That is dissapointing
I stop for everyone, regardless of what they are riding

 

I've stopped many times for bikes on the side of the road (and slowed down until I got a thumbs-up they were alright), and I've had a number of serious breakdowns where other riders stopped. Had decent people on bikes stay with my wife while I rode to where I could get cellphone connection. All of my experiences stopping to help people, or being helped by other bikers, have been positive....but the fact of the matter is that a cellphone, and good insurance, is the main thing that has rescued my stranded ***.

Hell, more often than not, the best help you might provide is offering to let a broke-down biker use your cellphone to call for help... at least 90% of the time the bike ain't gonna be fixed on the road anyway (particularly newer bikes with their complex systems technology).

 

Hey Toypuller, you sir absolutely nailed it, well said.

 

They didn't want to be late for the event.

You said it was a "major" breakdown.
What could they have done if they did stop?

I agree that the "culture" is dead though. Just read these boards and it's obvious.
All everybody does is criticize each other, complain about each other and tell each other how to dress and how to ride. "Don't rev, or....."

Brotherhood of judgmental snobs.

 

A babe on the side of the road with a PanHead....Hell I would of stoped....

True a lot of people pull over and stop for a bunch of reasons....
If your truly broke down and need help, tye a handkerchif on your handelbar,it supposed to be the sign that you need help....

 

I have noticed that not many people (not just bikers) don't stop to help. Last year while riding in a down pour I stopped when I saw a bike on the side of the road. The guy was just trying to stay dry and said his face was hurting from the rain. I gave him my spare Leather Facemask that I carry.

This winter while driving through a town a lady lost control of her car and hit a snow embankment. 4 people drove by her as she was doing it and noone stopped till I got there.. I am a younger person (29) and I see the way people my age and younger are behaving and acting.. I am just glad my parents raised me right!!!

 

I hope you just got in your vehicle and left. I know I would have.

People helping people in any manner doesn't happen much anymore.
Its sad but its true. Sometimes I even find myself debating to help
someone or not. Call me a p**sy or whatever but you just never know
anymore what you are going to run into when you put yourself in
that position. I will never pass a broken down motorcycle. But more
time than not I never stop to give someone walking a ride. I wish this
world could one day go back to the way it was. But we all know its
only getting worse.

 

Taking a ride with a neighbor who was taking one of his last rides on his chopper before he went down with cancer. He knew he was low on gas so first stop was pumps about 6 miles from my shop. Well, it only made it about 2 of them. Left him beside the road while I rode back to my place and fetched a little jug of gas. When I returned there was a guy there with him on a Street Bob who had stopped. Turned out he had just opened up a new bar in the area and we invited him to ride with us for the day. Long story short, he is now one of my closest friends, he even introduced me to my present girlfriend. Bar was only open for about 6 months though.
Ya just never know what you can find beside the road.

 

I can't speak about the "good ole days" because I am in my early 30's - but even 20-years ago if someone was broke down, they were either stranded or thumbing a ride. Now more than 85% of Americans have mobile phones - so it is logical to assume someone is "waiting" and not stranded.

I don't think biker culture is dead - there are just a lot more people who own bikes and don't really claim or desire to be "bikers". The motorcycle is just another marketing dream they bought into - and either they have too many other hobbies or they are just not that in to bikes - they like the image and not the activity or community.

I was in Daytona a few weeks back and ran across three lanes of traffic to help some guy pickup his Ultra (as a side note, I was riding in a Harley F150 with my dad - who is not a biker - he just likes the truck). While my 150lb A$$ was lifting the bike for the owner, another guy (in a Japanese car) pulled up and helped. The other driver said that was the third bike he had picked up on that corner this week.

 

I wasn't there, so I couldn't stop.

But if the bikes on its stand, the weather is nice and she's sitting on the grass in the shoulder smokin or something that makes it look like she has the situation under control ... don't know for sure if I would have stopped either. Now it the bike were laying on its side and she looked all flustered, sure I would be the first to stop.

She had a glock in case the wrong people stopped to help. As your driving by you have to think to yourself, if I stop will something bad happen to me? Is someone else around that I don't see? It's sad to think that way, but you hear about good sameritans getting hurt to many times.