The Wave

Okay, so I am a new motorcyclist, but from my days of being a "cager" I knew that motorcyclists wave to each other as they pass one another. You know, day one, I got it, I understood why. This article I found seems to really explain it well, in a sense to try to answer the reason why it is done. Then I read this blog about the idea, and it seems to try to explain that there are some who you should and who you should not wave to. That kinda puzzled me. I wave to every motorcycle I pass; Harleys, crotch rockets, the whole nine yards. There are none at which whom I do not wave.

How about you? Are there those at which whom you do not wave? Are you one of those who don't wave at all? If you do wave, how does it make you feel when others do not wave back? I agree w/the first article I link here. Its like reaching to someone to shake their hand and their arm just stays by their side. Its a feeling of rejection. And the reasons as to why one motorcyclist waves to another is for the reasons mentioned in the first article. How about you guys?

 

Personally I think the second article is bunk. I wave and that is that. I may not wave at a Bandito, Outlaw or Hells Angel but they are the only ones. Unlike many others, I really don't accept the BS that they are so independent and tough. Dysfunctional and mean is more accurate.

 

Top Ten Reasons Why Harley Riders Don't Wave Back

10. Afraid it will invalidate warranty.
9. Leather and studs make it too heavy to raise arm.
8. Refuse to wave to anyone whose bike is already paid for.
7. Afraid to let go of handlebars because they might vibrate off.
6. Rushing wind would blow scabs off the new tattoos.
5. Angry because just took out second mortgage to pay luxury tax on
new Harley.
4. Just discovered the fine print in owner's manual and realized H-D
is partially owned by Honda.
3. Can't tell if other riders are waving or just reaching to cover
their ears like everyone else.
2. Remembers the last time a Harley rider waved back, he impaled his
hand on spiked helmet.
1. They're too tired from spending hours polishing all that chrome
to lift their arms.

Top Ten Reasons Why Gold Wing Riders Don't Wave Back
10. Wasn't sure whether other rider was waving or making an obscene
gesture.
9. Afraid might get frostbite if hand is removed from heated grip.
8. Has arthritis and the past 400 miles have made it difficult to
raise arm.
7. Reflection from etched windshield momentarily blinded him.
6. The espresso machine just finished.
5. Was actually asleep when other rider waved.
4. Was in a three-way conference call with stockbroker and
accessories dealer.
3. Was distracted by odd shaped blip on radar screen.
2. Was simultaneously adjusting the air suspension, seat height,
programmable CD player, seat temperature and satellite navigation
system.
1. Couldn't find the "auto wave back" button on dashboard.


Top 10 Reasons Sportbikers Don't Wave:

10. They have not been riding long enough to know they're supposed
to.
9. They're going too fast to have time enough to register the
movement and respond.
8. You weren't wearing bright enough gear.
7. If they stick their arm out going that fast they'll rip it out of
the socket.
6. They're too occupied with trying to get rid of their chicken
strips.
5. They look way too cool with both hands on the bars or they don't
want to unbalance themselves while standing on the tank.
4. Their skin tight-kevlar-ballistic-nylon-kangaroo-leather suits
prevent any position other than fetal.
3. Raising an arm allows bugs into the armholes of their tank tops.
2. It's too hard to do one-handed stoppies.
1. They were too busy slipping their flip-flop back on.


Top Ten Reasons Why BMW Riders Don't Wave Back

10. New Aerostich suit too stiff to raise arm.
9. Removing a hand from the bars is considered "bad form."
8. Your bike isn't weird enough looking to justify acknowledgement.
7. Too sore from an 800-mile day on a stock "comfort" seat.
6. Too busy programming the GPS, monitoring radar, listening to
ipod, XM, or talking on the cell phone.
5. He's an Iron Butt rider and you're not!.
4. Wires from Gerbings is too short.
3. You're not riding the "right kind" of BMW.
2. You haven't been properly introduced.
1. Afraid it will be misinterpreted as a friendly gesture.

 

25 years ago a lot more rider would wave. Now with the large numbers of Harley riders, there are fewer people waving. The Harley guys won't wave unless you are on a Harley too, and too many of the metric cruisers look like a Harley at 60 MPH so they don't dare a wave and make a mistake. I continue to wave and I feel sad when others won't wave back. I don't worry too much about it though because I know that those guys aren't "real" bikers. They just bought a bike to be one of the crowd and they don't generally last too long.
I'm proud to ride a 26 year old bike that I have taken very good care of. I wouldn't hesitate to take off on a trip anywhere, anytime. If any of you were involved in the XJ World Relay 2000 you know what a great group of riders the XJ clan are. But if you're on this site you already know that anyways.

 

Today on my ride, I passed (probably) a couple of dozen riders, and all but one waved back. This was a good mix of bikes, from Harleys to Cruisers, sportbikes and others. The only guy who didn't wave looked like he was riding a brand new Harley. I dunno, it was kinda offensive that he didn't wave back. But otherwise, I found all to wave back regardless. Its definitely (like the first article I linked) a deeper meaning than just "hello".

 

I wave at all other riders unless it isn't safe to do so - leaned over in a sharp curve for example. I even wave at the scooter people because they are on 2 wheels like the rest of us.

Good ridin!

 

Same here.. I wave at everyone. First wave I ever got was from a guy on a Harley. Confused the hell out of me.. But then it sorta made sense in the back of my mind.. So I waved at the next bike I saw, and she (!) waved back.. Been doin it ever since Its very rare for me not to get a wave back, but the ones who don't usually fit the "Harley/Chopper toughguy" stereotype so w/e..

 

I'm an equal opportunity waver, they all get it! I've not worried too much about reciprical waves, whether or not they do is up to them!

 

The ones who don't wave back to me are usually are the scooter riders. Maybe they are shocked and caught off guard that I'm waving or they just don't do it because they are sick of getting blown off by other riders. I like the waving techniques also:

-The #1 down pointer wave (usually sport bikes)
-The hand/fingers tip up off the grip
-The head nod
-The regular waver...normal/boring/noncreative
-The arm extention and open palm..as to "give him 5"
- The salute...usually what I do when I see a Vmax
- The unorganized, late and awkward wave as when you catch them off guard or not thinking that you will wave to them, but do.
- The bewildered wave...new biker wondering if they know you

When I had my Jeep Wrangler, we had our own little thing going too where we waved to each other...miss that thing

 

How about the "A-O-K"? Thumb and pointer making a loop and 3 fingers sticking up, lol.
...Or tapping the top of your helmet to let other riders know there's a cop nearby?
8)

I wave at everyone, and assume if they don't wave back that they're either being inattentive and just never saw me, or that they only like their OWN bike.

I do it because I like letting people know that I like their bikes - more than anything. Last weekend I pulled up alongside a half-built ford ranger pre-runner on my bike and I HAD to give him my wave of approval. lol.
I think it's just an enthusiast thing.

 

I wave to all, my wave is the down low two fingers limp peace sign!

 

My wave is this "peace sign down and to the left" wave... Trying to let the other cyclist know I was waving, but not trying to get all the cagers upset that I don't wave at them.

 

Even the cops wave back. Well, most do. Some buy into that "breed apart thing."

Man you get some interesting looks from the bikers (without full coverage helmets) when you wave to them from a cop car. :lol:

 

Funny, I just did a little bit on this on my last as yet unposted podcast-from-the-bike. I wave to all unless I'm too busy. I'm inconsistent with the wave I employ. Sometimes it's the open hand, sometimes it's the low point, sometimes it's the two-finger "the exit rows will illuminate" flight attendant point, and sometimes it's just a nod. Often it depends on if I'm reclined with my feet on the highway pegs, crouched up sportbike-style or whatnot. I tried the peace sign once - just felt wrong for me - like my Viet Nam vet dad was going to put a boot up my rear or something.

As for the non-wavers, it bothered me a bit 10-12 years ago. I no longer care. I will disagree with whoever said less folks wave these days. Here around Chicago I find the opposite. Used to be segregated into bike type. Now just about everyone waves. If I see a 'hard' lookin' dude who I think might not wave, I will play down my wave and just do a super-casual flourish of the clutch hand (He didn't wave back? Oh, I was just stretching my hand out) But more commonly the non-wavers look like newbs just trying to hang on.

As for the Jeep wave, I was confused when I drove a buddy's Jeep for him to help him move. I kept wondering how all these folks could tell I was a biker while I was rollin' in a Wrangler with no doors. I eventually figured it out.

Oh, and one more funny story about 'the wave." After my riding layoff a few years ago, I was giddy to see that riders still waved to each other. After a nice run on the bike I was riding shotgun in the cage with my wife. I looked up from whatever I was futzing with (I'm a horribly fidgety passenger) to see an oncoming Goldwing, and I waved to him from the right seat of our Honda Pilot. I'm not sure who was more confused - the couch potato on the 'Wing, or my poor, temporarily blinded, wife.

 

Yep, I'm an "equal opportunity" waver -- everybody gets it, and most return it if they see me. It reminds me of my hometown ( a little farming community), where everybody waves at everybody, especially the farmers in pickups.

I had an acquaintance from out-of-town who couldn't understand why we waved at everybody. I told him it was just being "neighborly". He protested that some of them were people I didn't even know, like that was a prerequisite to being nice!

I remember the first time I rode on the interstate and met a sportbiker. His "two-finger, low, flying V" caught me by surprise, but after the next rider did a "relaxed, one-finger point" I caught on.

I feel bad when I'm in the middle of a maneuver or don't see riders who wave in time to wave back, so I cut the non-wavers some slack unless they look straight at me and don't wave. The most obvious of these was an Iron-Butt BMW adventure tourmeister who pulled up ALONGSIDE me in bumper to bumper traffic, looked down at my baby Seca, and never lifted a finger in response to my "throttle-fingers / head nod" salute.

Regardless of how many bikes are out there in years to come, I hope the wave survives. I think it's pretty cool to acknowledge/salute other riders.

Long live the wave!

Herb