Tank Slap - Motorcycle Forum

On my rideout today, there were plenty of bikes about. One thing that struck me though was the amount of them that didn't nod back when we passed. I'm sure it wasn't far off 50% of them.

Is it in decline?
When I first started biking it seemed to be maybe one bike per rideout didn't return the nod.

No consistent group dynamic was ignoring me either, I was blanked by Harleys, sports bikes, adventure bikes,even learners FFS. I'm sure they can't smell me from that far away, so why no nod?

Not counting the mid-corner ones obviously.

One thing I did notice is that the closer I got to Wales the more bikers nodded. Could've just been coincidence, I don't know.

Any thoughts?

Yeah I was out today for about 3 hours and quite a few didn't nod back ?? More alarmingly I see more and more and I mean a lot of bikers just wearing shorts and t shirts WTF is that about ..

Yep, it's on the decline. No idea why.

When I lived in NZ 99% nodded back. My trip back there last year about 75% returned the gesture.

In Aussie, they just look at me like I'm a weirdo. I've had maybe 2-3 ever return it. They were probably OS visitors

Fits & starts.

The tradition here is the rider of the smaller bike has to wave first.....HD riders are pretty particular about that, although there's a brand affiliation they seem to share with Triumph.

Brand new riders seem stoked just to be part of the club, so they wave at every fecking thing on the planet.

Little kids in cars seem superglued to the window as you go by....you make their entire day when you wave at them, so it's your absolute duty to do so.

Nodding is left for when your midway through a turn.

Wave at cops too....they're usually pretty surprised by it...and cool at returning it. Or stopping you and asking "Why did you wave...no-one waves at cops??....BTW...Here's a ticket for your trouble. Have a nice day"...etc.

****head.

Still do it alot in east yorkshire

nobody nods since i swapped the bike for a superscoot

R34PER wrote:nobody nods since i swapped the bike for a superscoot

Quite right too

Perhaps it's in decline because it's an open acknowledgement of mutual respect, - As in our society in general there is a readily perceivable reduction in any inclination to display respect for others.
In short it seems to be becoming "more fashionable" to be self absorbed.?

Maybe. Who knows. I do notice that those who don't nod tend to be the twots who think they're in a 1970s motorbike gang - patched leathers and pisspot helmet.

Those and the weekend wannabee racer types.

I get more return nods when I'm commuting.

I do notice it when there is a group of riders coming past you. However I thought the idea was to stick out a leg or put up a hand when it's a group, well that's what I tend to do but they just keep on riding now

If it's a group I nod at the leader.

If I'm riding on a mission I don't nod. If I'm chilling I will nod so long as the other rider doesn't seem like a twit. I've been blanked by too many Harley, Triumph and S1000RR riders that I don't bother nodding to them and it seems the same with Gixxer and Blade riders too.

Definitely far fewer people nod these days and it is disappointing. Doesn't feel as if there is any community any more

Yes I think nodding is dying out in the UK as it seems there are less bikers and more people who just own a bike as a leisure vehicle if that makes sense.

When riding in Europe I find people more inclined to wave rather than nod but at least there acknowledging you and not just blanking riders. But I guess people who are touring Europe on a bike are more likely to be bikers and not the leisure riders we get here who do 600 miles a year.

^^^^^^^

You just made me remember something re. Europe, etc.......I think the 'other side of the road' thing has a lot to do with the nod vs. wave thing.....someone posted about a while back....a wave makes sense if you drive on the right....on the left it's virtually unseen anyway, so no-one bothers.

There's a whole bunch of hand signals we use......

Point at tank.....I need gas.
Tap helmet.....Cops ahead of you.
Points at eyes.....debris in road, etc.

The cruiser-losers will sometimes think it's fun to tap helmets when there's no cop at all......oh yeah, like the last 14 riders didn't see anything???

R'tards.

Sadly its the Society we seem to be making. Reespect and courtesy seem to be dirty words these days.

How many times do we wait to be let out of a junction by a line of traffic and even though they can go no further than say 10 yards past you before coming to a halt, they still don't stop to let you out. Some even completely block your exit oblivious to anything but themselves.

I think its a sign of the times sadly. There was a letter sent to BIKE magazine a while back about a guy that was broken down and not one biker who went past offered any assistance or even asked what was wrong. Then the next month a person responded to the letter saying bikers are not the AA and he should not expect anyone to stop. The responding letter got star letter. I will NEVER BUY BIKE magazine again. There is a huge difference from stopping and asking if the person is alright to rolling on the floor fixing someones bike. To me biking is as much being part of a large community / friendship as much as riding.

Spot on Rocket. If I ever see a biker in trouble I always stop to offer assistance. Could never just ride past.

Rocket perfectly put. I tend to stop as well to make sure everyone is OK, I won't be fixing there bike - not because I don't want to but because I'd have no clue of where to look first
Just the other week I saw a chap stopped I slowed right down and made my fingers into the OK signal, he responded with a thumb up and OK signal back and I went on my merry way. To be honest it's not difficult for anyone just to do that in my opinion

Rossgo wrote: Just the other week I saw a chap stopped I slowed right down and made my fingers into the OK signal, he responded with a thumb up and OK signal back and I went on my merry way. To be honest it's not difficult for anyone just to do that in my opinion

This is exactly what I do