The French Police, love some, but not all.....................

[Dick Smith]

Yes, I see it quite a bit in France. Biker's legs - mmmm. Not.

[Richard-R]

Biker in the whole are the same here, I'm one lol (Ducati 1098s) but we sometimes get hog riders around our way who are real tw*ts. All Brando wannabes, who are over 50 and over weight. A real pain. The English hog fans are far less rude ( if not less gay looking lol). Never been stopped on a bike in France, but have been stopped loads of times in a car. ODD!!!!!

[Dick Smith]

But some French types love all that. We were in our local pizzeria when a young couple came in, in leathers, leaving a Harley outside. Up jumped some fat bloke with a big Gallic moustache who latched onto their table and wittered about bikes until they ate their starters and left. Never a second's thought that they had :

a) just come in for a meal, and

b) had GOT a bike like he was wetting himself over, and so had no real reason to spend the evening listening to him.

[Deimos]

A tradition I found really strange was after the French Moto grand Prix (at Le Mans). Not surprisingly a lot of spectators were on their bikes and when it finished the all departed making all the local roads full of bikes (loads of them for ages going away from Le Mans). what was happening was people on the pavements in towns hold out their arms over the road and the biker holds out their right arm and they "tap hands". everybody on the pavements and most of the bikers were doing it. It was in towns and thus not at great speed and thus the "hitting" aspect was not dangerous (at least not from my perspective).

It was the people on the pavement who put out their arm/hand and not the other way round.

Just very unusual to watch as group after group of bikers were doing it.

Ian

[Cassis]

Ian, we watched this "hand slappiing" practice last year on the southern approach to Alençon after the Moto GP.  The highlight was when one (French) biker slowed, tapped hands with a small child, then accelerated away too hard, got into a tank-slapper and mounted the central reservation before parking at the side of the road to nurse his nobbled naughty bits which had taken a bit of a hammering in the episode.  Happily no serious harm to bike or rider other than damaged pride!

[Deimos]

I saw it south of Le Mans so its obviously a bit more global. Only ever seen it after the Moto GP, but obviously something non-bikers know about.

Everybody on the pavements and all the bikers were doing it (nothing "occasional" - more "universal")

Ian

[irnbru]

I don't believe that this business of bikers sticking out their leg is to say thank you. I reckon it is just because it is uncomfortable on these seats and they stick their leg out to ease the twisting of their knickers round their bits and pieces.

[TWINKLE]

I always stick my leg out whenever I pass a biker too - it's a bit difficult through the window but they always sign back to me[:)]

Bugbear!

Do you do that thing with your left arm down and your fingers pointing to the ground whenever you pass a fellow biker?  That is so cool. 

I used to have a Kawasaki that I bought off a soldier serving in Germany (my gran bought it for me actually) - it was apparently quite rare.  It looked a bit like this.  It was only a 100cc I think and it had a small normal body but with off road tyres.  I used to get stopped everywhere I went by people offering to buy it off me.  I was 18 and I named him Fritz!

I caused such a stir 'cos' I used to wear ridiculous skimpy summer clothes when I went out during the day.  Oh well you're only 18 once!

 

[Bugsy]

Irnbru:   Real Bikers don't wear knickers...........................................................[:P][:D]

Twinkle:    Yes, of course, and the lower to the ground, the better.....................[:P][;-)]