Inside Line
Get a grip
The biker's nod. A strange phenomenon. See another rider, nod your head at them. Or there's the wave, same thing only waving, obviously. Harley riders use their fingers, usually two pointed down below the left-hand grip, very subtle.
I find it very reassuring when I'm out and about and a fellow rider and I acknowledge each other. It makes me feel as if I'm part of a club or organisation, like there's someone looking out for me. I know if I happen to break down or take a fall, chances are another rider will pull over to see how I am and offer to help. To me the nod or wave is a little sign to say “Hey, I'm looking out for you.”
I also like to think it worries the odd car driver too; “How come they're waving at each other? Do they know each other? Do they know something I don't? What's about to happen?”
I'm, not sure how it all began really, I'd have to guess it originated from the AA patrol riders, who would salute passing motorists sporting the yellow badge.
We motorcyclists seem to have taken it a step further though, earlier this month I was enjoying a particularly wet and miserable ride up the A5. I was approaching a roundabout and to my surprise was confronted by a chap on a CBR600F, gesturing for me to slow down. I duly did and as I cautiously entered the roundabout saw what he was warning me about, a huge diesel spill covering most of my entry and exit. The emergency services weren't on scene yet, but they might have had to be if it wasn't for CBR man. Many thanks, if you're reading this.
I was discussing this incident and the whole biker's nod thing with one of my colleagues in the office last week. We both agreed how reassuring it was, how much it showed the camaraderie between riders etc. But, we also agreed that it wasn't always like that. He asked me how I'd found it riding the scooter, if I get the same level of acknowledgement. The answer, I'm afraid, is no. I'm very rarely acknowledged by motorcycle riders when I'm out on the Burgman, the odd one or two give the nod, but not many. Other maxi-scoot riders wave every now and then, but largely, I'm on my own. Are motorcyclists not allowed to wave at scooter riders now? Are they embarrassed by it? I'm a motorcycle rider, I just happen to be on a scooter, what happens then?
Same goes for everything else now, it would seem; cruiser riders only wave at other cruiser riders, modern scooter riders don't wave at classic scooter riders, sports bike riders don't wave at cruiser riders, tourer riders don't wave at sports bike riders, no one waves at scooter riders... What on earth is going on? Has there been some sort of pamphlet issued that I've missed? ‘Nodding: The Official Rider's Guide’. My colleague says he's given up nodding and waving now, as he's not sure who he's allowed to nod and wave at any more.
Can someone explain to me what's happened? Why are we only allowed to acknowledge certain people on certain machines and not others? Does this mean we're only going to stop and help a stricken rider if he's on a machine we like? Should CBR man have left me to hurtle across that roundabout on my backside, because I was on a
maxi scooter and he wasn't?
Come on you lot, get a grip...
Phil Turner
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