Digger Goreman

Here in Atlanta it seems to be mostly indifference. Most seem to be hauling arse, racing down the highways. Importantly, hardly any jackarse motorist behavior from them.

jack pot 

i think there is a direct correlation between the type of 2 wheels you ride .................. for a long time my 4 wheels were an R1200s and a wabi fixxxx .... BUT car free has its hard hard hardships

livedarklions

Compared to what?
I think there's more than there is among pedestrians, and definitely more than among drivers.
Equestrians probably have more solidarity.

Rdmonster69

People have been writing Harleys epitaph for as long as I can remember. Its taking a while but they are changing a little bit. Maybe enough to survive another 100 plus years.

I did chuckle a few years ago when I stopped at a rest area behind a few ultra slow cruisers and overheard them talking about how they had ripped through the turns.

I have a HD but can hustle it through the turns as much as it can.

5teve

I did a cross country tour in 2000 that happened to pass through Sturgis during the motorcycle rally. Hundreds and hundreds of Harleys passing by all day long! Made my ears ring. They seemed generally friendly, I think they were having a good time and could see that we were too in slightly different ways. They'd cheer us on climbs and on fast descents, we got more than a few waves and thumbs up from them as they passed. I've had a couple of less pleasant experiences with motorcyclists too, but that particular period of time seemed to demonstrate that the was some common ground.

sykerocker 

As someone who's lived in both worlds (non-child cycling since 1969, motorcycles since 1976), for the most part: Hell no! Offset by the exceptions, who turn out to be some of the most supportive bikers you'll ever run into.

My background: Seven years wrenching and selling at a Schwinn/Raleigh dealership. Five years in a Ducati deanship, fifteen at Honda/Yamaha/Can-Am/Sea Doo.

Bicycles: Hardcore roadie usually a tourer, back in the Seventies gave a very unsuccessful shot at racing, very hardcore bicycle commuter (British 3-speeds preferred), and I keep one mountain bike in the shed for the one or two days a month I get in the mood.

Motorcycles: Flew colors in three hardcore M/C's include one Outlaws M/C support club (I was one of the guys that brought the Outlaws back to my home town twenty years after the state police had run them out). Major vintage motorcycle lover, primarily Triumphs. I've owned a few sport bikes, Ducati's preferred, then Honda's. Long haul tourer, usually on Triumph sport tourers, and a couple BMW's, but now that I'm getting old, prefer dressers. Have had Yamaha Venture Royale's, Gold Wing and Electra Glide. Much prefer the Electra Glide.

I've always believed the real reason we get little to no respect from the motorized crowds (two or four wheels) is that we've got this one huge advantage over them. When's the last time you saw a cop writing a ticket to a cyclist (no doubt it's happened but how often)? There's a quiet resentment among licensed drivers that we get to use the same roads while not having to go thru the strictures of an operator's license, vehicle titling and registration, personal property taxes (in applicable states), and, above all, an almost complete lack of vehicular enforcement. Aka, no tickets. And if I get a ticket, what's the cop going to write it up against? I'm sure not going to admit that I have a driver's license, if the cop demands ID he's going to get my VA voter identification card. So, if I'm acting like a complete jerk in traffic (I don't - I want to live) and the cop writes me up a ticket, it's going to be a fine. Not points. Plus, no fuel tax, or alternatively, registration surcharge for an EV owner.

We're riding for free. Absolutely free. And a lot of the driver's hate us for that.

Digger Goreman

Sometimes you find common ground in uncommon ways: Near home, passed a waiting ancient Ducati. Made a big point of the finger at the moto, immediately followed by a thumbs up. He made a good, quiet-ish pass of me, waved and tooted the horn.

surveyor6

We have more in common than being wary of cagers. We both face the elements and weather as well.

burnthesheep

Sorry, but on shared use areas my experience is that if road racers are in Dante’s 3rd circle of hell….horse riders are in the 7th. But given that, you are probably right…if in that deep, you have to stick together.

fredlord

I have ridden and loved motorcycles. I now longer ride them, nor do I drive cars any more.

If you watch clips about vehicles and their users on Youtube, the biggest group of dickheads - by a big margin - is motorcyclists, in my experience.

That said, the best vehicle channel of any sort on Youtube - also by a big margin - is a motorcycle channel: Fortnine. In my experience.

livedarklions

I try to avoid riding in any circle of hell, but Fitchburg, MA has come close.