A different breed

[Nemy]

The post about waving made me remember this article from my local forums. A good read

The Wave
By Tom Ruttan

The bike's passenger seat swept up just enough that I could see over my father's shoulders. That seat was my throne. My dad and I travelled many backroads together...searching for the ones we had never found before. Travelling these roads just to see where they went. Never in a rush, just be home by supper.

I remember wandering down a backroad with my father, sitting on my throne watching the trees whiz by, feeling the rumble of our bike beneath us like a giant contented cat. A motorcycle came over a hill towards us and as it went by, my father threw up his clutch hand and gave a little wave. The other bike waved back with the same friendly swing of his left wrist.

I tapped my dad on the shoulder, which was our signal that I wanted to say something. He cocked his head back slightly while keeping his eyes ahead...

I yelled, "Did you know him?"

"What?"

"You waved at him...who was that?"

"I don't know. Just another guy on a bike....so I waved."

"How come?"

"You just do...it's important."

Later, when we had stopped for ice cream, I asked him why it was so important to wave to other bikers. My dad tried to explain how the wave demonstrated comradeship and a mutual understanding of what it was to enjoy riding a motorcycle. He looked for the words to describe how almost all bikers struggled with the same things like cold, rain, heat, wind, and drivers who didn't see them, but how riding remained an almost pure pleasure.

I was young then and I am not sure that I really understood what he was trying to get across, but it was a beginning of something. Afterwards, I always waved along with my dad whenever we passed other bikes.

I remember one cold October morning when the clouds were heavy and dark, giving us another clue that winter was heading in from just over the horizon. My dad and I were warm inside our car as we headed to a friends house. Rounding a corner, we saw a motorcycle parked on the shoulder of the road. Past the bike, we saw the rider walking thru the ditch, scouring along thru the tall grass, crowned with a touch of frost. Dad pulled over and backed up to where the bike stood.

I asked Dad..."Who's that?"

"Don't know" he replied..."but he seems to have lost something. Maybe we can give him a hand."

We left the car and wandered thru the tall grass ditch to the biker. He said that he had been pulling on his gloves as he rode, and that he had lost one. The three of us spent some time combing the ditch, but all we found were empty cans and bottles.

My dad then turned and headed back to the car and opened the trunk. He rummaged thru various tools, oil containers, and this and that until he found an old pair of crumpled up leather gloves. He continued looking until he found an old catalogue. I understood what he was doing with the gloves....but I had no idea what he needed with the catalogue.

"Here's some gloves for you" my dad said as he handed them to the rider..."and I brought you a catalogue as well."

"Thanks"..I really appreciate it." He reached into his hip pocket and pulled out an old chain wallet.

"Lemme give you some money for the gloves" he said.

"No thanx" dad replied as he handed them to the rider. "They're not worth anything and they're old anyway".

The biker smiled. "Thanx alot."

He pulled the old gloves on and unzipped his jacket. I watched as my dad handed him the catalogue and the biker slipped it inside his coat. He jostled it around, positioning it up high, centered, and then zipped it up. I remembered now making sense of why my dad had given him the catalogue. It would keep him a bit warmer. After wishing the biker well, my dad and I left him warming up his bike.

Two weeks later, the biker came to our home and returned my father's gloves. He had found the address on the catalogue. Neither my father nor the biker seemed to think that my dad stopping at the side of the road for a stranger and giving him a pair of gloves, and that the stranger making sure that the gloves were returned, were events out of the ordinary for people who rode motorcycles. For me, it was another subtle lesson.

It was spring of the next year when I was sitting high on my throne, watching the farm fields slip by when I saw two bikes coming towards us. As they rumbled past, my dad and I waved, but the other bikers kept their sunglasses locked straight ahead and did not acknowledge us. I remember thinking that they must have seen us because our waves were too obvious to miss. Why didn't they wave back? I thought all bikers waved at one another.....

I tapped my dad on the shoulder and yelled..."How come they didn't wave back?"

"Don't know. Sometimes they don't."

I remember feeling very puzzled. Why wouldn't someone wave back?

The next summer, I was finally old enough to learn to ride a motorcycle with a clutch. Many an afternoon were spent on a country lane beside our home, kicking and kicking to start my dad's old 1955 BSA. When it would finally come to a sputtering start, my concentration would grow to a sharp focus, as I tried to let out the clutch slowly enough, and bring us to a smooth take off. More often than not, I would lurch forward.....and begin to attempt to kickstart the motor again.

Eventually, I got my own motorcycle license, and began wandering the backroads on my own. I found myself stopping along sideroads if I saw another biker alone, just to check and see if he needed help.......and I continued to wave at other riders.

But I remained focused as to why some riders never waved back. It left me with almost a feeling of rejection, as if I were reaching to shake someones hand, but they kept their arm hanging by their side.

I began to canvass my friends about waving. I talked with people at biker events, asking what they thought. Most of the old riders told me they waved to other bikers and often initiated the friendly air handshake as they passed one another.

I did meet some riders tho, who told me that they did not wave to other riders because they felt that they were different from other bikers. They felt that they were a "breed apart". One guy told me in rather colorful language, that he did not "wave to no wussies". He went on to say that his kind of bikers were tough, independent, and they did not require or want the help of anyone, whether they rode a bike or not.

I suspected that there were some people who bought a bike because they wanted to purchase an image of being tougher, more independent, a not-putting-up-with-anyone's-crap kind of person, but I didn't think that this was typical of most riders.

People by bikes for different reasons. Some will be quick to tell you what make it is, how much they paid for it, or how fast it will go. Brand loyalty is going to be strong for some people whether they have a Harley, Ford, Sony, or whatever... Some people want to buy an image and try to purchase another person's perception of them. But it can't be done.

Still, there is a group of people who ride bikes who truly are a breed apart. They appreciate both the engineering and the artistry in the machines they ride. Their bikes become part of who they are and how they define themselves to themselves alone.
They don't care what other people think. They don't care if anyone knows how much they paid for their bike or how fast it goes. The bike means something to them that nothing else does. They ride for themselves and not for anyone else. They don't care whether anyone knows they have a bike. They may not be able to find words to describe what it means to ride, but they still know. They may not be able to describe what it means to feel the smooth acceleration and the strength beneath them. But they understand.

These are the riders who park their bikes, begin to walk away and then stop. They turn and look back. They see something when they look at their bikes that you might not. Something more complex, something that is almost secret, sensed rather than known. They see their passion. They see a part of themselves.

These are the riders who understand why they wave to other motorcyclists. They savour the wave. It symbolizes connection between riders, and if they saw you and your bike on the side of the road, they would stop to help and might not ask your name. They understand what you are up against every time you take your bike on the road.....the drivers that don't see you, the ones that cut you off or tailgate you, the potholes that lie in waiting. The rain. The cold.

I have been shivering and sweating on a bike for more than 40 years. Most of the riders that pass give me a supportive wave. I love it when I see a younger rider on a "crotch rocket" scream past me and wave. New riders carrying on the traditions.

I will continue in my attempts to get every biker just a little closer to one another with a simple wave. And if they do not wave back when I extend my hand into the breeze as I pass them, I will smile a little more. Maybe their just mistaken about who is a "breed apart."

[py2e]

Great read

[kkim]

[bob706]

Great article.

[Speedster]

Nice!!

[TnNinjaGirl]

Thanks for sharing. I was talking with a Harley rider about that very same subject the other day.

[Jiu Jitsu Player]

Wow that was awesome! I always wave also, just as a means of spreading good vibes but that article really just summarized everything that makes riding so great.

[ninjabrewer]

I love it, really says it all.

[islanderman7]

Great article. Loved it.

About the catalog tid bit, does that really work? Don't know if I will ever need to use that since I live in Sunny California.

[Blue Monkey]

Nice article. I wave at anything on two wheels, even scooters. I almost always look back at my bike as I walk away or look it over some before I walk away. I even look out my window at work a few times a day just to check on it. Sometimes people will say to me," it is still there , it hasn't gone anywhere since you last looked".

[ninjabrewer]

Originally Posted by islanderman7

Great article. Loved it.

About the catalog tid bit, does that really work? Don't know if I will ever need to use that since I live in Sunny California.

No sure about on M/C's but I don't see why not. In the major bicycle races in Europe, on top of the major climbs, spectators hand the cyclist newspapers as they start to go down the other side. They stuff them in there jerseys and ditch them at the bottom. Keeps the cold wind off of their chest.

nb

[Nemy]

I think it'll definitely help because a little wind always seems to find its way past zippers. But, depending on your jacket, most of the wind comes in through the neck area - A balaclava does wonders in CDN weather

[hybridxx]

[muffinman]

Good stuff - excellent read

I'm kind of worried that I'll pop the clutch at stop lights and stall like a dumbass in my excitement to wave back at other riders

[Rynownd]

Still, there is a group of people who ride bikes who truly are a breed apart. They appreciate both the engineering and the artistry in the machines they ride. Their bikes become part of who they are and how they define themselves to themselves alone.
They don't care what other people think. They don't care if anyone knows how much they paid for their bike or how fast it goes. The bike means something to them that nothing else does. They ride for themselves and not for anyone else. They don't care whether anyone knows they have a bike. They may not be able to find words to describe what it means to ride, but they still know. They may not be able to describe what it means to feel the smooth acceleration and the strength beneath them. But they understand.

These are the riders who park their bikes, begin to walk away and then stop. They turn and look back. They see something when they look at their bikes that you might not. Something more complex, something that is almost secret, sensed rather than known. They see their passion. They see a part of themselves.

These are the riders who understand why they wave to other motorcyclists.

[athimmel]

Awesome. I have always waved on a bike. It's just a sign of respect and good-natured greeting. The article put it very elegantly.

[Viper-Byte]

That is exactly right, you don't get that with cars. This is just another reason why biking is just so great!

[kkim]

Originally Posted by Viper-Byte

That is exactly right, you don't get that with cars. This is just another reason why biking is just so great!

you do with some models of cars.

[Viper-Byte]

Originally Posted by kkim

you do with some models of cars.

OK, but it is very rare, atleast it is here anyway.

[kkim]

it's very rare, here, too. I was just saying that in any form of motor vehicles, you have your owners and you have your enthusiasts. The enthusiasts will most likely be the ones that will wave or flash their lights. With motorcycles, it seems most are passionate about their rides and assimilate to the sport and traditions more than the car guys.

[Alex]

I've never owned any of these cars, but I've heard that Miata owners, Mini owners, and Jeep Wrangler owners all wave to eachother when they pass similar cars. (But I don't think the Miata owners wave to the Jeeps )

[BlueTyke]

My wave is the smile you cannot see on my face

Awesome article!

[sharky nrk]

i wave to everyone in a subaru, alot of the outback drivers look at me funny lol.

I always wave on my bike to everyone on 2 wheels

"They appreciate both the engineering and the artistry in the machines they ride." - this sentence defines why I ride

[Sailariel]

Originally Posted by Alex

I've never owned any of these cars, but I've heard that Miata owners, Mini owners, and Jeep Wrangler owners all wave to eachother when they pass similar cars. (But I don't think the Miata owners wave to the Jeeps )

Alex, My daughter lives in your neck of the woods (San Jose) and drives a Mini S Convertible Fire Engine Red with big Mag wheels. She says Mini people wave at eavh other. Son, also lives in CA, Orange County drives a red C-5 Vette.convertible. He says that Vette owners still wave. I used to drive Vettes until I got married. We always waved. Here in Maine, the "air handshake" is very popular and done by almost everyone. I find that BMW riders around here don`t wave much.

[OldGuy]

Great article and says it all.

As to "car waves" - in Nebraska if you get off the Interstate and drive the good old two lane roads you will find most of the "locals" tend to drive with one hand on top of the steering wheel. All you will see is a couple of fingers come up in a wave. Depending upon who you talk to some will say it's just a nice friendly greeting like "Hi how you doing". Others will say it's a little more like "I don't recognize you but I'm keeping an eye in my rear view mirror on you", especially if you don't wave back. Of course that's they guy that meets you as you pull up to the house at the end of his 1/2 mile driveway with his 12 ga like he was just going to the field to hunt, kinda, maybe, well you know.

[Viper-Byte]

I just went out for a walk outside on my break and saw a guy parking his GSXR600, nice bike, I look at it each time it is there! Went and had a chat to him, we talked about riding, our bikes etc, he said that he always looks at mine and how nice it looks. LOL, it was great.

[Nemy]

Originally Posted by Viper-Byte

OK, but it is very rare, atleast it is here anyway.

Really? I would've thought NZ and OZ would be similar in culture that way. The only other times that I've seen people wave were in Australia. People with the same NX-R that I had and everybody that we passed driving in the outback waved/waved back - a similar unwritten code to stop and help anybody you see on the side of the road.

Maybe it's not OZ in general but it's more common place as I've never seen it in Can/US. Nothing in NZ?

[Viper-Byte]

Tim, the outback (country, here in NZ ) is a different place to the city, which is where I am. I believe that all people in the country wave to each other, but this is not based on what they are driving/riding, it is the country way if you will.

[komohana]

that was a good read

[Sound Wave]

Originally Posted by muffinman

Good stuff - excellent read


I'm kind of worried that I'll pop the clutch at stop lights and stall like a dumbass in my excitement to wave back at other riders

well, in that case, if you are stopped on level ground, either wave with your right hand, or just a simple nod will do.

about waving at cars. yeah, i usually will wave at other mustang drivers if i am in my car.

great article btw!!

[noche_caliente]

the wave is one of the best parts! around here the wrx owners wave to each others - especially the blue ones - it's like the green kawis - they are just supposed to be blue!

[kkim]

lol... what do blue subarus want to be when they grow up??

[OldGuy]

Hmmmm wonder who might belong to that green GT3 RS ?

[00v_Lucky]

Quick question/survey





Do you guys wave to scooters? (I don't, most of them probably didn't even take a safety lesson and most of them do not wear any gear)

I accidentally waved to a motorcycle cop once, he didn't wave back. Any thoughts on this? lol. I think it would be awesome if motorcycle cops waved back to you makes you feel somewhat connected to a cities finest

[ninjabrewer]

I waved at one of the M/C cops here and he/she didn't even acknowledge it. Don't know if I would wave at them in the future, it was one of them that gave me a ticket a few weeks ago.

nb

[Sound Wave]

Originally Posted by 00v_Lucky

Do you guys wave to scooters? (I don't, most of them probably didn't even take a safety lesson and most of them do not wear any gear)

at night sometimes i do by mistake. hard to distinguish at times. the ruckus' are the ones that really throw me off with their double headlights and loud deep exhausts.

[BlueTyke]

Scooters and Cops both I wave. Though an amendment to that is that the scooters have to have their gear on. There are a lot of scooters around my area that do not wear proper gear and to them... I cringe.

Moto cops I haven't had a problem with the one I waved at in CA waved back. It was paying attention to traffic as I tootled passed.

[KJohnson21]

I like it! I like it so much that I posted it on the forum for our local riding club. I hope it'll make some of the hard-core "cruisers" think about their hard-core attitudes.

[ARc]

No wonder I was so happy when people were waving back to me when I was riding ;D

[aloh]

it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside