To wave or not to wave?

[freewheelburner]

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...

[SFPA]

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!!!

[slugfest]

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

[R.W.]

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

[grinder]

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

[imnohero]

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.

[ZonaMan]

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

[Davidvfr]

Originally Posted by R.W.

Top Ten Reasons Why Harley Riders Don't Wave Back

6- Rushing wind will blow scabs off the new tattoos

Can they go fast enough for wind to matter?

[jethro911]

Originally Posted by Legs

I wave when I can. We're all brothers on 2 wheels..... except for the serious pricks!!!

Scooters are like fat girls, losts of fun to ride, but you may not want your friends to see you riding one! If you have the balls to ride a scooter, you're ok w/me!

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!

[Swoop]

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

[canib]

The only people who don't wave back here in Vegas are the wanna be one percenters.

I wave at everyone except scooters. When people don't wave back I figure it's due to safety reasons or they weren't paying attention. It's the one percenters who just scowl and try to look all mean. Like riding a 'sled' that gives you hemorrhoids makes you tough.

I don't wave at scooters.

[PicVFR]

Anyone who waves gets a wave, including pedestrians and box jockeys. I figure if they're waving they either ride or want to.

I'll wave first or nod at anyone except those trying to give riders a bad name.
There are enough people out there trying to give us a bad name, VFR's are classy bikes, generally with classy riders, I try to act the part.

Want to improve motorcycling's image? Wave to a kid looking at you from the backseat of a car and watch the reaction of the adult(s) inside.

Love to see those certain Harley guys lose it when they wave and find they just did at a metric cruiser, it's hillarious.

[nitronorth]

uggg Sick of waving...:) just try riding thru SD, Wyoming , when sturgis is on..your arm will fall off!!!


I have a brown car, I dont wave at other brown cars..whats the big deal??..

but wave at me and i will wave back...:)

and I enjoy BS'ing at the stops and I do wave at guys out in the middle of nowhere.

I do however always return a wave, unless Im busy..I sure dont compromise my driving to do it..and I get em from as many Harley riders as sportbikers, Always! When I go on my longer trips Ive never noticed a cruiser/sport difference..Actually some of the sportbikers are usually the snottier ones...Guess its the "i'm a racer thing"??



I think i will buck the trend and start mooning everyone from now on that waves at me.......

[jrj]

The beuty of "THE WAVE" is that regardless of of age, gender or occupation the strong commonality of motorcycle riding seems to level the playing field so that while we are on the road wheather it be on a sport, cruiser or custom chopper we are all enjoying the same great past time. These people that we wave at while passing on the road or say "good day" to when at the fuel pump are the same people we might cut off or flip the finger to while driving the same road in our cars without ever thinking twice. Funny isn't it. That's the wonderfull thing about riding on two wheels regardless of the style. We should keep it up.

[Taz]

Originally Posted by emon07

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.

thats funny, I wave to evryone, & if I see a bike broke down, I'll pull over to see if I can get him going again (any make).

but when I wave, i figure they didn't see me, there's no button on the BMW or Goldwing to wave back, or from NY .
I grew up in Southern Commiefornia, now live in Utah, & I have to say that the Cage & M/C riders up here (other than @ the track) are the worst on this planet, even worse than New Yorkers RRrrRRrRrRr .

[Jaymz]

In Maine you would be hard pressed to find someone who won't wave back. For the most part people are all about helping each other out and everyone is your neighbor. I get just as many waves from harley riders as I do sport bikes. I think that the harley riders like the flat black mad max look. I wave to most bikes not so much to scooters or mopeds if they catch my eye with something I will wave, like this one guy I saw in this past Jan. he was riding his scooter and it was snowing. I was in my truck but I had to wave anyways.

[alter ego]

I wave to everyone. I don't mind when someone doesn't wave back, I find more sportbike guys don't wave here. Not usually paying attention or going too fast. Yesterday I had a guy on a Harley compliment my bike at a stoplight. We're all brothers out there. Corvette people wave too and they have the same issues.... Guys who own C1's (Gen 1's to us) through early C3's (cutoff around 73) don't always wave to later C3 (81-82) C4 or C5 owners 84 to present. Kinda like Harley guys not waving to a guy on a V-Rod (nice bike BTW). Imagine if we did that with VFR's.