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Whatever happened to the "Wave"?


cali_beemer

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I think it can be easy to read too much into not receiving a return wave. Fist and foremost, riders need to ride safely and in control of their bikes. Waving is not a requirement for riding or safe riding. None the less, this subject seems to comes up often enough one would be tempted to think otherwise.

 

I don't take it personally if I don't get a wave back. Could be they saw me, could be they didn't. Could be they were looking at their instruments, GPS, radio, talking on their bluetooth, taking in the scenery, studying the road, concentrating of their riding position, etc. Could be they think I'm a tool - who cares? I'm not less of a man for waving - when it's safe, and I'm certainly no less of one if I don't get a wave back.

 

IMO the ride is too short to worry about the motivations of others giving and/or not receiving a wave. :wave:

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When I ride our small country roads, what I like best is when non-riding people like joggers, ladies/gents walking their dog, ladies picking up the mail from the box, older gents riding the lawn tractor, etc. wave at me. They always get a big wave back. Some times when commuting, same daily hours, I see the same people. After a few times it's almost like seeing a friend. The best part is waving at kids in the minivan or school bus.

 

Agreed.

I usually initiate a wave in many cases like that.

Wave at drivers who don't pull out in front of me, wave at PU's going the other way.

Anything to spread a positive image helps, IMO.

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When I started riding, bikers always gave each other the "thumbs up" when they passed each other. (Well, almost always.) I stopped riding for about 15 years, and when I came back several years ago I learned the "thumbs up" turned into this "low wave". When did that happen?

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Where I learned to ride, riders raised a closed fist similar to the Black Power solute. Solidarity and brotherhood and screw the Man and all that crap.

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I hate and don't accept the raised closed fist salute, as it was the official salute of the Soviet Communist state, like the raised flat hand was for the Nacis.

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"I'm a bit disturbed that they feel qualified to be in the saddle."

 

Oh, Piffle, say I. Waving to someone you don't know is hardly a qualifier for operating a motorcycle. I do beleeb youse is loose in this thought process.

Folks in cars don't wave because there are too many of them? I feel the same way when I encounter dozens of late sleeper cycle jockeys coming up the mountain when I've had my morning ablution with the dawn patrol and I am coming down. Too many to wave to.

When I had the race fin on the helmet, I only waved to the other finned riders. The comradrerie of shared insanity. I broke my fin getting into the car on day and now I can't wave no more. :cry:

 

Calling one D-bag should get name calling cops on this site emailing you a nastygram. Not being nice is a no-no. Shame on you for being so coarse.

 

I din't call anyone in particular a D-bag. I said that if someone clearly sees my wave and doesn't wave back, I have the right or prerogative to THINK he is a D-bag.

 

Like Paul I like it when people on the street wave or kids in the mini van/bus wave I always wave back.

 

I think of it like if you were in a fastfood joint and you saw a buddy across the room, you would wave. If you were carrying your tray of food, you might just give the heads up nod. If he/she were walking out and didn't see then fine, no wave. But if you make eye contact with a friend and don't even bother to say hello, I would think, what is his/her deal. Riding, to me makes us friends of a sort, brothers of a sort. See me saying hello and not wave back, whats your deal? Just as people have the right NOT to wave, I have the right to THINK what ever I want about them.

Sorry if I offended anyone by the D-bag comment, That was not my intent.

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I hate and don't accept the raised closed fist salute, as it was the official salute of the Soviet Communist state, like the raised flat hand was for the Nacis.
Well, that was in the 70's in Ontario. Today, I still find myself flashing a peace sign on occasion. Old habits. People find me a bit "odd".
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Formerly_Capecodbeemer

Coming in late to this thread. Out last weekend, the first warm one after a series of snowy or icy Sundays. Waved to many happy riders with all exuberantly initiating or returning the wave in turn.

A month or 2 ago I was exploring a tucked away back road bordered by small farms and received waves from a couple of pick up trucks heading the other way and a wave from a lady on the porch. Country folk vs city folk.

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I try to also. Was surprised the other day when a guy on the other side of the freeway was waving. Didn't even see him until he was almost abreast of me. I don't wave on the freeway to oncoming riders.

 

Hell, that could have been me. It seems like a lot of people wave to me on Highway 50 (I go from Prairie City to Zinfandel). I feel bad that I don't wave back, sometimes I think another rider maybe be looking at me and I will give a quick wave. Who knows. What is the deal with the highways? I would assume not wave across a cement barrier but then I would wave on a divided highway with just grass for a median (like HWY 70/99 north of Sacramento).

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I have a co-worker that had a Ducati but sold it due to a few performance awards. He saw a naked Yamaha something or other and bought it for a song. We work in one town, he lives in the next town and I live in the town beyond that but most Monday's I stop at a store in his town on my way home. One day after stopping at the store, I was heading back to the freeway and passed him so I waved. He didn't return the wave! When I asked him at work if he saw me the night before he said, "That was you? I didn't wave back because I was in shock that a BMW rider waved at me". Reputations.......

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Hijack: What was the real origin of a hand raised making a V sign:

A Roman soldier asking for 5 beer...

 

Paul: That is still pretty common here in the Northwest, at the pubs frequented by loggers and sawmill workers.

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The best wavers around here are Amish buggy drivers. They wave back to motorcyclists with pleasure, and it's easy to see them smiling because they're moving slowly and they aren't hidden behind a helmet shield or windshield.

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they wave because they're unsure if you if you just picked up your bike from going down due to their emissions system

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they wave because they're unsure if you if you just picked up your bike from going down due to their emissions system

 

Horse emissions are not that bad. Now cow emissions on the western "free range" roads can be real bad.

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they wave because they're unsure if you if you just picked up your bike from going down due to their emissions system

 

:rofl:

 

Let me clarify my wave position. On major hiways or freeways I do not expect someone to wave across medians or concrete barriers etc... but on country roads, different story for me.

 

I find BMW riders often wave, even when I was on my HD. Especially if I waved first. I find that people who seem to ride for a status symbol wave the least. Sport bike guys in full leathers or HD riders on choppers, low riders, or soft tails. The guys with the "I am a Bad A$$" look wave the least.

 

The Electra glide type HD riders wave the most of the HD crowd and about 65-75% of the crotch rocket guys wave, again as long as I wave first.

 

Another factor to the wave is that it has a function. Out on a dirt bike trail or a desert canyon we always hold up a hand showing the number of riders behind us so the oncoming riders know when they are clear. If I am riding with 4 other guys I hold up my hand with 4 fingers up and each succesive rider holds up the next amount, 3,2,1, until the last rider holds upp a closed fist so that the passing traffic knows he is clear to get back on it with less concern for a head on. It has a purpose and I think the concept has carried over to a friendly wave on the street.

 

If you are friendly, WAVE. If you are not friendly, don't wave. Simple.

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I first learned about the wave as a kid up on Lake Winnipesaukee.

Being out on the water & seeing all the passing boat passengers waving at us had me a bit confused. Dad do you know all those people? Naw he said, if you break down on the water it's good to have friends.

 

Thinking this may have carried over to the motorcycle world?

 

I wave! :wave:

 

 

Pat

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Tewks

Boaters here do wave. But the morality is, sailboats do not wave at powerboaters, but give the one finger salute; powerboaters do not wave at sailboaters.

dc

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There are lots of film reels of passenger liner passengers waving as the ship departs. People still do this when cruise ships pull out of port. But I think it has more to do with, "Hey look at me, I'm on an expensive boat and you aren't!" then it does with camaraderie.

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The best wavers around here are Amish buggy drivers. They wave back to motorcyclists with pleasure, and it's easy to see them smiling because they're moving slowly and they aren't hidden behind a helmet shield or windshield.

 

On yesterday's ride, I did one motorcycle and about 30 Amish buggies. I normally do "the point" for motorcycles and a hand up wave for buggies. Don't know what I'll do if I ever pass an Amish guy on a motorcyle.

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In town I don't see it much cuz of traffic and needing to use your hands to prevent crashing. On the slab, distance between opposing directions can make it difficult.

Having said that, I do notice certain brands (HD) riders seem less prone to wave than do others. Just my POV.

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"Don't know what I'll do if I ever pass an Amish guy on a motorcyle"

 

Don't worry. That won't happen :)

 

True story--I had to dodge an Amish buggy because the driver was texting.

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"Don't know what I'll do if I ever pass an Amish guy on a motorcyle"

 

Don't worry. That won't happen :)

 

True story--I had to dodge an Amish buggy because the driver was texting.

 

Sign language? Signal flags? Middle finger?

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Lots of them have cell phones. Just as they have electricity generators. Their communities say that the prohibition is only on things that physically connect them to the outside world--no wires, no worries.

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This morning stopped at a red light.

Thirty five degrees.

Two vehicles.

Me going straight ahaead and an HD next to me in the Left Turn Lane.

I waved.

He tried his best to ignore me.

It was a long light...

:P

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I'm sure you guys have seen these:

 

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. Shoulder too stiff from camping on the ground the night before.

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. And the number one reason...

1. Afraid it will be misinterpreted as a friendly gesture.

 

Also, Rolex is too heavy on the wrist to lift.

Too busy making cappuccino while operating satellite TV

 

 

and a few others... My cruiser rider friends love to bust me now! ;-)

 

Personally I always wave.. I am always SO happyto be out riding I'm waving at everything!!! ;-) If they don't wave back... F*CK em'!

 

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I rode through Sturgis on i90 twice last summer. It's even more awkward when you are riding in the same direction with the HD folks. They are just way, way too cool for me...

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I wave to almost every rider.

In my experience:

Sportbike riders wave back or initiate a wave, Cruiser riders are about the same.

SOme Harley riders wave some don't.

But with certainty I can say the the big Harley riders (one with the big plastic or fiberglass fairing the one that covers the handlebars - you know the big bubble front) almost never move a hand or finger to wave back. There are a few exceptions, but rare.

 

If x amount don't wave back to me I skip waving to those guys.

Yeah... I turn prejudice after a while, but at the end of the dya I "reset" to normal. :)

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I think that as the weather improves, the waving will increase. On cold weather commutes, people don't wave because they're too focused on just getting there. When the weather gets better and the joy of riding comes back with it, I predict more happy riders enthused to be sharing the experience with other riders.

 

Now, on roads like the Blue Ridge Parkway or the Dragon, it's easy to get wave overload. After the first fifty or so bikes, my waver will shut down and I revert to my nodder. After another fifty or so, even my nodder shuts down and has to be reset by a beer infusion that evening.

 

-----

 

 

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