The "biker" wave
Tourer
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 261
Likes: 0
From: Wild Rose Country
RE: The "biker" wave
ORIGINAL: Whiffleboy
I just do one big blanket wave before leaving my driveway to take care of the 1300 bikes I'll see on PCH that weekend. Then, as they pass, I yell at them to explain that I waved earlier and then kind of point in the direction of my house. This, after ditching the "flag them down, pull them over and personally greet them with a handshake" method I was using earlier. That just got too time consuming. [&:]
Whiff
I just do one big blanket wave before leaving my driveway to take care of the 1300 bikes I'll see on PCH that weekend. Then, as they pass, I yell at them to explain that I waved earlier and then kind of point in the direction of my house. This, after ditching the "flag them down, pull them over and personally greet them with a handshake" method I was using earlier. That just got too time consuming. [&:]
Whiff
Sometimes, if I can't sleep the night before a ride because I'm thinking too much about the waving I need to do the next day, I'll just plain cancel my trip and wait it out for a cold rainy day when I know there won't be many bikes on the road. This takes alot of the stress and anxiety out of the waving experience.
C49
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,094
Likes: 5
From: SE Wisconsin
RE: The "biker" wave
I have a question on the types of waves, whats the pointing at the ground deal? is that a wave?
Being back on a bike after lots of years I'm surprised just how many bikes I see. I try to wave, but I don't want to feel stupid if the other guy/girl dos'nt wave back, and also it's just not safe sometimes.
Being back on a bike after lots of years I'm surprised just how many bikes I see. I try to wave, but I don't want to feel stupid if the other guy/girl dos'nt wave back, and also it's just not safe sometimes.
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 899
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
RE: The "biker" wave
ORIGINAL: Cowboy49
Sometimes, if I can't sleep the night before a ride because I'm thinking too much about the waving I need to do the next day, I'll just plain cancel my trip and wait it out for a cold rainy day when I know there won't be many bikes on the road. This takes alot of the stress and anxiety out of the waving experience.
C49
Sometimes, if I can't sleep the night before a ride because I'm thinking too much about the waving I need to do the next day, I'll just plain cancel my trip and wait it out for a cold rainy day when I know there won't be many bikes on the road. This takes alot of the stress and anxiety out of the waving experience.
C49
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
From: Elbert, Colorado
RE: The "biker" wave
If he or she was pointing at the ground and making circles, than that means they were warning about cops ahead. Other than that I have no idea what else they were saying. I do not know any others besides peace, and the middle finger.
ORIGINAL: Akitakoi
I have a question on the types of waves, whats the pointing at the ground deal? is that a wave?
Being back on a bike after lots of years I'm surprised just how many bikes I see. I try to wave, but I don't want to feel stupid if the other guy/girl dos'nt wave back, and also it's just not safe sometimes.
I have a question on the types of waves, whats the pointing at the ground deal? is that a wave?
Being back on a bike after lots of years I'm surprised just how many bikes I see. I try to wave, but I don't want to feel stupid if the other guy/girl dos'nt wave back, and also it's just not safe sometimes.
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From:
RE: The "biker" wave
ORIGINAL: pandem1c
I am an owner of a 2006 blk/gry Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa and I ride every day in the Anniston Alabama area.
As you longtime cyclists have known, it's common courtesy for bikers to give the left hand "biker wave" to all other bikers. I give the wave to every rider on the road because we're all facing the same dangers and all share the same love for 2-wheeled commuting.
So why do most Harley riders NOT give the biker wave? I've been snubbed on so many ocassions by Harley riders who won't wave back to me. Yes, some will. But most do not. They don't even acknowlege my presence on the street.
Other riders have also noticed this habit by Harley riders? All those guys are doing is giving HD a bad reputation.
Do most HD owners think they're better or something because of the HD name? That's absurd and makes no sense. I ride a supersport bike and always will and I give the same courtesy to every biker on the road. My bike will outrun any Harley, Honda, etc... but I still give respect to every biker on the road by giving all of them the biker wave. It pisses me off when some arrogant jerk on a HD doesn't return the wave! It happens all the time.
So help me understand... please. Help restore HD riders' reps.
Thanks for listening,
Charlie
Anniston, AL
PS: My uncle owns a new UltraGlide and I've told him about this. He says he's going to give the wave to every other rider like he used to do when he road his old Yamaha.
I am an owner of a 2006 blk/gry Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa and I ride every day in the Anniston Alabama area.
As you longtime cyclists have known, it's common courtesy for bikers to give the left hand "biker wave" to all other bikers. I give the wave to every rider on the road because we're all facing the same dangers and all share the same love for 2-wheeled commuting.
So why do most Harley riders NOT give the biker wave? I've been snubbed on so many ocassions by Harley riders who won't wave back to me. Yes, some will. But most do not. They don't even acknowlege my presence on the street.
Other riders have also noticed this habit by Harley riders? All those guys are doing is giving HD a bad reputation.
Do most HD owners think they're better or something because of the HD name? That's absurd and makes no sense. I ride a supersport bike and always will and I give the same courtesy to every biker on the road. My bike will outrun any Harley, Honda, etc... but I still give respect to every biker on the road by giving all of them the biker wave. It pisses me off when some arrogant jerk on a HD doesn't return the wave! It happens all the time.
So help me understand... please. Help restore HD riders' reps.
Thanks for listening,
Charlie
Anniston, AL
PS: My uncle owns a new UltraGlide and I've told him about this. He says he's going to give the wave to every other rider like he used to do when he road his old Yamaha.
Don't you know all us Harley riders are better than everyone else. That's why we don't wave at Jap Crap.
Just kidding dude I don't know why people do it. Hell, I wave at everyone sometimes the "Harley Wave" sometime's with just one finger. Who gives a fu*k if they don't wave back they're just an ******* or have thier mind on something else.
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 200
Likes: 0
From:
RE: The "biker" wave
You know this is funny...
My wife and I ride two-up most of the time, and I have instructed her to wave at all bikes, and all kids. I try to wave but sometimes I am busy (shiftin' and tryin' to hold my Harley together you know it falls apart as we go down the road), anyway she has started to keep count, I guess she gets bored back there sometimes. On today's trip we passed at least thirty bikes, and all returned waves except for two GW riders, and seven assorted generic lookin crotch rockets (red blue green). Oh and the guy on the beemer I stopped to help waved as we road off (he dropped a valve or something, gnarly noise in the engine) he didn't think he needed a cell phone so I let him use mine. He told me about the string of metric riders who passed him as he sat on the side of the road with a blown motor.
Sometimes my wife and I ride without our helmets, usually on slow roads near our area it's our right and we like it. We will see these crotch rockets dressed head to tow in their manufacturer's colors, and we give them the wave and they have the nerve to sit up and pat there head. What is that? Are they better than me? Smarter than me?
Anyhow, the brotherhood has been infiltrated by those who do not entirely understand our lifestyle. If a 1% doesn't wave, well guess what they don't generally wave ot other HD riders either, if a newbie doesn't wave, well that is not necessarily a refection on all of us. I could make a sweeping generalization of the metric sport bike riders but I don't.
My wife and I ride two-up most of the time, and I have instructed her to wave at all bikes, and all kids. I try to wave but sometimes I am busy (shiftin' and tryin' to hold my Harley together you know it falls apart as we go down the road), anyway she has started to keep count, I guess she gets bored back there sometimes. On today's trip we passed at least thirty bikes, and all returned waves except for two GW riders, and seven assorted generic lookin crotch rockets (red blue green). Oh and the guy on the beemer I stopped to help waved as we road off (he dropped a valve or something, gnarly noise in the engine) he didn't think he needed a cell phone so I let him use mine. He told me about the string of metric riders who passed him as he sat on the side of the road with a blown motor.
Sometimes my wife and I ride without our helmets, usually on slow roads near our area it's our right and we like it. We will see these crotch rockets dressed head to tow in their manufacturer's colors, and we give them the wave and they have the nerve to sit up and pat there head. What is that? Are they better than me? Smarter than me?
Anyhow, the brotherhood has been infiltrated by those who do not entirely understand our lifestyle. If a 1% doesn't wave, well guess what they don't generally wave ot other HD riders either, if a newbie doesn't wave, well that is not necessarily a refection on all of us. I could make a sweeping generalization of the metric sport bike riders but I don't.
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Joe Kucinski
Novice
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From:
RE: The "biker" wave
Don't take it personal! I ride throughout central Maryland-far more bikes in the population than average out here, and it almost always seems to be sport bikes that won't acknowledge the wave. My personal opinion is that while we are all up on 2 wheels, we ride what we ride for certain reasons. Harley riders, in MY experience, seem to choose their ride more as an expression of personal taste and style than how fast they can go. Now don't get me wrong..I just spent about 3 grand to make a brand new FLSTN faster. What did your bike cost new? What did you spend on chrome goodies and engine work so your bike was an extension of your personal taste? How much of your decision in purchasing a new bike was planning to get over 150 as versus sitting at a stoplight and everyone else around you that knows bikes knowing you can go over 150? I tend to wave at those that share my experience-and have held out my left hand plenty of times when the guy or gal on the other side of the road can't seem to get out of their crouch quick enough to wave back. I don't take it personally...and neither should you. I've still stopped plenty of times to check on a ricer parked by the roadside while I'm in one of our cars or vans, same as I do for the old guy by the roadside on a Shovel. People are who they are. Take 'em or leave 'em.
Cragg
Cragg
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,451
Likes: 0
From: Bealeton, VA
RE: The "biker" wave
I conducted a very scientific experiment this weekend.
I rode 327 miles over 2 days with my left arm permanetly extended in a wave with 4 video cameras mounted recording the action. After analysis of the data and statistical analysis t-tests showed no significant results, ANOVA tests showed no significant results and post hoc testing showed no significant results. Thus everyone waves the same.
After 327 miles I had waved to 126 bikes and 126 bikes waved back. Of these 56 were HD, 32 were other cruisers and 38 were sport bikes.
I guess I live in a "wave friendly" state.
I rode 327 miles over 2 days with my left arm permanetly extended in a wave with 4 video cameras mounted recording the action. After analysis of the data and statistical analysis t-tests showed no significant results, ANOVA tests showed no significant results and post hoc testing showed no significant results. Thus everyone waves the same.
After 327 miles I had waved to 126 bikes and 126 bikes waved back. Of these 56 were HD, 32 were other cruisers and 38 were sport bikes.
I guess I live in a "wave friendly" state.