Do L Plates make me invisible?

[cerruti]

Am I really so insignificant that I am not worthy of a head nod from fellow bikers just because I have a little red L attached to my bike? :'( I'm new to biking and really keen, I can't wait to finally ditch the L plates, but in the mean time do I have to ride naked to get noticed by other bikers? :o Or is it an unwritten rule that the L plate means I have the plague and should be ignored ;D

This isnt aimed at anybody on this forum by the way, I have been riding out a lot with my other half in the the nice weather... he will be either well ahead of me or behind me (he doesnt want to be associated with an L plate either :'( ) and we are talking constantly over our scala riders.... he gets nods... I get none :'(

Where has the learner love gone ;D

[Nelly]

I nod at all bikes, whatever make, whatever type. Learners included. However, m wife has noticed the same. They'll nod at me but blank her! No idea why im afraid :(

[Mitch9128]

I'll nod at anyone, but those hairy swines with apehangers can do one.

[Swanny]

I nod at everyone even the harley riders :)

[cerruti]

I nod at everyone even the harley riders :)

hehe ;D My other half has a harley... even I wouldnt wave at him

[Mitch9128]

One time i nodded at a group of them coming the opposite direction, one gave me the finger :o

[Dan505]

Bike snobbery! I nod at everyone and get odd looks back instead we're all bikers at end of the day, share the love people!

[voodoo]

Bike snobbery! I nod at everyone and get odd looks back instead we're all bikers at end of the day, share the love people!
[smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[voodoo]

strange one because I used to get nods the same as I do now I've passed :-?

[cerruti]

There's no particular type of bike (or rider) that seems to ignore me.... sports bikes, cruisers, tourers... they all ignore me equally - except BMW riders every one of them seem to ignore me :'( - Did I mention the other half also has a BMW ;D (and he is actually nice -despite what I may have implied here :) )

The only people that are almost guaranteed to nod are other learners, power to the L plate! :D

[Rabb]

I nod at everyone on a bike.
97% of the time I get a nod back (however I feel that I do have to mention that it's usually BMW's that don't reciprocate and form the vast majority of the 3% that don't acknowledge)
Must be the shades they're wearing?

[cerruti]

Must be the shades they're wearing?


Or maybe they are too busy sorting out their jeans that are tucked into their boots ;D

[voodoo]

Or maybe they are too busy sorting out their jeans that are tucked into their boots ;D
http://www.smileyvault.com/albums/userpics/10404/m0168.gif (http://www.smileyvault.com/)

[NiteW4tcher]

i nod @ L platers...............we were all there once :)

[Snowy]

There's no particular type of bike (or rider) that seems to ignore me.... sports bikes, cruisers, tourers... they all ignore me equally - except BMW riders every one of them seem to ignore me :'( - Did I mention the other half also has a BMW ;D (and he is actually nice -despite what I may have implied here :) )

The only people that are almost guaranteed to nod are other learners, power to the L plate! :D

If its any consolation, I ride a BMW and I tend to get ignored by them as well ;D I prefer to wave rather than nod because it hurts my neck ;)

[SupeRDel]

I ride the XJR1300 and get a wave/nod from all.

If I ride the classic RD400 it will drop by 50%.

I used to ride my daughters little suzuki 50 sometimes and would get ignored.

[8_ball]

I used to get the same when I had L plates.
I nod at anyone and even the 'hairy' ones a bikes a bike and some people are snobs when it comes to calling them 'THE HAIRY TYPES'
I bet they would not to there face !!!!
Rant over,....ill nod to you

[DC]

I nod to everyone ! if another rider doesnt reciprocate it says less about them than it does about me maybe they are an elite group 8-)

[goz1960]

I nod at all bikers, regardless of what they are riding.

[BB]

I try and nod to everyone but like Del says, tends to be what you ride governs your results.

Personaly, I love the startled looks I get when I'm on a scruffy/dirty traillie and node to pristine cruisers!

Incidentally, yesterday I did about 150 miles on the traillie (on tarmac I hasten to add) and the roads were knee deep in bikes of all shapes & sizes and I reckon about 25% ignored me...

BB

[Jon_W]

There are some real motorbike snobs out there. I used to get the cloak of invisibility on the old Honda.

Even today the SV gets a lot of nods, the GS a few and the Cub none! Em (my GF) gets sh*t off of some bikers when she rides her scooter. It seems a girly on a scooter is a legitimate target.

I nod at everyone, we all ride no matter what it is and deserve respect.

[Geordie Stu]

I nodd regardless of L or not. Some riders choose not to nodd at all, in particular Harley Riders ::)

[StreetHippo]

I nod/wave/waggle a leg at all bikers, like many have said; we were all learners ourselves!
BMW are bad but Harley/cruiser riders are the worst, perhaps they can't nod as they're concentrating so hard on their one ride a month :-?

Stu

[Swanny]

Harley riders think they are too cool to nod

[Nikki]

I nod at all bikers - what I will sometimes do though is one nod for a pair/small group of bikes. Otherwise you go along the road like a nodding donkey ;D ;D

I'll keep a look out for you being a fellow Westbury lady biker :)

[Hazel-nut]

I got ignore by quite a few when i was on L plates but havnt been out on my big bike enough to notice whether i get ignored or not :P
have to say though, i'm guilty of not always nodding if im concentrating on my riding so apologies if i ignore anyone

[8_ball]

Its funny reading these, if your in a car ' do you wave at every car that goes by?' (only if a old vw)

I was in a club and we used to shake a leg, funny at 60+
I think most of us will say that we try a nod to all. ::)

[Senna(Dan)]

I nod at all riders, but only if they are suited and booted.
Its not snobbery, I just feel pain everytime I see someone without gloves, jacket, boots or in trackies.
If you look like you are a serious rider then I will give a nod, wave or leg waggle.

[Scotty]

Is it really that big a deal? Like Hazel said, if I'm busy concentrating on something I don't respond, otherwise I do, and if someone is offended by my lack of response when I'm cornering or something then they'll have to live with it.

What would a member of the public think were they to read a thread by "rufty-tufty" biker types who bleat about nobody nodding or waving to them...? :-? :-? ::) ::)

[Mitch9128]

I rode rode Lahndun a couple of months back, i had concussion by the time i got home.

[wiltshire builders]

There's no particular type of bike (or rider) that seems to ignore me.... sports bikes, cruisers, tourers... they all ignore me equally - except BMW riders every one of them seem to ignore me :'( - Did I mention the other half also has a BMW ;D (and he is actually nice -despite what I may have implied here :) )

The only people that are almost guaranteed to nod are other learners, power to the L plate! :D

If its any consolation, I ride a BMW and I tend to get ignored by them as well ;D I prefer to wave rather than nod because it hurts my neck ;)

You're doing it wrong! ;D

[Snowy]

There's no particular type of bike (or rider) that seems to ignore me.... sports bikes, cruisers, tourers... they all ignore me equally - except BMW riders every one of them seem to ignore me :'( - Did I mention the other half also has a BMW ;D (and he is actually nice -despite what I may have implied here :) )

The only people that are almost guaranteed to nod are other learners, power to the L plate! :D

If its any consolation, I ride a BMW and I tend to get ignored by them as well ;D I prefer to wave rather than nod because it hurts my neck ;)

You're doing it wrong! ;D

Which bit - riding a Beemer or waving instead of nodding? ;D

I do agree with Scotty - I don't take offence if there's no wave back and often I'm not able to due to being busy with other things :)

[Mark_Able]

Its funny reading these, if your in a car ' do you wave at every car that goes by?' (only if a old vw)

Funny you should say that mate, I used to drive a Bug many years ago, and they all wave, no matter how old the driver. Same with Mini's. It got a bit much when Subaru drivers started waving. In fact, it was embarrassing. :-[

As regards bikes, I wave at everyone regardless (normally because there's a good chance I've trained them)... ;)

[redken1]

When we were kids we would would get on our knees look out the back window of Dad's mini and wave to all the other mini drivers. Everyone else got the stick-out-the Tongue treatment. ;D

No rear seatbelts back then.

Funny how things from your childhood stick with you - only wave to Yam riders now (only joking) ;D

[amills]

I nod to everyone and take the moral high ground if the other bike chooses not to reciprocate (assuming they've not nodded first, stuck their leg out or done the mainland Europe low vee (for victory) sign albeit latter highly un-usual as in the UK this would mean using the throttle hand). Can be a bit trying when I pass another ride-out group coming the other way. To avoid looking like a nodding dog, I ration the nods to every 3 or 4 bikes.

[Loops]

I'll nod to you :D

I nod to anyone, me (except scruffs on mopeds who don't have proper gear on - I'm talking sweatpants, hoodies and trainers, they're not bikers, they're walking road rash....) ;D

[Toph]

I rode bikes on "L" plates for 35 years... i usually got a nod. !

[bobf279]

I wave unless I can't take my hand off the bars and then I nod. Sometimes difficult to spot a nod especially if your timing is a bit off and you nod after the bike has passed ;D

[pluggedinpete]

Funny to see this, rode down to Swanage on the 'dero on saturday and reckon about 50% of other bikers nodded... Perhaps my L plate made me invisble to the other 50%? Anyhow, during the week, it seems more like 90% nod. Perhaps its a weekend biker thing? I try to nod at anyone, even scooters and other learners, but sometimes its just not practical to nod at everyone!

[Geordie Stu]

Is it really that big a deal? Like Hazel said, if I'm busy concentrating on something I don't respond, otherwise I do, and if someone is offended by my lack of response when I'm cornering or something then they'll have to live with it.

What would a member of the public think were they to read a thread by "rufty-tufty" biker types who bleat about nobody nodding or waving to them...? :-? :-? ::) ::)

As there are so few a number of us "rufty tufty bikers" put on the road. Nothing wrong in showing your apprieation to a "friendly biker". I wouldn't expect a nod while negotiating a bend or in traffic. ::)

[Goldie]

I was only talking about this a few days ago. I've ridden pillion for the last 25 years and have really noticed the decrease in general nodding these days. Now I'm on my own bike with L plates I've noticed how many people don't nod anymore. Some still do but the majority don't.

Recently, I mentioned this to a friend of mine and went pillion on his Duke streetfighter where I proved my point. He made a conscious effort to exaggerate his nod as we passed bikes and only half of them responded.

I think there are more scooters on the road now than there have ever been and I'm sure that might have something to do with the decrease in nodding.
I find ped riders don't nod, seasoned bikers are hit-and-miss.

Also, the old nod, you know, straight up and down, has changed into a winky side-head-tilt but without the wink ;D who the hell started that? ;D


I don't care, I nod anyway, btw, but it does feel, to me, like L plates aren't worthy of a nod :(

[Blackandchrome]

Back in the seventies, and whilst in European countries, it was mainly a flash of the headlight.
I agree with your comment, Goldie, about the "winky side head tilt". Bit like an involutary nervous twitch even. ;)
Always appreciate the "Nod or Twitch" albeit somewhat less often these days.
Quite often get a regal wave from the cruiser type riders too. 8-)

[wiltshire builders]

i nod @ L platers...............we were all there once :)
Not strictly true. The only time i've ridden with L plates is on my test and I was too busy concentrating to care if I was being embraced the biking community.

Nod, don't nod, makes no difference to me. I'm out for a ride.

[SupeRDel]

Took this picture last year on the way to the Aircooled RD rally

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l109/superdel/248.jpg

I was heading towards Buxton and the Cat and Fiddle. Just after I took this I heard a big rumble of bike coming the other way.

I put my hand up as about 20 hard core Hells Angel type appeared... :o Not one of them waved back... ;D

[Sam_King]

im on L plated atm and i get nods most of the time but not from some other L plate users, but i always nod and not really fussed if they dont at least i had a go :D

[JoeKilroy]

Everyone nods at me on this KAM 125.

I thought they were being friendly, but it turns out they were laughing at me.

[cerruti]

I thought they were being friendly, but it turns out they were laughing at me.

I get that feeling as well :'(

But......

Went to Weston Super Mud today with the other half (oldfatboy) and just about every nod was returned :)

It seems the threat of sunshine, brings out the happy feelings in people ;)