Motorcycle etiquette

[HikerToo_imp]

Sorry, the waving gets annoying, I don't like the pressure.

[Headbanger02_imp]

When I grew up in a small town, there wasn't that many bikes on the road so you pretty much was waving at your friends and neighbors, and that was okay.....since I moved many years ago to a very populated area, I run into bikes it seems like every three seconds, I don't know them and it gets to be very monotonous, I still wave most of the time if I'm paying attention.....I don't want to be a richard about it so I go ahead and do it, but I always without fail wave at the kids on the side of road or wherever when they wave at me......

[Cormanus]

Thanks, guys, for sharing the wisdom and experience. Might just keep waving or nodding when I can and hope for the odd reciprocal.

[emptysea]

I wave at all two or three wheeled motorized vehicles and to any kids checking out my bike as I pass

[Aussie_imp]

Maybe when I see a similar bike I like I might nod, sort of saying "hey that's a cool bike". Or if I see a bike on a nice piece of road in the hills, saying "look at us, we both have good taste in back roads".

As has been previously mentioned, there are so many bikes on the road in the city I would be nodding and waving non-stop.

[flynrider]

I only wave in low traffic environments. Riding here in the Phoenix area is usually being done at relatively high speeds with a lot of traffic around. I get a lot of waves, but I'm not about to take a hand off the bar. If you need to brake hard and you don't have both hands on the handlebar, you're screwed. I'll respond with a head nod, but that's about it if there's traffic around me.

[davidsargee_imp]

I wave or nod at anyone that waves or nods, provided it is safe. Some bikers around here wave, some do not, usually v-twin types that do not. Probably 75% wave, 25% percent do not.

[ride4now_imp]

Interesting.... I wave to most everyone regardless of the bike I'm riding unless my left hand is too busy at the time. I notice that, generally, Harley riders and people on larger touring bikes wave back. Generally sport bikes don't... On my boat, it's the larger boats who generally wave...not the smaller ones. And when I had my Corvette, drivers of older Corvettes generally waved, but not the newer ones. Not sure what this means... if anything.

[rboe]

Back in eastern Montana everyone waves at everyone. Other rural roads in ag states drivers typically have at least one hand on top of the wheel and you get a quick wave with that hand. I try to remember to wave back to appear like a local. I've even ended up waving at the sheriff as he drives by.

[Buffalohead_imp]

Ever since I started riding with a sidecar attached, I get waves and thumbs-up CONSTANTLY. People can't resist them because they look SO cool! I especially get the thumbs-up from HD guys. They love sidecars, even if the sidecar is on a BMW or a Suzuki (which I had).

Soon I will be out on my Indian Chief with it's sidecar. I can only imagine the attention it will draw, based on what I've seen before. When I get my black DLX with it's Rocket sidecar, I know I will get plenty of waves and thumbs-up as before. You would just have to try it to believe it.