do you wave?

[PhredValk]

Years ago I had a GL1100, and my buddy Jack had a GL1200. Jack's brother in law (BIL) was visiting from BC; he's always ridden Harleys. Jack noted that it seemed that Harley riders never seem to wave (not true, just trying to get a rise out of his BIL). BIL said 'Well, we think of ourselves as elite riders, not like the rest out there'. Jack quipped 'Oh, I thought that they were so hard to handle their riders don't dare take a hand off the bars'. BIL didn't talk to Jack for a year...

I wave, and smile when I get waved back. If no wave, well sure, whatever. I wave at scooters. I wave at bicycles. I wave at 18 wheelers (they honk back, brotherhood of the open road). Farmers on tractors always wave back. I wave at little kids in cars and vans, their faces light up and make the day a little nicer.
Fred.

[fudgie]

We laughed at a guy on a moped once, cant remember why. When he passed we realized it was Kits dad.   

[Chiefy]

Got my third ride this year, so sweet to be out on the phat lady.

Today a bike was coming my way, looked sumthin like a large bike,
so I stuck my hand out, and got a wave back. Huh, it's a little
100cc scooter. Now, I'm not against small machines, just don't
fully respect a bike that is not legal on the highway.
I have always NOT waved at the little scooters.

Do you think I'm wrong, or do you share the sentiment?
Wave, or not wave at scooters?

After I got my trike, not one two wheeler on the road would take the pickle out of his puss and wave back.  So now that I have the Valk, I make it a point to wave at scooters and trikes.  (Love the looks I get  )  If a bike waves at me, I'll wave back.

[DIGGER]

Years ago I had a GL1100, and my buddy Jack had a GL1200. Jack's brother in law (BIL) was visiting from BC; he's always ridden Harleys. Jack noted that it seemed that Harley riders never seem to wave (not true, just trying to get a rise out of his BIL). BIL said 'Well, we think of ourselves as elite riders, not like the rest out there'. Jack quipped 'Oh, I thought that they were so hard to handle their riders don't dare take a hand off the bars'. BIL didn't talk to Jack for a year...

I wave, and smile when I get waved back. If no wave, well sure, whatever. I wave at scooters. I wave at bicycles. I wave at 18 wheelers (they honk back, brotherhood of the open road). Farmers on tractors always wave back. I wave at little kids in cars and vans, their faces light up and make the day a little nicer.
Fred.

I have found that a Harley Rider that is wearing a helmet is 10 times more likely to wave back than a Harley rider that isn't wearing a helmet.........take that info and do what you want with it.....it's a fact.        don't matter, I wave at em all anyways.  The ones that don't wave back I don't stop to help when they break down.....ha

[Big IV]

I wave at everything on wheels. sure I wave at scooters. Sometimes I laugh too, because they look funny two up or decked out in Marlon Brando leathers, but I always wave.

[Willow]

I don't think of it as waving, but it is an exchange of salutes.

I greet anyone who is in the wind on a motorized vehicle of less than four wheels.

I always wave back at children and sometimes initiate.

Fortunately, my eyes are not normally good enough to see across the median how many digits are displayed when a hand is extended.    

[Big Rig]

I salute...left handed. I have been doing that for 20+ years...

I do that to everything on two weeks except for bicycles...they always seem to take a semi's width of the twisties.

[chuckinVA]

"About a month ago I won a Honda Metropoitan scooter (50cc) that tops out at a whooping 38mph. (this w/e with a 20mph wind at my back, and downhill, I was able to get it to 45!!!)"

Hey TxBohemian, where did you find a hill in Victoria?  (I grew up in Port Lavaca).  LOL

[Tx Bohemian]

"About a month ago I won a Honda Metropoitan scooter (50cc) that tops out at a whooping 38mph. (this w/e with a 20mph wind at my back, and downhill, I was able to get it to 45!!!)"

Hey TxBohemian, where did you find a hill in Victoria?  (I grew up in Port Lavaca).  LOL

Yeah, you're right, it was more of a slope than a hill.

[PhredValk]

I also salute graveyards, especially in rural areas. Some of my GWRRA group think it's odd, but someone in there fought for our freedoms at one time or other.
Fred.

[3fan4life]

An Explanation Why Harley Riders Don't Wave.  




I try to wave @ everyone on two or three wheels, Sometimes I do find myself getting a little "miffed" if they don't wave back.

[mrider]

ok i wasn't going to say anything till i read from the hater of anything but Honda, i'm from Tx born and raised i ride a valk, i also ride a wing oh and i also ride a Harley now granted there are poeple out there that see past what they ride..... image that,i tend to wave at all bikes no mtter the make or size.I tend to get more waves from harley riders no matter what bike i seem to be riding that day, I think personaly it is rude not to acknowlege the brother hood even though you will run acroos the typical ( JACKASS) from time to time    

[scoot]

When I had my 1500 Wing every Winger that went by would wave. Now for the last 5 years since I've had the Valk the Wingers are fewer to wave. I don't care I'll wave at anybody. They don't wave back that's cool. 

[Rocketman]

OK, how many of you will admit to trying to break the glass out of your window by waving instinctively before remembering you're in the cage?

(sheepishly raises hand)

[Serk]

I also salute graveyards, especially in rural areas. Some of my GWRRA group think it's odd, but someone in there fought for our freedoms at one time or other.
Fred.

I thought that was something only I did...  Also, whenever I see a sign marking where someone died on the roadway I give a little private salute to them.

[GreenLantern57]

Yes, I wave!  Even at scooters!  Course if I my clutch hand is busy, it may just be eye contact and a nod.

[Fatboyman05]

"do you wave?"   nearly always. Sometimes I am concentrating on something and I miss a fellow rider, missing my chance to wave at them, but when they do wave at me and I miss it, I actually feel bad.

Two wheels, three wheels, I'm all for waving.

I remember being 30 with my first bike, a yellow and black Honda ST 90 (as in 90cc's), my first bike, riding the back roads where I grew up in a full face helmet, leather jacket, boots and gloves. Some would argue it was overkill on a machine that could barely hit 42 MPH downhill with me on it.  but I can literally remember every rider I passed who waved back at me for those 400 miles. and thanks if that was you.... why did I sell her??

do I wave, you bet your butt I do.

[old2soon]

I also salute graveyards, especially in rural areas. Some of my GWRRA group think it's odd, but someone in there fought for our freedoms at one time or other.
Fred.

I thought that was something only I did...  Also, whenever I see a sign marking where someone died on the roadway I give a little private salute to them.
  Sorry-well not really-but i actually thought it was just me. Glad to find out i ain't alone. Just might be some american HEROES i'm saluting. Kinda makes me feel good about it. Started doing this in 1968 after i got out of the navy. RIDE SAFE.

[stude31]

CSJ,

Great conversation topic you started....

I must admit there was a time where I stopped waving after a motorcyclist coming the other direction waved but with the wrong finger that was just flat out belligerent and it made me so upset that I told my self...  "I am never going to wave again".  Well that didn't last long after 7 or 10 bikes I soon passed all waved.  I felt guilty and was thinking maybe this other guy just got flipped off and he was mad like I was when I seen him flip me off and that was the reason why he did that gesture to me (unlikely but you never know).  So back to waving I went.

I just got back from a ride with some of our VRCC members..  Some you might recognize. 

I tell you what... I was waving at everyone.  I held no judgment on anyone.  I waved at these two young kids passing us on our way back as their dad slowed down for his boys (maybe 3 and 5 years old) to roll their window down and stick their hands out to wave at us.  It was the cutest thing, and then as they took the next exit I honked and wave one more time.  I wave at country folks working the fields or tinkering in their yards.  It can make someones day... you just never know.   Heck...  those sport bike guys sometimes are not sure what to think.  They do their best to hurry up and stick out their hand because they assume that they are not worthy of a wave.  I involve everyone. 

And dare I take this a step further.  I engage in greeting while walking in stores, gas station, or any place for that matter.  And.. I always show respect by holding the door for them and then I go in.   To me if you want respect you got to show it.  I love to visit with strangers and I tell you... I met a guy on this trip that became a great friend to me and after a four hour wait at the honda shop it was tough to say good bye to him.  He was a generation or two ahead of me but was just a great guy he could have blended in with all four of us on our journey and never would have thought we just crossed paths. 

This was one asset to the VRCC.  When I made it to one of the InZanes (frisco 09) I noticed that this group was more than just about bikes.  When we rolled up to the hotel and were making our way into the hotel.  The welcome was like no other, it was more than just "hey, nice bike", it was more like "Hey welcome here man, where you from?  How was the ride? Glad you could join us! and Oh... Nice bike I got one similar to yours  !"    I then realized that it was a place that I would warm up to and fit in with the rest.  I love this group of guys I was with this weekend.   From the journey of what was suppose to have a destination of Big Ben only made it to south west New mexico but the memories and friendships will last a lifetime. 

My hope in this post is that it would challenge everyone to wave and to "walk across the room" and meet a stranger.  You never know that could be a friend for a life time.  I have had the honor of calling these three men friends that I hold very dear to me and goes far beyond two wheels.  So take that approach when you think someone doesn't deserve a wave.

I wish you all a great day and look for me I will be the guy waving and everyone and every thing...   

[czuch]

Sometimes in the desert southwest its like being inna parade.
I like parades.
I wave at everyone all the time.
A friend asked why I wave at Sheriffs and Police. (criminal past?)
The pavement here reaches 180 degrees and more in July/August.
Who's gonna get you off the griddle? He waves at em too, now.
I also like saluting a car as I go by that has all the Military/Vet stickers on the back.
Got a Battaan survivor the other day. How cool was that?

[art]

I had a little old lady passenger in a passing care wave to me an I waved back .It made my day

[thumper]

I wave at cagers who realize my vulnerability on the bike and wait that extra second to let me pass.

[Jess from VA]

I wave at cagers who realize my vulnerability on the bike and wait that extra second to let me pass.

In addition to waving to bikes, I also have a consistent practice of grabbing my helmet bill (tipping my hat) and nodding to cagers who start to pull out in front of me from cross streets... but don't.  This is my positive-reinforcement-cager-education-program, one car at a time.  LOL

EDIT: The hand sign is a bit different for those that DO pull out in front of me.   

[Stormrider65]

Not yes but heck yes.  I have waved at every scooter I have seen.  When I am driving my 18 wheeler, I even give the hang loose sign or thumbs up or just a wave at all the bikes that pass by me on the highway.  Scooter cops are the same, I do the same to them, even in the rig.  It shows a sign of respect and recognition of a fellow biker who enjoys what he or she is doing.  Sure, a lot of times they don't wave back, but no big deal.  I even observe other riders to see who waves and who doesn't.  It runs about half and half.  I get a swelling of pride when someone waves back.  I've been flipped off a couple of times, but I can't let a few bad apples upset the rest of the basket. Some people don't have a clue about why, but that is their deal, not mine.  I hope everyone rides safe and by the way,   Wave Wave Wave.

Walt

[Kendall]

Heck come to think of it on sum long trips i started waving at cows in the fields...  Was rather funny next gas stop Being followed by Des and sum of the Tucumcari group they all thought i lost my mind.. LoL

[Rocketman]

Heck come to think of it on sum long trips i started waving at cows in the fields...  Was rather funny next gas stop Being followed by Des and sum of the Tucumcari group they all thought i lost my mind.. LoL

Did any of the cows wave back?

[Kendall]

Nope not a one, they just wernt very sociable..  LOL

[Quicksilver]

I can just see a row of cows flipping their tail at you.

[Jess from VA]

I have slowly cruised by a field of cows, and had the big bull give me a dirty look....like the big black interstate might try to business with his girls.  Good thing for fences.  I didn't wave.... I mooooed.

[3fan4life]

I didn't wave.... I mooooed.

And I thought that I was the only one that ever Moooooed @ cows as I rode past. 

[PhredValk]

My turn to think I was the only one. I've always moo'd at cows; makes me laugh. I wondered for a while why they don't moo back until I realized I was probably wearing their Aunt Bessie!
Fre

[Jess from VA]

I've also had a young horse run along the fence line with me (going slow), and get bummed out when he could go no further............" hey how come that black horse gets to go outside the fence and run down the road???"    (My winnie sucks.)