Author Topic: Waving to other motorcycles  (Read 24734 times)

Offline Jaxter

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Waving to other motorcycles
« on: June 04, 2011, 09:07:37 PM »
When I ride I try to wave at every motorcycle I see on the road. I have made this a part of my rides, it is my personal form of entertainment during my rides. I have noticed that not everyone returns the wave. When I wave I make a loose fist and point with 2 fingers towards the oncoming riders front wheel. I also noticed have that there are several forms of return waves, some just raise their fingers without ever removing their hand from the handlebar, some wave straight out to the side, some raise a hand up, some do like me and put their hand down and out...most interesting is the people hwo refuse to return the wave...this amuses me the most. I have noticed that if it is a large pack of Harleys that the leader (probably the alpha of the pack) will seldom wave, but the last in line most likely will (probably hopes that none in front of him notice). The most perplexing for me is when passing a large group of riders, do I do a wave for each rider...I finally adopted the technique of one long continuous wave till they are all past me...I live in the Pacific Northwest and I was able to ride most of the winter and spring and during the cold weather riding I noticed that everyone regardless of M/C type returned my waves...interesting, I guess the snobs are a bunch of candya** fairweather riders. I am curious to know how others feel about this topic, and your experiences???
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YoDoc

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #1 on: June 04, 2011, 09:32:11 PM »
I wave at just about anybody not in a cage. I wave at runners.

And I CERTAINLY return any wave I get, clutch permitting.

Offline Gsun

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2011, 10:12:52 PM »
I wave sometimes. I always return a wave if there is time. Some roads have so many bikes that it gets to be too much and I would rather concentrate on the ride. Harleys never wave at metric bikes, but after they pass me I notice they will wave at other Harleys.

YoDoc

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2011, 10:39:36 PM »
I wave sometimes. I always return a wave if there is time. Some roads have so many bikes that it gets to be too much and I would rather concentrate on the ride. Harleys never wave at metric bikes, but after they pass me I notice they will wave at other Harleys.

When I rode a Harley, I still waved at everything. Of course, I don't ride a Harley anymore, do I?

Offline F-106

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2011, 11:19:57 PM »
Interesting post and findings. I live in california so we can ride most of the year. I find more riders wave in the summer than in the colder months. I always do my best to return a wave by waving or turning my head to the rider and nodding my head if I am braking or shifting. This lets him or her know I saw the wave. A friend was following me in a car going to an event last summer. He told me when we arrived how he thought it was funning that when I passed another bike we waved at each other. He said " Do you guys always do that? " I said that we do for the most part.
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Offline Tom J.

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2011, 12:11:55 AM »
I have found that riding a 'jap' bike (and damn proud of it!!!) gets me less frequent 'cordial' waves from both harley and bmw riders alike.  Just who do these freeeekin guys think they are?!?!?!?   Hey, it's not MY fault if I spent HALF the money and got TWICE the bike you did!!!  I'm SOOOO glad I'm not an IDIOT!!!!!   :P
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YoDoc

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2011, 12:36:28 AM »
<snip>  Just who do these freeeekin guys think they are?!?!?!?   Hey, it's not MY fault if I spent HALF the money and got TWICE the bike you did!!!  I'm SOOOO glad I'm not an IDIOT!!!!!   :P

I know you're joking. That said...

I know that before I bought my Connie, there was a time when I would not even consider riding a bike not made in America. I listened to ALOT of my friends who rode sport bikes and metric cruisers both tell me this same thing. Not everybody is like me, waving at anything that might wave back. A lot Harley riders won't wave at sport bike riders (or anyone else, really) because "they're all little arrogant punks".

Harley's and Harley riders get alot of flak from riders of other brands, mostly for being "cliquish" and "riding outdated bikes that don't perform well". In the Harley/Cruiser world, sport bike riders get flak for riding bikes "that don't make sense on beat up roads with 60mph speed limits" and being "disrespectful and stupid/dangerous".

I don't really have a point. I was trying to get to one, but it just got more diffuse and less coherent as it went on. I... whatever.


Bob

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2011, 05:29:31 AM »
 I wave at anything on two or three wheels. And that includes scooters. They're in the wind and in possible harms way as well. So IMO they deserve my two seconds to wave to them. It probably gives them a big smile knowing that they have kind of made it!  ;D
 Now I find that people returning waves vary. All brands have people that do not wave. Any it also varies depending on which bike I'm on. I by far get the most waves when I'm on the Mean Streak. But less when on the sport tours. The Harley guys tend to wave the least. And less when I'm on the Sport tour.  But probably half of them still wave!

Offline Corpssgt

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2011, 05:38:09 AM »
I used to wave at everyone.  I've been having some temper issues lately so I quit waving so I wouldn't get mad at people that didn't return it.  Last year while on a ride with a buddy on a cruiser I was leading and couldn't get any cruisers to wave back.  I would watch them all wave at him though.  I assumed they just couldn't see me so I adopted the hold my hand up over my head and give a full wave to all of them.  My buddy said they started waving back at me but only with one finger.  I will always wave back but I never initiate anymore.  It keeps me from getting mad at people.  I wave at scooters all the time of course when I realise they are scooters I call myself names.   ;D

Offline booger

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #9 on: June 05, 2011, 06:50:06 AM »
I wave at all two/ three wheelers because that's potentially my friend that's going to assist me on the side of the road.  And vice versa.

Offline Conrad

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2011, 08:15:55 AM »
Northern Illinois   Silverdammit '08 C-14 ABS

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Offline B.D.F.

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2011, 08:21:11 AM »
Yeah but if you got new glasses Bob, you'd find that about 1/4 of those 'scooters' were really sheep.

 ;D

Brian


I wave at anything on two or three wheels. And that includes scooters.

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Bob

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #12 on: June 05, 2011, 08:23:58 AM »
Yeah but if you got new glasses Bob, you'd find that about 1/4 of those 'scooters' were really sheep.

 ;D

Brian


Well that would explain how they new my name! Baaaaaaaaaab!!!  ::)

Offline Summit670

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #13 on: June 05, 2011, 08:55:31 AM »
Conrad, that's a funny video.

I generally wave or nod but lots of variables may preclude either - traffic, sun in eyes, road condition, turns, intersections, etc.

I notice the scooter riders are more apt not to wave.  Are we supposed to wave at them?  ??? ;D
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Offline Jet

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #14 on: June 05, 2011, 09:14:38 AM »
I have found that most of the time a lot of bikers here wave, when I ride to Northern VA I have found the Harley Riders are a little more snobbish about waving. 
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Offline just gone

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #15 on: June 05, 2011, 09:46:27 AM »
I don't really have a point. I was trying to get to one, but it just got more diffuse and less coherent as it went on. I... whatever.
Welcome to my world.  :)

I have noticed some lack of waving by Harley riders in the city but the return waves seem to increase in rural areas. It seems to me that
the chances of a Harley rider returning/initiating a wave go up if he is wearing a helmet and go down with a do rag or shaved bald, anybody
else notice that?

When my brother-in-law and I were riding in Big Bend Nat'l Park on Honda Trail 90s with Chinese clone engines, every single bike (mostly cruisers
and at least half of those were Harleys) waved back, that sorta surprised me. Maybe the proximity of urban centers is a factor?

If I see them in time, I wave at all 2 & 3 wheeled bikes including Beemers, Harleys, and scooters.

I don't seem to have a consistent plan when overtaking or being over taken wave, somtimes a helmet nod sometimes a cross body wave, I need to
work on that I guess...I..whatever.


Offline sherob

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #16 on: June 05, 2011, 09:57:49 AM »
When I do wave, I usually point at ya... "I saw you!'.  I've been caught off guard the last few days... I've had several Vtwin riders wave at me for no good reason... LOL!!!  Must be the nice weather... but it put a smile on my face.  8) 
Rob
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Offline B.D.F.

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #17 on: June 05, 2011, 10:00:50 AM »
They are not saying 'Baaaaaaaaaaab!, they are saying Daaaaaaaaaaaad? :o

Brian




Well that would explain how they new my name! Baaaaaaaaaab!!!  ::)
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Offline Jaxter

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #18 on: June 05, 2011, 11:29:00 AM »
I told my wife that the reason the Harley guys don't always return waves is because the bike is vibrating so bad it might be a dangerous thing to remove one hand while moving...ever notice how all of the taverns have a bunch of Harley's parked out front, I guess that's as far as they could go before the vibrations got to them...then off to the next tavern
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valkmc

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Re: Waving to other motorcycles
« Reply #19 on: June 05, 2011, 11:55:00 AM »
I find it interesting that almost everyone waved at me on my Valkyrie but mostly only sport bikes wave at the C14. I wave most of the time but not all of the time. If I am thinking about something else I don't  worry about it. I do try to return a wave to everyone who waves at me.