Ducati Monster Forum

Was out for a ride today here in SoCal.  For you locals, Guiberson to Grimes Canyon.  Just as I had passed a truck on a straight and approaching a series of turns, my rear tire began to deflate rapidly.  Fortunately, I was able to slow nice and straight and pulled off the road.  As I was in a dangerous place in the curve, I walked it back a few yards to a safer spot.  As I was checking out the bike and pulling my gear off, a young woman pulled over and asked if I was OK and if I needed a phone...I told her I had my cell, was alright, and though I (at the moment) didnt need any help, I thanked her for her kindness and she left.  I found the puncture then I called Auto Club to request assistance, asking for the service provider to bring along a patch kit and air.  I was told that they didnt do that, that I would need a tow/pick-up.  Not having a center stand I decided against that.  I decided to wave down some riders (several had already passed by without any sign of acknowledging my presence) to see if someone might be willing to give me a ride to Filmore, about 5 miles away.  I waved to several groups of riders going by and no one even turned their head!!!  Well, one guy on an adventure cruiser looked at me, shrugged and pointed to the three other guys in front of him that didnt stop!  Fortunately, a couple on a pair of Harleys, gave me the thumbs-up signal and when I responded with my thumb down, the slowed, turned around and came back.  The gentleman asked me what was up and I told him about the flat...I asked if they could give me a lift to town and back and he said he'd do me one better and pulled a repair kit (with air cylinders!) out of one of his saddle bags.  He told me to keep it, and after I asked for his name and info to pay him back, he said "we are all bikers...pass it forward to the next fellow rider".  I was pretty stoked by this rider's kindness, but as I worked on my bike for another 20 minutes or so, another couple dozen bikes went by and not a single one even slowed to see if I was OK and needed help.  I rode slowly into Filmore where I added more air, and made it safely home to Castaic a little while later.

 I've  been one to slow and ask in the past, but havent always done so.  I plan to do so from now on without fail...regardless of what the other guy is riding.

So, my thanks to this couple, and to the young lady in a cage, that stopped to offer and render assistance to a stranger.  They made my day.

I guess that as long as there continue to be some of us willing to stop and help a fellow rider we'll never be left completely stranded.  Well done to your Harley riding buddy, good deeds can come in strange packages  [moto] [thumbsup]

So much for Harley bashing.  To your Harley friends [beer]

 [clap]


 [thumbsup]

 [thumbsup] [thumbsup]

pay it forwards rock [thumbsup]

Thanks, Captain Sunshine  [laugh]

I have always stopped to help when I see someone in need.  I ride all forms of motorcycle and I don't judge someone by their ride; never have, never will.  Believe it or not there are still some real motorcyclist riding HD.  It's the "weekend bada55es" that drive me crazy.  They dress like one percenters and act like a55holes trying to fit the image they see on TV and in the movies.  The first Banditos I met were through two of them stopping to help me out.  I had a fork seal blow on my '02 Heritage and I see two of them pulling up while I'm on the side of the road.  I think to myself "man, I'm in for it now; they are going to take my bike".  They asked if I needed help and I told them I had a buddy coming with a trailer (didn't really, but I was just hoping it would get them on their way).  They stayed a couple of minutes while we chatted and then roared off with a wave.  BTW, luckily I wasn't far from home and I was able to limp the bike back home.

When I was just out of College in 1975, a friend and I ran upon a gang of Harleys when we pulled under the canopy of a closed filling station on the way up the mountain - it was raining pretty hard.  One of their number had a flat tire.  We were on BMW's with good tool kits and tire patches.  We removed the tire with the tire spoons that were in our tool kits, pulled out the tube, patched it and then inflated the tire with the manual air pump that came on the R90S (all) BMWs of the era.

They were all just dumb struck that all that was possible and we were glad to have been able to lend a hand.

Funny how it seemed that the most reliable bikes of the period came with the best tool kits and some of the bikes that really need a good tool kit didn't.

LA

Hence the title of my post, "My faith in humanity, PARTLY restored".    [laugh]

It seems like the more people there are going by, the less likely they are to stop.  Stranded on the side of a busy DC-area road at night, in the rain, in the cold, thousands of cars went by and noone stopped.  Broken down in the middle of Montana, miles from the nearest one-horse town, at least five different people stopped, including a tractor trailer.

So we should all keep in mind it's good to stop and ask if a rider needs any help.  Especially a solo rider who's stopped someplace other than a scenic overlook.

That probably has a lot to do with the type of people that live in rural areas and those of the large metropolises.

I've stopped for a fellow rider on the Grand Central Parkway or Van Wyck (don't remember which), I tried to help him as his bike had stalled & seemed to be flooded. He was on an old gixxer IIRC. I've also helped someone in their car change a flat tire and have stopped plenty of times to check if someone is ok.

I think we should all consider assisting others irrespective of their mode of transportation but I know that isn't always practical.

Dang, Evil Steve...that's not very Evil.   :o

I've stopped to help several stranded folks, both motorcyclists and cagers.  Even if they don't need help, it makes me feel better.  Must be karma for what I did to my little brother when we were growing up.   ;D

Simple story:   Same guy, 2 times, over 3 years, 400 miles apart, I fixed his bike on the side of the road.


He knows I like potato vodka.

Thank you Danny for remembering my B-day for the last 6yrs.


It's a small world.

I always stop if it looks like a biker could need assistance.

Not very evil...

not very Steve. ;D

That damn evild__ !

Trouble I tell ya'... Nothin' but trouble!   [laugh]

There, I've updated my info for everyone's reference. ;)

Back to the topic at hand; we should all treat others as we want to be treated, I'm not religious but that may sound familiar to some.

I dumped my bike (not my current bike) on a hairpin on one of my favorite roads, there were 4 or 5 people out there right away asking if I was ok and if I needed any help.

I was run off the road by a dump truck, they did not stop, nor did anyone else but that may have been because I was swearing loud enough to have it echo off people's houses... with my helmet on.

It takes a certain amount of consideration for others and introspection to recognize situations where you'd expect/want certain behavior from others that you aren't doing yourself. When/if you see this, please stop, help, or just ask. Little things like this can make all the difference. It's a version of "pay it forward".