TOPIC:

Here is some humor on the subject... To Wave or Not to Wave

Everyone gets a wave from me regardless of their bike. I also hold the door open for strangers, offer my seat to the elderly, and don't talk in the movie theater. Everyone is my friend until proven otherwise, especially someone sharing the risks of being on two wheels.

Maybe they don't ride through the winter, and maybe they spend more time polishing their bike than riding it, but at least for this brief moment the two of us are on the road together and that's why I wave.

One afternoon when new tires put on my bike I asked my girlfriend to take an easy ride through the country with me. The tires needed time to break in and although she never cared to be a passenger she agreed to take the ride. Thirty miles outside of town we crossed paths with a large group of Harley riders, there must have been a hundred or more of them, and I believe every one of them returned our wave.

When we stopped to choose our next direction my girlfriend was excited to tell me that that was her first biker wave, and increased her enthusiasm to ride and be a part of the riding community (whatever that really means)

I've gotten the hand down wave a few times, I just don't feel all that comfortable taking my left hand that far off the bar. These KZ650s are kind of twitchy on the throttle, ya know!

AR15Ron wrote:I have noticed lately that the Harley guys never wave back to me. I have no idea what it is, maybe they are all weekend yuppie warriers I dunno. Mostly the older guys will wave back, and all the rice rockets and squids always wave so I dont know what it is with the harley guys around here. Years ago EVERYONE would wave. I have to assume that these people are not really bikers. Bought a bike for the image but know nothing about riding? You would think they would catch on quick that every bike that goes by waves no?[/quote]

So funny. Good ol' H.D. riders. I used to get choked at their arogance and race them, now I just don't care. I wave at any and all. Ya, sometimes the H.D. guys wave, sometimes not. I can still usually pick them out though from the Japanese vee twins by their: slow loud bikes, wife beater t-shirts, black nazi helmets with shades and their posing downtown, as I rarely meet one on the highway unless it's a bagger. I also rarely see a Japanese vee twin rider around here without proper gear......and they wave or head nod. In my experience it is up to the individual rider. If you're a waver, you will get waves, particularly after you see guys repeatedly. And ya, some of the local H.D. guys do put a hand out in passing.

Faughn wrote:

Here is some humor on the subject... To Wave or Not to Wave

Boy, honda people just aren't right in the head. Almost sounded like that one went over the handle bars and never came back the same. It was pretty damn funny though:laugh:

He's not tarded he's special

I nearly always wave, except if I'm shifting or otherwise pre-occupied. It doesn't matter to me what their riding. Most will wave back, some won't or can't.
My wife and I do a LOT of riding and it is usually other two-up riders who are the most friendly in return.
The only times I don't wave is on a divided highway or when I need both hands on a winding road.
Occasionally I am waved to but either I didn't see them or couldn't wave back for whatever reason.
It doesn't seem to matter whatever the other guy is riding, Harley's, Jap's, German's etc. 95% of the riders around here will wave back.
BTW: I have on several occasions had other bikers pull over to check if we're OK, usually when I am stopped looking at a map, talking to my wife or whatever. They just want to make sure we're OK. I do the same too. Though I've never actually needed assistance, I'm always grateful for their kindness.
Thats my 2 cents
-Dave

One thumb around the grip and 4 fingers up works as a wave around here. Very few will not or cannot respond. In city traffic its much harder for me and for them but that's OK. Same two guys on the open road and its all about response.

The teeny boppers on 50 cc scooters don't have a clue or are scared of the big bad biker. But give them a few years and a few cc's and they'll come around.

Double post.

Post edited by: bill_wilcox100, at: 2007/06/28 14:29

davenkids2001 wrote:

BTW: I have on several occasions had other bikers pull over to check if we're OK, usually when I am stopped looking at a map, talking to my wife or whatever. They just want to make sure we're OK. I do the same too. Though I've never actually needed assistance, I'm always grateful for their kindness.

I always appreciate it. I've had countless times in a car when I've been on the side of the road and cops won't even stop to check on me.

I've never not had a bike not pull over if even just for a second. A few months back I had a messenger bag on my back that came off on the freeway. The sewn edge of the strap came unraveled and I felt it just slip away as I was about to hit the offramp. Having run back and collected it (my grapefruit was fine, no thanks to your bad driving skills, Mr SUV....yeah, I saw you try to navigate your Expedition right over my bag...) a guy on a old old Harley pulled next to me just long enough to call out. I gave him a thumbs up to which I was greeted with a smile, nod and a "take care" and he was off again in an instant.

Later that week, I came upon an R1 out of gas on that same freeway junction on my way home from work. What goes around, comes around, I guess...

Post edited by: Virii, at: 2007/06/28 15:16

I wave to everyone. Around here (Massachusetts) almost all bikes give the hand-down-low wave, or the 2-fingers-down. Even the harley riders wave, although generally not if they are weekend warriors or rediculously chopped chromed out bikes.

Someone asked what the 2-fingers-down salute was supposed to mean - in addition to meaning "peace" or "two wheels down, rider up", it also apparently works to either signify that you're riding a Harley V-Twin (v-for-victory... v-for-vtwin) or that you respect the v-twin of the rider you're passing.

I like the hand-open, down-low wave. It takes the most time and seems to return the most replies, since it looks pretty sincere. Even the goldwing guys usually pry a finger off their heated grips for it

~A

I wave anytime Im not going stupid fast (which happens a lot less as I get older) to just about everybody.

The riders I know its usually a fist in the air. Jusst one of them things..