jpharley - "Its like a lot of things at
one time if you were stopped on the side of the road bikers would pull
over and see if thay could help but most just ride passed now."
Yup, back in the day I had loads of people stop for me when I'd just pulled over for a smoke or a 'comfort' break...
I suspect there might be a few reasons for the change over the years - I see you're much the same age as me jpharley, probably been riding about as long I'm guessing? 30-odd years ago most bikes were generally far less reliable and it certainly seemed to me that there were a lot more people riding older/shabbier machinery. As a result I suspect that far more bikers pretty much HAD to know something about fixing them, and because they were relatively easier to fix they often carried the tools and parts to do so. I know I did, and all the rat bike owners I know still do.
Modern bikes are much more reliable, and often very much more complicated. Anyone remember setting up contact breaker ignition timing with a Swiss army
knife and a fag paper? Good luck with that on a bike fitted with a
CDI/EMU! I used to carry spare solderless cable nipples for my old Triumph, but every bike I've owned in the last 25 years has had a hydraulic clutch (and shaft drive)
Although modern bikes break down less often, when they do it's usually harder (often impossible) to bodge them. Possibly as a result of this it seems like a lot of modern riders don't actually know much
about their machines beyond basic maintenance, so they'd hardly be able to offer much practical help even if they did stop.
I can't actually remember the last time I saw a bike broken down by the roadside. Since 1986 I've only had one breakdown myself. The CDI unit on my 22 year old Honda blew 2 years ago - not something you can patch up by the roadside.
I haven't actually carried any tools beyond a pocket knife and a leatherman, or any spares apart from fuses and a set of levers taped to the bottom of my seat for over 20 years now - simply because I've never needed to, and don't expect I ever will. Even back in the day quite often the best you could do was offer a lift
to the nearest phone box - but of course everyone and his dog has a
mobile phone now (even me!) I doubt if I could help anyone fix a broken down modern machine, although I'd still stop out of habit because I'm old fashioned, not with any expectation of being able to offer material assistance.
Long story short, I think people used to stop more because there was a real possibility that they COULD actually help - IMO that's generally not the case
nowadays.
Yes think your not wrong there warhed bikes have changed alot over the years
but some things never change petrol when its empty she stops
yes we all done it and the few that havent will at some point think I can make the next services only to be meet by the strange silence
I got a puncture on my bike last year. I was on my way to Squires with my mate who was also on a 125. It was a Sunday and lovely weather so loads of bikes about I'm not kidding when I say around 60 bikes passed us... and only 4 stopped.
The first one was a fella in his late 50's who couldn't find a puncture hole, but told me there was a garage over the bridge, the 2nd was a fella around the same age, who asked if i was ok... then went on his way, The next 2 were middle aged lad, and a lass who was riding a 125, who were in a group, these two stopped...their mates carried on, then the lass couldn't get her 125 started ..none of them came back to check on them!
Long story short, my mate rode on to Squires came back with another friend and we got some gunk, rode about 200yds and it went down again... got some tyre weld and managed to limp home, got about 2 miles from home and it was flat again.. turned out it was the valve that was faulty..
Anyway..back on thread.. I guess like Warhead says, people are just not sure what they can do to help these days.. the only 'practical' solution someone suggested was to stuff the tyre with horse hair!!! I don't suppose many people carry that in their tool box?!
I would like to think I will always stop if anyones broken down.. even if i can't actually do anything to fix it, maybe they just need to use a mobile etc. As for PM's I will always reply to anyone, its common courtesy, and manners cost nothing.
I noticed the same thing when I joined at first, found it very strange that courtesy with some folk is just lacking - look at it this way now that, the ones who do reply are the genuine ones! There are far more of those on the site than the 'others'lol at the end of the day - it's nice to be nice.
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