broken down motorcyclists

Always stop. Even for scooters.

I normaly use the method.

The times I have just stopped, the guy was just having a rest/fag/phonecall etc.
Normally have a good chat about bikes etc anyway

I traffic conditions allow I'll give a thumbs up first, but if not I'll just stop anyway whether I'm in the car or on the bike.

I'm a mechanical moron too, but it's amazing how many time just carrying a mobile phone can be of the most use!

I'm glad to say I've never encountered the "Nah, don't worry your pretty little head luv" attitude when I've stopped for a biker.
I've got it a couple of times from drivers as I generally also try to stop for MG owners too. Which is sad as I know my way round an MG far better than a bike and carry alot of basic stuff with me in my car.

sounds like a good plan..
i've got to confess to passing a couple of bikes on the A40 elevated section near paddington..., but have been in the outside lane banked over on the nice sweepy bits.

would defo stop if possible

I mostly do motorway work and have sometimes seen a bike at the side and I guess I could have stopped but not that safely from the fast lane so I've carried on. If I saw one in time though I would pull over and ask if all was okay. I did stop once for a kid on a scoot and he told me to F%$$ off. I think he'd just nicked it as the wires from the ignition were hangin out. So I reported it to the police as I memorised the plate. Ah well.

I once broke down on the M4 just past the severn bridge into Wales. I already knew what the problem was, Fuel pump.

I was on the hard shoulder, a guy on a gixxer was on the outside lane, he spotted me, braked and pulled in and stopped, probably no more than 50 feet infront of me. He didn't spot me until he was nearly level. I estimate his speed when he saw me must have been in the 80mph range.

As I knew what the fault was and we both knew that it was not a roadside fix, he actually gave me his AA card and said to post it to him when I was done.

How cool is that.

he's a better rider than me... i'd be on my **** and that would be no help to me or mr broken down biker

k

I've stopped several times (especially tend to do so since I fell off the once in London and noone bothered to stop and help me pick the bike up!) and its often just as well cos they've run out of petrol in the middle of nowhere or something.

Doing a petrol run can be interesting though if you have nothing to tie it onto the back of the bike with and have to put the can on the tank - mmm, riding high all the way back!!

Some people can be amazingly ungrateful though - the one time i stopped for a guy who was pushing a Harley and I offered to fetch petrol but he was v grumpy and said not to bother as he knew there was a garage in about half a mile. I travelled for 6 miles up some pretty hefty hills before I finally found one!! maybe he's still there pushing...?

Are we distinguishing here between broken down motorcyclists and broken down motorcycles?

I always stop for the latter, but if I see some geezer sitting in the doorway of Burton's, with a whippet, upturned Cromwell and a sign saying "ex-biker - has wife, 4 kids and a Fireblade to support", then I tend to walk past quickly.

Mind you, if it was a Ducati, it would be different....might be someone I know.....

I always slow and beep and try to get a thumbs up to confirm they're okay. If I don't give that/there isn't time, I'll stop and check. If I'm in no rush to be anywhere, I'll usually turn round and go back to them if neccessary (other side of dual carriageway etc.)

Even if you can't help, the fact that you stop and chat makes the wait for the AA/whoever that much more bearable for them. I know; I've been broken down and even though they couldn't help, just chewing the fat with a bloke on a hornet for 20 minutes made waiting for the AA's typical 3 hour response time less frustrating.