The biker wave

[Jenny]

Originally Posted by TehBilly

The Motorcycle Wave is something that's very real, and I've seen waves from bikers that are as varied as the bikes I've seen. Pretty much every biker I've seen save a few snobbish HD-riders will wave in their own way.

The two I tend to employ (depending on who I'm waving at) are the point and the "cruiser wave". When pointing I just use the index and middle finger to point in the general direction of the other rider. The cruiser wave is where I extend my arm down and out at about a 45 degree angle until we've passed each other.

I think the general consensus is that it doesn't matter how you wave, just that you do wave. Owning a bike makes you part of a "club". Crotch rockets, import or local cruisers, choppers - doesn't matter. We're all two-wheeled menaces!

That's my take on it at least.

I always get waves, even from snobby HD riders :-) The only people I have not received waves from have been a couple of college kids working wheelies on their sports bikes going down the road, and I won't wave to them anyway. You just don't do a wheelie while tail gating a very large car up hill. Hell, I don't even know HOW they manage that shit let alone why they're stupid enough to do it.

I was a passenger for eight years before getting my license. I always liked the wave because it gave me one (albeit small) responsibility besides being a good passenger. I could watch for bikers as they came by!

I've always noticed bikers. Always envied them. *grins*

[patrick_777]

I thought that is one of the rules of being a passenger - Always wave to other riders, especially if the "driver" can't...

[Blues]

I dig the biker wave. It doesn't seem to matter what kind of bike or who might be riding it, I generally get and return the "wave". It does seem a little to me that it's kind of like a secret society thing. Not much of a secret, but being a biker sort of gives you license to use the wave. It puts a smile on my face just about every time I encounter it. Just another thing I don't like about when I have to be in my car...I can't exchange the wave with the bretheren. In the car, I'm more likely to be flipped off ! :tongue:

[Magnar Infectus]

Here's my 108 miles + MSF class worth of wave experience:
During the MSF class we heard someone rev their sport bike up really high. It was loud enough to be heard over all 12 running bikes and got all of us to stop and look. We saw him cruiseing by the school at reasonable speeds. when he saw us look he gave us a big hand over the head wave. (he was pretty far away and was the only way we'd have seen him wave). We all waved back. I've seen 20 or so other bikers/scooters. One wave and a couple head nods.

[Jer]

I'm about 50/50 on getting the wav.

I'm still nodding as I am not real comfortable going 1 handed yet.

[aesoprock00]

i've been doing my best to give the wave when possible. like some others, i've noticed folks who either don't give a wave or won't return a wave are on Harleys with no helmets, usually in a t-shirt/tank top or a leather vest. i've even had a couple of scooters initiate the wave!

[Jenny]

Originally Posted by aesoprock00

i've been doing my best to give the wave when possible. like some others, i've noticed folks who either don't give a wave or won't return a wave are on Harleys with no helmets, usually in a t-shirt/tank top or a leather vest. i've even had a couple of scooters initiate the wave!

It must be location dependent. I find that the Harley folks almost always wave at me. The folks most likely to not wave out here are the young college guys on crotch rockets. I don't always wave myself. Sometimes I am preparing to do something, just coming out of a turn and don't want to take my hand off the handlebars, etc. So if someone doesn't wave at me, I don't really mind; I assume that they could also be doing something that requires them to not do it.