To wave or not to wave?

I pretty much wave or nod @ everyone, a large percentage of Harley riders don't wave back but that is there right I suppose. There are instances where I don't wave like after I've been riding for 10 or 12 hours & just want to get where I'm going for the day to fall off the bike, drink a beer or mixer & fall asleep. Or @ any speed over 100 I tend to like keeping my hands on the bars, just me but that only seems logical.

 

I am in NYC and if somone waves at you here you better run or duck. To some people, I wave a hand at, to others I may wave the middle finger and to the rest I just wave my gun (most likely hardley guys will get the finger or the gun). To the pretty ladies I wave my weapon at them - not my gun my weapon ;0) . I do not wave a fat chicks either and I also hide my food before they get see it and try to jack me for it. Oh yeah and I never wave at cops - I perfer they do not see me at all (they get the finger too).

 

Oh man, I'm probably riding through NYC when I do my coast-to-coast this summer. Mind whipping up a quick list of do's and don'ts? My SoCal etiquette just may not fly there.

 

Hey Reg71 - I have been to Ca. 2x (San Francisco), and the people there are soo damn happy I started calling them smurfs. Is it the smog or what ;0) - the little I know of Ca. is that the people are friendly, the place is clean (even had carpet on subway trains in San Fran), smooth roads, but the hills in San Fran scare the hell out of me, and the food is great (especially at the waterfront). The people I came into contact with in Ca. never gave me a reason to get angry. I guess there is no anger transference going on in Ca. like here in NYC. I can say definately that even in NYC a pregnant lady will get respect and a person who disrespects her will get done (more anger transference - we got plenty anger here, send us some of that Ca. smurf smog ;0) ). I was in the Army in Tejas and riders are very friendly there (Texas is so nice and flat with some great places to ride). Texas is a friendly and sometimes deadly place - maybe that is why i love Tejas sooo much - try disrepecting a lady in Texas and well lets just say you may end up being a spot on the ground. Texans will go out of thier way to help someone in trouble so I wave all over Tejas. How friendly is it in Canada - I want to get up there, but I am waiting for it to get warm.

 

In my neck of the woods, British Columbia, Canada most people wave except for the Hardley guys and I have never had any problems with anyone being rude or a pain. In general I would say most of the car drivers treat me better than they do other car drivers, not perfect but better. Most people are pretty friendly and aren't like some of our idiot politicians who tend to shoot their mouths of.

 

Yo SLOav8r - not to worry - In NYC the cops do most of the waving - as long as your papers are together the cops are ok - they do not like the stunters and a**holes (try not to park on the sidewalk - they do not like that either). A lot of cops ride and there are a lot of friendly spots for bikers. The worst roads are in Brooklyn (not much waving here, they may shoot at you or blow the horn once at you), Manhattan and the Bronx (lots of construction in Manhattan, a little hilly in spots in the Bronx - same thing not much waving here - expect a horn blow if anything). Queens and Long Island are the suburb and rural areas respectively, and they both offer some of the better and more scenic roads in NYC (expect plenty of waves and horns). I do not mean to bad mouth anywhere, but Staten Island (suburb type area) can be a mission. The cops will bust your chops over anything - nice roads, a little hilly in some spots, flat and windy (they will also bust you butt over loud pipes). If you know someone in Staten Island give it a shot it is not an evil place. The biker community in NYC is friendly and helpful. Look me up if you get a chance. No matter where I go in the US, the BMW riders are generally the friendliest and seem to always wave (they are usually the first to stop when a guy on a bike is stuck on the road).

 

Like most of you, a wave is instinctive. Whether it's a couple fingers off the clutch handle, or a full blown from-the-shoulder wave, it's all good. And you gotta admit, it stokes you right up when you get that first wave of the season before you can beat the other guy to it! That said, I don't feel I HAVE to wave or otherwise acknowledge another rider. I do so to affirm that unwritten fellowship that exists between those of us who choose the 2-wheeled life.

What I don't understand is the majority of Hardley guys and their imitative brethren who won't wave at all; it must be that the road exists exclusively for them and no other, and sport bikers should keep it to the track. Geez, I have a chopper guy at work who won't even say "mornin" to me just because I like it sport. (OK OK, I rode a scooter for a couple years. Shoot me. :caked: ) I have no argument with them and respect their choice of ride.

I'm gonna acknowledge every rider I see, and every wave I get short of putting myself in danger. What we have is special.

 

ME too!

I got fed up one day when I lived in MD and when a bunch of 'Rubs' didn't wave, they got the finger.

It pissed them off something awful, but I sure felt childish and good:biggrin:

BZ

 

I wave at most everyone unless I'm busy with my hands. I got the coolest wave ever from a guy on a Harley last year on the way to Canada. All the way across 4 lanes and a median on I 81. He must have been a VFR fan! As for the cops.....yeah like I would wave at a cop! And what is wrong with Mtn. Bikers anyway? I like to switch up the wave too so that the normal guys on my route don't get bored. Keeps it interesting and fun. It's amazing how "the wave" can be so powerful a gesture in the motorcycle community...eace:

 

Man what a great thread! i've wondered this for a long time.

My wave/not to wave decision is all dependant on my mood.

If I am having a good day, I'll be the first to wave. I'll wave at anything on two wheels minus scooters, although LEGS has given me a new outlook on those dudes. They just might get a quick index finger out to the side from now on. (BTW, fat chicks get all sorts of lucky in Fayetteville. "Joe" comes back from war as one horny muldoon. He'll take whatever he can get. Not me, happily married to a non-fat chick, thanks.)

If I am having a bad day, I will let the other rider wave first. If they wave, it cheers me up, makes me feel good. Simple and stupid, but true. Way more crap in life to get all poo-poo faced over than a wave that did not happen. "Hell, the guy may not have been paying attention" is what I tell myself.

For whatever reason, the Harley and custom chopper riders around my town are typically the ones to not wave. Not sure why....most are combat vets just like me. My brothers. I guess they want me to keep both hands on my rice burner so I can get it back to the garage so my family will not go hungry....... I am so honored by thier concern!!!

 

Seems that the done thing here is 'the nod'.
The wave is a little, what can one say...obvious.
Have to keep the cage drivers guessing.
If people are happy like smurfs they have missed the disitation about the blue ones in 'Donny darko'.

The Slug

 

I seen this list on another forum, some are pretty funny



Top Ten Reasons Why Harley Riders Don't Wave Back

10- Afraid it will invalidate warranty
9- Leather and studs make it to 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 will blow scabs off the new tattoos
5- Angry because they 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 wave back, he impaled his hand on spiked helmet
1- They're to 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 grips
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 asleep when other rider waived
4- Was in 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 the dashboard


Top Ten Reasons Sportbikers Don't Wave

10- They have not been riding long enough to know they
are supposed to
9- They're going to fast to have enough time to register the
movement and respond
8- You weren't wearing bright enough gear
7- If they stick their arm going that fast they'll rip it out of the socket
6- They're to occupied with trying to get rid of their chicken strips
5- They look way to 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 other position than fetal
3- Raising an arm allows bugs into the armholes of their
tank tops
2- It's to hard to do one handed stoppies
1- They were to busy slipping their flip-flop back on

Ten Top Reasons Why BMW Riders Don't Wave Back

10- New Aerostich suit to 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 cell phone
5- He's an Iron Butt rider and you're not
4- Wires from Gerbings is to 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

 

R.W. Great list. I guess the next question is what category do we fall into?

 

I wave or don't depending on my mood. I always try to return a wave though. I have no particular feelings about it. Don't feel like I have to, don't feel guilty if I don't or miss a return.

I have noticed I get a lot more waves and nods from the sport bike guys now that I'm on a similar machine. I get the same amount of waves from cruiser guys as I did before though...which is hit or miss.

 

Great lists R.W., but I was very distracted by the blatant and retarded misuse of "to" and "too".

 

Can they go fast enough for wind to matter?

:tongue:

 

I'm with Legs, just wave!

I really enjoy waving at kids trapped in the backs of SUV's and mini vans. They get a charge out of it like nobody else and they always wave back!

 

I prefer the nod to the wave, personally.
Everyone on 2 wheels.