I've just remembered what happened to me on my ride home from work this evening. Cut a long story short, while riding home, I came off a roundabout and exited onto a short dual carriageway, which bends round to the left before reaching another roundabout. Well I pulled out and passed a car and was approaching the next roundabout quite fast. I noticed an ambulance was travelling towards me on the other carriageway, it started flashing its lights at me with the driver quite frantically waving his left hand at me in the very obvious motion of "slow the f**k down". I thought for a second that he was confused with the blue lights and all and maybe forgot, which emergency services he worked for. I then shot into the roundabout and suddenly thought. . .speed trap! And to my surprise there the fuzz were gun ready and aimed straight at me with 1 biker and 2 cars already pulled. So massive thanks to the Ambulance driver who saved me a few quid! Oh and that was the short version! And as the title says "flashers and nodders" where are all the nodders gone when we see each other? Does everyone on here nod when they see a fellow biker?
first off well done to the ambulance driver, i would like to bet he is a biker as well though i always nod to fellow bikers but have to say i dont always get the same response back, even if im out for a fast ride i still try to stick my foot out just as some kind of acknowledgement
I reckon you'd be right on that one mate. Couldn't believe it, thought it was very cool! Glad to hear that you nod too, I always nod and acknowledge other riders. I have been riding for about 12 years and still get that smile appear on my face when I see the acknowledgement back from another rider. Love it, just love it!
Yep thumbs down from me too Learned it from my dad as it's a bit before my time but most people know what your getting at.
I always try and nod, wave, stick me boot out. Sometimes you just can't do it, mid corner round a right handed for instance.
Devil's right, it does cheer you up when you get the nod back. It's that feeling that you're just that little bit different than everybody else on the road and the only other person that gets it is the geezer in the leathers coming the other way. And there's proof of this by clocking the reactions on some car driver's faces. That "what's that all about" look. I love it. I have to say though, I'm suspicious of some snobbery from certain marques. I don't want to be contentious or upset anyone here but I've noticed the disproportionately high amount of unreturned nods come from large, twin cylindered, cruisers from the city made famous by beer, if you know what I mean. Perhaps the vibration shakes their eyeballs so much the riders think everyone's nodding at them.
I think your right kpone, the shaking maybe allows them to see about 40 bikes coming at them and they think "f**k I can't nod all them"! Strange how that is though with that type of motorcyclist.
There is a lot of comfort in the fact that a sports bike rider has given you the nod ,to me it means green is go.
I like it when you get an instructor towing a line of learners behind them. They never seem to be quite sure whether to respond or not, almost like they're not really supposed to join in in case they set a bad precedent for their class, especially when there's half a dozen guys on 125's and dayglo vests behind them nodding like they've got Parkinsons.
Now thats a welcome supprise, I always think ambulace drivers look at you as if your there next customer. I always Nod, not only is it polite it recognises our common interest and reasures you should you have a ploblem. I posted on this subject in june, (be Friendly).
I do nod, but only on country rides. I commute into London, Soho from Surrey every day so if i nodded at every bike i saw, my head would no doubt detach itself from my body. Oh, and i never nod at Harleys.. especially the ones with ape hangers...
Im not a serial Nodder, but will always nod back if 'nodded'. Always used to in the old days, now too miserable to bother!
I always nod to the side, but have noticed over the years that it is reciprocated less and less, especially from fat bloated cruisers etc. Although when I get an enthusiastic nod from a 125 learner it does make me smile with pride for some reason...
I always nod, where I can. I remember picking my first bike up from the dealer after passing my test and riding away on quietish suburban roads on a Sunday, and I got my first nod from a Hog rider coming the other way. It was a great feeling - sort of validated my progression into being a 'proper' biker! I always try to nod to all bikers, or acknowledge them if I overtake them/they overtake me on the same carriageway (hand off the left bar, French-style or foot-off). Having said that, Ialmost nodded to 2 bikers coming the other way last weekend - I stopped myself just in time when I realised I was driving in a car and not on my usual ride!!
Nodded in the car so many times! lol I so know what you mean kpone, they look like a bunch of sheep being towed not really sure what to do. But its strange as I thought for a laugh I shall nod the lot of learners coming towards me and I did only to find they completely ignored me! Felt such a plum. ;-)
