Biker's Wave

[Shacknasty]

May I explain why some Harley riders don't wave?

Now when I am riding my Yamaha, I wave at anyone on two wheels, three wheels, Vespas, bicycles, pedestrians, purse-snatchers, junkies, pimps, thugs, old ladies, you name it. I wave and smile. Not that you can see my smile through my sensible full-face helmet, but I still smile.

Now when I riding my Harley I don't wave because if I let go of the apehangers the worn wheel bearings and horrible front end will make me veer into oncoming traffic or slide luridly off the road and catapult over the guardrail. That is why I don't wave.

I can't smile because my German stormtrooper helmet is poised to slide down, obscuring my vision, whenever I hit the brakes. When I'm accelerating the ill-fitting helmet flops around so violently that I can barely concentrate on the sound of my exhaust pipes.

Being cool is not easy and I have had to make certain sacrifices to achieve the level I'm at: mostly smiling and waving. Now I hope you understand why Harley riders don't wave.

[CaptonZap]

And once you get a HD bigger than the Hummer, what are you going to do? CZ

[BA80]

I wave......but I don't point at the ground like the Harley riders do. Ain't goin' there.

[Hmar]

I wave whenever I see 2-3 wheels and a motor. My first couple of rides I didn't wave, tried to nod wnd wiggle fingers in a wavelike motion when waved at, but I went from my msf class (first time ever on a motorcycle, nighthawk 250) to riding my XS to work
For those first couple of rides, I could not remove my white knuckles from the handlebars to return the waves I got

[Brent]

wave, returned or not

I wave whenever I see 2-3 wheels and a motor. My first couple of rides I didn't wave, tried to nod wnd wiggle fingers in a wavelike motion when waved at, but I went from my msf class (first time ever on a motorcycle, nighthawk 250) to riding my XS to work
For those first couple of rides, I could not remove my white knuckles from the handlebars to return the waves I got

Ha Ha, I can remember such a Big jump - Yamaha RD125 to XS11 - Oh, my!!
hang on! check speedo, slow down, keep liscense... I notice many of the scooter riders tensly staring at road ahead with white knuckles. Some of them are making a big jump. I believe they are smiling & waving as hard as they can.

I still wave, even to riders who can not or will not. Generally get a wave back, from all types.

Only once, in over a quarter million miles of riding, have I got the one finger wave back. It was from a guy on a Harley on a back road in Canada as he passed the large group of Southern Ontario XSives. AND I was riding a Harley product (well a Buell, owned & sold by Harley) go figure. Maybe he was just mad because we were riding with more friends, spent less $, and were having more FUN...Jealous??

[Eveready1100]

I wave at any bikes I encounter on the roads. Mostly, I get a reply, except in the cases of mostly HD riders riding in small groups or solo. They just have an air of upmanship over here.

Here's some reasons why you don't get em back-

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 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 Ten Reasons Why Sportsbike Riders Don't Wave Back

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 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 acknowledgment.
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 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.

Top Ten Reasons Why Dual Purpose Riders Don't Wave Back

10. Off road elbow guards, chest protector, fanny pack, drink system binds them up.
9. Bark busters and gummy grips slows the hand from raising quickly.
7. Just can't take time out from doing that 10 mile wheelie through traffic.
9. He's passing street bikes off road on the right @ 60mph through the trees & rocks.
6. Too busy checking his enduro roll chart doing mental time/mile math so he wont blow the next check point.
5. Can't see other bikers through his 20 layers of tear off's.
4. The dude only recognizes Hondas with every after market race part known to man.
3. His killer 2 inch tall knobbies vibrate so bad vision is obscured.
2. The chin guard on his full-face helmet sticks out so much it blocks his view.
1. He's got his Mauna Kea 200 race face on and can't be bothered.

Top Ten Reasons Why Moped & Ruckus Riders Don't Wave Back

10. Scared ****less to remove a hand from the bars.
9.Never rode this fast on a two wheeled anything before.
8. Full focus three inches from front tire.
7. Freaked out on the extreme right side of the road dodging broken beer bottles and car accident trash.
6. Don't want to lose their groceries in plastic bags hanging from the bars.
5. Won't deviate from the full attention military riding position.
4. Their mother & grandmother told them it was very, very dangerous.
3. Think its hoodlum stunt riding.
2. Don't want to chance getting a reckless driving ticket.
1. 25 mph is too damn fast to try something stupid like that.

Even more reasons why a superbike rider doesn't wave

11. They did wave, but by then they were too far away to see.
12. "Waving ? How would that help me go faster ?"
13. Wave was doppler-shifted far into the ultra violet.
14. Skin tight suit is sewn into fetal position.
15. Eyes only respond to neon colours (and flashing blue).
16. Anything appearing outside the fairing gets ripped off instantly.
17. Thinks he's 'The Stig'
18. Elbows have attached themselves to knee slider velcro.
19. Too busy screaming inside helmet.
20. They don't want to unbalance themselves while standing on the tank

Top ten reasons why couriers don't wave back:

1. They have no hands on end of wrists, just bar muffs.
2. Busy pondering replacing crash bungs with castors.
3. People are either Controllers, Receptionists or Traffic Obstacles -
guess your group.
4. Hands are for folding people carrier wing mirrors out of the way
when filtering.
5. After the first 1,000 waves in a day you stop caring.
6. Kawa GT550 front end will finally disintegrate if released.
7. "Each waves slows me down .01 sec, so over a year that's 40c wasted".
8. (Unused) social functions of brain have been replaced with GPS SiRF
chip.
9. A wave would be spotted by the taxi in front and interpreted as an
invitation to U-turn
10. Has managed to get roll-up embers in both eyes.

[Bonz]

Thanks freakin' hilarious!

[forexbob]

That was awesome!

[Lbrown311]

I will wave at everything but mopeds....get a real bike. They don't cost much more and you can actually go the speed limit(at least). Shouldn't wave at Hardley riders but I'm usually going to fast to notice the Make of any certain motorcycle. Lets just say I'm a lot like Ricky Bobby....."I wanna go FAST!" Only been a couple riders that I wasn't willing to chase. Always a sport bike.


BTW - Nice top 10 post...got a few good laughs out of it.

[Dragon Tamer]

Eveready,
I was trying to find that list in all of the other junk I have stashed on this overcrowded hard drive. You saved me the trouble, thanks! Showed that list to a friend of mine a few years back and he was still standing in the parking lot an hour later trying to find the "wave back button" on his Wing! He is one of those that you don't see wave because by the time he thinks of it he is about a mile behind you.

I wave to about anyone that is not in a cage and get about a 90% return, no problems with HD riders, most of them beat me to it. A couple of years ago I found a HD rider and his wife on the side of the road just a quarter of a mile from my house and I pulled over. They were on their way to a wedding and the bike had quit running. We found that the battery was fried bad, that is why Harley wraps them up in the oil tank, they work better hot, NOT. The battery in my wheeler fit and worked so they were on their way in about a half hour. Two days later he pulls into my driveway and delivers me my battery back along with a cold box of beer! Turns out that he and his wife own a bar about an hour away, now we are friends and ride together any time we get the chance.

I always pull over and check out any bike on the side of the road, even if it looks like they are just having a smoke. Never had a bad word from anyone about it yet.

[Flyman32]

Wavey Wavey

The Top 10 is GREAT!
I wave at anything. Usually get wave back. When I'm driving car my left arm comes up just a little at the sight of MC before I realize I'm not on 2wheels.

I have people ask me "Why didn't you buy a Harley?" Usually people with no money, no bike and no brains. Standard answer..."What are you riding?" I have raced HDs and am embarrassed for them. (And my clutch slips)

__________________
1981 XS1100H Venturer 55K and still Kickin' (HD ass that is)
Walla Walla, Wa.