Excuuuse Me!

[donaldb]

I love motorcycles and I love riding. Like many of you, what first drew me to bikes was not just the experience of riding, but the feeling that I'd become part of a special community--a brotherhood, really. Nothing calms me more than a long ride down the interstate, waving to the members of my beloved clan. Except when I pass Harley guys. I hate Harley guys. Hate, hate, hate. When they pass me on the highway, you know what I do? I don't wave. With their little tassel handlebars and the studded luggage and the half-helmets--God, they drive me crazy.

You know who else I hate? BMW guys. Oh, I do hate those guys. I don't wave at them, either. They think they're so great, sitting all upright, with their 180-degree German engines. God, I hate them. They're almost as bad as those old *******s on their touring motorcycles. You know what I call those bikes? "Two-wheeled couches!" Get it? Because they're so big. They drive around like they've got all day. Appreciate the scenery somewhere else Grampa, and while you're at it, I'm not waving to you.

Ducati guys--I don't wave at them either. Why don't they spend a little more money on their bikes? "You can have it in any colour you want, as long as it's red." Aren't you cool! Like they even know what a desmo-whatever engine is anyway. Try finding the battery you Italian-wannabe racers! I never, ever wave at those guys.

Suzuki guys aren't much better, which is why I never wave at them, either. They always have those stupid helmets sitting on top of their stupid heads, and God forbid they should wear any safety gear. They make me so mad. Sometimes they'll speed by and look over at me and you know what I do? I don't wave. I just keep on going. Please, don't get me started on Kawasaki guys. Ninjas? What are you, twelve years old? Team Green my ass. I never wave at Kawasaki guys.

I ride an FJR, and I'll only wave at FJR guys, but even then, I'll never wave at a guy in full leathers. Never, never, never. Yeah, like you're going to get your knee down on the New York thruway. Nice crotch, by the way. Guys in full leathers will never get a wave from me, and by the way, neither will the guys in two-piece leathers. And I'll tell you who else I'm not waving at -- those guys with the helmets with the loud paintjobs. Four pounds of paint on a two pound helmet - like I'm going to wave back to that! I'll also never wave at someone with a mirrored visor, or helmet stickers, or racing gloves, or hiking boots.

To me, motorcycling is a like a family, a close-knit brotherhood of people who ride FJRs, wear jeans and a leather jacket (not Vanson) with regular gloves and a solid-color helmet with a clear visor, no stickers, no racing gloves and regular boots (not Timberlands). And isn't that what really makes riding so special?

(Shamelessly stolen from elsewhere.)

****.......

that's funny. :clapping:

 

[Fred W]

I'd seen MCA's "rant" before, but it is a good one.

'round here in Live Free and Die (helmets are optional) New Hampshire, it's the brain buckets (or lack thereof) that segregate the wavers.

Being a power ranger, myself, I seldom get any love from the "hair flowin' in the breeze" crowd. That's OK w/ me.

 

[mcatrophy]

I'd seen MCA's "rant" before, but it is a good one.

..

Actually, waving in the UK is a bit more problematical than in more civilised areas, because we ride on the left, so our "visible" hand is holding the throttle open. I found it much easier when I was in foreign parts and riding on the right.

Most of the time we make do with nods, and even then, with the amount of traffic on our roads, I'm usually keeping track of several morons in cages around me, in which case I'm very rude and don't acknowledge other riders.

But, when conditions allow, they get the full hand-up wave, and it's rare not to get one back (or a nod, headlight flash or foot wave). Unless they are dealing with morons in cages around them.

Except Harleys. I hate Harley guys. Hate, hate ...

 

[Fred W]

Hate... it's such a strongly emotional word.

I reserve that much emotion for people that I actually know!!

 

[not2shabby]

You should have looked him in the eye and said DILLIGAF.

 

[fljab]

I have both my FJR and a HD - the HD being a '99 I bought new and I just don't want to sell it - butt, on waving I do notice a difference from both sides when I'm on the different bikes. Sportbike guys don't tend to wave to me on the HD, and as has been said, the "livin' the dream" HD guys don't wave to me on the FJR. Of course, sometimes I don't wave but it don't have anything to do with what anyone is on.

There's a dirt-dogger local HD guy that lives on US1 just North of where I come out of my neighborhood. This is a small town and I've - sorta - known him for 20 yrs. One of these guys that was usually drugged and alky'd out and for probably over half of that 20 yrs he didn't have a bike of any kind and lived in a trashed out motorhome. Anyway, he lives just north now (in a house), and often is sitting outside the garage on some lawn chairs he has set up, and more than not, with another dirt dogger drinking beer. So, when I go by on the HD, he/they wave, when I go by on the FJR no way wave LOL.

I kinda feel like Clark Kent with my alter ego!

As to those guys that were serious about only waving to your buds, well, ****'em! Remember your friends that don't care and ride with ya - that's the way it should be IMO, but like politics or religion, some folks get all wrapped up in what "side" they're on and don't grasp the big picture.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Eh...Sometimes I wave, sometimes I don't. Kind of depends on what I am doing, but NMRoadrunner is right. Lots of the Harley guys around here wave. It's the squid ******** that are too stupid to wear shoes and gloves that don't. Either way, I don't care...I don't ride bikes to get waved at.

However, the day before I bought my FJR, a friend and I were on a ride with a bunch of Harley riders. I was on my VTX1800, and Sonny was on his Triumph Sprint 1050. At some point, we got bored going 5 under the speed limit and passed the leading ding dongs. It was a 4 lane road with a median, so we passed in the left lane on a large long sweeper.

At the next rest stop, the lead dipshit makes the comment that he can't stand the Jap bike ******** that try to ride with the Harley guys and then make unsafe passes. The then motioned to the Sprint and said, "Stupid Japanese piece of ****."

I responded, "That's a Triumph. It's not Japanese...It's British you ******* idiot." His buddy, that the idiot had been ranting to, laughed out loud and said, "He's right...It is British...And you're an idiot." I never heard another word from that guy.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Being a power ranger, myself, I seldom get any love from the "hair flowin' in the breeze" crowd.

It's all about 'hair' -- ain't it...

Or, was it 'cowboys' -- hell, I'll probably never get it... :huh:

 

[fljab]

Being a power ranger, myself, I seldom get any love from the "hair flowin' in the breeze" crowd.

It's all about 'hair' -- ain't it...

Or, was it 'cowboys' -- hell, I'll probably never get it... :huh:

Good thing I made the change to the FJR, I'm not a cowboy and I danged sure don't got hair anymore...

 

[64Y80]

After I retired I became a school bus driver, turns out that school bus drivers wave to each other. So when I'm on the bike I wave to other bikers, when in the bus wave to other bus drivers. then I started having senior moments, I'd be driving the bus and would wave at a biker, or on the bike and give a wave to a school bus driver. The whole situation got to confusing, now I only wave to people I know.

 

[Spud]

As I do 98% of my riding solo, I have noticed that other solo riders (I'm talking guys geared up all alone in the middle of nowhere) always wave back, no matter what they ride.

We have this unspoken bond--that most of you will never understand. The "God I'm lonely and I don't really have any friends" bond.

 

[Geezer]

I usually wave at anybody on 2 wheels and a motor, including scooters and kids on mini-bikes. Sometimes they wave back and sometimes not. The kids always wave back. The only time I don't wave is when I'm focused on some riding maneuver or too busy watching traffic.

Funny thing, I used to drive a Jeep. Jeep people wave at each other. I never waved back at a Jeep driver.

 

[FarWestFastEddie]

I wave to other riders, in town, on the highway, a few of the Murican Iron types don't wave back, so I fly the Eagle, out of their view of course..

However, **** happened the other day, I was in the small commercial area of our neighborhood, and an oncomming rider waved at me, I returned the wave and as this ****** passed, I see its a Scooter!! one of these 450cc full screen and hard cases that looks from the front like a sport tour bike... I was so humiliated.... I went home, and squatted to pee....

FWFE

 

[Crash Cash]

There was one time I was behind some SUV-POS with 2 kids in the back. One kid turned around, saw me, and gave a big wave, so I waved back. So he bangs on the other guy's shoulder (older brother?) saying "he waved! he waved!"

The other kid turns around, gives me a "meh" look and the first guy waves frantically. I just sat there.

Big bro says "you're an idiot" and turns back. So I waved at the little kid. Kid does the bang on shoulder, "he does too!"

The other kid turns around and stares for a while, as first guy waves frantically again. I just sat there.

Big bro punches the crap out of the little kid and turns back. Little kid gives me the lemon face and the "you're #1" Busta wave, and turns away.

I'm just good with kids like that.

 

[Auburn]

I usually ride 2up. The wife does the waving. Almost always the others will wave back. Doesn't matter.

The funny ones are when we come up on a gaggle of HD riding in rolling road block formation. Usually it is the lead a$$hole that has to prove to the group that he is fast and wants to prove it to the sport touring bike going by. I usually do the same thing, I slowly go by and when they decide to speed up to "prevent the pass" I just pace them Once we are at about 100 they are just about tapped, the FJR is just starting to get into the powerband that it like to accelerate fairly rapidly from. So it is go time, so I look over pin the throttle so he can see it, and engage warp speed. Laughing all the way. Almost always I will see my wife giving them the appropriate single finger salute.

It is even funnier when I am towing the trailer.

I don't get the attitude thing they have, we are all on two wheels enjoying the scenery. Oh well to each their own...

 

[motodave]

When i'm driving my F150 around town I wave at all the F150's I see..... If it's a chevy screw them, dodge meh.....

Now if that chevy has a beautiful redhead driving it, I not only wave but I throw out a box of nails, she gets a flat and i help her.....

Gotta love the whole debate on who waves or not, just had to chime in....

 

[MEM]

... I noticed a herd (20 or so) of Hardly riders in full Pirate regalia ... the leader held the entire group of swashbucklers back

:rofl:

FWIW, I'm a waver and I don't give a frog's fat a** if someone waves back at me.

I just set them on fire with my mind

 

[Fred W]

One tactic I have deployed on occasion, depending on my mood, is sometimes I will wave to every bike I come upon, but purposely not look to see if they wave or wave back. Then I can just ride along happily knowing I'm a jovial SOB.

 

[kolonial72]

Waving at other riders is teh ghey.

 

[Intech]

I wave to everyone. If they don't wave back who cares? Most all the riders in this area wave back. Even the hardcore HD crowd.