ok I know we've covered this subject before, but my wife asked me about the biker wave and the meaning behind it. I tried to search the site and I am coming up with nothing. I know I read a post about this subject a while back. Can anyone help me out?

Damn, I keep meaning to work on a useful search feature for the site & forum!!!!

Yes, there were several topics on "The Biker Wave"  some funny, some informational...


The Biker Wave History and Proper Etiquette

Motorcycle Hand Gestures

heres what i have noticed

Man, don't seem like a year since we seen these

......great subject. ....Ive been in the wind...eitehr on the back of my ol mans bikes when I was a kid or my own for 47 years.....I remember back in the 70,s
..when bikers would ..raise their fist...when they passed another rider, giving the "right on" sign....that has sinced evloved into the regular wave...and now the hand comes out ....low and to the side....perfectly timed to just before you pass the oncoming bike...couple fingers extended....I came acrosss this piece about 5 years ago, and posted it to another Board....some thought it was my own thoughts and angrily dressed me down for being so anti social....so just
a heads up....This is Humor. ..........by the way....I ride a Honda Valkyrie Interstate......and I usually wave..........Enjoy..



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"To Wave or Not to Wave"

By Shalom Auslander


I love motorcycles, and I love riding. Like many of you what first drew me to bikes was not just the experience of riding, but the feeling that I'd become part of a special community - a brotherhood, really. Nothing calms me more than a long ride down the interstate, waving to the members of my beloved clan. Except when I pass Harley guys. I hate Harley guys. Hate, hate, hate. When they pass me on the highway, you know what I do? I don't wave. With their little tassel handlebars and the studded luggage and the half helmets - God, they drive me crazy.

You know who else I hate? BMW guys. Oh, do I hate those guys. I don't wave at them either. They think they're so great, sitting all upright, with their 180 degree German engines. God, I hate them. They're almost as bad as those old bastards on their touring motorcycles. You know what I call those bikes? "Two wheeled couches!" Get it? Because they're so big. They drive around like they have got all day. Appreciate the scenery somewhere else, Grandpa, and while you're at it, I'm not waving to you.

Ducati guys - I don't wave at them either. Why they don't spend a little more money on their bikes? "You can have it in any color as long as it is red." Aren't you cool! Like they even know what a Desmo-whatever engine is, anyway. Try finding the battery, you Italian-wannabe racers! I never, ever wave at those guys.

Suzuki guys aren't much better, which is why I never wave at them, either. They always have those stupid helmets sitting on the top of their stupid heads, and God forbid they should ever wear any safety gear. They make me so mad. Sometimes they'll speed by and look over at me and you know what I do? I don't wave I just keep going. Please, don't get me started on Kawasaki guys. Ninjas? What are you, twelve years old? Team Green my ass. I never wave at Kawasaki guys.

I ride a Honda, and I'll only wave at Honda guys, but even then, I'll never wave at a guy in full leathers. Never, never, never. Yeah like you're going to get your knee down on the New York Thruway. Nice crotch, by the way. Guys in full leathers will never get a wave from me, and by the way, neither will the guys in two piece leathers. And I'll tell you who else I'm not waving at - those guys with the helmets with loud paint jobs. Four pounds of paint on a two pound helmet - like I'm going to wave back at that! I'll also never wave at someone with a mirrored visor. Or helmet stickers. Or racing gloves. Or hiking boots.

To me, motorcycling is like a family, a close knit brotherhood of people who ride Hondas, wear jeans and a leather jacket (not Vanson) with regular gloves and a solid color helmet with a clear visor, no stickers, no racing gloves and regular boots (not Timberlands). And isn't that what really makes riding so special.

Its funny - I normally do the old point at the ground wave. Sometimes I get lazy and just leave my hand on the grip and wave. Later in the season I see a bike coming and start thinking "Crap, another one..." and I wait to see if they are going to wave. If they do and I miss it, I always feel bad. Like they guy is going to see me 6 months later at a gas station and say "Hey dude, why no wave?" LOL

Always try to. When I can't (in the middle of a shift), I will at least try to nod. Don't really care what the other rider is on, he/she is riding!

Its always a kick that first good riding Sunday of the season,when it seems like every rider in existence wants to give you a wave,for me it always requires a wave back,if I wave n dont git a response I figure,hey TAG ur it!!!

Ok, ya'll, here it is. I hate to break it to ya, but we are not exclusive owners of the "wave". My friend drives a school bus, and every other bus she passes, guess what? Same for city bus drivers. Or how about people in pick-ups? Ya ever notice that they all wave to each other, if their trucks have certain similarities? The list goes on. Right down to folks driving those silly little Smart cars. We all seek kinship in things that interest us, like we don't want to think that we're the only one's. And moreover, it serves to build bonds with others, hence the popularity of motorcycle events, truck rallies, bus driver coffee clatches, and yes, even a Smart Car show. And yes, it can get monotonous waving to other bikes on occasion, but I always do (when possible), because I like knowing I belong in this "band of brothers and sister's"! Ok, you can take the soapbox away now. I'd rather use it to store my leather, anyway.
RIDE FREE
Tweek

Yup Tweek, us part time Corvette drivers wave as well. I have also noticed Jeep owners waving.

that is true Tweek, but no group is as maniacal about the wave as bikers. There is a Sport Bike VS Harley thing though. At least out here. After the first sport bike ignores me, I ban waving to them for the day. Kinda puts them in time out!

i drive a jeep - and when i first got it- all these bastards in jeeps were waving at me like i knew em- its jus a friendly gesture i guess- as far as the bikes- i generally wave at all riders- i dont give a damn what yer riding- the point is- yer riding- and if yer like me- yer smiling the whole time!

Way to go Lucky!!!    The Biker Wave History and Proper Etiquette Post was the one I remember. Thanks everyone.

I dont wave at any bastard.If I'm ridin the bloody Buell I aint got time to wave..If I'm on the old ironhead I'm to bloody scared to let go of the bars to wave and if I'm on the new dyna Im far to bloody cool to wave.So bugger it i aint bloody waving at any bastard..CHEERS BOOF

Boof, you crack my ass up!  Thanks for putting some levity in!  And you know what's great? Waving has always been optional!  Ride Free   Tweek

. .....lol .....Rock on with yer bad self Boof..

I try to wave at everyone as long as I'm not shifting, then I'll give the nod. My wife will laugh at me sometimes, I'll give the wave and not realize it was a motorcycle cop till I pass by. Oh they never wave back...lol

You are riding, I am riding. You are having fun, I am having fun. You are taking risks with the idiots out there, I am taking the same risks with the idiots out there. You get a wave.

How many of you stop waving when you attend a rally like Sturgis ? I for one do because of the sheer volume of bikes.

Hey, maybe someone will come up with a waver (sic) that will attach to the bar by the grip. That way, you can always wave. LOL! Sorry guys and gals, just couldn't resist.

We nod to each other more over here rather than wave (something I was pretty damn glad about in my early years of riding cos I couldn't have taken my hands off the handlbars for anything let alone a wave hee hee)

So here ya go:











NOD (o:

I wave at all riders .. Harley, metric, sport bike, scooter, you name it. I figure if you ride on two wheels .. you're part of the "brotherhood" .. and that includes anyone in the "sisterhood" too.
Why not wave? Aren't we all enjoying the same freedom? Aren't we all enjoying the same open road?
It takes all kinds of people to make up this crazy .. this lovely .. world we live in. I wouldn't want everyone to ride the same kind of scoot. I want them to express & enjoy their difference.
And I hope they all wave back.

MrLee about waving at Motorcycle Cops.......If I'm on my Street Glide with a Helmet on (which is rare) and I wave at a Motor Cop, he will waive back. If i'm on the Dragon, Hands high on the Aps, something around my head (except a helmet) and I wave.......I get no wave back. This is about 95% of the time.
I pulled up at a light once next to a Motor Cop, I was leathered up, patches the whold bit. He acted like he didn't want to know I was sitting there. Then I said to him.....All of us Bikers have a huge respect for you Motor Officers even the hard core guys. He looked like I just gave him a $100 bill....said thanks appreciate that!
Dragon

i first encountered THE WAVE when i had my jeep.   I was part of the jeeper society!  lol.  Then on the bike... sometimes it gets pretty annoying, but for the most part i try to nod a 'hell yeah'  to my fellow bikers.   

I wave at everyone here in Florida we have more Harley riders that don't wave than Sport Bikes. I wave at everyone because we are in the Gang.. Biker on the Road with a Bunch of ignorant cell phone cagers...

MrLee, I have found that the motocops around here tend to wave. Especially when I am riding my black and white motocop road king. They even like to hand out tickets to charity events held at the local court house!