Warning other riders with hand signals...

I was on a canyon ride last weekend, saw a cop and started signaling to oncoming riders to watch out. Only about half of them signaled thanks, whille the other half seemed to think I was informing them I was crazy.
I think something similar was posted a long time ago, so maybe it's time, as the riding season (for those of you with non-California weather) nears, to broach the subject again.

I'll throw out what I know and hopefully be corrected and even more hopefully have people add more...

Casual wave: General acknowledgement.
Palm down wave: Slow down fast, accident ahead.
Tapping the helmet: Heads up! Highway Patrol/Cop ahead so watch your speed.
Foot pointed at the road: Debris/hazard on the road.
Finger making circles pointed at the sky: Highway patrol aircraft spotted in the area.
Tapping the tank: In a group of riders, signals a gas stop is needed.

That's all I can think of at the mo...

 

Some universal hand signals...

The universal signal for "oh shit!"...

 

It remains shocking to me that more riders aren't familar with hand signals. Especially the slow down there's a cop helmet tap. I've gone as far as making a circular motion with my index finger pointed down over the top of my helmet. Sportbikers generally wave and start looking around for signs announcing that there is an asylum nearby. Harley dudes will usually just give me the only gesture that everyone does seem to understand.

 

Prior to headlights being "on" all the time the warning signal that a LEO was lurking was a couple of on/off signals with the headlights. Might get some attention if a rider did a highbeam low beam thing. Then again, some harleydoods might that someone wants to sodomize their Chihuahua.

 

One we use all the time that is not represented above is holding your two hands up and simulating BREAKing a twig with your hands, as in Take a BREAK, even with no fuel stop, just pull over somewhere.
Yes, you need to take both hands off bars momentarily to do it unless you are stopped at a light.

If you wanted to do it one-handed, you can do the "slice your finger across your neck" thing like in water-skiing, meaning, I'm done, dead, kill men, stop, whatever.

 

Another is lifting ones leg (either one will do) as the signal for a pee break. There is a similar one that is raising either leg and shaking same. This is the signal for "too late."

 

An old thread but stuff that is good to know. I too have given the tap on the head warning and am pretty sure that the other riders didn't understand what I was doing. I have also given the wave followed with a thumbs up when in some twisty cop infested roads to signal that all is good ahead. Don't know if that was understood though.
When I first started riding many moons ago on one of my first rides, halfway around a long fast corner a guy on a sportbike at considerable speed held out his hand to wave and give the slow down signal. He was in quite a lean and at the time it impressed the hell out of me that he was able to do this and I slowed down to exit the corner and casually cruise through a speed trap. Never forgot that.

 

Not sure if the driver was a rider just caging it that day but while on a stretch of highway 101 as he pulled up next me and Duccmann, he gave the tap on the head signal. Low and behold, on our 6 and few lanes over was a CHP cruiser. We weren't going too much over the limit but probably enough that we could have been ticketed.

 

I've done it once in the cage to a rider and I don't think he even noticed. Other drivers probably thought I was a bit nuts though, tapping the roof. lol

 

In cagersign tapping the head means you guys who are on bikes have shit for brains..

 

He's just waiting for you to wind the throttle open and say eeeh hah! :congratulatory:

 

One that is not mentioned often is the index finger to the nostril for cagers who do all sorts of things they do. Most don't see it because they are doing what they do but it makes me feel better.

A few more:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/e1/0d/69/e10d698e24c8a324305233f363355c40.jpg

 

I use that one, and simulate jerkin the wanker


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My brothers and I had a signal for........ "Turn your headlight on"

For those that my not know, it was a ticketable offense back then.

 

I am sometimes tempted to use your sign but it would require using both hands off the bars and that would be dangerous. I am certain this applies to most of the other contributors as well.

 

Guess instead of BB we'll call ya Wilbur



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