, in checking out articles about riders and waiving, I found an old friend, so to speak - BeginnerBikers.org! This was a wonderful resource from when I started riding. It included a forum that was great for discussing all things a learning rider needed to see and read and talk about. I met friends there who rode with me in the Hill Country - what a great ride! Unfortunately, that version of the organization apparently hit a road bump or two and was offline for a bit, but apparently it resurfaced and is back, stronger than ever. I HIGHLY recommend it to any rider with two years experience or less, and would even recommend it for experienced riders who just want to stay in touch.
Keep the shinny side up, folks. And remember - when riders wave, it not only means "ain't this cool?", but also "I've got your back."
By the way, there was a follow-on article that happened soon after the events that inspired this post. It resulted in this article, "Karma = Good (Motorcycle Version)."
Motorcycle riders wave to each other. It usually is a small thing - a simple raise of a few fingers or nod of the head in a lot of instances. This article includes some of my thoughts on this great practice.
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It has always given me a sense of community and never ceases to put a smile on my face. It means we're brothers and sisters on the road.
Today, though, it became a lot more - a reminder of what it really is all about.
I was riding home from work when I saw a guy riding a Harley coming into the intersection from my left. He waved, and as I was holding down the clutch with my hand, I just nodded. Then he entered the intersection to turn left in front of me. His front tire lost pressure, his bike lost contact with the road and he dropped the bike.
It took me about three seconds to really get what had just happened. Once it sunk in, I pulled my bike to the median and went over to him. As bad as things can be when you drop a bike, he was relatively okay. But I stood with him and made sure everything was okay. We checked out the bike and noted the scrapes and scratches, and then he got his bike back up and I followed him down the road to a gas station where he refilled his front tire. We talked a bit, making sure that he was good to ride home, etc.
That experience was a bit startling, but not what really drove home to me the issue of why motorcycle riders wave. What drove that home was one of the stories he shared - about a night where he was basically ridden off the road by a van and left behind in oncoming traffic, and about how no one stopped to help until two motorcyclists stopped and helped get him out from under his bike and out of the road.
My point? In many instances, we're all each other has. I've stopped a number of times for riders who look like they might be in trouble. This is the first time for someone who had dropped their bike, and I'm damn glad I did. Thinking back, I am sure I could have handled a situation like that on my own, but I'm sure I would appreciate having someone who understood riding (or even just someone to make sure I was okay) there to have my six, so to speak.
On the rest of the way home, I saw a number of riders. Bikes of all kinds - cruisers, crotch rockets, touring bikes. And every time someone waved, I could feel the camaraderie - and the underlying "when we waive, we celebrate enjoying riding together, but we also say 'I've got your six', too."
So if you ride - thanks. Thanks for being a part of that family that takes care of each other.
If you don't ride, please, watch out for the motorcycles out there. Car and truck drivers have a tendency to not notice motorcycles because they are more focused on the larger vehicles like themselves. I'm asking you to be proactive in noticing the motorcycles out there, and if you happen to see someone on a bike in trouble, consider checking to see if they are okay. The vast majority of the riders out there are not the stereotypical biker gang dude, but rather people who have found the joy of riding motorcycles.
If you are considering taking up motorcycling, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE consider taking a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course. The VAST majority of serious motorcycle accidents happen in the first year of a person taking up riding. Reduce those odds by taking a MSF course and then riding carefully for at least six months.
If you want more information, take a look at my old "Get in the Saddle - A Motorcycle Rider Beginner Basics" page. It has a lot of solid information about how to evaluate bikes, links to resources, etc. Some of them are outdated, and I plan on doing a revised version here on this Blogspot page, but for now, it is still a useful page.
Also, in checking out articles about riders and waiving, I found an old friend, so to speak - BeginnerBikers.org! This was a wonderful resource from when I started riding. It included a forum that was great for discussing all things a learning rider needed to see and read and talk about. I met friends there who rode with me in the Hill Country - what a great ride! Unfortunately, that version of the organization apparently hit a road bump or two and was offline for a bit, but apparently it resurfaced and is back, stronger than ever. I HIGHLY recommend it to any rider with two years experience or less, and would even recommend it for experienced riders who just want to stay in touch.
Keep the shinny side up, folks. And remember - when riders wave, it not only means "ain't this cool?", but also "I've got your back."
_________________________________________________________
By the way, there was a follow-on article that happened soon after the events that inspired this post. It resulted in this article, "Karma = Good (Motorcycle Version)."
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