Biker Ghosts

Biker Ghosts : are ghosts which allegedly appear to be solid, real people and are said to hitch lifts with unsuspecting motorbike riders.  It is somewhat unclear whether or not this truly is a genuinely reported phenomenon or simply an urban myth.  Regardless of which is correct the accounts of biker ghosts usually follow in a similar vein:

As the story goes...

It was a dark, stormy night and a lone motorbike rider was out late at night, driving along a deserted, lonely country lane.  As he approached a bend, he caught sight of what appeared to be a windswept woman with long flowing hair.  The woman beckoned silently to the rider to pull over, and fearing for the lady's safety on such a bleak night, he promptly obliged. 

The wind was howling, making it difficult to talk, and the lady did not seem to want to speak, instead preferring to communicate in gestures.  She indicated that she wanted to ride on the back of the motorbike and promptly took the spare crash helmet, placing it on her head.  After pointing ahead and speaking only the name where she wanted to go, she duly wrapped her arms tightly around the waist of the unsuspecting rider.  The bike set off a few miles down the road and as the journey progressed the woman's grip became tighter and tighter. The motorbike rider was relieved when he finally pulled into town.  He slowed and pulled up to the edge of the pavement and glanced around to tell the woman that she certainly had a vice-like grip.  To his absolute amazement, the woman was gone and his spare crash helmet was left as if it had never been moved.  On thinking that perhaps the woman may have jumped or fallen off the motorbike, the rider frantically retraced his steps, but to no avail.  The only conclusion he could draw, was that he had been carrying a ghost behind him.

There are some embellishments to this tale and these tend to depend upon the version being told.  Certain variations of the story conclude, that later the same evening, the rider, on recounting the tale in the local pub; was duly informed by the landlord of a young lady who had earlier been killed along the self same route. The description of the victim uncannily matched that of the woman hitchhiker.

Similar tales like these are also common about phantom hitchhikers being picked up in cars.  Again the theme tends to be very similar, for example: some young woman or man is given a ride home in the back of a car.  On turning round to speak to the mysterious passenger at the end of the journey the driver finds that the car is empty.