Thread: The Motorcycle Wave

Top Ten Reasons Why Harley Riders Don't Wave Back.......

10. Afraid it will invalidate warranty.
9. Leather and studs make it too heavy to raise arm.
8. Refuse 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 Honda.
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 too tired from spending hours polishing all that chrome to lift their arms.


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 espresso machine just finished.
5. Was actually asleep when other rider waved.
4. Was in a three-way conference call with stockbroker 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.


Top 10 Reasons Sport Bike Riders Don't Wave: ......

10. They have not been riding long enough to know they're supposed to.
9. They're going too fast to have time enough to register the movement and respond.
8. You weren't wearing bright enough gear.
7. If they stick their arm out going that fast they'll rip it out of the socket.
6. They're too occupied with trying to get rid of their chicken strips.
5. They look way too cool with both hands on the bars or they don't want to unbalance themselves while standing on the tank.
4. Their skin tight-Kevlar-ballistic-nylon-kangaroo-leather suits prevent any position other than foetal.
3. Raising an arm allows bugs into the armholes of their tank tops.
2. Its too hard to do one-handed stoppies.
1. They were too busy slipping their flip-flop back on.


Top Ten Reasons Why BMW Riders Don't Wave Back......

10. New Aerostich suit too stiff to raise arm.
9. Removing a hand from the bars is considered "bad form."
8. Your bike isn't weird enough looking to justify acknowledgement.
7. Too sore from an 800-mile day on a stock "comfort" seat.
6. Too busy programming the GPS, monitoring radar, listening to iPod, XM, or talking on the cell phone.
5. He's an Iron Butt rider and you're not!
4. Wires from Gerbings is too short.
3. You're not riding the "right kind" of BMW.
2. You haven't been properly introduced.
1. Afraid it will be misinterpreted as a friendly gesture.

10,9,8,7.......

I'll wave back so as not to be rude but often wondered; DO ALL THESE PEOPLE KNOW ME?

What ever happened to the obligatory nod?

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

If they stick their arm out going that fast they'll rip it out of the socket.

I nearly did that on the Blackbird, how I survived on that bike, with my level of previous experience (low) is still a mystery.

I feel a little left out of this thread - Have a thought for the little bikes - we havn't all got big macho machines.

Ten reasons why riders of Little Bikes Don't Wave Back

1. Nobody waves more than one finger at them.

2. They are too busy talking on their mobile phones.

3. Their spare hand ( if not answering the phone) is too busy trying to hold No 1 child in front of them ( traditional Thai motocy airbag)

4. They don't see you as they are looking for a fried chicken stall that is somewhere on their way home.

5. They are drinking some revolting drink with a straw.

6. Their stupid 'yappy' dog is trying to climb out of the front basket.

7. They are deep into a conversation with their friend riding alongside and don't want to be interrupted.

8. If they remove one hand from the bars the accumulated weight of the bags full of shopping will cause the bike to go into a death spiral.

9. They are busy popping pimples and plucking facial hair ( mainly men), at the traffic lights.

10. They are busy doing 'death defying 'U' turns to pick up their baseball caps or their kids flipflop that dropped off earlier .

^ there are that many bikes to wave at that you will get airborne waving franticly with both hands

^^ You forgot busy picking there nose

i totaly agree marmite

I don,t know ya so why should i wave ? and i could,nt be fucked..but i will flash if i see a filthy copper bastard hideing ahead of ya

I don't wave because my bike slows down .

Personally, I've had a mixed experience with waving.

When the Midget and I were riding near Korat a guy on a sport-bike came past and waved. I was quite chuffed and waved back.

Realising that waving was some sort of etiquette, I waved at a small group of Eagle Riders (a bike club from Udon) and all they did is lift their noses, so I also realised that some people aren't worth bothering with, even if they do ride.

Yeh I wave to people on bikes, and normal stop for a chat if I see a few bikes. Meet alot of people that are now friends this way.

I wave all the time.

The best wavers are cops.

I was in a group recently riding around Doi Mae Salong and getting close to the Burmese border, very friendly army guys and locals.

I can't wave on a bike as I get easily confused as to which hand to use.

Originally Posted by CharleyFarley

The best wavers are cops.

It wasn't a wave. Was the pull over, I need a few baht for the mia noi signal. Best to return with a wave and keep driving on.

6. They're too occupied with trying to get rid of their chicken strips

I don't get this, what are chicken strips?

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

6. They're too occupied with trying to get rid of their chicken strips

I don't get this, what are chicken strips?

When you get new tyres fitted to your bike. You will notice hairs of rubber sticking out from the tyre.
Thus if you see a biker with hairs of rubber still on the contact edge of the tyre. Then he still has his chicken strips intact. As he fails (chicken) to lean the bike right over in a corner to scrub them off.

So next time you see Marmers or Frankie or Neddy posting pics of their bikes. Take a close look at their tyres.

I wave to bikers no matter what they ride if they wave first.
if i know them differant story
hell i even wave out of shock if a Thai car driver lets me out lol

someone could have (and probably has) written a book on this topic, my personal exp from NZ/Oz
1984-1991 I had big Jap bikes, best being a Z1000R Lawson replica, waved to other bikes apart from the obvious 'outlaws or wannabe outlaws' on HDs knowing they'd never wave back.
91 an accident (bicycle) stuffed my shoulder, and I couldn't sit comfortably on a sports bike, so . . . I bought a Harley. And started waving (or at least acknowledging with a nod) other HD riders and anyone else on a bike - but the second group didn't wave back, I was on a HD! And I will admit here I preferred to nod, hanging on at speed and lifting my left hand was not always a good idea as that was the crook shoulder side. Bought another (new this time) HD in 95 and kept it till 99, still waving/nodding and getting little response.
99 shifted to Triumph. Found the triple was ok for my height not too much weight forward on my shoulders, continued with the nodding - i had 8 years of high speed lunacy to catch up on; japanese bike riders waved, seeing another sportsbike, some HD riders nodded recognising it as a non-Jap bike; got another Triumph 2005 new, perfected the 'lift the fingers but not move the hand' gesture accompanied by a nod, ignored by HD riders as i think they'd decided the sports Ts were too Jap looking . . .
for me . . . who cares what you ride, at least you're out there on the road. Just as I'd acknowledge another rider on the road, I'll stop if I see a breakdown.
A separate category would have to be some of the 'elite' (in their minds) BMW tourers who I've found rarely admit other riders even exist.

In Thailand I found that most people don't wave or nod. In the UK, everyone used to nod at each other, apart from quite a few sports bike riders, who would only acknowledge the presence of other sports bikes.

Originally Posted by madjbs

In Thailand I found that most people don't wave or nod. In the UK, everyone used to nod at each other, apart from quite a few sports bike riders, who would only acknowledge the presence of other sports bikes.

Me too. Im a nodder, not a waver. Wavings for pooves.

Number 11 for Harley rider

To busy looking in the mirrows to see what other bit of the Harley has fallen off to notice any other bike rider.

Originally Posted by johpam

Number 11 for Harley rider

To busy looking in the mirrows to see what other bit of the Harley has fallen off to notice any other bike rider.

but the mirrors are too blurred to see anything clearly