Top Ten Reasons Why Harley Riders Don't Wave Back
10. Afraid it will invalidate warranty.
9. Leather and studs make it too hard to raise arm.
8. Refuses 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 would blow scabs off the new tattoos.
5. Angry because just 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 those rice-burner manufacturers.
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 waved back, he impaled his hand
on spiked helmet.
1. They're jealous that after spending $30,000, they still don't own a Gold
Wing.
But to be totally fair, sometimes GoldWing riders don't wave back either.
Again, to facilitate understanding....
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 grip.
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 expresso machine just finished.
5. Was actually asleep when other rider waved.
4. Was in a three-way conference call with stock broker 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 dashboard.
What's that about "funny but true?" :lol:
QuoteCouldn't find the "auto wave back" button on dashboard.
:lol:
...
yesterday at work, I asked a co-worker (who has a goldwing)
me: "hey btw, do you wave on the motorcycle?"
him: "not really"
me: "..."
The waving/not waving thing kind of infuriates me - I've pulled up next to cruiser riders at intersections (most were Harley riders, but one was on what looked to be a Victory), flipped up my shield, and said "Hi" only to have them either ignore me (can't hear me over their open pipes?) or just turn to look and then blat away as the light changed. Metric cruiser guys usually wave.
Nearly every sportbike or standard rider I pass coming the other way will wave - I've had guys wave at me across 5 lanes of interstate.
I will wave at a Harley rider if they wave first or if, in some miracle of circumstance, they have actually done something tasteful to their bike that I appreciate. Everyone else gets the left hand out-and-to-the-side as soon as I see them, unless I need both hands - then I'll nod.
I have never had a GW rider not wave at me. Road King riders have ignroed me, yes, but the GW/Concours/FJ/etc. riders have all waved.
Around here just about everybody waves. There are a noted few that don't though.
yeah i agree. in ohio, pretty much everyone waves to each other. although last week, couple of BMW riders didn't even acknowledge my wave. :guns: :guns: :x :nana:
I wave at everyone, no matter what. If they can't hear me over their pipes, no problemo. If they can't wave back due to being busy at the controls, no problemo. If they can't be bothered cuz they lack donkey balls, no problemo. I'll give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and if they DO have a problem, it's just that: their problem. :mrgreen:
pandy :thumb:
I try to wave at everybody......there are times when waving simply isn't possible.....at those times I try to give a significant head nod.....
.....of course, mostly sportbikes wave back......usually the cruisers don't.....but on occasion they have.....but only when riding alone.....
usually when I'm awake I'll wave .
I always wave. Wavebacks vary dramatically. During cold/nasty/shitty weather, almost everyone waves back. When it's nice out, it can range from everyone waving to nobody (and I usually see 5-20 bikes on my commute). Standards are the best wavers; I think cruisers and sportbikes are tied for least.
sportbikes wave pretty well around here, the best are standards then sportbikes, followed by touring bikes(not road king) then metric cruisers, dead last of course are harley riders.
wave report: dude on an old GZ-series that I passed in the dark at 5:15 AM = wave
guy on CBR f-series on the way home = wave
guy on metric cruiser on the way home = wave
guy on Honda ST-whatever on the way home = no wave
girl on scooter on way home = no wave
dude in pickup truck who let me through the intersection before he turned left = thumbs up
Gotta watch out for those sport-touring and scooter snobs, apparently :P
I've had two wavebacks from bike cops. :)
I pass a guy in a cop uniform on a BMW(personal bike) every morning... always waves
there was a guy at an intersection sitting with his bike in nuetral and i waved and it surprised him i guess and sorta jumped alittle and waved like a little kid, haha it was pretty funny. i looked like this when he waved, :lol: well sort. alittle bigger and not yellow.
Yea Harley Ride dont wave ... yea But in their defense They're not real bikers, they are trying to look baaaaad asssss .... and part of that is to show you their explicit bad assiness by growling at you ... :lol: ...
Cool.
Srinath.
In my experince around here it is the sportbike riders that don't wave. The cruisers usually even the Harleys and that is a bunch considering most people around here have Harleys. Scooters????? I don't wave at anything under 125cc's. I don't don't even care if the squids(sportbikes) wave back or not.
when i started out riding (about 4-5 monthes ago) it didn't matter what they were riding they would wave back. now it's just sportbikes only. the other day a HD TRIED to cut me off, I just dropped it down a gear or two and get in his way. That's what you get for not waving back :lol:
Quote from: ajgs500In my experince around here it is the sportbike riders that don't wave. The cruisers usually even the Harleys and that is a bunch considering most people around here have Harleys. Scooters????? I don't wave at anything under 125cc's. I don't don't even care if the squids(sportbikes) wave back or not.
Why not wave at anything under 125cc's? I wave at 50cc's all the time, even give them a :thumb: once in a while. But not waving to anything under 125cc is no better than a someone else saying he won't wave to anything under 600cc's. :dunno:
Because where I come from scooter= DUI.
I wave to bicyclists
Then I laugh, cause I don't have to push my bike. Or wear spandex.
I choose to wear spandex! :)
I gave the wave to a couple of middle aged ladies on scooters once (they didn't wave back). It was at an intersection and they turned behind me. Well they were behind me for like four miles through the city. Even at speeds over 55...
I was supprised those scooters could hang... I might have to get the girlfriend one...
Quote from: seshadri_srinathYea Harley Ride dont wave ... yea But in their defense They're not real bikers, they are trying to look baaaaad asssss .... and part of that is to show you their explicit bad assiness by growling at you ... :lol: ...
Cool.
Srinath.
. funny srinath, funny ! ha ha ha :roll: i do own a harley, and i do wave back but hey whatever :roll: :lol:
yesterday on my way home from work i stopped at a light next to a harlry in the lane next to me. i looked at his bike b/c it was pretty damn nice and thats what i told him. he was cool, said thanks and he liked mine too, and that he wanted to get a gsxr. around here its about 50/50. of course similar styles of bikes are more likely to wave at each other, of course i wave at everybody. :dunno:
If it has less than 4 wheels I wave. Doesn't matter the displacement or if it even has an engine. I'm averaging about 80% return on the waves right now.
Quote from: ajgs500Because where I come from scooter= DUI.
Yea, back in NC we used to call them "liquor-cycles" with the last part pronounced like sickle :lol:
I wave at everyone. I know it depends but there are alot of people that don't wave back at me. Either HD people, Super Sport Bikes, or just metric cruisers. It's kinda funny to me, I mean I was told that the reason bikers wave/nod at each other is to say, hey dude I see you on your bike (A.K.A not in a car) even if the J@ck A$$es in their SUV's talking on cellphones don't. I too share your pain of trying not to get killed by these other A-holes in cars.
Anyways, I like it when I see another biker come by that I can tell by his or her posture isn't going to wave. I usually give them a big old cheese ball smile and an obvious wave. That way I know for sure that they saw me (maybe they missed the smile behind the full face helmet, but they saw the wave for sure.) I also stare them down as long as possible waiting for a response.
Sometimes you can guilt someone into a wave, even if it's half hearted. The obvious wave and stare tells the other person there's no way that you didn't see me so now lets see what you will choose. On the one hand, don't wave and be an ass, on the other lift your hand for a split second and save your self from feeling like a jerk.
I also feel like some people don't wave becuase they generally don't like the type of person that they associate with the bike. I mean it comes down to stereotyping the rider based on the bike. Everyone does it because that's just how the human brain works. We categorize things. So I think it's fun to try and mess with people's heads by confusing the stereotype. If you ride HD's and you think that young people on Sport Bikes are punks that's fine, but what happens when you see a Sport Bike rider brake quickly to allow an old lady to cross the street??? Or if you are an SB rider and you see an HD person waving at you before you wave back at them??? Basically you confuse the stereotype and make it harder for the other person to put you into a category.
That's just my two cents, but that's why I wave at everyone. We all have certain views on different types of bike riders. But I like to think that I'm acknowledging another person that shares a similar interest with me. Even if that's where the similarities end, I still like to acknowledge that and not the differences between us!
Wave's and wave-backs are decent here. Not a real noticeable difference between the types of bikes they're on and whether they wave or not. Majority wave though regardless.
It's funny though to see the difference in waves. Sport bike guys get way into it and point their arm WAY out and up or diagonally down. Harley etc... guys just kinda move their hand off the bars and do this "lazy" looking wave. I've seen peace signs and have also been flipped of :nana: by harley rider groups when with a group of sport bikes and we just return it back :nana: .
Quote from: pandyI wave at everyone, no matter what. If they can't hear me over their pipes, no problemo. If they can't wave back due to being busy at the controls, no problemo. If they can't be bothered cuz they lack donkey balls, no problemo. I'll give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and if they DO have a problem, it's just that: their problem. :mrgreen:
pandy :thumb:
Great way to look at it. Me, I instantly think "What an @$$hole! :guns: "
Quote from: seshadri_srinathYea Harley Ride dont wave ... yea But in their defense They're not real bikers, they are trying to look baaaaad asssss .... and part of that is to show you their explicit bad assiness by growling at you ... :lol: ...
Cool.
Srinath.
Out of countless Harley's that refused to wave back, only 1 has actually waved and it was a chick riding it and she made the first wave! I was like :o
I wave to everyone, usually. Doesn't matter wether it's a scooter, standard, sportbike, metric cruiser, or standard cruiser, they all get waves. Wether they wave back or not is up to them. The exception to that rule is that if I notice someone not wearing a helmet or wearing shorts and can see in time and react, I don't wave. My experience has been that standards and sportbikes are the most consistant, sport tourers and tourers slighly less so (the sport tourers more than the tourers), and cruisers the least, if ever. Usualy metric cruiser guys are pretty cool and not obnoxious with their bikes, and they, for the most part, wave the majority of the time. Standard cruisers (HD, etc) very rarely do. The guys with helmets and jackets on Harleys always wave though.
Gear makes you a nicer person.
From my BRC instructor:
QuoteSo, now that you're bikers, you know toy gotta wave, right? Here's how you do it.
If you're on a harley, you wave like this (hand ways down low). 'Course, you're not really waving, just trying to catch parts as they fall off.
If you're on a crotch rocket, you gotta wave like this (two fingers on left hand flash up). That's 'cause you don't want to break your aerodynamics. (Assistant ridercoach: or you're scared of you're bike, and don't wanna fall off.)
If you're on a Goldwing (he rode a 'Wing), first you gotta stand up, so they know you're on a bike. Then you make a big wave with your right hand, 'cause you've got the cruise control on. (Assistant: After putting your coffee in the cup holder, right?)
I wave to everyone on two wheels unless I am too scared to take my hand off the handlebar in a turn or if there's a lot of traffic and I am too busy making sure I am safe (had my first day on a highway this Sat) :) Never got a wave from Harley/cruiser though.... When riding I-10 and PCH on Sat here in los angeles, at some point had to forget about the left handlebar and just have my arm sticking out on the left :) well, ocasionally I did put my arm back on the handlebar just to check if it's still there :)
Dumb question:
What is the protocol for waving at a long group of bikes?
Happened to me this weekend when I came upon an oncoming group of about 20+ bikes, mostly cruisers...I figured I'd wave at the lead. He waved back...then two or three guys behind him waved. I started feeling kind of silly passing by with my hand out (going through slow 'main street' town traffic), but as soon as I'd put it back on the bars, more folks would wave. I didn't want to be antisocial, but my arm started feeling like a turn signal.
If there's a group of bikers, I simply put my hand out in a wave from the start to the finish of the line of riders...hand back on handlebar after passing last rider.
Quote from: pandyIf there's a group of bikers, I simply put my hand out in a wave from the start to the finish of the line of riders...hand back on handlebar after passing last rider.
That's what I figured....but in this particular case, traffic warranted two shifts during the procession. :) It was a loooooong group, moving slowly.
Quote from: BadgerThat's what I figured....but in this particular case, traffic warranted two shifts during the procession. :) It was a loooooong group, moving slowly.
In this case, you can do one of two things:
1. Get a jacket with a third arm.... this way, you never have to wave at all... you always have an arm out there waving at everyone and everything, or
2. Get one of those bobble hands and stick it to your helmet... once again, continuous wave forever.
:lol:
BEST
Standard riders ALWAYS seem to wave back, the majority of them might just be using a motorcycle for economical reasons but they seem to be the best bunch for it.
MEH
HD and GW riders around here are usually all retired men or couples that live in middle-upper class suberbia so they ALL wave. Sportbikes wave most of the time, but I've noticed a lot of them when they're on roads around town (60km/h-ish) they just pull the clutch and rev at me, with a nod. Is that a sportbike thing I dunno yet??? haha.
WORST
People on scooters never wave back at me. I dunno if they're just doubting their right to wave to a motorcycle, or, is it because they're so removed from motorcycle culture than they're all thinking "wtf, do I know him...?". Got a wave from a very excited looking lady on a Vespa in the city once, she kinda had the Queen Mum wave goin' on.
Quote from: NarcissusPeople on scooters never wave back at me. I dunno if they're just doubting their right to wave to a motorcycle, or, is it because they're so removed from motorcycle culture than they're all thinking "wtf, do I know him...?"
Yeah... What's with that? It makes me want to chase them down and kick 'em over when they don't wave back... Plus, I know there's no way in hell they'll ever catch me...
I'd just jump on the freeway. :lol:
Quote from: RVertigoYeah... What's with that? It makes me want to chase them down and kick 'em over when they don't wave back... Plus, I know there's no way in hell they'll ever catch me...
I'd just jump on the freeway. :lol:
Unless its that 750 Vespa haha... I saw a scooter today on my way to the hardware store, a casually dressed guy with a huge bloddy scarf on a Yamaha BW me thinks. I stuck out my arm a good distance before we passed eachother but the whole while he just looked at me, never waved. He must have been thinking "Is that guy waving at me? Couldn't be. I'm on a scooter. Could he be waving at me? Maybe its the guy behind me...". I was walking through the city a few weeks ago while I was setting up for the "Run for the Cure" site with my father and we saw a little convoy of 3 vintage vespas passing what looked to be some misc. japanese built scooter that was waiting at a light. They all got soo excited, beeping there little horns at eachother and waving vigourously over their heads, I was sure one of them was goign to wave too hard and veer into oncoming traffic...
Considering the wide variety of encounters and the combination of motorcycles involved, I think this deserves a matrix. Based on the commentary here, some personal experience, and a tongue caught firmly in cheek, here's a matrix of "Wave Interactions" identifying the probability that two riders will exchange waves.
Percentage chance of waving
Results in the form of: % chance Rider will initiate a wave/% chance that this wave will be returned. See notes, below.
E N C O U N T E R S
-------------------
Standard Sport Harley Goldwing BMW
R ! +----------+----------+---------+----------+----------+
! Standard[1] ! 95 / 95 ! 95 / 60 ! 95 / 10 ! 95 / 95 ! 95 / 80 !
I ! +----------+----------+---------+----------+----------+
! Sport[2] ! 50 / 95 ! 75/75 [5]! 30 / 2 ! 50/75 [6]! 60 / 80 !
D ! +----------+----------+---------+----------+----------+
! Harley[3] ! N/A ! N/A ! 80 / 80 ! N/A ! 5/50 [7] !
E ! +----------+----------+---------+----------+----------+
! Goldwing ! 95/95 [8]! 60/50 [9]! 80 / 5 ! 95/95[10]! 95 / 80 !
R ! +----------+----------+---------+----------+----------+
BMW[4] ! 10 / 95 ! 10 / 85 ! 10 / 2 ! 10 / 95 ! 10 / 95 +
+----------+----------+---------+----------+----------+
Notes:
[1]: Standard riders will always wave, unless you catch them holding the clutch. Even then, they might release the clutch suddenly in a furious attempt to share their enthusiasm with riding.
[2]: The lower % of waving from sport bike riders is due to the large percentage of people riding much more bike than they can handle, leaving them reluctant to release their terror hold on the grip, even for a moment.
[3]: Harley riders only recognize other Harley riders. In the event that they are waved at, there is a slight chance that the operator will provide minimal acknowledgement. This might include one or two upraised fingers. Which finger is used for this maneuver varies, and is a matter of personal taste.
[4]: BMW riders rarely initiate waves. They are commuting somewhere, and have more important things to do than wave at every two-wheeled vehicle out for a casual ride. They consider every other rider ill-equipped and under-protected, but will generally return waves because to not do so would be rude.
[5]: Assuming both riders have made the same choice to wear or not wear a helmet and/or protective gear.
[6]: It is possible that the low percentage of sport-to-goldwing wave initiations is caused by the sport rider mistaking the Goldwing for a bus.
[7]: The one exception the "Harley Exclusion Principle" is the BMW. This is because many Harley riders are mid-life crisis casualties, have a BMW automobile in the garage next to their Mercedes-Benz SUV, and feel some misguided sense of camaraderie with other BMW owners.
[8]: This is due to the Goldwing rider's desire to consider their motorcycle related to other motorcycles, and not the parlor chair on wheels that it actually is.
[9]: In absense of initiating a wave, one can assume the rider mumbled, "Durn kids!"
[10]: For the purposes of this discussion, establishing radio/satellite/bluetooth/cellular connectivity with the passing rider is considered a "wave".
Other notes:
These results are in no way based on any scientific experiment, measurement, analysis, or unbiased opinion, and should not be taken seriously.
And okay, I know...I've got way too much time on my hands right now.
ARRRRGGGHHHH!!! The maths are at it again! :x
:lol:
You forgot motorcycle cops as the one Harley exception... They always seem to salute though...
I'm not sure which is weirder... Waving at cops or having them acknowledge your presence...
lmfao!!! Thats awesome Ya don't mind if I post your matrix and notes up on a couple local sites do ya?
Quote from: Narcissuslmfao!!! Thats awesome Ya don't mind if I post your matrix and notes up on a couple local sites do ya?
If I wanted to keep it to myself I probably shouldn't have posted it. :)
Anyway...it's on the Internet now...it must be true.
if I'm the position where I have my clutch hand free than ya I wave...no matter the bike....Stuck at an intersection and I'm in 1 [like you should be :nono: ] I do the nod thing...
Funny story time:
I was stoped at a light when a HD dude pulled up behind me...Bad Ass started reving it up making alot of noise...Naturaly having just installed my welico...I blared him out....COMPLETLY....At the next light he pulls up beside me and i flip open my visor and he says "nice bike".....I'm all :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: inside but ya.......
Another funny story
My old boss [who isn't age wise old mid 30's] drives a HD something or other...all decked out open pipes, the works....When I drove my GS to work one morning we got to talking about this an that.....2years later I now regulary ride with him and his wife and a few other locals all the time here and there. Long story short some HD riders arn't bad asses but just prefer american products :dunno: to each his own
Ya that whole GW thing is so true. A MSF instructor drove his GW one time to our class and there were alot of oooo-aaaaahhhhsss...I asked him where the electric heated cup holder was and he just chuckled and replied "it used to much juice, my GPS system started to fade out and the CD player started to skip, and the CB radio picked up weird noises, so I had to trade in the cup holder for "this" :nana:
3/4 of my MSF course instructors had GWs, one of them actually laid his down on the last day to show us how to pick up a GW haha, of course they only fall over to about a 45* angle :lol:
Quote from: Jace009gsI had to trade in for "this" :nana:
My GS came stock with one of those... I've been thinking about upgrading to a double system, but I'm worried that it would interfere with my steering.