Why Riders Don’t Wave Back

[SeaSteve]

Found on FB and thought I would share...


Top Ten Reasons Why Harley Riders Don’t Wave


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


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 Ten Reasons Why 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 fetal.
3. Raising an arm allows bugs into the armholes of their tank tops.
2. It's 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


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, and talking on the cell phone.
5. He's an Iron Butt rider and you're not!
4. Wires from Gerbings are 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.

[MRB68]

OMG, I just about busted a gut reading this. I'm at work in my cubicle laughing and people are walking by eyeballing me. Love the sport bike one! Thanks so much i needed a good laugh.

[jm21ddd15]

I wave to all types of bikes. However, as I was riding my buddies BMW recently, I thought to myself, "should I be a snob, and not wave at anybody, while riding the Beemer" like most of them? But I waved at others anyway.

[3wings]

Good for you!

[Coondawg07]

That’s funny. I ride all sorts of bikes. I seem to notice if I’m on a sport bike a lot of Harley guys won’t wave at me. Also if I’m on a cruiser / touring bike, sport bike riders tend not to wave. I wave at everyone, unless we are on a divided highway and I don’t see you in time.

[Pumper]

I have been riding two wheels for 50 years. Went through a phase of waving (two weeks worth), now I am like WTF, as I thought this is not a safe move.
Do you all wave at all vehicles when they pass?

Why take your hand off the bars to wave at another two wheel machine...I do not get it. It is not like a motorcycle is a rare vehicle...
Oh, how I love the idiots who are in a curve, entering or leaving, suddenly they change track and wave...Get you bloody hands back on the bars and ride!!
Then you get the hand down low wave, really cool...but again why?

Rant done, but I still have to ask why do you wave at other bikers?

[TheWalrus]

Man those are great!! love that it's not focused on just one brand.

I wave if someone waves at me. Rude not to I think. Otherwise I just ride on.

If you have never taken your hand off the grip while riding down the road, then good on you. I'm not ashamed to admit I take my hand off the grips on occasion momentarily, relieve a strain, stretch my arm etc.

[jm21ddd15]

Man those are great!! love that it's not focused on just one brand.

I wave if someone waves at me. Rude not to I think. Otherwise I just ride on.

If you have never taken your hand off the grip while riding down the road, then good on you. I'm not ashamed to admit I take my hand off the grips on occasion momentarily, relieve a strain, stretch my arm etc.

Exactly! So many riders of all brands, are messing with their radios, and GPS and other crap, which takes them, way farther from being safe, than a quick wave does. At least when bikers wave, there head and eyes are up, and not on some electronic gadget.

[opas ride]

As I got older and wiser, hopefully, I thought why I am waving to other bikers that for the most part I will never see again or care about.....I don't wave to other car drivers on the road and most of us do not....HD riders, for the most part, are so "stuck on themselves" that waving to anything other than another HD is against their code of," my bike is a Harley so I am better than you"....In any event, I no longer take my hands of the bars just to wave to some fool who most likely does not give a "hoot" about me or my bike.....I am not bitter and a very friendly guy that loves to ride, just see no sense anymore in waving to other bikers....Regards

[olegoat345]

Here in Fl. we can ride 300+ days a year & can meet / pass hundreds of bikes on a 1-2 hour ride. For me, it's get's kind of boring after waving @ a few dozen. If they wave to me, I'll wave back. If that makes some kind of "snob", so be it.

[Pumper]

As I got older and wiser, hopefully, I thought why I am waving to other bikers that for the most part I will never see again or care about.....I don't wave to other car drivers on the road and most of us do not....HD riders, for the most part, are so "stuck on themselves" that waving to anything other than another HD is against their code of," my bike is a Harley so I am better than you"....In any event, I no longer take my hands of the bars just to wave to some fool who most likely does not give a "hoot" about me or my bike.....I am not bitter and a very friendly guy that loves to ride, just see no sense anymore in waving to other bikers....Regards

Amen....agree 100%

[Navvet]

As I got older and wiser, hopefully, I thought why I am waving to other bikers that for the most part I will never see again or care about.....I don't wave to other car drivers on the road and most of us do not....HD riders, for the most part, are so "stuck on themselves" that waving to anything other than another HD is against their code of," my bike is a Harley so I am better than you"....In any event, I no longer take my hands of the bars just to wave to some fool who most likely does not give a "hoot" about me or my bike.....I am not bitter and a very friendly guy that loves to ride, just see no sense anymore in waving to other bikers....Regards

Wow, I don't wave because that would mean I need to put down my pipe/cigar or my coffee cup to do it....


:smokin:

:icon_doh:

[SeaSteve]

Wow, I don't wave because that would mean I need to put down my pipe/cigar or my coffee cup to do it....


:smokin:

:icon_doh:

THERE WE GO!!! THANK YOUR!!! Someone finally made a joke in the spirit of my original post. :D See, on Goldwing, we are enjoying the comfort and luxury of sitting in our Lazy-Boys we could be smoking a pipe/cigar or drinking a cup of coffee...Get it?...A joke! :D

THANK GOD I didn't post a joke about oil or tires!

[soupbean]

Awesome..!! Freaking hilarious

[tenxxx]

I'd like to know what you all think as to why it started in the first place.
I started riding in the late 60's. I don't remember it being a thing then.

[Cooter]

I think the wave thing started with the HD riders. To show brotherhood and a kindred spirit. That's why "other" riders aren't really included. Don't matter to me. I don't wave. Like was said above , do you wave in your car? Of course not. I'm not unfriendly. Just prefer to keep both hands on the bars. If I'm riding local and see a rider I know then I most certainly wave. Maybe even blow the horn.

[SeaSteve]

In Texas we wave! Our state moto is "Friendship," and Texas highways cover more miles than any other state. What else you got to do than wave on long flat Texas roads. Hell, sometimes I wave at cars when I'm on my bike.

I've always believed the "motorcycle wave" is two fingers pointing down for "keep it on TWO wheels" and as a show of solidarity in the motorcycle community. May have started during the surge of WWII soldiers returning with motorcycles after the war, which was a tight group already.

[Joflewbyu2]

I believe you all have it wrong. 1st of all it isn’t a wave but a hand gesture with 2 fingers pointing down meaning “keep both tires on the road” instead of crashing. I constantly get it from other riders.

[Skromfols]

I've been riding since the mid 60's, and even back then many of us riders would acknowledge other riders with a wave of some kind. I'm never riding so hard that I'm afraid to take my left hand off the handlebars to give the two fingers pointing down to an oncoming rider, or group of riders. And if I'm in a situation where both hands are needed on the handlebars I'll nod my head or otherwise acknowledge the other rider. It costs me nothing and hopefully being recognized by a fellow rider will make him or her feel good. I see it as a sign of respect to other riders, just like always stopping to see if assistance is required if another rider is stopped on the side of the road. 99 times out of 100 the other rider is just stopped for a break or some other reason that does not requires assistance, but I have stopped for that one rider who required assistance and I was able to provided it, so all the other times were worth the little effort. We're a small minority brotherhood (which includes females) and recognizing other riders or offering assistance is a great way to support our small community.

[OlyF6B]

Pretty clever! A good read. Regardless of bike or rider type... one of things I've come to learn is that SOME riders just don't see my wave. Could be a lot of reasons... but it's pretty easy to miss an arm/hand movement going past you if your glancing at a GPS, mirror(s), or using your BT connection to smartphone to carry one a conversation at-speed.

One thing I have noticed over the years is a certain type of rider... who is wearing a distinctive cut that might draw the attention of LEO... that rider is NOT going to wave back under any circumstance. Just say'n... they are tight knit...

[BEIST]

I started riding at 16 in 1976 hard to explain how happy I was when other Motorcycle guys waved at me. I still wave; even during bike week! When Obama begged us To save the country and buy a new American car I bought the new Dodge Challenger. Believe me, in 2009, everybody used to wave at me in my car.

& The best thing about riding an F6B is that you can wave with two hands.