| Author |
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Johnnylunchbox
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 10:58 am: | 
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Its hard to do the wave with only two people on the bike and forget about doing it when you're alone.. Your timing has to be perfect and even then it looks kind of stupid with you popping up and then your passenger doing the same right after. It's even harder to do it on a Harley because of the forward controls. Doing the wave on a Harley with forward controls would require superhuman leg strength. We have the advantage with the placing of our footpegs. Anyway,I think it mostly confuses people and may even cause an accident. Save it for the stadiums is what I say. |
Mike_bolts
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 12:09 pm: |
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Road Thing, many thanks for the BBQ invite, but I have another obligation on Saturday. I'm coaching soccer for a bunch of 5 year olds and their game on Saturday. Let's stay in touch and organize a Houston area ride soon! |
Dtwalkerfl
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 05:34 pm: |
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It seems to depend on where you are. Here in Florida hardly anybody waves especially Harley riders. In Southern Cal almost everybody waves. |
Outrider
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 07:37 pm: |
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In Wisconsin, the Harley riders wave at everyone with little exception.
Later in the afternoon or early evening the only Harley riders that don't wave are the one's that were overserved at the bars and are holding on to their bikes with a death grip. |
Ortegakid
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 08:45 pm: |
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On any sunday,on my road, 99% of sportbikers wave back, as we are comunicating the cop presence, in the afternoon, the harley riders wave, but only if I'm on my harley also. I always wave, it's fun to see who does and who doesn't after all these years! |
Ortegakid
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 08:46 pm: |
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Now if I could just get a universal set of hand signals everyone knew, we'd all wave! |
Diablobrian
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 12:56 am: |
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Not a bad idea, a set of universal signals would be great.
If only we weren't all stuck on being such rugged individualists.......just like everyone else. |
Outrider
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 01:22 pm: |
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Ortegakid...Man, do I ever miss the "California Cop" and/or "Hazard Ahead" signal." That saved my license and my life quite a few times out there.
I get the feeling I am one of the few in Wisconsin that uses it by merit of the strange looks and gestures I receive from the oncoming riders. Not to mention it closely resembles the "Harley Wave" and a lot of folks just don't get it. LOL
Here is a link for some universal bike signals. The signal that closely resembles the one being discussed is the "Slow Down" signal. However, is is used to warn oncoming traffic of situations you just passed as well as warning those behind you.
http://www.thundermountainhog.com/biker_hand_signals.htm |
Jeremyh
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 01:45 pm: |
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we could all try giving each other the middle finger to spice up the whole "wave" thing.
besides what does the wave really mean. hey look at you you can ride a bike too. or is it hey man you and me are of a different breed and i acknowledge that. |
Truk
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 06:24 pm: |
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I have a GL1800 Goldwing, an R1 and an XB9r and I wave no matter which bike I am on, no matter what kind of bike I am passing. If they don't wave back, I figure that it is there problem. I even had a HD rider tell me He only waves at other HD. I have also found there are many HD riders that do not seem to know how to ride a motorcycle. Not all, but many. Maybe it is cause there is not much time riding as there is in stopping at the local watering hole. I had another person tell me that is the difference between a true motorcyclist and a biker. A true motorcyclist actually rides his bike
But I wave. I figure we need to stick together. Sometime I even catch myself waving at bikes when I am in my car, that is how bad I got it. Sometimes everyone misses waving back,...focusing on something or someone else, I know I have. But I have noticed a sharp distinction among HD riders. What was interesting to me was that it is even worse in SC, my home state, than it was in GA when I lived there for 5 years.
Perhaps someone needs look in to securing federal funding to look into this, they do for everything else  |
Doughnut
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 06:30 pm: |
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My favorite is this guy I see on a Honda Spree every now and then. We wave every time we run across each other. I have noticed that Goldwing rides seem to always wave. |
Slaughter
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 07:08 pm: |
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Truk,
I think there ought to be Federal Funding for such things. (ref: Monty Python's skit on the Ministry of Silly Walks) |
Norrisperformance
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 08:39 pm: |
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I think I'm going to put the
Harley logo on the inside of my wind screen
using Vinyl. |
Ortegakid
| | Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 01:01 am: |
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Otrider, great stuff,but we need more,; like waving hand down means immed cop, and tap the helmet means airplane in the air, and thumbs up means no cops between the fun turns,and ????,Any way, keep on waving, I will!!!!! |
Outrider
| | Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 09:28 pm: |
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Ortegakid...Interesting about the "Bear in the Air" signal.
When I left So Cal and the Ortega, we were still doing the slow down thing and then pointing up into the sky. Looked a bit like John Travolta doing the Disco Thing.
Glad to learn there is a "new signal" for that circumstance. |
Leftcoastal
| | Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 11:23 pm: |
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A brief history of "the wave" - as I remember it!
Waaay back (early '70's) all us H-D riders used to wave at each other with the "raised fist" salute. Solidarity and all that. Triumph and BSA riders would too, and we'd let 'em - if they didn't get too uppity about it. We'd flip most Honda riders off, and didn't worry about other jap bike riders cause there weren't any. All that went the way of bell bottoms and muscle cars.
Possibly some of you fellow geezers have recovered sufficiently from your '60's years to recall similar motorcyclist' wave related details.
AL |
Slaughter
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 11:19 am: |
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Ortega is right - there are slight variations on interpretation but the intention is OBVIOUS when you see the signals. Here in the So CA twisties there is a very specific protocol on hand signals. Saves many a ticket. Angeles Crest, Palomar, Ortega - and the feeder roads - you pay attention to hand signals and you also give a "thumbs up" if there's a clear road ahead for the oncoming bike.
I don't even go fast in the twisties but will signal - palm down (slow down - police or unsafe road section) or fist on helmet (police pretty dang close) or thumbs up (road clear). There's really not too much waving in the local twisties - ESPECIALLY in the double fine zones when you can pay over $1000 for a double yellow and 5 mph speed violation.
(and I consider myself pretty much a law-and-order kinda guy)
(Message edited by slaughter on April 15, 2005) |
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