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From: animal@ihuxq.UUCP (D. Starr)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Re: Re: "Hello there"
Message-ID: <1144@ihuxq.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 17-Aug-84 11:06:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxq.1144
Posted: Fri Aug 17 11:06:39 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Aug-84 02:10:58 EDT
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Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
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Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Re: Re: "Hello there" (kidneys, hands and flat tires)
References: <1501@proper.UUCP>, <892@drutx.UUCP>, <1135@ihuxq.UUCP>
Keywords: touring,waving (hands)



>It's true that Harleys just zoom by, but if my kidneys were getting
>that kind of a workout, I'd be in a very unfriendly hurry myself.

There may be a number of reasons why Harley riders don't wave very often,
but kidney discomfort isn't one of them.  I just returned from a two-up,
6000-mile trip on my FXRT, and neither my kidneys nor my passenger's
required unusual attention.  In contrast, note that the author of the
above remark is complaining about possible long-term damage to the nerves
in his hands after riding a Honda to Wisconsin.  Something about vibration...

Anyway, I'm not sure that waving is really all that important, although I
still do it a lot.  What's more important to me is whether somebody will
stop to help out if I'm broken down, out of gas, or lost.  In over 130,000
miles of riding (85,000 of them on Japanese bikes) over the last seven
years, I've been in that situation more than a few times (enough to be
a statistically meaningful sample, I think), and have noticed that Harley
riders stop and ask if they can help.  Most Japanese bike riders 
(annoyingly, often those riding the same make and model that I'm on) just
zoom on by (though sometimes they wave).

Moreover, the Harley riders are often able to help.  Most of them seem to
be pretty good mechanics, or can siphon a bit of fuel, or can direct me
to whatever obscure destination I'm trying to find.  Some even have a six-pack
in the trunk, which is an awfully nice sight when you're trying to tune up
a Yamaha by the roadside in the Arizona desert in July.

It is possible that Harley riders are more helpful because they break down
more often, although my two Harleys have had fewer problems than any of
my Kawasakis, Suzukis or Yamahas.  But now matter how reliable an appliance
a motorcycle is, eventually it'll run out of gas or get a flat, and then
it's nice to come across someone who can help.  Besides, I've made a number
of temporary and even a few long-lasting friendships that way.

All told, waving may be nice, but I'll take someone who doesn't wave but
helps out over someone who waves but keeps going any day.

				Dan Starr
				AMA No. 121989
				Oak Park Roadrunners M/C


P. S:  If any of you inadvertently received a copy of this essay through
normal mail, credit it to the fact that 'f' and 'r' keys are struck by
the same finger.