I think I did my good deed for the day for a fellow biker

[blacknchromehd]

Long story...but short version...

Many years ago I was helped along the road in Daytona in 78 when my shovel broke a chain. Believe it or not some Hells Angels helped me along the road on Nova Rd near the camp ground. Guy helped me fix the chain and said never, never pass a broken down biker ...

Well today I was able to help someone. Traveling up rt 83 here in York Pa I spot a set of bikers broken down along the side of the road with a flat tire on a trailer he was pulling behind his road king. Wife was following on a dyna glide...They were from Montreal Canada and heading home..I just did 8 days in Canada and came home last Sunday after 2200 miles...He had a spare which was flat...we pumped it up with Freon from my truck, and helped him hold up his trailer to install it. I called my fleet mechanic and had him call our truck tire supplier. He came back and said they had 2 new tires waiting for them. I had them follow me and took them to the shop...Introduced them to the shop and told them give them our company discount...Gave them my business card which has my cell and gave them directions to a local hotel with food places all around. They are planning tomorrow to visit the Harley Plant and then head home.

Tonight I got a call and the broken French aside they told me that they were shocked that someone would do all that help for a stranger....I told them they are bikers and once along time ago I made a promise to always help. My day up to this point had sucked with all kinds of problems I had to work thru...but that one moment helping someone who did not expect it made it a much better one after that. We are meeting tomorrow for breakfast...and its on them...but I have some shirts for them to enjoy...

Moral of the story....always stop and help...or atleast ask if someone needs help...

Bobbie and Stevie...great to meet you and now I have a new friend from Canada..

Bill in York

[HV]

  Bill you are what HTT is all about... paying it forward is priceless

[harley883r]

I 2nd that!

[MMOCGuy]

Absolutely.

Helping other bikers is, or at least, should be our creed. Personally, I don't care who they are or what their affiliation is - It they appear to be broken down, I always stop.

I don't mean to preach, but, in our modern day with so many "New" riders, the tendency has been to become like car drivers. I have shocked more than one rider by stopping in the middle of nowhere just to check and make sure they are OK or to help if they need it.

Bill in York - great job, man. 

NormS.

[blacknchromehd]

Thanks guys...

But I still remember almost shitting my pants when about 30 or so Hells Angels stopped by to help me with my new 78 Shovel...But they were cool and helped me out of a jam...taught me a lesson...

I call it Karma...I live it every day...always there to help friends...and strangers if I need to..

I guess growing up in the country gave me different values...

Bill

[hawwk]

  When you help someone it gives you a feeling no one can describe.

[Tsani]

 

[tireater]

When you give w/o expecting anything in return...It seems like you receive much more in satisfaction and karma...

[texaskatfish]

Bill! Shades of the old HRR crew on aoHELL even!

Way ta GO bubba - dats what we learn from that wind....................and from those that have gone before us...........

[takwolf]

When I started riding, (about the time the wheel was invented), I still remember the old bikers telling me, "Don't ever pass someone broke down, nobody else likes us, so we gotta look out for our own." I always stop, and always will.

[Little Al]

rode all kinds a bikes over the last 40 riding years. the guy that taught me to ride was VP of the local Breed (don't know if there still around, 1% club back in the 60's & 70's). I used ride minibikes up and down the street & their clubhouse was 200 yards from my house. first thing he made me promise, before he taught me to ride on his bike was "always stop for a brother". he went on to explain about how bikers, even ones you hated, were bikers first and it was "us" against the world. I made that promise and kept it these 40 years. I always stop, no matter what their riding, no matter where I'm rushing to. If I won't stop for a brother, what brother will stop for me?

[guido4198]

I'm what most would describe as "old school"...and have gotten that same "suprise reaction" when I pull over on the highway to check on someone parked on the shoulder. When they tell me they're OK( which is almost always the case...).. I make it a point to tell'em..."I'm just checkin' on ya...cause the way I was brought up..we don't leave NOBODY on the side of the road alone".
PASS IT ON.   

[Clintster]

Kick ass Bill!! That is what is missing for a lot of folks, the willingness to help out a fellow biker/motorcyclist, shows real values.  Thanks for helping them out, when you do that you are helping all of us !!   Roadside Karma for sure...

[mark61]

   Glad to hear there are others in Pa. who stop. Sad that now a days hardly anyone even slows down.
  Good for you Bill! You are a true BITW!

mark61

[Dennis The Menace]

Bill, thank you for giving us all an example in caring....hard to find some days.  Thank you for the reminder, ya done good!

I dont think being country raised mattered, as much as being raised right.  Its all in how ya was brought up.  Your folks did good, too.  As parents, we all need to do the same, bring our kids up right.

Dennis

[TN]

 

i get as much satisfaction out of helping, as i get when i'm helped out of a jam like that. have made several life time friends by doing such. i will not pass a bike on side of the road without checking on them. most of the time they are ok. with that being said, find a better place, not on the shoulder if ya need a toke er two.



ride safe

TN

[BikerJim44]

We went to ROT this year and one of the Bro's split early to go meet his OL at a roping event. He was on his way home and me and the other Bro were an hour or so behind him when we stopped for gas and I get a call from Road Kill who is stuck outside some little town in Texas. He was there for more than an hour and he saw quite a number of bikes go by. Here he is in well over 100* heat with the seat off and he setting on the side of the bike holding up his hands in the help me look. Not a one of them stopped. He said in most cases they just looked the other way, mostly all Harley riders too. Note I didn't say bikers.
Finally a guy on a metric bike stopped and left him a bottle of water but was unable to help beyond that. At least he stopped. Finally a county road agent came by in his pickup and then returned with a trailer and took my bro to town and dropped him at Dairy Queen where we later met up with him and helped him get it on the trailer his friend brought from Roswell. He smoked his charging system was the problem. It makes me mad that people have lost their balls and just set up there and try to look so cool rolling down the highway and don't even give a look at a fellow biker or at least make an attempt to see if one needs help. I never let a bro set without checking on them or at least get an OK sign before I will go on down the road.
Thanks to all who do help out and let's keep this going as it is important. Someone could die of heat exaustion or have a heart attack. One never knows why another is stranded so again thanks to those that do stop to help and a big old fat FU to those that are too cool to give a Bro a hand. Spidey.

[rad3766]

Thats cool Bill   
You know how it is:  What goes around, comes around.   

[blacknchromehd]

Well I still remember the story Pay It Forward (it moved me watching that story)....this country is a great place to live...its a shame that so many are so selfish not to help others..Many of my friends always say why do you always try to help so many and never ask anything in return....well I would rather give then receive.

I am not a patch wearing type but I have ridden on bikes since I was 5 years old...when someone tells me that I cannot ride...or have to give up sex...then I might as well quit living...Riding my bike is one of the only things that gives me pleasure...all she wants is for me to crack that throttle and hang on...

Thanks to all for the words...I just would like to see more people give first...

Bill

[the Grump]

Thirty some odd years ago I was broke down on my 1966 305 scrambler. Blew a piston, I knew it, never mistake that sound. Two older guys stopped on Harleys and I thought, Oh here we go.. Nope! they just offered to help, I told them I blew a hole in one of the pistons and they offered to ride me home. I told them I didn't have any insurance and it wasn't going to leave it. They say "we understand" and I said "thanks". I pushed that bike 4 1/2 miles that day. I have never forgotten those two and always try and do the same.

[Clintster]

One of the best saves I ever had was by folks in a car.  My Brother and I were young and working a second job at a bar on Ft. Lauderdale strip for extra money and girls.  He meets this gal who he had been pursuing for while and gets a date.  Well I had driven my car and he rode the bike, so we switched so he could take this gal for breakfast after closing it was starting to rain.  I had a date with a gal up in Boynton, rode up there and bike went to reserve that night.  I wake up in the morning smiling ear to ear and just getting up to highway speed, forgot about the fuel issue.  Well it sputters and I ride to the median, next exit wasn't far so I just start pushing, it is Sunday morning on I-95 and I figure got to get fuel I am pushing.  Several folks stop ask I tell them I need fuel, one guy say yeah I'll get you some.  I figure no telling, so I continue to push, it was a jap 750.  Well this family in a sedan stops and asks what they can do, by this time I am real tired of pushing.  I forget the distance to next exit but figured I could do it.  Anyhow I tell the folks if you want to try I could use a tow.  I have them put the windows down and I grab the pillar between the doors.  They tow me to the ramp top, I'm thanking them and no sooner than that the folks with fuel come pulling up.  Well this was the early 90's and folks are a lot more cynical these days.  Moral of the story I offer to help whatever way I can and no matter what I am driving.  Times have changed and people willing to help are fewer and far between.  It is excellent when we help our fellow man and good karma is coming for it and has...

[Jim B.]

Good for you, Bill.

I was riding my Goldwing a few years ago and pulled over to put on a sweater. Next thing I know there is a large jacked-up pickup pulling up behind me. The truck has 4 rough looking guys in it and the truck is plastered with Harley stickers. I was a new rider and I thought to myself, "Uh Oh, I'm in the middle of nowhere on a Wing and here's this bunch of Harley fans coming to give me a hard time." Wrong!!! They were some of the nicest guys I have ever met. They were all Harley riders and they wouldn't leave until I had assured them more than once that I was o.k. I've stopped for every biker I've seen on the road since then. And, because a lot of Goldwing owners would not have stopped and the Harley riders did stop, I wanted to be part of their world. So, I now have an 09 Road Glide.

[HeritageSpecial]

Well done Bill and may it pay you back in spades. I always stop-- I don't care what make of bike it is, a car, or whatever. What goes around comes around...

Regards,
HS

[Tollbooth]

Black. Thanks for posting your story. I got a good feeling just reading it!
TB

[ohio-rider]

Great story with a happy ending.

I would like to add a bit of advise though for all the lady’s who are reading this and thinking it would be great to help a stranded biker. Please don’t stop to help anyone if you are alone. My buddy’s wife found herself in a bad situation last year when she was trying to be a good biker and stopped to help a guy along the side of the road.

Lady’s please just ride past anyone on the side of the road and call them some help from a  safe distance. Even if that person is me. I’ll understand why you didn’t stop. -Steve

[Superheat9]

Pulled into Stanley ID yesterday and saw a guy on a older HD with his tools scattered around his bike. I made a u-turn and went back to see how he was doing. He had just finished putting his points back on after his new electric ignition parts had failed him. He was an interesting guy to talk to and his bike was unlike any I had seen. 74 police bike with a 82 shovel engine. suicide shift. He said it had roller side cover or something simalar sounding. Wish I had taken some pictures. Wasn't much I could do for him but did give him a name and phone # of a indy repair shop at lolo junction.  Visited for about 20 mins, got gas and a big wave on the way out of town.

[Tsani]

Great story with a happy ending.

I would like to add a bit of advise though for all the lady’s who are reading this and thinking it would be great to help a stranded biker. Please don’t stop to help anyone if you are alone. My buddy’s wife found herself in a bad situation last year when she was trying to be a good biker and stopped to help a guy along the side of the road.

Lady’s please just ride past anyone on the side of the road and call them some help from a  safe distance. Even if that person is me. I’ll understand why you didn’t stop. -Steve

Sucks that we are not immune to this type of crap, but that is sound advise. Even men need to be on guard, both the helper and helpee. Damn shame tho.

[HyperDetroit]

I saw a broken down bike on I-80 about a year or so ago, I was in my pickup.  We threw it into the pickup, tied it down, and I delivered it to the dealership for him.  Definitely made this guy's day.  As far as women not stopping, that's a very sound advise, sad to say.

Hyper

[Panzer]

I don't care if it's sounds like an echo soooo............well done Black, well done.
                         Good point Ohio.

[blacknchromehd]

Ohio,

Good point as my wife rides her own and I have told her time and time again do not stop but if you see someone broke down pull over up the road and call me...I feel that she could defend herself but I would rather not have anything happen to her...first wife did not ride but this is my 2nd and she rides as good as most of my buds...

Hey guys thanks for the compliment...I wanted others to think about doing the same someday for another...

Bill

[02roadcling]

Today jamesd12 was pulled over on the side of the road on his Harley and I was parked on the other side with my truck and we were standing next to his bike visiting about 100' from the I-5 intersection on the cross street. A guy on a dual sport honda pulled over from my lane and pulled up in front of his bike to ask if we needed any help. We thanked him like crazy for being a good guy, you would of thought he just saved us.

cling

[crossbonz]

good story bill,
keeps everyone in the mindset. hope it's contagious. thanks again!

[blacknchromehd]

Well guys this is my last post on this subject but today I got an e-mail to my work from the couple that I had helped. I gave them my business card with cell and e-mail if I could have been of any more help.

This is what they wrote...
Hello Bill,
We arrived yesterday evening and we made a good trip in part thanks to you Bill and your friend Rich. We are very grateful and be assured that we will never forget you. One day we hope to have the opportunity to make the same service to someone else in need. This incident could have been more problematic, but thanks to you everything was resolved in a short time. You were our angels of the road. Again thank you and good luck in your life and your future travels.

Your two friends forever Grateful.
Suzie and Marc-Andre


Now that stop along the road was well worth the effort but for someone to thank me in a e-mail like that lifted my soul today...

Bill

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[taz95dog]

and you would've stopped,  even if there wasn't a nice looking lady ... ...taz...

[blacknchromehd]

To be honest I never even saw her at first...it was the trailer that got my attention..

Bill

[Clintster]

Just read the last post for the day, man that is excellent.  Nice folks, Good Job !!

[Lew]

    

Lew 

[northbrun]

spring of 02.. I had just gotten my brand new springer, and took a trip from mass. to Fl. On my way home I ran out of cash just south of Baltimore Md., and It was all toll roads home from there. I got off the highway and found an ATM at 4 in the morning. well the machine got my card and I got the shaft. no cash.. so after ridding through Baltimore all the way around the bridge trying to figure how to get some cash from my credit cards I gave up and got back on the highway... I pulled into the first rest area... I had now been ridding for about 22 hours straight, and must have looked like it, because as I was looking at an atlas, trying to figure a route around the tolls that wouldn't take a week,  this guy walks by and asks whats the matter. and after hearing my story hands me a $20.00 bill.. told him I wouldn't take it unless I get his address to repay... turns out he was a traveling salesman from Naples fl. heading to Americade to peddle his detailing product. he told me he was then going to Laconia. So, 3 weeks later and after 5 days of looking for him I found him and re-payed,, and had a great steak dinner and beer as intrest on the loan with my new friend. saw him again 2 years later in Sturgis, and had a nice reunion.. By the way... It cost me $19.60 in tolls to get home from where I met my saviour, and even with the delay made it home in 29 hours from Lakeland.. I never pass a bike on the side of the road, and always try to chat with bikers on the road. and hopefully, I will someday, I will be able to as much for somebody as this guy did for me.