Five things only UK bikers understand

From hanging out to show off your moped aged 16, to somewhere to eat at end of a ride-out many years later, the chip shop is a special place for motorcyclists.

But only in the UK, because only we love stinky fish and chips.

To us, a nod means “Hello fellow motorcyclist.” To everyone else the world over, it conveys only a position of agreement or consent.
Nodding at other riders after crossing channel is equivalent to arriving at the hotel and greeting the receptionist with “Yes”.

Our picture shows the international biker greeting. Note the orientation of the fingers.

The furthest you can be from the coast in the UK is about 70 miles which, by lucky coincidence, is a good distance for a ride-out.

Therefore, the primary function of a seafront is not as a place to swim or stroll but to park your bike amidst the hundreds of others. Don’t look out to sea. Look at the view – of bikes.

Browse open-face lids on overseas websites and you’ll find them flatteringly referred to as ‘jet helmets’, as if you’re going to fly off in your MiG-28 like Top Gun.

But UK riders are more likely to associate them with a jet of urine.

The phrase is said to derive from British motorcyclists doing 100mph on London’s North Circular in the ‘50s, but that’s not the only cause of confusion for our overseas counterparts.

Here’s a genuine comment from a US motorcycle forum: ‘Why is 100mph called the ton? No, seriously? A ton is 2000lb. One pound is 16oz. There's no logical division of, or by, 100 anywhere near that, or any logical division by anything else to net you 100.’

It may stem from the use the term as measurement of volume, referring to 100 cubic feet. In any event, a ton isn’t 2000lb. And let’s not get bogged-down in the ‘math’.