Who waves?
i'm not that arrogant, maybe a little antisocial
always seemed a little weird to me.
but just for statistics, get more waves from the sport bikes than from HD riders.
almost no acknowledgement
hmmmmmmmmmmmm
I admit, when I first heard that it was a tradition for motorcyclists to weave at each other, I thought it was kind of nuts. I was a new rider and weaving at all was kind of a challenge. But I wanted to be a good biker, so I did it. Sure, I laid the bike down a few times at first, but I got the hang of it. Then, after doing it successfully a few times and seeing the looks on the other riders faces -- well you can tell they are impressed and it really is a blast!
At first, they sometimes look like they aren't going to weave too, but don't go thinking they're being unfriendly. I've learned that what they are really doing is seeing how good you are at this weaving thing. If they don't weave, you show them you know what you're doing and keep weaving right at them. If you do it right, they will always weave too, sometimes right at the last second.
After I found out how much fun it was, I couldn't resist spreading the practice to cars, trucks, bicycles and even pedestrians. People love it! They beep their horns, they yell, they give you all kinds of waves. Sometimes they even turn around and follow you for awhile, which is when you show 'em what you've got and lose 'em. Then turn off on a side street and wait for 'em. When they catch up, pull out and weave at 'em again. They'll beep and wave with just as much excitement as they did the first time!
Obviously, it's a matter of personal preference. But I highly recommend weaving at least at other bikes, if not at everyone you see. I promise if you do this you'll meet new people and be the talk of your neighborhood in no time.
The Motorcycle Wave
Bloged in Motorcycles by dmarino Wednesday September 6, 2006 at about 2:59 pm [/align]
One of the phenomena you encounter while a new motorcyclist is the motorcycle wave. If youâre a rider, you know what I mean, if not, perhaps youâve seen it in action out on the roads.
Itâs really a simple concept to start with - wave at other motorcycles, because, well, they get it, theyâre in that brotherhood of all motorcyclists. We have to look out for each other after all, god knows the cage drivers arenât. Funny how the simple things never are.
Now I have to think twice, because it turns out, just like high school, there are cliques within the motorcycle waving world, and you soon learn who to wave at and who not to. You would think that all us two-wheeled brothers could share something as simple as the motorcycle wave universally, but sadly, itâs not so.
Hereâs my quick chart of when it is appropriate and expected to wave:
Scenario 1: You ride a japanese motorcycle and youâre just a regular dude.
In this scenario, you are expected to wave at all other japanese motorcycles. They will almost universally wave back. Sometimes the guys on Japanese cruisers wonât wave back, if they think theyâre tough. Wave at harley-Davidson riders only if theyâre wearing a helmet. Those are the Harley dudes that donât think riding a Harley makes them tough. They usually wave back. Waving at a Harley-Davidson rider without a helmet on is a complete waste of time. Donât bother. They wonât wave back. These are the guys who think riding a Harley makes them tough. They donât wave at no Jap-bike riders, and safety gear is for pussies anyway. Thankfully, these folks are likely to excuse themselves from the gene pool in the case of even a small wreck, because, well, I guess safety gear is for pussies.
Scenario 2: You ride a japanese bike, and you think it makes you a tough guy.
Never wave at a crome-cruiser, after all, those boats are lame. Sometimes wave at other sportbikes, if you happen to be in the mood.
Scenario 3: You ride a BMW
These guys love driving and almost always wave and wave back. They usually know not to wave at the tough-guy Harley types, since few buy a BMW for their first bike theyâre usually experienced riders.
Scenario 4: You ride a Harley-Davidson and youâre a regular dude
This is a high-wave situation. These guys wave at everyone. The Harley guys will wave back, since they only really wave at Harleys, and the Jap bikes will generally wave back to anyone who is a waver. Sport a helmet and make sure you can drive with one hand, since youâll be waving with the other one half the time.
Scenario 5: You ride a Harley-Davidson, and you really think it makes you a tough guy.
Donât wave at anyone. The other âtoughâ bikers wonât wave back, so you donât wave at them (wouldnât want them to think youâre one of those waving n00bs). You want everyone else to think youâre tough, so you donât wave. Simple. Also, when youâre tough enough to think you can drink and ride your Harley, you probably need both hands on the grips anyway.
So, thereâs my motorcycle waving guide, born of 12,000 miles on the roadways. There are few exceptions, so keep your eyes open and spread the wave![/align]
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders



