Question about motorcycle drivers...

[walking joint]

I do alot of driving and have always wondered about this......why do most motorcycle drivers seem to have some kind of bond? i see it all the time when i'm driving. you get two motorcylces driving in opposite directions and the two drivers acknowledge one another....either with a flash of the lights, but usually with some kind of hand signal. its also common to see motorcylce drivers in huge groups also. and these people who acknowledge each other can't all know each other. why is it they feel it necessary to do this? am i missing out on something by not doing this with other Explorer drivers? and is it limited to just Harleys? just something i wonder about alot.

[ADF]

My motorcylce stopped working, so I had to download the drivers from suzuki.com and reinstall them.

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[KCfromDC]

There are other car "clubs" that wave at each other. Corvettes and Jeeps do it. But bikers take it to another level. You'd be surprised how many of them actually know each other. When my band plays out, we stop at the Harley shop where our drummer works to spead the word, and we always draw 50 or 60 riders from all over the area.

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[Dewey]

There is a bond among motorcycle riders (you don't drive a motorcycle). It has to do with a shared sense of freedom that is unique to motorcycle riding, and a shared sense of danger as well.

There is a saying among Harley riders, "If I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand." I disagree with this statement. More accurately, it should be, "If you haven't experienced it, you won't understand." The feeling of freedom that comes with motorcycle riding is unique. If you experience it, you'll know what I'm talking about. I've heard motorcyclists describe it variously as "a sea of peace", "just you and God", and "you become one with the bike".

Harley riders are a group unto themselves. If you have a Harley, you're in the club, if you don't, you're not. At motorcycle events like Daytona, guys with rice burners don't even park near the Harleys. This may not seem fair or right, but that is how it is.


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[East Side Dave]

How much does a Harley cost? I'd like one.

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[East Side Dave]

..........Never mind. I just blew my money on a hamburger.

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[GaryWyze]

<font color=purple>Great topic! Dewey already made a point that came immediately to mind; you drive a car, you ride a bike.

So, while a car will get you from A to B, a motorcycle is so much more. It's a way of life. It's the ability to be free. Or to be doing triple digits in just a few seconds. And either way, be it going full throttle or for a simple cruise, you've never been more in the moment (outside of sex, maybe).

I love cars. And I love to drive. I read all the mags, do about 30,000 miles a year, pratically live in my car... but it'll never compare to motorcycling.

And that's part of the reason why riders bond so easily.... they all get that.

My current bike sits on a showroom floor upstate right now. I picked it up last summer, after my Triumph TT was stolen the summer before that, before I even had a chance to really break it in. Every ounce of logic dictates that I let the dealer sell the bike for me, since it was nothing but trouble for the entire time I had it. There's also quite a few personal reasons that make not riding this summer a really good idea. I know all that. I know that I should hang up my helmit. I know that keeping my bike would be an incredibly stupid thing to do. And yet I'm still tempted to do it.

That's why riders instantly bond and arrange their week around Bike Nights, their vacations around Bike Week. Because you know that only a guy who's been there, is gonna get it. It's the kind of camaraderie you sometimes see in soldiers and cops. It's a kinship, a feeling that it's us against the world. And when riding the roads around here, it often is.

Because between kamikaze cabdrivers, distracted soccer moms, drowsy commuters, dare devil pedestrian and potholes that rival that which you would find in Irag, you can end up real dead, real fast.

When you see someone else who knows all this, and yet is still stupid enough to be on his bike, how can you help but wave?

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[HordeKing1]

Car and truck drivers also share a universal brotherhood complete with signals and messages that, though subtle are understood by all. To wit:
1. A raised middle finger, indicates that you're upset at your fellow motorist. Perhaps he inconsiderately, cut accross 3 lanes of traffic and narrowly missed your car.
2. A honk of the horn can mean many things ranging from, "Look out, I'm about to hit your car in .03 seconds" to, "See how special I am. I can hit the horn before you hit the gas when the light turns green."


Regarding motorcyles, although cool, the "brotherhood" seems to be primarily between gang members. For example, Hells Angels and Pagans do not exchange friendly greetings when they pass each other on their bikes.

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[Bob Impact]

I would think that the fact that Ford sells thousands upon thousands of Explorers would lead to you not feeling a brotherhood with other Explorer drivers. The relative exclusivity of a product I think is the key, for instance, I have owned two cars in my life that give me that instant bond with other drivers, an 83 Mecedes Sedan and a 79 Mecedes convertible. Both bond you instantly to other drivers of the same year or model because, while initially mass produced, they are getting older now and rarer, and if you see one in good shape you feel a certain pride in that "hey, maybe I'm not the only person who enjoys these vehicles."

Beyond rarity, I think it's that feeling that you're connected with someone by thinking outside of the box. While most are driving plain sedans or SUVs, i'm out there in an old smelly diesel. It's unique. I feel the same way about bikes, I don't currently own one, but I plan on buying one again soon because I miss that feeling that's associated with it, when you see someone else riding you almost start to wonder if they have had the same experiences on the road as you have.

East Side, Harley are fucking expensive now. A Heritage Softtail will cost you around 18 grand.

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