The Wave

Waving to other bikers is a tradition of acknowledging the common interest that both motorcyclists have. It is kind of a solute to belonging to the club of people who enjoy the freedom of riding, who travel on two wheels not simply for the sake of getting from A to B, but for having an enjoyable time. Here is some beginners' information on motorcyclist waves.

It's a great feeling to ride on the bulevard and cross another rider in the other lane waving at you. A simple act of kindness from a complete stranger with whom the experience of riding a motorcycle is a common interest. But, there are some important things that I have learnt in my first months of riding about waves.

The first thing is not to get overexcited by being in the bikers 'club', therefore not try to wave at every possible motorcyclist encountered from every possible angle. Do not forget that you have the responsibility to be safe on the road and should wave with the left hand only when not in need to operate the clutch.

As mentioned in the article found at the end of this post, it is not considered rude to fail waving back, when waved at, because there are things that can prevent you from doing so: clutch manipulation and not noticing the other person for example. If you are busy with the clutch return a simple nod; that is enough.

Another point I would like to make is that waving at Harley-Davidson riders (especially from a shiny green ninja) seems to not result in any kind of aknowledgment from that person. They just seem to have their own perception of being too cool to wave at street bikes. There might be rare exceptions from people who owned a street bike before their HD, but don't wave if not waved at first.

New riders might be interested with the explanation of  the different kinds of waves in the article at the end. Personally, I choose to do the normal straight hand wave when cruising (no need of clutching) and the safer nod when maneuvering.

Take care and especially wave if you see a green ninja! :)

Link to article on motorcyclist waves.