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I remember when I was a youngster riding around with my grandfather in a pick-up truck, he would wave to everyone. Now no one ever waves at each other. Yes when I had my jeep I would wave at other jeeps and ever sense I been riding bikes I wave to everyone, whether its down low or a right turn signal type wave (left hand up) if my hands are tied up I will give a head nod. I have seen a decline in waves, to each there own.
I wave ... I wave to scooters ... I wave to other buses ... I wave to the horses in the field ... I wave to the guy on his riding lawn mower ... Geez, I even wave to the mail carrier ... Why I even wave to the people that flip me off ... I just don't use all my fingers :>)
I grew up in a tiny little "town" in southern West By-God Virginia where everybody knew everybody else. If you passed somebody you waved, whether you were in a car, on a bike, or even walking. It's just how it is. I moved up north when I was about 18 or 19 to a mid sized town and knew nobody but I still waved at folks when I passed them. I got a lot of weird looks and very few people waved back so I stopped waving.
Nowadays when I'm on the bike, sometimes I wave, sometimes not. It depends on the circumstances. If I'm in a corner or shifting, no wave, if I am just in the zone and cruising, no wave. If I notice another rider approaching and I'm not doing anything to prevent me from waving I drop the arm and give them the wave. It don't cost nothing and if it prevents that other guy from getting on a forum like this to blast me for not validating him then I guess it's worth the hassle...
This may come as a big shock to all the Harley riders out there, but if you ever owned a Jeep Wrangler you soon found out that those folks wave at each other a lot also. So I'm not sure what the wave means anymore. Does it mean "hey dude, your cool because you bought a Harley too", or does it mean "hey man, your as stupid as me cause I spent all this money on a toy".
Same thing with (or was with) Stingrays. When I drove a Stingray back in the 60's, it was very common for a wave. Don't know about now-a-days.
Originally Posted by Uncle Larry
I wave ... I wave to scooters ... I wave to other buses ... I wave to the horses in the field ... I wave to the guy on his riding lawn mower ... Geez, I even wave to the mail carrier ... Why I even wave to the people that flip me off ... I just don't use all my fingers :>)
After I got my 1st Harley (09 Classic) I noticed the waving. "Who cares?" I thought. I never waved either --- at other bikes, that is. Didn't take long for it to get old. Here's how I fixed it. Robbed the mannequin graveyard at my cousin's store, and voila --- automatically the waviest guy on the road! Had my last bike for 5 years, and didn't put it on. Thinkin' about doing it again.
After I got my 1st Harley (09 Classic) I noticed the waving. "Who cares?" I thought. I never waved either --- at other bikes, that is. Didn't take long for it to get old. Here's how I fixed it. Robbed the mannequin graveyard at my cousin's store, and voila --- automatically the waviest guy on the road! Had my last bike for 5 years, and didn't put it on. Thinkin' about doing it again.
Now THAT is funi!
You know, I just took a few minutes to thing about this, WHY do I REALLY wave???
My answer is thusly: (<-- Like that? Thusly. LOL)
1) It is a courtesy
2) It is a common bond
3) It just FEELS good when the "wavee" waves back to the "waveror". And if it feels good 'n does not hurt anyone.......well, that is reason enough.
BuzzCap7
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I start out with a cool two finger low down wave, until I get the other cool guy to give it back, then I switch to a Forest Gump wave to finish it off. The other riders ****** their hands back like they were snake bit.
After I got my 1st Harley (09 Classic) I noticed the waving. "Who cares?" I thought. I never waved either --- at other bikes, that is. Didn't take long for it to get old. Here's how I fixed it. Robbed the mannequin graveyard at my cousin's store, and voila --- automatically the waviest guy on the road! Had my last bike for 5 years, and didn't put it on. Thinkin' about doing it again.
Great solution! Here are a couple of short videos of another method:
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.