This is a great thread! I think that waving at every bike you see is gesture of "you and I are united in a common cause in a common ground". Few other groups of people do this. I don't discriminate between bikes because honestly I cannot tell a Harley from several other bikes that look like Harleys and really do you want to diss other people because of what they ride?? The focus should be that they do ride. Our sport obviously takes much more spirit and courage than most others. Even dirt bikers. How many people do you know that say, "oh, I never ride on the highways because there are too many crazy people out there"? To them I say "learn how to co-exist". I ride on the open road because there is where the real freedom feeling originates. There is where the real wind is in your hair. There is where the chains of oppression and boredom are flung free. And there is where the other 'brothers' and 'sisters' are that share that commonality. So there is where I give the 2 finger acknowledgement or hand wave or finger pointing up to heaven, or however else you greet that other road-warrior. Yes, I acknowledge even the little scooter on the road and you should watch them beam from being recognized as another 'biker'. It is an encouragement to them to stay in the race and move up to a bigger bike. In a blue moon instance I will recognize a bicyclist (especially with a pokercard in his spokes......I like that one!!) but not too often. If they shared our common "plan" it would be one thing, but they don't.
Now then, I just returned from Sturgis (1000 miles riding each way, thankyou very much) and noticed that while in Sturgis nobody, I mean nobody, I mean..........did I say nobody????? waves! And can you imagine what your arm would feel like if you waved at hundreds of thousands of bikes as they passed you on the road going highway speeds?? There are times it is not appropriate to wave such as on corners (sometimes you will wave at someone right when you see them and they are just coming into or going out of a turn, watching other traffic much more closely because they are on or coming off an on-ramp, etc. And they don't return the wave and for a brief moment you say, "hey, that guy didn't wave......grrrrr......but shake it off and realize he may not have seen you in time, and after he passed you he may have waved and you just didnt see him or her in your rear view mirror because sudddenly your traffic changed in front of you like night and day.
It is a jungle out there and we all have to reach down inside ourselves on a daily basis to find the courage and stamina it takes to continue as a 2-wheeled warrior of the road........that common bond we bikers have..............that so many others don't and can't share!
That is all............

 

I love waving to all bikers. But the kids oncrotch rockets are the most fun. Their usually allbent over and aregenerallysurprised that aHarley riderwould wave at them. The real fun startswhen have to try toscramble aroundtosit up so they can return it without crashing.

 

Personally, I weave at everyone. I see another bike coming at me in the other lane, I weave at it. I see a car, I weave at it. Occassionally, I am so sober that I'll be scared to weave at a semi-truck, but usually I'm either drunk or stoned enough that I don't care, so I weave at them too.

I admit, when I first heard that it was a tradition for motorcyclists to weave at each other, I thought it was kind of nuts. I was a new rider and weaving at all was kind of a challenge. But I wanted to be a good biker, so I did it. Sure, I laid the bike down a few times at first, but I got the hang of it. Then, after doing it successfully a few times and seeing the looks on the other riders faces -- well you can tell they are impressed and it really is a blast!

At first, they sometimes look like they aren't going to weave too, but don't go thinking they're being unfriendly. I've learned that what they are really doing is seeing how good you are at this weaving thing. If they don't weave, you show them you know what you're doing and keep weaving right at them. If you do it right, they will always weave too, sometimes right at the last second.

After I found out how much fun it was, I couldn't resist spreading the practice to cars, trucks, bicycles and even pedestrians. People love it! They beep their horns, they yell, they give you all kinds of waves. Sometimes they even turn around and follow you for awhile, which is when you show 'em what you've got and lose 'em. Then turn off on a side street and wait for 'em. When they catch up, pull out and weave at 'em again. They'll beep and wave with just as much excitement as they did the first time!

Obviously, it's a matter of personal preference. But I highly recommend weaving at least at other bikes, if not at everyone you see. I promise if you do this you'll meet new people and be the talk of your neighborhood in no time.







Hadn't seen this posted in a while.

 

I fart. I am a real hit in my neighborhood.

 

The real wave is a low wave that actually means, keep the shiny side up and the dirty side down.......I wave at everybody and don't care if I get a wave back...but usually it's returned.....it's just the polite thing to do........

 

I wave to all other bikers, regardless of bike type. If they dont wave back............O well..........sucks to be them.

 

I guess its more PC than the Power Fist of the '70s. I wave at everyone out here in the boonies, they're all neighbors, might need help getting the tractor out of the quick sand one day and need help.

 

I only wave if i suspect the other rider might be "wave sensitive."

 

I only wave to Softails.

 

I wave at all bikers. I even wave at scooters! Actually, I really just drop my left hand downward. No biggie if they don't respond.