| Author | Message | ||
     Buggie |
Here in canada you never used to pass an on coming bike without exchanging a wave and here in winnipeg manitoba the wave seems to be dying I have always gave the wave to every two wheeler even the scooters but more and more these days I get no response it has always been hard to get a wave out of the cruisers on my xb but now the sport riders are giving me the cold shoulder maybe its just my area of north america I just was wondering if anyone else has experience this phenomenon rippin up the prairies | ||
| Evaddave |
Here in PA they recently repealed the helmet law. A trend I've noticed is that more often than not, no helmet = no wave, regardless of the bike. | ||
| Koz5150 |
My wife said after the 100th here in Milwaukee everyone was tired of waving. She believes this is the year of the nod... | ||
| M1combat |
I always wave. I get waves from other sport bikes about 80%, cruisers, maybe 40%. The cruisers that do wave are obviously Buell friendly as they tend to be enthusiastic as well. As a matter of fact, I almost made a group of cruisers wreck the other day. I was coming around a right hand sweeper that I know to not have any bumps. I was mid corner doing about 70 when the first guy in their group waved. I lifted my outside hand off (I wasn't using it anyway  ) and waved back. Every one of them wobbled a bit as I had startled them... | ||
| Oneway |
its a shame my buds been practicing his wave for a week waiting on his new springer, dont know how i will break the news to him | ||
| Aesquire |
I don't worry if they wave or not. I sometimes miss another bike, mostly head on in curves, or on divided highways. ( target fixation? ) The first year I had my Cyclone, I passed a repliracer in a very twisty bit of 690 in Syracuse, N.Y. He has moments before passed me @ about 100 mph on a straight stretch. ( I waved, he was busy ) In the twisty bit, I was upright & mellow, waved as I passed @ about 75 mph, he was busy dragging a knee & hanging off. ( did have precious look on face though ) I have not mastered the H-D wave, the 45 degree down flick of hand. Protocol changes with area I guess. http://www.redztread.com/roadrash/wave/ | ||
| Ray_maines |
tod hates to wave! | ||
| Curtyd |
no helmet = no wave, ...it's because they ride their bikes so seldom, that they are AFRAID to take one hand off the handlebars!!  | ||
| Blackbelt |
Michigan, that trend is getting more and more. Most Harley riders around here fall into 2 categories in my book. 1) Friendly to all riders no matter what you ride, just for the enjoyment of the road. 2) "I'M BETTER THAN YOU, SLIME BALL!" some people think that when they buy a cruiser, that they are better than sport bikes, even better than goldwing riders... It is funny how 95% of Goldwing riders never fail to be friendly and give a wave.... interesting huh? | ||
| Xb9er |
I wave when I can, nod when I can't, and infrequently I just don't see riders until it's too late to wave or nod. I wave at all two-wheelers (cruisers to customs to squids to sport riders), including bicycles and scooters. I wave at trikes as well. The customs and choppers are often riderless in front of bars, so I figure no point in waving then. I wave at hot babes, police, hot babes, people admiring the bike, kids too. I also wave and nod at hot babes in cars. Did I mention waving at hot babes? I have found that no matter the bike (Goldwings are no different) when I wave first, a majority wave back, some don't. I figure, they either, didn't see me, were too busy, it was too late to wave, or they don't give a rat's arse. I don't stress about it. I'm riding, they're riding, all is cool with the universe. Mike. | ||
| Koz5150 |
Goldwing riders always wave for fear that they may lose their status as being on a motorcycle if Honda adds one more option to the bike. edited by koz5150 on May 18, 2004 | ||
| Lovematt |
I grew up around bikes all of my life in the dirt and on the street and so I have seen many cultures and behaviors specific to motorcyclists. As for myself, I always await the next time I will go for a ride. When on the bike, I am having fun since I am on 2 wheels...it does not matter what the situation is at that time. Since my passion for riding is pretty high, I always wave to anyone on two wheels (as long as it has a motor in it...even the ones with pedals)...to me it is a tradition. If I can't wave for whatever reason...I at least nod like Angus Young from AC/DC. It shows enthusiasm and the love of riding which seems to help...I have had some riders meet up with me later on and say that nod perked them up and made them feel good about being on a bike. If that is what a simple gesture like that can do for another then I am happy to do it. I get the same charge myself when it is returned. edited by lovematt on May 18, 2004 | ||
| Turnagain |
it must be time for: Why I Dont waveI love motorcycles, and I love riding. Like many of you, what first drew me to bikes was not just the experience of riding, but the feeling that I'd become part of a special community?a brotherhood, really. Nothing calms me more than a long ride down the interstate, waving to the members of my beloved clan. Except when I pass Harley guys. I hate Harley guys. Hate, hate, hate. When they pass me on the highway, you know what I do? I don't wave. With their little tassle handlebars and the studded luggage and the half-helmets?God, they drive me crazy. You know who else I hate? BMW guys. Oh, I do hate those guys. I don't wave at them, either. They think they're so great, sitting all upright, with their 180-degree German engines. God, I hate them. They're almost as bad as those old bastards on their touring motorcycles. You know what I call those bikes? "Two-wheeled couches!" Get it? Because they're so big. They drive around like they've got all day. Appreciate the scenery somewhere else, Grampa, and while you're at it, I'm not waving to you. Ducati guys?I don't wave at them either. Why don't they spend a little more money on their bikes? "You can have it in any color you want, as long as it's red." Aren't you cool! Like they even know what a desmo-whatever engine is, anyway. Try finding the battery, you Italian-wannabe racers! I never, ever wave at those guys. Suzuki guys aren't much better, which is why I never wave at them, either. They always have those stupid helmets sitting on top of their stupid heads, and God forbid they should wear any safety gear. They make me so mad. Sometimes they'll speed by and look over at me and you know what I do? I don't wave. I just keep on going. Please, don't get me started on Kawasaki guys. Ninjas? What are you, twelve years old? Team Green my •••. I never wave at Kawasaki guys. I ride a Honda, and I'll only wave at Honda guys, but even then, I'll never wave at a guy in full leathers. Never, never, never. Yeah, like you're going to get your knee down on the New York Thruway. Nice crotch, by the way. Guys in full leathers will never get a wave from me, and by the way, neither will the guys in two-piece leathers. And I'll tell you who else I'm not waving at?those guys with the helmets with the loud paintjobs. Four pounds of paint on a two pound helmet?like I'm going to wave back to that! I'll also never wave at someone with a mirrored visor. Or helmet stickers. Or racing gloves. Or hiking boots. To me, motorcycling is a like a family, a close-knit brotherhood of people who ride Hondas, wear jeans and a leather jacket (not Vanson) with regular gloves and a solid-color helmet with a clear visor, no stickers, no racing gloves and regular boots (not Timberlands). And isn't that what really makes riding so special? author unknown (at least to me)  edited by turnagain on May 18, 2004 | ||
| Cj_xb |
That's cute !! I wave or nod when someone, no matter what they ride, wave or nods to me !! Those that don't, I just figure they have their own reasons for not, and it doesn't bother me at all !! I don't wave to every bike I pass, doesn't mean I'm a snob or intentionally not waving, and it may be the same with others who aren't waving at me !! CJ | ||
| Glitch |
I wave, I don't care if they wave back or not. I don't if I'm in a turn, or otherwise unsafe to do so, if so, I give "The Nod"...  Maybe those that don't wave are embarrassed about the bike they're on.  | ||
| Outrider |
Heck, I am old and just flash the "Peace Sign" to everyone. Am amazed at how many actually wave first regardless of brand. I still get a kick out of the "Harley Wave." They just point towards the ground. Can't tell if they are waving, warning of radar or attempting a manicure on the pavement. | ||
| Newfie_buell |
SOME Harley guys around here are too good to wave!! Funny Story "I once waved to a couple of Harley Dudes and they never waved back....Sooooooo a couple hours later I noticed the two boys posing around their highly polished bikes and when I passed by I jokingly asked why they didn't wave out on the road something like "Boys, you big twin fellas too good to wave to us underlings?", they responded with a "YEAH!!!", to which I replied, "I'd say it had more to do with the fact your so uptight your afraid to take the hand off the bar" A few of the crowd (squids) had a good chuckle but they didn't appreciate my humor. OH WELL, Screw-em if they can't take a joke. | ||
| Buelluk |
i agree with a lot of the above. I really think a lot of the newbies are scared t take a hand of the handlebar !! but then a lot of HD billet barge riders don't give me any respect either on the XB. I get more respect from the ricers !! PS - a nod will do, especially if I am busy in a curve | ||
| Sportyeric |
I always wave at other riders when I'm on my bike, except Big Twins because they'e too special and only wave at each other. And when I'm driving the bus (inter-city type) I always wave at other bus drivers, except Brewster Bus Lines drivers, because they're too special and only wave at each other. Sometimes when I'm riding the bike I get confused and wave at buses, or wave at bikes when I'm driving. If I catch myself doing it early enough, I convert the wave into a nose-pick so I don't look stupid. | ||
| Xb9er |
Koz5150 A Goldwing is just a Two-wheeled Civic, right? Just kidding! What about bikes pulling trailers? Wave or No-Wave? Mike. | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
hey I wave to everyone I see on two wheels, if they don't wave back thats on them and no skin off my nose. | ||
| Xbduck |
Outrider, Do you have to be old to give the peace sign? I think not! Most everyone around here will wave back to a peace sign. I think it catches the HD cruisers by surprise to see a peace sign from a sport bike. Or maybe its the guy on the SV650 beside me riding on one wheel that gets them. | ||
| Socoken |
no helmet= no wave pure BS. i never wear a helmet, and i ride a lot, close to 2000 miles in the last three weeks, and ive been riding on roads for 6 years legally and 15 years total. i wave unless its on the freeway or in town. in town its foolish to take your hand off the bar cause theres too much stuff that can happen, maybe not as much in a small town, but in traffic, its just plain dangerous to take your hand off the bars. on the freeway, people seldom notice so its usually a wasted gesture. otherwise, i always wave. here in WI i get far more waves from harleys than sport riders. i can see why a lot more squids wave in most places though. i remember when i was 16 and just learned to do the wave, it was great, fun to wave. even after my measly 6 years, its lost most of its luster. most of the cruiser types i know, have been riding longer than i have been alive, i can only imagine how enthusiastic ill be when ive been riding for that long. just my theory. the coolest wave i got was a military salute (left handed) to the brim of the helmet. | ||
| Crusty |
Hell, I'm a crusty old fart who's been riding for 35 years on the street, and I wave to everybody. The other day I caught myself waving to a pickup that had a bike in the back, then a little while later, I found myself waving to a PT Cruiser (we own one). I don't wave much when I'm in close to the City, or in heavy traffic; but otherwise I wave at everyone on a bike. I've seen (and given) Peace signs, raised fists, finger wiggles, salutes, head nods and nono-digital fertility gestures. Sometimes people wave back, sometimes they don't. It doesn't really matter; the important thing is that I'm on a bike. One thing that I have noticed is when it's below freezing in January, everyone waves. | ||
| Cj_xb |
Your too funny Crusty !!! CJ | ||
| Smadd |
"The other day I caught myself waving to a pickup that had a bike in the back" Uh-oh... I'm not the only one approaching senility?? LOL.. I find myself doing the same thing. I'm in my truck... see a bike... and think that the biker somehow "knows" I ride also! Sometimes I snap back to reality before the wave comes though.  Steve | ||
| Oneway |
glitch; I suggest not to do the one arm up wave at high speed  | ||
| Mookie |
when i took the msf course at the harley dealership, the instructors thought it was great that they wont even wave to the v-rod because they dont think that its a real harley. they dont wave at sportsbikes either of course. I wave whenever possible unless im on major bike strips or else i may never stop waving | ||
| Darthane |
Smadd - I've not only done/do that, but I've caught myself using hand turn signals in everything from a pedal bike to a Camaro to a quad cab pickup! Everyone gets a wave if I see them - usually what's described above as the 'Harley' wave, hand out and down. Comfortable, quick, and doesn't require any upsetting shoulder movement. | ||
| Stealthxb |
Crusty... ? = "nono-digital fertility gestures" please elaborate |
