Ok I'm not a snob or an unfriendly jerk, but I'm from the city. The only people we wave at from our car, are people we know, and the police :D
Bikers around here (for the most part) seem to wave at anyone and everyone on a bike. I even get people on scooters wave... some how it feels wrong to acknowledge those types, but I do when I can... "Those Types" and "When I can" being the subject...
I was coming to a stop light the other day, so I had the clutch pulled and brake pulled as another rider coming from the opposite direction gave me that "Look I can touch my foot peg) wave. Since I couldn't take me hand off the bars I gave him as much as a nod as I could while trying to complete my stop. That low wave went to a high middle finger.
So before passing judgment I'm here to understand the science and philosophy of biker waving...
Are Hardley riders (not a spelling error) not allowed to wave at non-Hardley riders?
Are Sports Bike riders required to ride with one hand for safety?
Are specific types of waves for your type of bike?
-Sports Bike = Touch your toes?
-Hardleys = I can't wave or else my sleeveless T-shirt armor might fly off?
-Touring Bikes = everyday normal bent elbow shoulder height wave?
-Scooters = Bob from the "male enhancement" ads, wave.
But then I see the wave from below the handle bars from almost all types of riders so I'm guessing this is the standard customary greeting?
Yesterday I saw a new one, I'll call the "overtake wave". As a sport bike passed me on a 4 lane highway he seemed to flash a Circle K gang sign at me with his left hand, as if he were pointing out a rare Missouri Moose sighting on the right side of the highway maybe. I didn't know how to respond to this. I didn't figure he could see me anyway.
So then there's the issue of "When I can".
Doesn't a fellow rider understand that their are times when a rider can't take his hands off the bars, or is one expected to drop to N or use rear brake to extend a proper greeting?
Does a nod not suffice in such situations?
Maybe I should do the chicken dance with my elbows and knees as a substitute?
A nice nod is quite the thing in the UK, Harley riders..............that's another story. :wink:
Andy.
I think you forgot another import subgroup... BMW riders.... As a subset they're close to the Concrete Pump riders, with the exception that instead of wearing a wife beater vest they have fully tailored bespoke riding kit.....
Wave, nod, shake a leg or raise a finger... there are no rules... folks on all bikes will do it sometime. (Probably depends on who they think can see them)
Of course you can always use the SAFE wave ... simply by opening the hand out and lifting all the fingers as you pass. (you keep your hand on the grip and simple rock left to right.. works for either hand too!!) :lol:
The thing is that unless the other rider is looking for some acknowledgment they wont see it because your hand is mostly behind the guard. And you know you waved.....
Tis a vexing
I guess the big question is, on that day halfway down the highway who'd you pull over to help.... and who'd pull over for you??
I tend to stick to the nod 99% of the time.
OK, gotta say, I've had dramatically better luck with Harley Riders than several other groups. Starting with the social invertebrates and moving towards those with the best interaction (reverse order):
1) Goldwing folks - theory is they are too old to respond quickly enough to a wave.
2) BMW Riders - Simply better than the rest of us
3) Harley riders - Mostly stuck on the harley thing but we are riding British after all
4) Sport bike rider - just looking for attention/want to be recognized by anyone
5) Real dual Sport folks - Salt of the earth
just my observations :D ,
Todd
One must ask the question: "What is the motivation for your wave?". Are you waving to someone to be acknowledged that you waved? I only wave to share my joy of riding. I could care less if they wave back at me. I wasn't waving to get a response. I was simply waving to share my joy.
Thought I would share this list from another site
http://www.nittanyroadriders.com/NRR-News/NoWaves.htm
Yukon,
Had to forward this to several folks, thanks!
LOL those are good!
I wave at everybody. Ya never know their story. It's their problem if they have an issue with what I'm riding or the color of my helmet, or the fact that I wear one or.... I hope you get the idea.
Although - I pulled out in front of a cruiser rider yesterday on my way home from school: He had his left signal on and appeared to be pulling to the left side of the lane so I assumed he was actually turning. Unfortunately I was on my CT90 that has a major hesitation off idle and in the few moments it took to get it up to speed he passed me with a wave of his own. :x
3 things I'm taking out of this encounter:
1. I need to give myself more space entering traffic or get around to fixing the hesitation (anyone know much about old carbs?) Never assume anything.
2. Remember to cancel the turn signal, the outcome might have been worse if I was driving. Never assume anything.
3. It is nice to be recognized - even if it was a 1 finger wave :D
Quote from: "TheMule"2) BMW Riders - Simply better than the rest of us.
Thank you for noticing how awesome I really am 8) BMWs really have all the fun. . .
(http://matttys.smugmug.com/photos/41993097_JNBEn-L.jpg)
Notice my fancy BMW rididng gear!
(http://matttys.smugmug.com/photos/211051670_9Ryuu-L.jpg)
As for waving I have criteria:
1) Rider first waves to me. . . never initiate a wave (it's uncool).
2) Is the rider wearing gear/helmet?
3) Do I like the bike? Supermoto, dual sport or other cool bikes only get waves.
4) Is my fiancee on the back of my bike?
If 1, 2 and 3 are met, I give a slight wave. If 1, 2, 3 and 4 are met, my fiancee waves.
i really like the super cool low waves i get from the cruuuuuizer folk - i will usually return it with an arm held as high as i can over my head shaking it in a spastic rhythm not un like that of a chimp on speed. but i do wave to all i can safely, and if they dont like it - well, you know the rest. :lol:
There is no BMW in this picture. :roll:
(http://matttys.smugmug.com/photos/41993097_JNBEn-L.jpg)
Quote from: "JetdocX"There is no BMW in this picture. :roll:
(http://matttys.smugmug.com/photos/41993097_JNBEn-L.jpg)
SO?!!!!! :wink:
There HAS to be a story behind that picture, and I'm dieing to hear it!
Quote from: "matttys"Thank you for noticing how awesome I really am 8) BMWs really have all the fun. . .
(http://matttys.smugmug.com/photos/41993097_JNBEn-L.jpg)
What motorcycle?
All of those young ladies are the subjects of my fantasies, so why is it that I would ignore all of them except the blue chick who leaves me mesmerized?
Oh ya, the wave. I wave at most riders and it doesn't matter what their riding, but it does matter where I see them.
In town interstates: no wave
Most everywhere else: the wave
If both hands are busy holding clutch/brake I offer "the chin"
If we're going the same direction I often give the "hang loose"
Opposite directions get a flip of the wrist
Another DS type rider gets the "Heil five"
I wave to everyone I can, unless I'm clutching, then they get the nod. The guy that gave Evil Betty the finger is just a dick, and probably stupid too, momma didn't love him, yadda yadda yadda. Sometimes I even wave to bicycles. I look at it like solidarity against the cars, and to say we're looking out for each other. And really, I hardly never get the cold shoulder from Harley riders; more so from sportbikes.
But, then again, I've been riding a Shadow ACE for the last ten years. Maybe they just couldn't tell I wasn't one of them. :P I'll see how that changes on a Tiger.
To WAVE or NOT To WAVE:
I wrote a small article on that several years ago..... died out on a crapped out hard drive!
But suffice it to say...I would bet that in 30% of the WAVE exchanges, one or both riders mutter themselves, "asshole"!
The 'Middle Digit' waver is more of a 'manly' wave......
In my mind it is intentional, directed to one person, and has an emotional connotation with lasting effect.
A 'low-hand-never-leaves-the-grip' wave is an insult.
It demonstrates the other rider has no respect for you and you are another piece of crap floating down to roadway.... certainly a hinderance
to his tasks at hand.
The insult wave:
A 'full 5' ........ as you pass another rider ..... especially if you have a passenger!
Over here in Blighty we ride on the left side of the road so the hand nearest to the other rider is the throttle hand so we've developed a distinct nod of the head.
On the continent where they ride on the right (wrong) side of the road they stick out their left hand and give a "V" for victory wave. Also, when you've just overtaken someone you kick out your right leg to say "hello".
Quote from: "SERadtke"There HAS to be a story behind that picture, and I'm dieing to hear it!
We had a photo contest going on F650.com that had a monthly theme and had to include your F650. This theme was Halloween . . . and I won that month 8)
Quote from: "matttys"BMWs really have all the fun. . .
Not quite young man - notice the logo on the portakabin door on the right of the picture :p
And I wasn't waving in case my hands ended up anywhere that would have gotten me in trouble :oops: :D
Max, uh, I mean Sin. You kinda look like this guy. http://www.jpcycles.com/Home/About (http://www.jpcycles.com/Home/About)
But then I guess if you were, you wouldn't be playing around in Thailand. Or would you? :lol:
Quote from: "atokad"Max, uh, I mean Sin. You kinda look like this guy. http://www.jpcycles.com/Home/About (http://www.jpcycles.com/Home/About)
But then I guess if you were, you wouldn't be playing around in Thailand. Or would you? :lol:
Haven't gotten as far as Thailand, the photo was Singapore, guy looks a bit more like Col. Suanders than me :P I was doing my best to behave :oops:
Singapore - Thailand :wave
They all look the same to me! Would like to go someday...
He may look like Colonel Sanders and he problem has $$ like the Colonel too!
Quote4) Is my fiancee on the back of my bike?
I say your fiancee is Pocahontas! :love10
Anyone else?
I wish. I liked her and Little White Riding Hood the best. Unfortunately I was dating the boxer chick at the time. She has a Ninja 500, so that made her much more attractive to me 8)
matttys, I want all the girls, not just the blue ones. Like bikes. Once you've ridden one, you want to ride them all. *slap* I deserve that. *slap* *slap* Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! I take it back!
The best wave I ever had was coming into of the Lyndale tunnel in the far left lane on I94 heading east to St. Paul on the first sunny Spring day in 2007. I was astride my resurrected my 96 Sprint: having recovered it from hitting a 200 lbs buck at 50 mph in 2006. A rider emerged in the sunlight heading in the opposite direction, same lane. He appeared to be mounted on a ZZR, the first hyperbike, now merely The Aging Prince of Speed, hunched over and fast, both of us riding our old flames, nearly abreast, we reach out our hands AT THE SAME MOMENT, only a few feet away from each other in a one-stroke wave. Magnificent! Then I plunge into the darkness of the tunnel. I think we were both so damn happy that Spring had come again and had just had the cracking-bark experience of startin' 'er up for the first time that season, all of us across the world on two wheels were just connected on another level or something.
I got the finger only once and it was from a Hardley rider in his twenties. He was bare-chested, so we have an instantly accurate brain/meat ratio reading beyond just the poseuring of owning a Hardley in the first place.
Folks, if you find out that I own a Hardley, unless it's some rare vintage model that can be excused, hire someone to come out and shoot me. Promise.
Definately a memorable rare occasion that one 8)
TigerTrax is locked and loaded just in case :violent1