Hi, I’m a motorcyclist. If you see me hanging out somewhere give me a wave, I promise I’m friendly. If you see me on the side of the road with my helmet behind my bike, though, I’m asking you to do more than wave. That’s a bit of signaling we do to other riders (and the occasional kind driver) to say we need help.
Your average motorcyclist here in the States likely has more mechanical knowledge than your average car driver, and as such we’re not always stranded when we pull over. Plenty of motorcyclists carry tools with us when we ride, especially on long trips — my GS’s dry bags always have a tool roll and tire irons in them — so we’re prepared to get our bikes back in working order by ourselves. But if you see that helmet laid out behind the bike, it usually means something has gone more wrong than we’re capable of fixing.
The signal is usually meant for other riders, who are both more likely to spot it (it’s difficult to text and ride) as well as more likely to stop, though it can’t always be relied upon to save you. I didn’t know what a helmet on the ground meant for the longest time, and I can tell you with full certainty that I’ve ridden by someone who needed help simply because I didn’t know the signal. Don’t be like I was as a fresh rider, pull over for motorcyclists in crisis and lend a hand to someone in need. Even if you think you have nothing to offer, you may well be wrong. At the very least, if we’re baking in full gear in the sun, you can offer us some air conditioning.
