The motorcycle waive

[TechnoViking]

So I'm new to motorcycles. I've just learned how to ride a bike and I've got to admit I'm not real comfortable taking 50% of my hands off of the handlebars even for a short time.

Am I pissing off the rest of the motorcycle community by not waiving? And whats' the deal with the "down low" waive? Any significance to different waives? Can I nod my head instead?

We've had many a thread on Pelican about the "Porsche waive" and I've got that one down. Best part about the Porsche waive is I can do it with my index finger while leaving my hands on the wheel. Or I can flash the brights, again, with my hands on the wheel.

[legion]

I had a long discussion about this with another rider yesterday.

Around here, the Harley guys do the "down low" and the sport bike guys do the "out to the side".

I ride a Japanese cruiser, so I do the "down low out to the side".

From what I gather most people view the nod as arrogant, but I will still do it while turning because I'm not taking my hand off the grip.

Yeah, doing the wave for me is still a little uncomfortable (been riding since October), but I'm getting used to it.

[HardDrive]

I give the down low shaka brah.

[vash]

a nod works.

i go with the retro finger pistol...two hands if it is a chick, and i want to make sure she knows i am a dork.

[javadog]

Wave however you want. There's no real meaning to the hand position. I suppose it is up to the waver as to what he or she thinks is "cool," as that seems to matter to some people.

I note that when I am on a sportbike (which describes most of my riding career) the sportbike riders always wave. The Harley guys do so about half the time. About half of them hate Japanese bikes, which I enjoy when I pass them on a Ducati. They assume it's a Honda (it's red....)

You can wave safely in a corner, too, or obviously while riding straight ahead. Your bike needs very little input from your hands; in a straight line it's perfectly happy without your hands on the bar at all. Most people grip the bars way too hard. Support your weight on your feet and by gripping the tank with your knees. Get used to having a real light touch on the bars. It will improve your riding.

Be safe,
JR

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by Martin Smith

I'm not real comfortable taking 50% of my hands off of the handlebars even for a short time.

Steer with your knees!

[legion]

I can't take my right hand off while riding...the throttle closes.

[Rick Lee]

Pretty understandable around here if you don't wave when leaning into a turn or in high winds. Harley guys totally ignore BMW's and sport bike guys anyway.

[71T Targa]

Originally Posted by Martin Smith

I'm not real comfortable taking 50% of my hands off of the handlebars even for a short time.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say if you're not 'comfortable' enough to take one hand off the bars long enough to wave you have no business being on the road. At some point someone is going to pull out in front of you and you're going to need to be able to react. You need to be 'comfortable' with your bike and your abilities when that time comes. Please take an experienced riders course and learn to ride safely.

What are you riding as your first bike?

[Burnin' oil]

I hesitate to say this, but . . . in my younger days, when riding on the freeway, I would stick my legs over/between the handlebars and recline back, but still keeping a hand on the throttle. I tried to hob together a cruise-control so I could ride hands-free and maybe nap a little but it didn't work out. Hmmm.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

No problem taking the left hand off for a short time (clutch hand). The other one (brake/throttle) is another matter - that one never leaves the bar. Even when I give a wave or a hand signal, I try to check the road ahead first to make sure there are no bumps or potholes I'll hit whilst so compromised.

Bikes (in general) are pretty stable once they're rolling along - although it would suck terribly to whack a pothole with one hand off the bar. Probably unnerving more than anything - you'd have to hit something pretty substantial to upset the inherent straight-line stability of the bike once it's moving. More likely that any loss of control resulting would be more the result of rider panic/movement than any inherent upset to the balance of 800+ pounds of bike+rider in equilibrium moving along...

But if you're not comfortable with it, don't do it.

[cel]

I ride a Harley and I waive to all, we need as many bikes on the road as we can get. I don't care what brand or type. This makes us more obvious to the cage drivers.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I disagree.

NOTHING the motorcycle community does will make us more visible to the average automoton behind the wheel. Nothing. Not loud pipes, not bright clothes, not sheer numbers, nothing. You only can try to stack the odds slightly in your favor by doing some/all of the above. But if someone is "zoned out" behind the wheel (as a lot are), you're on your own.

I personally DON'T want more motorcycle riders out there. If the secret gets out that you can get around town at 40+ MPG, park wherever you want, on a brand new rig that costs under $10k and you can insure for $100 a year, I guarantee the dipschits in Sacramento and Washington will feel the need to invent new ways to penalize the activity with new taxes, fees and/or regulations.

I like motorcycling (and its associated advantages) just the way it is - a well-kept secret.

[924slover]

ive been riding dirtbikes/motorcycles my whole life so taking one hand off the handlebars is no problem for me.......with that said it depends on the situation im not taking one hand off the handlebars during heavy traffic etc. its kinda like the jeep wave porsche wave etc.

[sailchef]

I would concentrate more on ridin' and less on wavin', at least for the first 10,000 miles.

[widebody911]

Damn - I've been trying to find that pic sequence of the Dragon RUB pointing at the photographer and then laying his bike down...

[JavaBrewer]

Post the picture of the Harley dude giving the cool wave then lowsiding in the next turn in 3...2...1...

Edit - drat Thom beat me too it.

I always wave - even the HD guys. They either ignore me or indicate they are willing to give me a prostrate exam. But that's all worth it for the one or two per day that do wave back. Not all HD guys hate sport bikes.

[MotoSook]

Some Harley guys won't wave back at other Harley guys...they're just too badass I guess.

I wave any which way as long as my hand isn't too far from the left bar. I never really paid attention to the "type" of wave. Nowadays I think the wave confuses some riders (e.g. OP)..so I really only wave back when waved at.

As for right hand off the bar....if I HAVE to, I'll clutch in so my velocity isn't interupted. And if I have to use my right hand for something in while in motion, clutch in.

Thanks to the laws of physics, a two-wheel in motion is very stable and unless you introduce a large enough force to the bike, it'll go keep going straight. Obviously on rough road you keep both hands on the controls. So for the OP....learn to be comfortable riding before you worry about all the nonsense you see some riders exhibit. Something they don't really teach you anymore in the MSF class (if you took that class) is clutch and throttle management. If you can manage your clutch engagement or slip...and you can feed the throttle smoothly..you will be a much better rider IMO. It allows me to shift anywhere and time...no distruptive input to upset the bike. Be one with your bike grasshopper.

EDIT: Also, always be wary of your 6 o'clock. Don't get mounted by a car or punted. I almost got mounted while waiting for a left turn...some idiot behind me who didn't see me waiting to turn. Recently a woman was killed in Chicago while waiting at a light. A woman doing here nails in the car coming to the light didn't she the rider until the impact.

[the]

I always hated the wave. But I guess that's from doing all my miles in California, where you pass a fellow motorcyclist every 10 seconds.

I kind of understand the fellowship thing, but really, I just want to enjoy riding my bike in peace, not waving to the left and the right every few seconds like the homecoming queen.

So, I never initiated a wave to anyone. If someone did it to me, and I could see it and respond in time, I sometimes would. But not usually, I'd just pretend I didn't see ya! Sorry for any hurt feelings out there!

But I don't ride anymore, and probably never will again.

[David]

Riding a sport bike BMW, you have to wave to Harley's and sportbikes

I do the to the side, down low, peace sign.