Harley Riders ...

[littledog]

Always wave when they pass me.

I think it is cool so I always wave too.

[BlueRaven]

wave.. good, finger.. bad

[Yoda]

Most of em wave here too.

They dont seem to wave much to the squidies

[Zombiphone]

From my experience, a lot of the harley and cruiser guys are just as cool as the sportbike crowd. They don't typically ride in the same ways with the same goals, but they're just as friendly when they pass me and just as enthusiastic when they get off. I'm sure there are some stuffy douchebags out there who are too hardcore to wave or give the police warning or what have you, but it seems like most people on two wheels are just happy to see other people riding, regardless of what subset of the culture you subscribe too.

Except for those guys on scooters................

[backinthesaddleagain]

Funny thing I live in HD haeaven. I go by about 6 or so HD for every one non HD. It depends on the person. I see some older HD guys near me that never wave then a minute later some rough looking dude with huge apehangers gives me a wave. I don't take it personaaly or worry about it. Too me the more annoying thing is the mines bigger than yours mentality of some spprtbike riders.
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[JeffM]

Except for those guys on scooters................

I'd say that 80% of the riders wave where I ride. However, I really do not think a single scooter rider has waved back (scratches chin and ponders )

Jeff

[tjkamper]

Here about half of them wave. There is a strong sentiment of "I'm a real biker because I ride a Harley about 1000 miles a year," where I live. From my experience, the real riders still wave at anything with two wheels, the "weekend warriors" (cough cough) are pricks.

But in the spring just about everyone waves, because a lot haven't been on the road in 5 months.

[tjkamper]

Originally Posted by JeffM

I'd say that 80% of the riders wave where I ride. However, I really do not think a single scooter rider has waved back (scratches chin and ponders )

Jeff

Jeff, I don't think the scooter riders understand. They are only interested in getting from point A to point B at 70-100 mpg.

[Banzai]

There's a reason they're refered to pretty universally as "Harley Snobs". Most around here don't wave. Those that do are clearly weekend warriors or true riders out for the pleasure of riding.

NO harley rider in "colors" (you know, the vest or jean jacket with the big patch that says Bad Azz Motorcycle Club or whatever)waves, and most just sneer! Heck, those are the guys I'm pretty sure would rather shoot than wave.

Goldwing riders don't wave, either. Seems it takes too long to find the button on the dash!! BMW riders are just a step behind the Goldy riders.

[mrlmd]

The wave is a "biker" thing. not a "Harley" or other specific brand thing. If you see a bike coming at you from the opposite direction down the road, the wave is just a thing to acknowledge their presence and say hello. I do it and see it all the time, and it doesn't matter who goes first.

[kevlarorc]

yea I try to wave to everyone. there's usually a mutual waveback, particularly if it's another sport rider.

[edbro]

So far, early on, everyone has been waving back no matter the type of motorcycle. It's great to see actually.

[sixer]

scooters -lol

[foxpaws]

is there some sort of manual about how and when to perform 'the wave'? it seems like many riders here in denver use a different motion than the one i learned in the bay area (san jose, ca), and the harley riders in ca often waved, whereas the harley riders in denver don't....am i missing some important piece of this puzzle?

[nate-bama]

peace works well!

[cnichols79us]

I got out and did about 70 miles yesterday. Was BEAUTIFUL outside. Found a great loop close to home that I guess EVERYONE else knows about cause there were 5 bikes to every 1 car (and cars were going SLOW....). BIG Diversity. A whole group of Ducatis waved, some Goldwings waved, BMWs waved, a group on Shadows waved. The only ones that did NOT were all on Harleys and appeared to be heading to a denim convention. There was a HUGE line of all women Harley riders. Held out my arm and waved to EVERY ONE of them. Not ONE waved back. Was odd to me. My FAther in Law is a Harley rider, he doesn't act like that. But , he also respects anything on 2wheels with a motor.

Oh, I did have a SCOOTER wave back too!

[karlosdajackal]

I never wave, cause we are on the other side of the road over here, if you wave it looks like your playing with your helmet or your zipper (that sounds wrong )

Over here we do the biker nod. I've done 2,400+ miles on the 250and only saw 1 Harley and he was turning right when I was going straight so no point giving him the nod. I've found roughly 50% of people nod back. It seems the high mile bike don't bother, so people on suzi bandits (commuters) are less likely to nod than people on suzi gsx-r's (weekend warriors), same with the er6's (commuters) and the zx6r crowd (weekend warriors). You never know what you will get with a BMW some of them do huge miles and some of them just watched Ewan and Charlie and decided to spend their bonus on a big BMW and no nothing of such biker rituals.

[tapdiggy]

I wave as often as I can; two fingers for bikes, three for Spyders (I don't want them to feel left out)

[KJohnson21]

On the LA freeways it can be too busy and hectic to do the wave thing. Sometimes on the major streets too. After that it breaks down to the usual variations.

You get some snobs that couldn't possibly wave at a "commoner" that paid so much less than they did, and on the other end of the spectrum there are some folks that wave like cheerleaders at a pep-rally.

I'll almost always wave if I see that the other rider is looking (and I'm not in the middle of doing something), usually the low-down two-fingers-for-two-wheels wave.

I like the friendlier types in our biker crowd. As long as it works for you, there is no such thing as the "wrong" kind of motorcycle.

[Tigress]

I remember when I first started riding, I was afraid to take my hand off the handlebar so I could wave. I hope people didn't think I was being a snob. When I did my first biker's wave, I called my girlfriend who is also new at riding and was all excited!! We have alot of HDs around here, and I wave even if they don't wave back. Because I can.

[Cedilla]

I wave at everyone and I rarely don't get a wave back. Heck down here the cagers all wave too, its southern hospitality.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by foxpaws

is there some sort of manual about how and when to perform 'the wave'? it seems like many riders here in denver use a different motion than the one i learned in the bay area (san jose, ca), and the harley riders in ca often waved, whereas the harley riders in denver don't....am i missing some important piece of this puzzle?

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14996&

[cnichols79us]

Originally Posted by kkim

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14996&

That thread is Hilarious!

[Ryosen11]

It gets lonely riding long distance solo surrounded by cagers on LA freeways but I get encouraged and brings a smile to my face when I see a biker waving at me sometimes even from the farthest lane on a 10 lane freeway. So I wave at all the bikers as much as I can too.

[nate-bama]

Originally Posted by Cedilla

I wave at everyone and I rarely don't get a wave back. Heck down here the cagers all wave too, its southern hospitality.

+1

[backinthesaddleagain]

Me and a buddy rode some good backroads last night. Me on the 250 him on the 883. Came across a couple HD riders, they didn't wave and we didn't wave. Sometimes you're just working your ride through the turns and don't have a chance to wave. My friend and I waved bye to each other as we headed out on our separate ways. Then I waved hi to my wife as I pulled in the driveway. She waved hi back.

[sixer]

*snicker*

[nate-bama]

sometimes i'll just flip the hog boys a bird to land the first blow

[CC Cowboy]

I find Harley riders to be the most friendly. They know what riding a motorcycle is all about. The brotherhood of motorcycling is part of their makeup. They love to ride and, for the most part, don't show off like the rice riders. It might be they are older and have been riding much longer.

[tjkamper]

So...

Yestereday I'm out on my lunch break running to the stealership for a bolt. This HD rider pulls up in the next lane over. He was wearing blue jeans a plain black hoody (hood down) and a black knit beanie. The closest thing to protective gear the guy had was his goatie.

This rider never once looks to the side. He makes every effort possible not to see me.

As the light turns green I take off at a normal speed. And this rider wobbled off, and when he noticed that I was just slightly ahead of him, opened the trottle and sped up and past me just to get stopped by the next light. About two intersections later he pulls off to a bar at 12:15 p.m. He never once acknowledged that there was another guy on the road.

I think it is funny to watch how the majority of the HD guys ride. Well the truth is, a lot don't even ride. In 2003 the DOT ran a survey that revealed that the average miles traveled by U.S. motorcycle riders per year is only 1800 miles. When you consider that this survey includes retired touring crazy Gold Wing owners, guys who only own a bike, and people who in other circumstances put in over 10K a year. That means that there are a lot of people who put in considerably less than 1800 miles.

In my town you cannot drive past the local bar on a sunny day and not see atleast 10 bikes, parked out front. Several of the bikes are custom and I have never seen them around town actually being ridden. These guys jump on the bike and ride 4-5 blocks to go drinking, then they ride back. They may do one major charity, group ride a year and put in 300 miles that one day, but that is it. It's funny, because on almost all of these rides there is some kind of accident and it is not uncommon to hear about fatalities.

For these proud HD riders who make the long trek to the local tavern, the motorcycle is 100% about image. There is no true comrodary with fellow riders, and no real love for the open road. They, just like wearing HD teeshirts and acting like Bad @$$es. The only hint of fraturnal love among these men, is over Beer, not Motorcycles.

I really don't get it. Why spend 20 grand on a Bar shuttle, which is either going to get you a DUI or Killed. These riders annoy me on multiple levels.

The "real" HD riders, are usually straight up guys and do respect them. They truely understand motorcycles. And in general are good friendly people. These bar junkies don't have a clue what it's about.

[Apex]

I wave to everyone. DS rider, harley, etc.

When I lived in Chicago and owned my GS500, I actually was cruising around and came upon a local HOG chapter ride. We were at a light and a guy started talking to me. He invited me to join the ride, so I did. I told them later that my bike was not as comfortable as theirs, so I needed to head back. He laughed and said I was welcome any time.

There are truly awesome riders out there, so I always give everyone a wave.

[tjkamper]

There are a lot of class acts out there. My hat goes off to any of those guys. It's the image obsessed jerks that bug me.

One thing I really love about bikes, is that the majority of people are open and friendly. Just because you ride a bike, means you have something in common. I find myself starting conversations with people I've never seen before and will never see again. I have ridden with complete strangers and been able to trust them. That is one of the most beautiful things about riding.

I wave to everyone I see and I have made some good aquantances along the way.

[PitBull]

Maybe some of the ones that don't wave back are just learning to ride. When I first started learning I was scared ****-less to take my hands off the handle bars! LOL!

[backinthesaddleagain]

Originally Posted by PitBull

Maybe some of the ones that don't wave back are just learning to ride. When I first started learning I was scared ****-less to take my hands off the handle bars! LOL!

Thats a good take on it!

[tjkamper]

I agree. I've ridden for 10 years (some a lot more than others) but I can't imagine riding with just one hand with handle bars three feet over my head.

[backinthesaddleagain]

I have a real problem with Vespa riders who only ride the things from coffee shop to coffee shop searching for the best espresso or cappacino (don't even know if I can spell it). They never wave when I am going through the Dunkin Donuts drive through for a cup of coffee on my japanese scooter. They don't care about the ride, they only care about the drink.

Sometimes those non-waving HD riders are riding Japanese cruisers, like Vulcan or Shadow.

Even within HD riders some don't see the Sportster as a "real motorcycle" so maybe a Fat Boy rider won't wave to an 883 rider.

I wonder if AMF riders don't wave to newer HD riders because the newer HD riders have bikes that start and don't leak oil everywhere and therefore aren't "Real Motorcycles".

Maybe we just all need one brand we can hate. The enemy of my enemy is my friend type of logic. Maybe we can all band together and not wave to people riding a Benelli Sei.

[madcrossover]

Ive had several people wave. When I first started riding I saw people on other bikes wave (they hold out their hand about waist high with slight movement). Ive always waved back the same way. Sometimes I wait to see if someone waves at me first before I wave back, that way I don't look like a fool when waving and don't get one back. Those I've noticed that don't wave are the HD riders or Custom Cruiser bike riders, as well as the squids on sportbikes that have no respect for the road. Maybe its a i'm in a group of tough guys type of mentality or something.

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by tjkamper

So...



This rider never once looks to the side. He makes every effort possible not to see me.
He never once acknowledged that there was another guy on the road.

I think it is funny to watch how the majority of the HD guys ride. Well the truth is, a lot don't even ride. In 2003 the DOT ran a survey that revealed that the average miles traveled by U.S. motorcycle riders per year is only 1800 miles. When you consider that this survey includes retired touring crazy Gold Wing owners, guys who only own a bike, and people who in other circumstances put in over 10K a year. That means that there are a lot of people who put in considerably less than 1800 miles.



The "real" HD riders, are usually straight up guys and do respect them. They truely understand motorcycles. And in general are good friendly people. These bar junkies don't have a clue what it's about.

First of all, did you make an attempt to acknowledge the shy, introverted Harley rider? I noticed that I have to be the first to wave to other motorcyclists. I always talk to other riders while at reds lights, even those BMW and Gold Wingers who hate to admit there are other kinds of bike on the road.

Second, "I think it is funny to watch how the majority of the HD guys ride. Well the truth is, a lot don't even ride. The "real" HD riders, are usually straight up guys and do respect them. They truely understand motorcycles. And in general are good friendly people." You can't have it both ways. I have ridden Harley Davidson motorcycles since the early 70s. I have put thousands of miles (trouble free) on many different Harleys. I put more than 80,000 on my first FLH which I bought used.


I understand that you don't agree with some other bikers, but to single out a motorcycle manufacturer is irresponsible. Think of the many Ninja 250s that have been purchased lately from our members that only have a few miles on them. Their are good motorcylists and bad motorcyclists on every kind of bike.

[tjkamper]

I did try to wave... actually two times.

Like I said. There are a lot go class acts out there, but there are a lot of jerks. I'm not bashing Harleys at all, I'm just ranting about the jerks that seem to be more prone to think that if you don't have a harley your not worth anything. Same as Guys with Literbikes that won't look twice at you.

I personally know a lot of harley riders and the ones I know are great. (Just like you CC. You seem like a really nice guy). But I've run across a lot of jerks.

In my experience, the people who only ride 1000 miles a year are the jerks and the guys who spend every free second of their life on the road are nice. I've seen the same thing with Ricers as well. THe ones who ride all the time are nice, and the guys in 5 year old GIXXERS with 5k on the odometer only rev their engine and look the other way in disgust.

I honestly wish everyone was more friendly and didn't just think about image and being "BAD @$$"

I love the comradery amoung riders, and it really makes me upset when people brake down that comradery.

[backinthesaddleagain]

A few miles from my house is this place where the parking lot has a few big Harleys parked. All the guys who belong to this place dress the same and all paint their HD grey. I wave everytime I go by and they never wave back. Finally I couldn't take it anymore so I rode by them about 80mph, beeped and gave them the finger. Then they all waved to me, and put on their flashing red lights. Next thing you know it cost me a ticket. I believe this anti social HD rider was named Charley Bailey Gates.