Pls explain "the wave" to a newbie.

Ok, been riding for about a month now and I'm trying to decipher the rules of "the wave" and it's confusing.

The "Jeep wave" had some "guidelines" to it.

FSJ owners waved to FSJ owners and CJ owners but generally not to XJ and ZJ owners or Barbie Jeeps (YJ and TJ)

CJ owners waved to FSJ owners, CJ owners and Barbie Jeep owners.

XJ and ZJ owners waved to everyone even if no-one waved at them, they even wave to Landcruiser owners because they're confused.

So, out on my CX500, sportbike guys seem to wave at me, guys on standard bikes wave at me, some cruiser riders wave at me but only the ones who aren't trying really hard to be Jesse James.

Guys on old Harleys wave way more than guys on brand-new Harleys.

Apparently I'm the only guy around here on a 30 year old Japanese bike.

I'm still confused so I wave at everyone except those goofy burgman things and the polaris big-boy tricycles, I just can't understand why anyone would want one of either of those products.

Help.

I will usually wave if someone waves to me first, usually I just don't care.

No goofy rules.

You wave to anybody else on 2 wheels, scooters included.

Harley riders do it down by the knee.

UJM riders do it at elbow height.

Rocketeers by a quick flick of the hand.

Harley riders only wave to UJM riders when confused by their cruiser style bike.

Goldwing riders only acknowledge other wingers, and it seems to a subservience to who has the most lights and gee-gaws on their bike.

I wave at most everyone, though when it's a cruiser bike I wait for them to wave first, mostly as a test to see if they're one of those jerks. About half are.

If I see another dual sport I give a thumbs up, because we are a rare and demented group.

I've got as much success getting waves from BMWs as I do pirates on Harleys. The snob factor is pretty high there.

I only wave to the dopey Can-Am Spyders if they wave first. Not because I'm a snob, but because when I see one of those things coming I can't get my brain away from thinking "Why the berkeley would anyone buy one of those stupid, ill handling pigs?".

Young guys on scooters wave. Old fat guys riding with no shirt on scooters don't.

I generally do the two fingers down for most people, unless I'm north of 65mph in heavy traffic

I don't get many people giving the wave when I'm riding the Ruckus, no scooter love in Ohio.

I ride mostly UJM type bikes, I wave to everyone with 2 wheels & a motor. Herley guys wave back the least*

*except the guys on the big HD tourers, they have an acceptable wave back rate.

Just give everybody the finger like me, and you always win.

You're over thinking it. Wave if you feel like it.

So who waves to the old grizzled guys on the DWI mopeds? Anyone?

Some guidelines

foxtrapper wrote: ......Goldwing riders only acknowledge other wingers, and it seems to a subservience to who has the most lights and gee-gaws on their bike.

All of the 'Wingers I know(and see) acknowledge anyone riding. Being that, for the most part, wingers are older and more traveled, they are into "high visibility" as a means of accident avoidance. If gee-gaws and lights make the cagers notice, sign me up!

Trans_Maro wrote: I'm still confused so I wave at everyone except those goofy burgman things and the polaris big-boy tricycles, I just can't understand why anyone would want one of either of those products. .

That's okay, I will still wave to you. My Burgman 650 will easily exceed the speed limit anywhere in this country, hauling my large self, and the wife's slightly less large self, and a long weekend's stuff (or a couple days grocery's on my way home from work).

I'll get the WeeStrom back on the road when I have time to go through the crispy wiring, but then I might choose to not wave at people on 30 year old UJMs :P

2 fingers down no matter what I'm riding.

Wave to everyone.

Back in the day when I was commuting by bike on the deserted 4 lane between Platteville, WI and Dubuque, IA, I would do a full on stand up on the pegs wave to the guy in the opposite lane on E36 M3ty days. He had some 80s or 90s Jap cruiser, I had a rocket. Good times. I always felt like a chump when I saw him riding and I had pussed out by driving my truck.

I wave to anything on 2 wheels with an engine, though now with the exception of scooters. See below:

PubBurgers wrote: I don't get many people giving the wave when I'm riding the Ruckus, no scooter love in Ohio.

My understanding is a lot of the people on scooters near where I live are riding them because they got a DUI and had their license taken away, and you don't need a license to operate a scooter 49cc or less (or they never had a license to begin with). To me they are excluded from the group love of motorcycling.

That being said, if I knew a GRMer was rocking the scooter because its fun, they would of course get the wave (and a beer if we stopped at the same bar!).

Flynlow wrote: I wave to anything on 2 wheels with an engine, though now with the exception of scooters. See below:

PubBurgers wrote: I don't get many people giving the wave when I'm riding the Ruckus, no scooter love in Ohio.

My understanding is a lot of the people on scooters near where I live are riding them because they got a DUI and had their license taken away, and you don't need a license to operate a scooter 49cc or less (or they never had a license to begin with). To me they are excluded from the group love of motorcycling. That being said, if I knew a GRMer was rocking the scooter because its fun, they would of course get the wave (and a beer if we stopped at the same bar!).

Here in Ohio even 49cc scoots require a motorcycle license, it's goofy but true.

I'm new to riding. I wave at everyone. It's good practice.

As for the Spyders -- many seem to be older guys who are no longer comfortable on two-wheels. I won't begrudge that, though they do look goofy.

As an aside, I wave or give the thumbs up to all cool cars when I am driving, too.

In reply to Trans_Maro:

Hey! I actually kinda LIKE Burgmans and Can-Am's, but that's just because I've ridden them.

There's probably a Burgman in my future, but not a Spyder. I'd rather have an enthusiast car for what I'd pay for a used Can-Am.

Here is what I have noticed:

I too was only receiving waves from about half of cruisers and baggers. Then I noticed something. I fthe cruiser, bagger or touring bike was being ridded by an older "white-collar type picture a 50 to 65 year old professor, they wave. They guys who have no uninked skin left will never wave at me when I am riding my cafe racer.

I had something interesting happen to me last week. I took my Suzuki GT380 out on Tuesday evening. I have have never ridden it on a weekday evening before (I used to commute from the Poconos to NYC everyday, but now I started my own bond market strategy firm). I found that most of the riders out in my rural areas (and there where a lot of them) were between the ages of 35 and 60. Not only did they wave, but they stopped to talk to me about my bike, at stop lights and while I was refueling. The most admiring riders were a 50-ish rider of a blue and silver early 2000s Sportster and a mid-30-ish rider of a fairly new all-black Sportser who, it turns out, wants to build a Sportster Cafe.

I think it is more a lifestyle thing than a bike thing. There are some really coold people riding all kinds of bikes. However, there is a lot of ignorance out there.

I get waves from people in other old Japanese cars when I'm driving the Celica. It's kind of a show of solidarity thing. Same thing with Harleys. Everyone waves at a Harley here because everyone has one. Except me. I decided to make a statement and be different. A rebel, if you will. I decided to do something that would make me stand out as being completely unique.

I got no tattoos and didn't buy a Harley.

I am the true loner.

I turned 45 last month. I got the notice in the mail that I would have to either buy a Harley or leave Colorado. I will do neither. Yes, I know. Crazy.

Trans_Maro wrote: I'm still confused so I wave at everyone except those goofy burgman things and the polaris big-boy tricycles, I just can't understand why anyone would want one of either of those products. Help.

Eh, the Burgman makes sense for someone who isn't into two-wheeling for the thrills but still wants something that can make the occasional highway run. I'd feel like a tool on one, but to each his own. As for the Can-am, if you're that afraid you might fall over at a stoplight, then maybe you should stay in the cage. Also, Bombardier makes those, not Polaris. Polaris has the sense to make actual motorcycles, they're called Victory, and while none of them are my style of bike, they are mostly very good for what they are.

To the original point, you might as well just wave at everyone. You're on a UJM already, are you afraid people are going to think you're a dork twice?

Not only that, I'm on an UGLY japanese motorcycle

Put about 100 miles on it today, got a thumbs-up from a guy on a CX500 Custom.

I had Polaris on the brain because we've been fighting with a stuffed engine in the bosses Polaris PWC at work for the last week.

I waved at everyone today.

I must be a huge Dork because I bought another CX this morning but it's not like I had a choice, I found a CX650E on craigslist for $700 with a bad starter clutch.

We got the E in Canada and europe got it too but no bikes for the states. Apparently Honda only sold about 600 of these here:

fast_eddie_72 wrote: I turned 45 last month. I got the notice in the mail that I would have to either buy a Harley or leave Colorado. I will do neither. Yes, I know. Crazy.

It's like that out here in Langley B.C. too.

I keep thinking I'll come home and find one crammed through the mail slot with a bill attached.

I always wave. At everyone. Regardless of motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle.

Its the same theory as my Porsche wave. When I'm in the 944, I even wave at Cayennes. They never wave back, but I do it all the same.