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.
:hello:

 

[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.

 

[Pertegaz_imp]

Just for fun...

In Spain waving is for noobs, in this video you can see the correct way in Motorcycle etiquette...

 

[flynrider]

That was hilarious! :hello::excited::hello:

 

[the Ferret]

Lol I can just see a HD biker and a squid on a crotch rocket doing that!

 

[Cormanus]

Thank you, Pertegaz. That's the way you do it!

 

[redbirds_imp]

I love happy endings!

 

[Pertegaz_imp]

I saw it years ago and I think it's useful for this thread!

 

[Damfino_imp]

Its funny but in rural northern Kentucky where I ride a lot the car drivers wave to both motorcyclists and other car drivers.

Same here ferret, in the small rural southern Illinois community my family is from, it may be considered bad etiquette not to wave at your neighbors as your cars pass each other on the road.

 

[Gingersdaddy_imp]

It was a beautiful 65 deg here yesterday and I was out riding on the four lane highway and saw a large group of HD riders, I'm thinking well lets see what happens. I waved and to my surprise, All of them waved at the same time and two of them through both arms up in the air, I thought, Wow, they must not have seen I was on a Honda.
It was wild!! There was a bunch of two wheelers out around here.

 

[Inline4_imp]

Through the years I've noticed the H-D riders will wave, no matter what bike I was on, if it was cold outside. Perhaps it was an acknowledgement of the love of riding even in uncomfortable conditions.
I wave to all bikers most of the time, but I always make a point to wave at cagers that could've pulled out in front of me. Kinda like a "Thank You", or simply wanting to let them know that motorcyclists are generally nice people.
Hopefully they will remember that wave the next time they are about to pull onto a street or highway.
Jim

 

[the Ferret]

Inline..I also give a little wave thank you to those that don t pull out or turn in front of me. Have no idea if they know WHY I'm waving, but I do.