Whats The Secret to Keeping Riders From Talking to You?

"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind) 11/07/2016 at 06:10 • Filed to: Questions

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Roughly around 9.9 times out of 10 if youre riding a bike on the streets then other riders are going to wave, talk, or group with you. (Kind of like what happens when you drive an off-road rig that is obviously used for that purpose in the car community). If youre that seemingly imaginary person that rides a motorcycle occassionally simply to ride it and arent at all a bike enthusiasts then is there anyway to avoid “interactions?”

While we’re at it, if youre someone that just enjoys taking their vehicle off-road locally but dont want to end up in conversations with every person with a set of Duelers and up on their truck then is there a way to avoid socializing without being a penis-wrinkle?

jimz > Wobbles the Mind 11/07/2016 at 06:18

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you don’t have to engage. it’s going to make them think you’re a dick, but I don’t care. if I don’t want to talk to you, I’m not going to.

when I had my Mustang, I was gassing it up and went in to the store to grab a bottle of pop. as I was walking back to my car, some 20-something douchenozzle with the same color Mustang at another pump just started hollering at me “Hey dude! nice car! Hey man! I said ‘nice car’! What’s up, man? You alright?” not my people, not a conversation I wanted to have.

I feel the same way about riding. I’ve two bikes, a Yamaha and a Harley. If you’re not on a Harley, the Harley guys ignore you. if you are, you have to be on the “right” kind of Harley, e.g. not a Sportster. Also, if you are on a Harley the average 19-year-old TylerAnthonyZach dickweed on his sick literbike always wants to fuck with you.

Flavien Vidal > Wobbles the Mind 11/07/2016 at 06:20

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Learn how to say “Sorry I can’t speak” in sign language... A girl i knew with a deaf sister used to do that to get rid of annoying guys trying to hook up with her. Worked like a charm :)

And start getting into classic cars. Classic car people are usually awesome to talk to... Unless they’re 90yo and keep on repeating the same thing over and over... Then they get annoying.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Wobbles the Mind 11/07/2016 at 06:27

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Drive a shitty ricer bro bike because nobody wants to be seen associating with the kind of guy who rides those.

Alternatively, just put on an exhaust that’s too loud for anyone to talk to you.

sn4cktimes > Wobbles the Mind 11/07/2016 at 06:29

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Bike On Road Scenario: 3 possible solutions I use and seem to work about 90% of the time:

Never stop or gas up near another biker (leave helmet on if it happens)

Always wear a full-face helmet (preferably tinted visor, and / or of a design that kinda says leave me alone)

Ride an enduro bike around. The Leathers and Power-Rangers don’t know what to make of you and avoid accordingly

Off-Road Scenario:

Drive a Jeep and the Truck people leave you alone, but you gotta deal with every Jeeper.

Drive a truck and Jeepers make snide comments and Bro-Trucks still make their snide comments too (unless you are also Bro-Blood Equipped).

Drive anything else and De-Bro-Trucks will make snide comments, and the Jeepers might as well. But they might also show respect for how far you’ve got with something random like a Suzuki Samurai or something REALLY random like a Chevy Cruise. No win. They’re gonna be chatty.

I dunno, play really loud polka music, yell at everyone that your radio is busted and roll on? Might work.

DipodomysDeserti > Wobbles the Mind 11/07/2016 at 06:35

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I have a Jeep that’s usually covered in mud, a classic motorcycle that I’ve built/put back together myself, and a classic truck. The only way to keep people from talking to you is to have a really loud exhausts. My Jeep is mostly stock so none of the cool dudebro Jeepists want to talk to me. I enjoy talking to fellow motorcyclists and classic car enthusiasts. If you have a classic car you can learn a lot by talking to some of the old timers.

Honestly, the only time people try to talk to me about my bike is when I’m at the junkyard finding parts. Most people don’t know what it is, but some of the older guys recognize the engine.

DipodomysDeserti > jimz 11/07/2016 at 06:36

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That’s funny. In my circle, a Sportster is the only “right” Harley.

jimz > Flavien Vidal 11/07/2016 at 06:52

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Classic car people are usually awesome to talk to... Unless they’re 90yo and keep on repeating the same thing over and over... Then they get annoying.

One trick is to tell stories that don’t go anywhere. Like the time I caught the ferry to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for m’shoe. So I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on ‘em. “Gimme five bees for a quarter,” you’d say. Now where were we... oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. I didn’t have any white onions, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...

Flavien Vidal > jimz 11/07/2016 at 06:54

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Yeah that pretty much sums it up... Include some old Triumph in there and you got me stuck with a 90yo classic car afficionado :)

jimz > DipodomysDeserti 11/07/2016 at 06:57

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I think it’s just the “not a Big Twin” thing combined with the fact that most Sportsters aren’t set up for long rides. Exception being the 1200T; I rented one of those a couple of years ago and spent the entire day on it.

XJDano > Wobbles the Mind 11/07/2016 at 07:13

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The time people talk to me was when I went to a motorcycle shop to buy a jacket or something. I usually ride alone and commute. So it’s fairly rare to get folks to chat. I leave a helmet on while gassing up and enter the mileage into my phone and I’m off again.

When I drove the Jeep there is always the 1-uppers. I just respond with a yeah, oh really, wow, oh yeah, well that’s cool. I have a lot of money put into my Jeep a few years ago so there is a good amount of conversation pieces on it.

VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated. > Wobbles the Mind 11/07/2016 at 07:31

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The real reason why lots of bikes are loud? I actually always thought at least HD riders just want to look like biker gang a**holes, didn’t think they were into FB friend-ing.

Honestly only got this when I:

Drove a RHD car (180SX) - people always yelling weird sh*t at you.

Drove an old Celica - other rwd Celica people go nutso.

Drove an R53 Mini S - people honestly want to sit in it and get a picture? wtf, Italian Job was like 13 years ago ffs.

Drove a Cressida - everyone want to ask you if it’s an “old Accord or Maxima?”

jasmits > sn4cktimes 11/07/2016 at 07:58

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There’s lots of off-road community out there besides Jeep-bros and bro-truck-bros. I’ve gotten some of comments from Toyota guys on my 4Runner and they’ve all been nice quick chats with another automotive enthusiast. I even got a compliment from a bro-truck-bro(well semi-bro-truck-bro, slightly obnoxious lifted Dodge Ram but nothing too horribly cringewothy) on my BFG All-Terrains at a gas station in the middle-of-nowhere Montana(random, right?) and he wasn’t half as bad as I would’ve thought.

The Compromiser > Wobbles the Mind 11/07/2016 at 07:58

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I know this works because it’s what I do and has rarely failed me.

“nice bike”

“thanks” and keep on walking, pumping, drinking, whatever.

“Is that a Harley?”

“nope” and keep on walking, pumping, drinking, whatever.

“What kind of bike is that?”

“Honda (Yamaha, Suzi, Moto Guzzi, Ducati, KTM, Vincent, etc.)“ and keep on....

You get the idea. you responded so you aren’t a dick. you’ve carried on and indicated that you do not intend to talk further, through your actions. and your responses are down to one word. everyone who isn’t a total mess can usually handle that.

DipodomysDeserti > jimz 11/07/2016 at 08:22

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Compared to what most of us ride, it has a huge twin and is much more comfortable than anything else we ride, so maybe that’s it. After riding a few thousand miles on a forty year-old 440cc Honda, a Sportster feels like a Cadillac. I still make fun of my HD riding buddies because those engines are so down on power compared to little Hondas that are older than all of us.

BigDaddyShimmy > sn4cktimes 11/07/2016 at 09:29

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Samurai FTW. OTOH...most Samurai owners are ...different. Mine was like driving around in a tin can diaper but they generate cred like almost none other. The sicker they are the higher the level of cred generated. Why? If you screw up you’re dead that’s why.

yamahog > Wobbles the Mind 11/07/2016 at 10:37

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hahahaha welcome to (a variation on) something that women have to start learning around age 10-12, when dudes start catcalling at you for existing and if you just ignore them they’ll still call you a bitch anyway. For motorcycle stuff specifically, if you really don’t feel like basic one word answers, just point in the vicinity of your ears under your helmet and mouth I CAN’T HEAR YOU SORRY.

bob and john > yamahog 11/07/2016 at 10:45

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if your helmet is on, how can they tell what you are mouthing? (and dont say 3/4 helmet because i know you are better then that) :P

yamahog > bob and john 11/07/2016 at 10:55

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1. clear visor?

2. gesticulate/shrug/get the point across

sn4cktimes > BigDaddyShimmy 11/07/2016 at 12:01

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Oh yeah, don’t think I’m slamming on the Sammy’s. I’ve seen a couple tackle some pretty crazy hills and trails and sail clear out the other side. But yeah, the drivers had a bit of an “edge” to them... Nice people though.

sn4cktimes > jasmits 11/07/2016 at 12:15

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I noticed there were 3 main main Yota crowds 5-6 years ago when I was off-roading my Wrangler most weekends. Not nearly as many “members” as the other groups but enough I should have mentioned them I suppose.

T100's and older: Varied between totally rebuilt to pretty much stock. Would find these guys everywhere, even the really rough stuff. Nice and calm to fairly excitable crowd. Lots of automotive enthusiasts.

4Runners: People wheelin’, fishin’, campin’, huntin’, quadin’, dirdt-bikin’, rock-climbin’, etc’. These guys are doing it all and getting hi-fives from ALL groups. Often quite rare as the older model Runners suffer the steel cancer and new models are too highly prized to bang up yet. Commonly toting very nice wives, children, and dogs around. Met a guy who wheeled with his cat, both super awesome.

FJ Cruisers: Saw a total of 6 different FJ’s when I used to wheel (they were new at the time) and a total of 3 of those where not on their wheels. One side flop. Two on their roofs, one pulled the backflip pancake routine, and the second did the exact same thing trying to get up a hill to help the first. Not a chill vibe from these guys at the time.

jasmits > sn4cktimes 11/07/2016 at 12:22

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I’m solidly in two, besides being too young have a family to bring in tow. They don’t salt the roads where I live and outdoor activities are popular(Portland, Oregon) so older 4Runners(lots of 2nd and 3rd gen with more 1sts than you see elsewhere) are everywhere.

Nisman > Wobbles the Mind 11/07/2016 at 12:23

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Avoid eye contact, slow down so they pass, keep your helmet on, and wave back because that really isn’t going to ruin your day.

sn4cktimes > jasmits 11/07/2016 at 12:27

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Yeah, the salt here eats them up something fierce. Those blocks will thump forever though. When I was a kid my Dad sold our 4Runner to a ranch. They still have that 85'. Has no doors, fenders, or back half of the body left. But still starts in the cold and is driven pretty rough.

jasmits > sn4cktimes 11/07/2016 at 13:46

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I’m in Pennsylvania for school and have my 4Runner with me this year. I think I’ve seen a total of like 3 other second gen 4Runners, only one that even approached the shape mine is in, which is really nothing too special for Oregon

fennelbreath > yamahog 11/07/2016 at 14:12

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Yup. All of this. Especially the helmet part.

Creepy dudes love asking me what kind of mileage my scooter gets.

fennelbreath > bob and john 11/07/2016 at 14:13

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I point to my ears and give an exaggerated shrug.

bob and john > Wobbles the Mind 11/07/2016 at 14:15

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Ride fast enough so that they cant catch you :)