Yeah, that's right--two. Not one, not three, but two.
"Nice bike."
I admit it. I live to hear it. I enjoy coming to a halt at a red light if there's a crowd waiting to cross the street just so I can savor the looks and hope that I might hear it. Some might call me an "attention whore," but I'm all about the bike in this situation and could care less if they gave me the time of day.
Depending on where you put the inflection on the word it can infer almost anything:
"Niiiiiice bike." When I get this one it's usually said in a low baritone and reminds me a of one of Barry White's old songs. I half expect to be asked out on a date whenever I hear it. [laugh]
"Nice bike!" It's usually yelled at me with a cracked voice and bloody vocal cords by what I imagine are non-riders trying to rise above the clutch bangin' away and pipes that haven't seen new packing in 14 years. [cheeky]
"Nice bike." I like it when they just mouth it. They realize that I have earplugs in and a seventy-gazillion decibel machine under me, and there's no point in bothering to make the sounds that go with the words.
I don't even have to get the "Nice bike" myself. It's cool just to hear other people--mostly men of course--say it to one another. It's a way of saying, "We like the same thing, and therefore I probably like you," without all the M4M inferences that would normally be associated with two men saying that outright to one another. I like the sense of camaraderie associated with it, how a simple set of words says so much, sets the tone for a possible future friendship, or at least a feeling of goodwill from a passing stranger.
So tonight, anonymous gentleman, you know not how you made my night. My initial feeling of concern that you were walking at me and looking at me too intently on a dark and empty street faded as you revealed your intentions and defused my fear with a simple, "Nice bike." I was instantly put at ease and felt compelled to give you a hug instead of just a polite wave, but you rounded the corner before I'd made up my mind.
Next time you see me, save your "Hello's," your, "Hi's," and your "How are ya doin',"'s and just gimme a, "Nice bike."
;D
Beautiful!!!! [clap] [clap] [clap]
I almost cried at the end. :'(
I thought that you were going to crack out the "so tonight Mr. Wish you had my unbelievably sexy italian bike because that would make you a paragon of style and manliness like I am but alas you are not worthy guy, here's to you"!!! ;D
Great post.
Nice, yes it is a nice feeling. Also people next to you in the cages looking at you like for a couple of minutes straight without moving the look elsewhere. But I mostly get people jumping in the air when I drive past or come to a red light braking real fast at the last moment enjoying the sharp brembos and then people give me angry faces and scream something - I usually just respond with a little throttle :D Damn can't wait for the next summer and some hot days of nice riding around town [moto]
Niiiiiice post belle :)
Well put!! I'm with you all the way with two additions that REALLY make me happy. The first is when children stop playing and stand in frozen awe, mouths open and a touch of drool starting to form as they catch sight of the bike. All the while, their parents are showing that noticeable look of, "oh shit.....now I'm going to have to talk them out of that someday."
The second is when another rider goes out of their way to come tell you "Nice Bike" at gas and convenient stops. Hearing it from pedestrians is nice. Hearing it from a true believer is fantastic.
I got my first "nice bike" earlier this week as a man was crossing the sidewalk. Definitely made me smile. ;D
got my first NICE BIKE from a guy who FLEW by me in traffic on a pedal road bike. scared the living shit outta me.
Good post. I was in the right part of my lane at a light yesterday when a cruiser (metric or harley...dunno) pulled up next to me and the rider asked, "Is that a Monster?"
I replied, "Sure is."
"Nice." with the head nod and all.
Maybe he was just being polite since we were sharing the lane (since I always make room for another bike) but it was cool enough.
BTW mostrobelle "nice bike". [thumbsup]
Oh man, two words and the first thing I thought of was ........ well you know.
Nice bike? Yea every now and then to pretty frequently. It is just a motorcycle though and Harley's are more expensive and retain value better. Go figure. [bang] [bang] [laugh] [laugh]
LA
Quote from: AleksT on November 07, 2008, 03:16:16 PM
Good post. I was in the right part of my lane at a light yesterday when a cruiser (metric or harley...dunno)
WTF, gimme a break. :-\
Quote from: kopfjager on November 07, 2008, 06:30:00 PM
WTF, gimme a break. :-\
No break for you. It's better than hearing "PULL OVER" from a loudspeaker. Those two little words aren't quite as good.
Que?
Next time I see you, I'm going to mention "Nice writing" you seem to have a knack for it. [thumbsup]
Quote from: superjohn on November 07, 2008, 04:24:24 AM
when children stop playing and stand in frozen awe, mouths open and a touch of drool starting to form as they catch sight of the bike.
^This one always makes me laugh! My neighbor's kids always stop what they're doing and just stare as I ride by... Had the opposite happen the other day though, a young kid was walking down the street as I passed and he looked straight forward and put his hands over his ears...classic!
Quote from: brentnclemson on November 10, 2008, 08:12:56 AM
^This one always makes me laugh! My neighbor's kids always stop what they're doing and just stare as I ride by... Had the opposite happen the other day though, a young kid was walking down the street as I passed and he looked straight forward and put his hands over his ears...classic!
I had that happen one time about a month ago too.
I laughed my ass off.
[laugh] [laugh] [laugh] ;D
I was heading towards Mount Rainier and stopped at a sports bar in North Bend for lunch.
Pulling off my helmet, there was a woman a bit younger than I with her boyfriend leaving. She wanted to know all about the bike: who made it, what country it came from, etc. The boyfriend just stood aside, texting on his cell. She told me, straight-faced, that it was the most beautiful motorcycle she'd ever seen (which kind of made me feel silly--after all, I rode an orange BMW for three years and considered its appearance a security asset.
They drove off--in a pickup with the Harley-Davidson logo in the back window. [thumbsup]
It happened all the time with the Triumph.
(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/kf6vgz/Triumph%20Bonneville/IMG_0192.jpg)
Nothing yet with the Monster. [roll]
Got a [thumbsup] from a woman passing by in a cab on my way home yesterday.
There's a little girl in my neighborhood who always clamps her hands on her ears when I pass. Pretty funny cause the bike is always at or near idle at the time.
Quote from: DCXCV on November 11, 2008, 01:37:37 PM
Got a [thumbsup] from a woman passing by in a cab on my way home yesterday.
I got the "rock on" horns from a guy in a blue Maserati Quattroporte on the 405 a couple of weeks ago.
This: ;D is what was going on inside my helmet for the rest of my commute.
9 out of 10 kids I pass yell not "nice bike", but yep you guessed it - "pop a wheelie!!". every great once in a while i do and know that it made their day and all their friends heard about it for a week :D
I get nods and "nice bike" from tourists crossing PCH in Laguna all the time when I'm sitting at the lights, often they start explaining to whoever they're with that it's a ducati, and yadda yadda mostly I just hear the booming pipes and all those bolts in the coffee can strapped to the side.
One day, I had a kid who was probably about 10 tell me he liked my "Monster". I was shocked and when I pried he said his dad is looking at Ducatis on the internet every night hahaha.
For the most part I don't get that much kick out of compliments on the bike because it's more the guttural feel I get out of riding it that I enjoy, but every now and again when I see a few guys standing staring at it and admiring it then it makes me feel pride that others enjoy it so much. But of course I can sit and stare at it in my garage for hours [laugh]
In one of the last riding days I was out of work for lunch with my bike and got into a bad traffic jam so I start going between the cars etc and stop by a woman in her car that is too close to drive through. So I stop and see her lookin... so we start a little chat with her guy sitting next to her talking to someone else out of the other window on the other side :D
she: wow, can I ride it? [moto]
me: do you know how to ride bikes? :P
she: no, i mean like ride with you
me: sorry, no, only one helmet with me [leo]
she: can I touch that lever (brakes I guess, she was on the right)
me: sure, but you can try this one (throttle) .. just try turning it
she turns and jumps in the air from her seat from the roooaaaar that it made :D
she: what is this bike?
me: ducati
she: cool now I will tell my friends that I rode a ducati!!! :-*
me: can you please now move a little over to the right side so I can pass you
she tries to move a little and then says that I can hit the mirror with my mirror, that it's OK with her :D
So she blipped your throttle and let you smack her mirror and you didn't get her #?
[laugh]
Quote from: DCXCV on November 26, 2008, 07:39:21 AM
So she blipped your throttle and let you smack her mirror and you didn't get her #?
[laugh]
Wow, that is the funniest sexual innuendo I have ever heard! [clap]
Quote from: DCXCV on November 26, 2008, 07:39:21 AM
So she blipped your throttle and let you smack her mirror and you didn't get her #?
[laugh]
;D ;D wasn't my type really ;D
Nice post for certain.
The best one for me was when a Ferrari pulled aside me on Pacific Coast Highway for a red light. I mostly noticed movement and as I turned to scan in that general direction, both guys were leaning towards my bike mouthing, "Nice Bike."
I laughed in my helmet, did my Vanna White hand motion moving from left to right slowly, gracefully, presenting "Ducati" along tank side, made the motion of blowing them a kiss, dropped into first gear and rode off.