Hand Signals to Other Riders

[tialloydragon]

Hi.  Looked this up on google and couldn't find a good answer, so I thought I would bring it here.

I have only been riding a short time (got my license April 4th, 2010,) and in my short time on the road I couldn't help but be suprised (in a positive sense) by all the hand signals I get from other riders I drive past (most of which are seemingly friendly, no one fingered gestures ,) regardless of the brand make and model they are riding.   It conveys an uplifting level of fraternity in a simple gesture of acknowledgment to another person on a two wheeled aparatus that I hadn't anticipated, but nonetheless enjoy.  It's kind of like when two drivers wave at each other because they are driving the same car.

So my question is:  What is the proper hand gesture toward another motorcyclist traveling in the opposite direction?  It seems to be a left handed (probably goes without saying, but I said it anyway) "peace symbol" with the palm facing forward and your arm at an outstretched downward angle.

Also, are there any other gestures of acknowledgement that are used in other situations (sitting at a light, etc) other than the one-fingered gestures one would like to convey for various reasons?

Thanks   

[XealotX]

I once had a German on a BMW (in Germany) shake his fist at me after I had just cut him off at an intersection. I'm guessing it wasn't meant to be a friendly gesture.

[Jabilli]

When driving I typically do the Texan wave, which is just raise a your pointer finger off the steering wheel.

Doesn't quite work well with a motorcycle- They don't seem to notice it. Some people do the raise a hand above the handlebar thing, some people have it stick kinda outward from the hip. I havn't quite decided what I like so it usually ends up being some sort of awkward wave.

I know divers use hand signals, I'm pretty sure people that ride together often have some kind of system to let the others know they need to stop for gas or what not.

[Adfalchius]

I've heard of two theories:

1.  Peace sign held low- 'too much wind if you hold it up high' <--I asked some Harley guys one day.

2.  Two fingers pointing to the ground as in "Two wheels on the ground", "Ride safe, fellow two wheeler."  <--heard it from BaltimoreGS and a couple others.

At stop stop lights, I just do the head nod since the bike's in gear!

-K

[Jabilli]

I remember one-
One of the people who taught me how to ride told me that if I saw him tapping the top of his helmet with his open palm, that meant "look out for police."

[dohabee]

I remember one-
One of the people who taught me how to ride told me that if I saw him tapping the top of his helmet with his open palm, that meant "look out for police."

I like that one, just like flashing your lights in a car to warn of a speed trap.

I have not yet been on the receiving end of this signal but I use it whenever I get a chance.

[mister]

In Australia, we ride on the left side of the road. So any left hand signals are not seen by oncoming riders. So we just Nod. Accept Harley riders, they Ignore your nod. I keep nodding at them anyway.

Michael

[Cal Price]

In mainland Europe the lefthand wave is very common as is the "kick" gesture to someone you have just overtaken, often to say "thanks for getting out of the way" In UK the wave is less common being replaced by a nod, often exagerated sideways - because like Australia we drive on the left or as we say "correct" side.    The kick gesture is also used as in Europe but with the other foot. Tapping the helmet to indicate the presence of old bill seems universal.

[mullan]

In the UK, it is a nod.  In Belgium and France it is a wave or a "clicking of a gun" kind of wave (not really imitating a gun, but sort of looks like it).  The Germans never seem to wave or give a gesture at all which is a shame.

I personally like doing a kind of spastic wave, with my elbow fixed to my waist and waving in an enthusiastic flapping kind of way which is particularly amusing to me and my friend when I take him on the back.  Sometimes I do a Queen of England wave.  Depends on my mood.

[Cal Price]

We must have run up against very different German riders, I'll always remember a guy in tee-shirt and shorts on a big cruiser coming towards me making a pointing outwards repeatedly gesture with both hands but generally it was just the wave.

[lucifer_mr2]

Australia has the nod, done by lifting your chin to the left. Most people do it.

Unless you ride a Harley, in which case you look straight ahead unless your passing a reflective surface (biggest crash rates on Harleys around here is crashing because they were looking at themselves in shop windows).

[mullan]

I tend to find arrogant guys on plastic fast looking bikes with chunky fat back wheels the least likely to wave.  The ones on Harleys seem too up their own arses to wave.

Best ones seem to be the ones on sensible modest bikes like our GS500.

Sometimes I get waves from ones on scooters, maybe former bikers themselves?

[seamax]

Sometimes I get waves from ones on scooters, maybe former bikers themselves?

So what do you do. Are we suppose to give scooters the fingers too?

I hate scooter riders. They think they are untouchable riding without helmets and wearing sandals. I live in a college town and there are lots of scooter riders. They would cut me off and do other ridiculous things. Last summer one girl on a scooter rear ended a campus bus here and got stuck under the bus. The bus dragger her half a block before a pedestrian stopped the bus.

[mullan]

I live in a college town and there are lots of scooter riders. They would cut me off and do other ridiculous things.

Over here scooter riders need a helmet but most of the time in Europe (western Europe at least) don't need anything more than their car licence to ride.  So they tend to be bad on two wheels.  I lived in Brussels where Vespas are a plague.  They are ridden by yuppies who treat them like bicycles, even jumping on and off curbs in traffic. 

[Cal Price]

mullman......Brussells! - OOOOOH - ERRRR I remember the Bruxelles ring road on a busy morning - I thought the traffic was worse than London's M25 or the road around Frankfurt airport which are generally reconed to be the worst traffic spots in Europe along with the Paris periferique.
I love the city though but tend to go via Eurostar train and leave the bike at home.

Harley, scooters, sports, I don't think there are enough of us on two wheels to start tribalising too much although sometime the cruiser guys and Goldwimgers can be a bit odd - but hey - they all wave in WINTER.

[Jabilli]

Yeah, No joke- Scooters are more dangerous than motorcycles. People don't take them seriously and do d*ck moves to get around them/boss them off the road. They also in many situations don't have enough power to pass through blind spots quickly. I'm very aggressive about not being in peoples blind spots.

I personally got hit while riding a little 50cc scooter- was going about 25 in the bike lane, right next to the bike lane were cars parked along the curb- guy started his car and very quickly pulled out in front of me- Couldn't stop in time, and since he was doing a U-turn straight off the curb, I couldn't go around. Bam- hit him at about 12 or so,maybe faster but the adrenaline made it so I didn't feel much...Jacked up his car- Ripped off the side view mirror, jacked up the front wheel well and hood....  He said "Well...That was my fault... What do you wanna do?"   I looked at his car, an SRT-4 when they just came out- judged it to be a couple thousand in damage- So I said "I'd better get to class..." and rode off.. Bought my moped for 75$, bent the handlebar back to straight vs   SRT-4 couple thousand, I figure that was enough punishment, no harm was done to me.

So yeah, I personally think scooters are dangerous. Fun though    :-p Adding to the sad story, the scooter got stolen about a week later- Could've been that guy pissed at how much the damage cost. Likely not though.

[mullan]

mullman......Brussells! - OOOOOH - ERRRR I remember the Bruxelles ring road on a busy morning - I thought the traffic was worse than London's M25

Totally agree!  I was on the ring this morning and never have I had to experience this level of stupidity!  Lucky I got two other motos and we went in sequence all going as fast as the slowest one, flitering....safety in numbers, but didn't stop idiots pulling across with no indication or signal. 

Definately agree all winter riders, like me for the past 3 winters, wave almost without fail.  Is it because we have bikes, or because we're like warriors or something? 

[Elijafir]

Definately agree all winter riders, like me for the past 3 winters, wave almost without fail.  Is it because we have bikes, or because we're like warriors or something?  

Personally I think the thing about winter riders "always" wave is because those of us out there freezing our asses off are "real" bikers.  Where as a lot of the summer guys are just recreational riders and don't feel the full comradery or spirit of the "open road."  I think we wave out of respect.  We respect each other.. and we respect the feeling of freedom that comes along with being open to the elements and not surrounded by a "cage."

I don't think it matters "how" we wave.. just that we are acknowledging each other as 'brothers'  in a maze of cagers.

[redhawkdancing]

Most people in NW Baltimore county do the 2 finger down thing as Adfalchius  described. It can get annoying at times with everyone out on the back roads during the weekends. Not to mention the kids on bikes that wave and the people in cages waving out their windows. I always wave back to the cages. I'd rather having them waving than texting! Couldn't bring myself to wave to the guy on the scooter with no helmet. Saw some guy on a gixxer with full leathers on. He was probably too damn hot to wave. I was relieved!