| Author | Message | ||
     Hooaah |
What is the significance of "the wave" ? You know, when you pass another biker and they wave - kind of. It's usually the left arm extended down and out at about a 45 degree angle. Often they extend the index finger. I realize that the left is better as the right hand needs to stay on the throttle, but why down? Is it to avoid confusion with a hand signal indicating a left turn/lane change or a stop? I wonder about these things......anybody have any insight? And it is almost always sport bike riders that wave. I wonder if the Harley guys think we on an Asian bike - or do they recognize the Buell and still see us as second-class citizens? I remember this July I came up to a traffic light on Erie Blvd in Syracuse. I pulled up on my X1 next to a guy on a real chopper. The kind that barely keeps running at an idle - going wup....wup....wup. He was a real old time biker - grey hair in a pony tail, beard, ragged jean vest, some sort of club colors, and lots of ink. I had dark visor all the way down and I'm sure he thought I was a kid. (I'm 47) He looked over at me and twisted the throttle a couple of times. It was deafening. Then he looked up at the red light and kind of nodded. When the light turned green I hit it almost perfectly. I didn't check the mirrors 'til I shifted into third and started hitting the brakes as I approached the next red light. I swear he was just leaving the intersection. The lights are long in Syracuse and wearing full leathers on this fanless air-cooled machine - well - it was hot - so I flipped up the shield. The old biker finally came cruising up next to me again. When he looked at me again he surprisingly gave me a thumbs up and then a little military-style salute (my vanity plate was, by the way, HOOAAH) and peeled of to the right when I went straight. 1999 X1 - $5,000. Full leathers - $400. Helmet, gloves and boots - $350. The way I felt that moment - PRICELESS See what happens when your new Uly is in the shop? I have to get another hobby Don | ||
| Cochise |
I get waves from MOST motorcyclists, but then again, I am a badass. All seriousness aside.... I wave on the interstate with my left arm at a 90 degree up, above my "fuel tank". When I am on a regular highway I do a few variances of the 45 and down, if they don't wave back, one of my fingers is left out in the wind. | ||
| Panic |
There used to be a protocol and hierarchy of wave exchange and recognition among sports cars from 50 years (more?) ago, but done in military fashion: lower rank waves first, degree of enthusiasm varies inversely with separation (mates wave big, Sprite gesture to XK150 very subtle), extreme separation frequently means no return wave (Sprite wave to DB4 may be ignored without penalty to either party). On my 1937 H-D I expect a wave first from practically anyone. On my Sportster I don't but, I wave to anyone with a nice (non stock, very old, very special, or rare) bike, or anyone who waves first. | ||
| Swampy |
I pull my left hand to my chest and do a chop forward or off to the left. Keeps the people behind me from knowing what I am doing. I also wave at cars that wait at intersections for me to go through, It's like saying "Thank you for not killing me". I also wave at the ones that pull out and stop after they realize you are there, but I slow down real slow and do a "Its my parade wave". | ||
| Jlnance |
but why down Try it the other way.  Besides just being cooler, it destablilized the bike less if you don't raise your hand. | ||
| Scitz |
I try to wave to everyone when I ride. When I ride my scooter and wave at motorcycles I don't always get much respect. I don't discriminate against any motorcycles because we are all in a battle against the cagers. | ||
| Paulson |
I don't discriminate against any motorcycles because we are all in a battle against the cagers. So true. If I see ya in time I'll wave (down-45). I don't expect a wave back though. Some riders have a handfull just staying on the road. | ||
| Rex |
other vehicles acknowledge each other too. certain makes of sports cars, etc. I always wave at other bikes, regardless of what brand, and where we are...if they wave back fine, if not, fine...... we need to stay together....too many others out to stop us. rex | ||
| Typeone |
yup... all three of my vehicles have a community that exchanges some sort of wave, like 'hey, we is one'  - Buell XB - i do two finger down to the left - Jeep Rubicon - two finger or hand up off steering wheel - Porsche 912 - flash the headlights fun to give a quick, 'whats up' to others but i don't sweat it when the wave isn't exchanged back, gotta focus on where/what your doing, especially on a bike. plus it gets old when there are millions of bikes out on a nice day. | ||
| Thin_air |
I ahve a HD and a XB12s. When im on my 'glide all the HD riders wave but very few jap bikes. Vice versa on the Buell. Heres what I do, I dont wave at the HD guys when im on my HD, I wave at EVERYONE else. When im on my Buell I do the opposite. I dunno, I find it entertaining..... | ||
| Djkaplan |
I hate the wave. I always pretend I didn't see the wave and only wave back if absolutely necessary to be polite. I won't even take my hand off the grip, I'll just wiggle my fingers. I'd probably wind up like that Harley dude on killboy.com if I waved all the time. | ||
| Buelltroll |
I wave if they wave. And at 45 because above that and your fighting the wind. | ||
| Spike |
I'll wave at most everyone if I see them in time and I don't think it'll confuse the drivers around me. In the Miata and my RX-7 I used to flip the headlights up at other Miata/RX-7 drivers. I'll usually give a "thumbs-up" to drivers of really cool cars. What absolutely kills me is to listen to most non-Harley riders complain about not getting waves from Harley riders. That used to be a common thread over on sportbikes.net. I'd constantly read posts with riders absolutely crying about the time they saw a Harley rider and didn't get a wave. This usually stands as "evidence" that all Harley riders are complete snobs and think they're better than anyone. What humors me about it is that in my 3+ years of working at a Harley dealer and the countless stories I've heard of stupid things that happened on the road, not once do I recall a Harley rider telling a story of the time they purposely didn't wave at an import rider just so they could offend them. I kinda like the wave. It's a friendly reminder of the camaraderie we share as motorcyclists. At the same time, I don't really care if you wave at me or not. I was on two wheels long before I found out we're supposed to be waving at each other. If you get a wave, that's great. If you don't get a wave, just let it go. Unless they've flipped you the bird there's no reason to take it personal.* *The exception being if you're friends with Reg, who has been known to flip his friends the bird. Mike L. '04 XB12R | ||
| Kdan |
I dunno where it comes from but I was taught a long long time ago by my uncle or some male friend of my mother's when I asked why, that it was down at 45 degrees with two fingers inverted like a retarded upside down backwards peace sign. Acknowledging brotherhood on two wheels. Something like that, but hey, it was the 60's. | ||
| Seanp |
Sometimes I catch myself waving to bikes when I'm in my truck. And my wife gets a kick out of it when she's in her car following me on my bike somewhere, and I spend half the time with my left hand off the bar because I'm waving to everyone. I wave at everything. I sometimes wave at bicyclists. There's a little informal motocross track near one of my favorite roads, and I wave to the kids riding those bikes when I go by. I love waving, and as Scitz says, it's us against the cagers. We all gotta stick together... | ||
| Swampy |
www.jeepwave.com I remember in the 60s-70s the wave was a fist out to the left. Maybe it was a Michigan thing. You ought to see our women. |
