The Wave

[Number Two]

I'm a latecomer to motorcycles - started as an adult rider.  Most of what I know comes from the MSF course and ADVRider [now that's scary].  I get my liscense, get a bike, and on the first few rides around town, other riders shoot me the wave.  Huh?

In my short time as a rider, I've noticed a few variations of the wave:

There's the nod - not actually a wave at all, but a simple exchange of respect.

Then, there's clutch wave - As the guy is riding by, he just lifts a couple fingers off of his controls, sort of like the dirt road wave when you lift a couple fingers off the steering wheel of your pickup truck.  Subtle, and laid back.  This is my personal favorite.

'White men can't wave' or simply "How."  Think old politically incorrect westerns.  This is a rare breed, but every once in a while I get someone who does the all out Macy's day parade wave - Elbow cocked at a 90, forearm straight up, slight arc, the whole nine yards.

The lowrider.  Popular with the cruiser crowd.  They just kind of reach out underneath the handlebars, and may point in your direction, kind of like "Hey, don't look now, but there's a dog turd in your lane."  The finger position for the 'lowrider' sometimes reminds me of someone flicking their cigarette, or a boogger or something.  Needless to say, this one is the most likely to catch me off guard, being disguised as something other than a wave.  "Maybe I waved at you, maybe I didn't, got a problem with that?"  Can be combined with the nod for a more direct wave. 

[Number Two]

After the first few times, I started waving back, and I'm getting to the point where it's almost automatic.  Occasionally I suprise someone, kind of like how I was surprised the first few times it happened to me, but generally, the wave is a good thing.  There's something sublime about two-wheeled travel, and the wave kindof acknowledges that you know that he knows you know he knows, and that little fillament brings us together in a small way.

There are some exceptions, of course:  I startled a guy riding a scooter.  Scruffy 250 lb guy on a 50cc yamaha.  Of course I'm thinking DUI or hippie, but decide to whip out the clutch wave at the last second, and this guy almost swerves off the road trying to come up with a return before we pass out of view.  No kidding, I think he might have made mirror contact with one of the cars on the side of the street.  I get a few non-wavers too.  It seems like it's always frat-boy on the liter sport bike.  Backward hat [never has a helmet], abercrombie short sleeved shirt, lucky jeans that were purchased pre-worn out, docs color matched addidas or sometimes sandals, and can often be spotted with the halter-top short shorts girlfriend on the back.  These guys never wave.  They don't even make eye contact.  Maybe it's because I'm on a beatup old dirtbike that barely gets out of its own way, maybe I'm a noob and I've got the wave thing wrong afterall, I don't know.

Is there formal etiquette or pirate's code to the wave?  You guys got any good wave stories or new variations?

[The Yeti]

Been doin' the wave for most of my riding career (30+ years). As I've gotten older though, I usually wait for the other guy to wave first...this way I don't get left hangin' by the squids or HD pirates that only rarely wave back. I'll be the first to wave if it's another dual-sport, and I may get a bit over-enthusiastic if it's a bike the same as mine (Macy's Day Parade wave).    I stop the wave completly during the Sturgis Rally....you're arm would be hangin' out there constantly.

My favorite variation is the low-wave, with two fingers out (signifys "two-wheels down", or so I've read). Keeps you from gettin' your arm bent back as much as with the "up" wave.

There are VERY lengthy discussions on "The Wave" over at ADVRider....a new one pops up every few weeks or so.

[hayduke.klr07]

i only wave if they have a helmet on.  cuts down on the waving by at least 75%

[Hank]

i only wave if they have a helmet on.  cuts down on the waving by at least 75%

Good one..
I've noticed that the majority of riders who won't wave are the dress up and play biker harley guys (no helmet obviously).. so it's usually a wasted effort anyway.

[Dustin]

I wave to ALL dualsport riders and the non-dress up and play biker harley guys. I usually don't wave to the 16 year old kid on the R1 riding wheelies down the highway! 

Edit: I also don't wave to those stuckup KTM riders that tool around on there fancy orange and blue bikes!! 

[loingrader]

i wave to everyone, except for during rally week, and then just to the dual sport and sport bike riders, unless someone else waves to me first.

it's funny how in different states, different bikers wave.  seems like everyone waves in missouri, or in utah.

dual sport riders always wave lots bigger than other riders, who sometimes just put a low arm out. 

seemed like in colorado, everyone did the 2 fingered (peace) elbow flip (like they're keeping time to music). 

goldwing guys always wave high, like at shoulder height.

i love how for the most part, if you stop at a campground or gas station or somewhere, unless it is in a big town, riders are drawn together and no matter what people are riding, a conversation is easy to strike up. 

the play dress up, take the fatboy out on sunday afternoon people, i call bikers.

we are not bikers, we are riders...

[Jared]

I do the 2 fingers down low ... mainly 'cuz I haven't been riding that long and it seemed that form didn't whip my arm around as much.

[Crazy Uncle Larry]

Hoorah loingrader! Well-said, well-met!

We are RIDERS! Riders of magical beasts who take us far from common mortals. They take us in search of great adventures...looking for damsels in distress...in search of young children and small puppies who need rescuing...on to vistas few others will ever see!

They bring us together as strangers...we leave as brothers and sisters sharing the bond of Dual Sport!

We are giants of the earth...riders of the purple sage...we boldly go forth in search of the Hall of the Mountain King...we have tamed  fire-breathing dragons and they willingly do our bidding...we are, DUAL SPORT ADVENTURE RIDERS! ! ! !

Uh...excuse me for a moment guys. Honey. Honneeey! Sugar plum, did you drop a couple of "magic" 'shrooms in the stroganoff again?
Okay, I thought so. No, no problemo, tasted real good to me. Can't wait to have it again, Sugar Babe! You are just toooo good to me!

Sorry guys, it'll wear off in a while...that's what happens when you live with a "Witchy Woman"! (With regards to the Eagles/1972 ; Don Henley on vocals)

As for the "wave", I usually do just the two fingers down low unless I sense something different is called for. Then, I give them a left-handed, two-fingered salute to the left temple region of my helmet. It's kind of a cross between a regular salute and a tip of the hat, cowboy-style!