Motorcycle Hand Greetings

[epoxy.guy]

I've been riding for several years now and have noticed on occasion I'll get a friendly wave.. other times not.   I was always curious about the different types of hand signals and what they meant.  This website does a good explaining this.
 
http://www.viewfromthecloud.com/2006/08/secret-motorcycle-hand-greetings.html

Hopefully I've been using the right signals or at least now know what they mean.   Enjoy!

[Twisted]

When I am usually out riding it is always the "Big helmet nod" that is the greeting used. Usually only gets used on weekends when everyone is going out for their rides, not so much during the week when it is usually people commuting.

[centuryghost]

For me and the people I ride with, we use the 2 fingers pointed down which means keep both wheels on the ground. Kinda of a friendly respect to other riders. When the clutch hand is in use, a nod works in it's place.

[samburger]

My wave style depends on the riding conditions. If I'm on straight, easy roads--the 'big one'. For curvy roads, I stick with two fingers up with my hands still on the bars. If I have the clutch pulled in, I try to nod as big as possible without being weird, to suggest that I would wave if I could but if I did I'd stall out & look dumb. If I'm totally stopped & don't have to move shortly, I'll do the right-handed two finger air salute type deal. The only people that regularly choose not to wave are the Harley Sportsters & the choppers. The people who wave the most are the sport-tourers. I suspect that's because a sport-touring bike is the least 'cool' bike you can get in the states--it doesn't make you a badass like a cruiser, & doesn't make you a crazy adrenaline junky like sport bikes--so no one cares if they look lame for being the first to wave & doing it big every time. I like these people the most because I love sport touring bikes, so to me they look cooler than everyone but the SV riders. I just can't help but love those SV's

[adidasguy]

Same here as centuryghost, 'cause we both live in Seattle. Here everyone gives a nod or a 2 fingers. Here riders don't really care what you ride as long as you're on 2 wheels. Chopper and HD people generally wave. We're all just happy to be riding when we have riding weather. Once at a corner, a guy on a bad ass HD with fringe and the WW-II style half helmet looked over at me and said "Hi, nice day for a ride, isn't it?" That's how we are in Seattle.

When hands are busy, I also see and do a wave with the left hand but keeping the palm on the bar. More of an open up the hand, 2 or more fingers up, as a wave. Good head nod always works, too.

At a stop when hand stays on clutch and foot on brake, a signal with the right hand is acceptable.

Also see the tap on the top of the helmet meaning speed trap ahead. At a corner, sometimes a point to show which direction, too.

Scooter people aren't much into acknowledging other riders.

Bicyclists are a different breed.

[yurtinus]

Reno is sort of the same - I've never been waved at near as much as when I'm on the bike. All types wave - I've never really noticed that any particular class of rider (sport, touring, cruiser, etc) waves more or less than any other. Like adidasguy says - we're all just happy to be out for a ride. Type of bike (or "equity" as it says in that blog) really doesn't seem to factor into it.

[JB848]

For me and the people I ride with, we use the 2 fingers pointed down which means keep both wheels on the ground. Kinda of a friendly respect to other riders. When the clutch hand is in use, a nod works in it's place.

I have been riding on the road since 1991 and I always give the 2 fingers down to riders for the reason stated above. And the head nod is understood by most for the reasons previously stated. I feel stupid when I do it and an (Arsh hole) Hog riders don't reciprocate but I do it any way makes us better people. It's not the bike you ride it is the fact we ride and why we ride so be the better rider is what I believe.

On another note I was out in Idaho riding on some 3+ out of 5 corners holding my own as far as speed goes and I always got a kick out of waving to the Harley riders in a corner. It shocked them..and you could see by their quick response to try to wave.

Bottom line is wave to everyone and enjoy what you do. I can have the worst day in the world and 15 minutes on my bike it's all good!

[mister]

I can have the worst day in the world and 15 minutes on my bike it's all good!

+1

In Oz, the nod is the more routine gesture cause our left hands are away from each other.

When encountering a group, to avoid a million nods a hand gesture is used.

Cops are signaled with either a "pat the dog" signal (slow down)... or... tap of the helmet (heads up)... or... left hand slightly raised with finger pointed up and twirled (indicating rotating flashing light).

While greetings are more common on the weekend, I nod to all oncoming riders during my daily commute and give a small hand gesture if I pass another rider on dual lane roads.

Michael

[Twisted]

I noticed over here too Mister that the HD riders do not acknowledge you ever.

[centuryghost]

I noticed over here too Mister that the HD riders do not acknowledge you ever.

I hate to admit but when I see the "weekend warrior" type Harley rider, I'll wait and let them respect first. I hate not getting a gesture in return and those guys usually log hours, not miles in the saddle per year! One thing is I have a lot of friends that are members in different MC's, so I always gesture a patch and they will 99% of the time return the respect. For the newbs, please don't wave; save that for the scooters 

[johnny ro]

I never wave, my GS has Vstrom handgards. (So does my Vstrom). I don. I also look sideways to see what it when its an intersting bike

[Electrojake]

I noticed over here too Mister that the HD riders do not acknowledge you ever.

I hate to admit but when I see the "weekend warrior" type Harley rider, I'll wait and let them respect first. I hate not getting a gesture in return and those guys usually log hours, not miles in the saddle per year! One thing is I have a lot of friends that are members in different MC's, so I always gesture a patch and they will 99% of the time return the respect.
For the newbs, please don't wave; save that for the scooters 

My 2 cents worth. . .
I ride a few different bikes from a cute little 155cc scooter to a rather knarly 1200cc Harley.
What you drive does make a difference as to who waves, and even how you are approached by the caging community.
Since I spend most of my life on the ultra practical GS500, I pretty much give the casual 2 or 5 finger wave from the bar to everyone, and yes, on busy sunny days it does get annoying.
>> Agreed; Harley and heavy cruiser guys seldom wave, just like they seldom wear any protective gear.<<
And as for scooter riders. . .
We have a tendency to pull off the road and give a hug when we meet. 
Great thread starter epoxy.guy!
-Ej-

P.S. Hey centuryghost, help me out here. . .
Since I do ride a shooter and even the occasional moped (no joke), what does "I always gesture a patch" mean?
Please explain.

[centuryghost]

Electrojake, when I say "patch" I mean anyone who is a member of a recognized motorcycle club (MC).

Also, I mean no disrespect to scooter riders. I believe if prompted I would receive a respectful hug from one. On the D.L., there is a pic floating around somewhere with me riding on the back of a Vespa piloted by a very beautiful friend 

[Electrojake]

Electrojake, when I say "patch" I mean anyone who is a member of a recognized motorcycle club (MC).

Also, I mean no disrespect to scooter riders. I believe if prompted I would receive a respectful hug from one. On the D.L., there is a pic floating around somewhere with me riding on the back of a Vespa piloted by a very beautiful friend  

I hate to steer us off topic here but. . .
I understand the "MC" psychology and wearing colors and respect, etc...  I was just confused by what the "gesture" part was.

And as for disrespecting scooter operators,
It's O.K.
I got the Harley for my ego and the scooter for my reality.
-Ej-

P.S. And some day I'll get a DL650 for my adventurous side too!

[Paulcet]

I usually give a gesture, two fingers down, to all on two wheels.  Except for gold wing riders.  They never return the wave so I quit.

Most memorable waves: small group of bicyclists gave me the two fingers down. And a cruiser guy going the other way on the interstate highway with a wide median, 40°f just after sun up. We don't usually wave on interstates here because we are really not within 1/4 mile of each other as we pass! But the camaraderie of riding in the cold on bikes that are not really designed for it really came through.

[mister]

I noticed over here too Mister that the HD riders do not acknowledge you ever.

Yep. Never.

Although... there was this one time... I nodded at one and he nodded back - but - I could see he tried to stop the nod and had a puzzled look on his face at what he'd just accidentally done. Probably only a recent owner from more sporty bikes. I think I as probably more surprised then he was.

I do know a HD rider. And when he rides he rides as if he owns the road and looks at nothing much. I asked him and he told me he hardly sees anything when he rides - that is, other riders, cars, anything. I wonder if he even acknowledges other HD riders. I know he makes fun of them, and they him. So.... 

Yeah, don't do the Hi Mom wave, ever. So not cool. BUT, waving back at kids in cars is alright 

Michael

[redhawkdancing]

Kids surprise me when they wave, but I always try to wave back. Patch holders always seem to wave, weekend cruisers not so much. Maybe 50 percent.

[samburger]

I know I'm going to get so much shaZam! for this but this is the only place where venting about it makes any sense. Just make a note that this may not apply for anywhere else & that I do not mean this in a racist way at all. But 90% of African Americans in my area do not wave to me. I have no idea why, but they're just as apathetic & sometimes hostile towards me as the average HD rider. Could be because Georgia is a state full of racism & hostility between races & they think I'd just some dumb racist redneck. Who knows...

Now go ahead & flame me for being that stereotypical racist Georgia boy. I know it's coming, but I just want us all to get along. I always wave to all riders, even scooters. I don't see color, I see the number of wheels on your vehicle

Oh, & my bike is my only vehicle so when it got down to 40 degrees here the other day, I was on the interstate on my way to work & saw a guy on a Sportster chopper, the ultimate situation where a biker normally wouldn't wave. But since we were both on our bikes in cold ass weather flying down the interstate, he initiated the big one. That was a good feeling, getting some recognition from someone who would normally think I'm a loser for having an imported 40hp commuter. And to clarify, I do get waves from HD riders from time to time. It's the 'weekend warriors' that don't wave. The midlife crisis guys that never rode a bike in their life before their crisis, & they think that not waving makes them true Harley badasses.

[samburger]

I would also like to comment on how awesome it is that my profanity is modified to 'shaZam!'. Got a good laugh out of that one.

[mach1]

here where i ride I use the hand closed facing down with two fingers out, other one is the tap on the top of the helmet mainly used for cops parked around a turn usually in PV and malibu. Harleys never wave back so I dont do it first usually I would let any rider go first I have no issue in loosing the game of chicken. another I see and use is the left hand extended out with the 2 finger pointed out and as a high five to the other rider.