[Ducati] The Spanish version of "Harley Waves/or not"

[Alan Wilzig]

As some of you may know , the Spanish exude a general sense that "even the Italians" don't have a TRUE enough love for all things 2-wheeled.

It's really funny. I had one of the first two 2004 Benelli Tornados in this country (here for holidays again now) and my Limey mate had the other. Matching emerald and silver beauts.

( his is now a trackday bike , I own one in the US now, so mine from here is just back for sale in the UK if anyone wants a mint benelli in London)

It was akin to having the only two red Ferraris in all of SoCal. At every stop we'd politely have to listen as each 76 year old man recounted every single  bike he's owned, for us ,over the last 52 years. If I had a euro for every 40cc Ossa we had to feign interest in...

But I digress....cruiser-schmoozer......what's REALLY  embarrassing is riding your fancy bike  at twilight or with  a low sun shining at you, and you see an oncoming "bike" and  intuitively drop your hand in lax salute.....but when you cross , you see it's actually a 14 year old boy in a EUR59 AGV Rossi Rep  plastic helmet ( they make the $600 ti-fancy ones....and $60 dollar identical  reps here too for all the scooter kids) - riding a 1994 49cc Yamaha Pizzer or what have you , SCOOTER, his older sister used to ride to high school.

And he, instead of being all - 
 " Why yes.....the fancy moto man  acknowledges that while I am currently on my sister's former scooter , I am in fact the next Pedrosa".  "¡ Graciás amigo !" 

Instead of this, he GLARES at you like "WHAT are you , an IDIOT ? You're on a magazine-bike and you're waving at me on a barely-alive purple scooter with JetSki graphics and 64,000km on the clock.....what are you PATRONIZING ME ?? Or just a moron who doesn't deserve such a bike as the one you are riding ??

And this is SPAIN where people are nice !  In France a mistaken scooter-wave will almost surely get you the finger. 



I have experienced the American "Moto Outlaw Doofus" and can tell you that the Euro-NON-moto-diss is infinitely more moto-humbling than the unrequited cruiser-wave.

Especially when you KNOW you're only doing it for , the God of riding , love of Country and freedom , and the whole spirit-of-the-AMA thing. In your heart you know their machine, the clothing, the ergos.....

So the moral of the story is 'tis better to give a "fake wave" to an actual motorcycle regardless of type or reaction....than an enthusiastic greeting to what might as well be a motorized skateboard with a Petzl on the rider's head.

I wave to no one now.
 Even friends I recognize riding MY bikes. I just don't take the chance.



Alan Wilzig Good-powered Treo680 ( Orange :)