Judging A Rider By Their Bike

[kuksul08]

How much can you tell about a person by looking at their motorcycle?


We all know to check the tires, this one's easy. Flat in the middle? Massive chicken strips? Worn to the edge? Clumps of melted rubber? You get the picture.

What other things are dead giveaways that tell you a lot about the person and/or their riding style?

-Sock around the brake reservoir?
-Aftermarket lightweight wheels?
-Flat bill hat stuck in the passenger seat?
-Mystery box of electrical switches and LED lights?
-Aftermarket suspension?
-Every thing out of the Rizoma catalog tacked on?

It's always fun reading a bike and then either being confirmed or being totally wrong when you meet the person.

 

[ratlab]

milk crate for luggage rack

 

[ctwo]

How much can you tell about a person by looking at their motorcycle?


We all know to check the tires, this one's easy. Flat in the middle? Massive chicken strips? Worn to the edge? Clumps of melted rubber? You get the picture.

What other things are dead giveaways that tell you a lot about the person and/or their riding style?

-Sock around the brake reservoir?
-Aftermarket lightweight wheels?
-Flat bill hat stuck in the passenger seat?
-Mystery box of electrical switches and LED lights?
-Aftermarket suspension?
-Every thing out of the Rizoma catalog tacked on?

It's always fun reading a bike and then either being confirmed or being totally wrong when you meet the person.

I judge merely on avatar.

Hey man, you already :ride :thumbup

 

[LectricBill]

Guinness bottle opener held on to side frame tube with hose clamps = my kind of rider. Oh wait, that's my bike!

 

[russ69]

Experience has taught me not to make judgements. Probably happened in the 60s when a guy on an old BMW smoked me in the mountains.

 

[bikeama]

Never judge a rider by his bike. I know a few old flat track racers who now ride HDs. Big mistake to think they are slow cruzers.

 

[ctwo]

I dunno, I think a rider can be influenced by their ride. A person?

 

[NoTraffic]

If they locked their helmet to their bike . . .it says a lot.

 

[gixxerjeff]

In my case it's the motorcycle. I suspect I'm often judged as a n00b.
When my son moved to Canada he left his trusty EX500 Ninja in my garage. That was several years ago and it's been my daily commuter ever since.
It gets 60 mpg and splits lanes like a Schwinn but draws glares of disdain at stop lights.
Fine with me. I just mutter "Bring it, Fucko. I'll get you in the corners."

 

[dravnx]

Another judging thread.

 

[banshee01]

How about 2 custom "diapers" around the leaking forks? Yeah i saw that at cycle gear.... I bet you can guess what style of bike it was

 

[banshee01]

If it says "Ducati" on their bike they are most likely a D bag

 

[RVFRick]

All Honda owners are nice. :kicknuts

 

[moto-rama]

Shaftie riders have cleaner hands.

 

[James]

I judge merely on avatar.

That should have earned you internet points.

Any time I see these small displacement(~300's) multi-cylinder bikes with aftermarket pipes, I know the rider makes poor life decisions.

 

[Gary856]

I showed up on my DRZ400sm in a group ride and the ride leader said to me, "Try not to humiliate us too much." (No, I didn't. They were fast on goat roads too.) Another time I showed up on my 950sm and another rider said to me, "So, you've got the hooligan bike." SM-style bikes give off that kind of vibe.

Dirty, faded gear give you some street cred. In another group ride a rider showed up on a brand new, expensive super-naked bike, wearing brand new gear head-to-toe. I had a bad feeling about that, and I turned out to be right.

 

[ABC]

Is this the same fucking poster who made a thread about “what makes you a real rider”

 

[gixxerjeff]

No

 

[moto-rama]

...

Dirty, faded gear give you some street cred. In another group ride a rider showed up on a brand new, expensive super-naked bike, wearing brand new gear head-to-toe. I had a bad feeling about that, and I turned out to be right.

All gear, and bikes begin their lives looking like they don't have the right to any respect.

But what about when they're hiding some mean, fast geezer with chain-mail underwear?

 

[Reli]

-Sock around the brake reservoir?

Means nothing. Maybe they're just a poser who thinks it looks cool, or maybe they're a legitimate racer who's had a reservoir leak before and they don't want to risk getting any fluid on their paint or their visor. Very rare, but it happens. Either way it doesn't matter as long as you look under it once in awhile to check the level.