Stopping etiquette
 

As a young one I learned the motorcycle etiquette of stoping for a fellow motorcyclist if they appear to be broke down. With that said some cruiser friends and I went for a great ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway this past Saturday. We saw one bike stopped and we asked if he was good which he was he was just helping a few guys load some bicycles. Later on we come across a really nice Harley on the side of the road. We asked him if he was good and he said he thought he had blown it up but had someone on the way to pick him up. I feel like we should've waited till that person arrived but he kept insisting he was good, I got the impression that he didn't want to be seen with a couple metric bikes. What does everyone else do in similar situations.

I stop, but if they say they're good I move on.
I don't worry about it afterwards, if they don't want to be seen with a sport bike that's fine, I know I was trying to help and that's what matters.

He was probably just a little embarrassed. I stop for everyone. In fact, my new years resolution a few years ago was to stop for anyone (car or bike) that I saw on the side of the road (during the daylight, no shady situations, etc.). I find that people that really need help could care less what you ride or what you drive. I've stopped for cars that have ran out of gas, downed bikes, smoking cars, guys, girls, trucks, singles, families - anyone.

Karma paid me back in a huge way a few weeks ago. A guy who raced short track on the way to the races gave me a Ford ignition module ($30 part) that he had in his trailer after mine had given out in an area I wasn't familiar with with my family in the car. I stopped to fill up for gas and when I was done, it wouldn't start. He just happened to be stopping to fuel up his generator on his trailer. He said he didn't mind so long as I could get my family home. Before he arrived, a few people had stopped and tried to help me. 3 separate people tried to jump me, and then a group of guys with a pregnant girlfriend decided to stick around and really help me. They happened to know the guy who was on his ways to the races who happened to have a spare in case he needed it.

I tried to pay them all for their help. I tried to buy food for a couple of them - they never accepted my offer though. They all, individually, at different points separately, just said that "I hope someone would stop and help me". The guy with the pregnant girlfriend was the first one to stop - he and his girl waited there with my family for almost 4 hours with us once he figured out we weren't from around there. He said "I'm trying to build up some good karma before I become a father".


So my advice, if you feel safe doing so - keep stopping and offering help, no matter who it is. Don't be pushy, if the don't want you to stay - don't. But always offer your help if you feel you can help. Some day it might be you, and Karma will probably pay you back.

I stop in my truck too, I tell them I have a ramp and gas, wherever they need to go. They all say they are fine, I offer to wait or grab some food or something; haven't had anyone take me up on that offer yet though I hope if my bike breaks down someone will return the favor.

Best line I've heard in a while. I always hope someone would help me if I were stopped also. It does seem things seem to come full circle sometimes doesn't it Conrice. I agree about stopping for people except for shady situations or in the dark. Here at the beginning of the summer I remember our news outlet reporting a guy broke down on his cruiser and a fellow in a truck stopped to help then the motorcyclist attempted to swing at him with a knife. Needless to say the guy offering help left quickly! I would agree the guy we talked to probably was embarrassed because it looked like it wasn't much older than a 2010, really nice street glide I think.

Oh man, does it ever. I just saw your location. If you're from the Chapel Hill area - I broke down in Zebulon. I live in Tarboro (about an hour and a half east of Raleigh). Anyways, I've only lived in NC for 2 months - this happened a few weeks ago. I was really fortunate to have helpful people stop.

I live around the Hickory area and work in Charlotte. Quite a haul some mornings! I've lived here since 2008. Came down from Ohio to finally finish college, met a girl, got a job, got married, rest is history. Lots of nice roads about 30 mins to an hour west of me. If you ever want to go sometime let me know we can meet up.

My biggest worry is breaking down by myself riding in the mtns like I do. I know the F4i is very reliable though and I maintain as much as I ride.

If it appears that the person is broke down and they are nowhere close to some populated area I'll stop and ask if they either need help or if they want me to call for assistance. I've stopped to change a tire for someone when it was 100+*F and I was within 2 miles of getting to my nice air conditioned house. We were both on bicycles but she apparently did not know the first thing about replacing a tube in her tire.

I've stopped on the highway in the middle of the SW desert when it was 115*F when I was on my bicycle and a broken down truck was sitting on the shoulder with two people inside. I offered to call for help but they said help had been notified 30 minutes ago and they were still waiting. They didn't have anything to drink so I gave them the contents of one of my water bottles as I knew I would be getting off the highway in about 10 more miles and I could survive off the contents of my Camelbak.

There are other stories; those are two that stand out in my mind.

Oh, right on - Hickory is nice! I stayed there for a couple of days in July - I came from Knoxville via the pkwy from 441. You have some amazing riding really close to you. The wife is locked into a 2 year contract to teach in Tarboro - but after that, she and I want to possibly move a little bit more west to get closer to the mountains.

I don't get out that way very often - but if I do - that'd be great to get shown some good roads that aren't on the map.

I always stop for people. I picked up a guy and his wife in the middle of arizona once when their harley decided to dump it's oil all over his leg. lol... That would have been a cold night for those two and they were pretty damn happy for the lift.

It has nothing to do with "karma", though, as I don't believe in that bs at all. I just think it's the right thing to do. Help a brother out and all that.

But if they say they're good, I leave. And I don't think another thing about it.