The Almighty Harley Rider

[TucsonFJR]

I just moved to Arizona from Texas. The one thing that I have noticed is the almighty Harley rider. I doesn't seem to matter where they are, they don't wave or care to notice other bikes. I always thought it was a Texas thing. It must be a Harley thing. I have already passed up 2 guys on the side of the road that may have needed help with their Harleys because of their brethren. Was I wrong? Any input?

 

[radman]

There was nothing wrong. They just had to touch up the chrome. It's a northern thing.

 

[BlueWing]

I always pull over when I spot a biker that appears to need help. If they don't need help that's okay too. Harley riders here in So. Calif. have figured out that we (the other bikers that ride a different brand) aren't the enemy and most of them give a friendly wave. B)

 

[twowheelnut]

Yes, you were wrong. Most HD riders will wave, but not usually the ones with chop jobs or ape hangers. I would always return waves while in the saddle of my Road King (though I must admit, I don't always initiate a wave...) Always stop and offer assistance, unless something seems fishy (like strands of bullets, slung over their shoulders and Bowie knives between their teeth).

Of course, if it's a BMW rider, let 'em rot! (J/K!)

 

[FJRottie]

We all bash each other and many bash harleys. Mostly it is all a waste of time.

I stop if someone needs help, even harleys, cause I like to show off my less expensive, better bike.

Why not help, maybe you will convert them.

 

[radman]

I have stopped to help (and succeeded) so many times that I have gained a local reputation for it. Now when someone wants their bike fixed for nuttin, they trailer it to the side of the road near me and just wait.

 

[JREW]

I always give a wave, no matter what bike they are riding. Seems to me the closer I am to a larger city the less anyone waves. I do most of my riding in North Cal area where the population is lower, and it seems most do wave. In fact I seem to get fewer waves from Gold Wings than any other brand. But no matter, I give a wave, if they wave back fine, if they don't, I just hope it means they are not road hypnotized and are paying attention.

 

[radman]

And I wave so much old Navy pilots keep landing on the street in front of me. This thing on?

 

[lomaxcm]

It must be a Texas thing. I was up in the hills one day just taking a break by the side of th road and of the 100 or so bikes that went passed 10 Harley riders stopped to make sure I was OK. This was when I was riding my YZF600R. So it must be a Texas thing. Every one waves here except the wingers. What is really fun is to wave, exuberantly, at the scooter riders. Scares the shit out of em. :lol:

Ride Safe.

Marc

 

[wheatonFJR]

@rad- no it's not on. Ya gotta gotta speak loud for us way in the back. All we can see is you wavin' somethin'. Not hearin' ya at all.

Oh, and I wave at single harley riders. Harley riders in groups tend not to wave. I stop for stopped MC's.

 

[nusman68]

I wave at anyone on a bike (mopeds don't count). 90% of the H-D guys don't wave back...they're too busy trying to look cool 'in the zone' in their 'less is more' T-shirt, do-rag, & Levi's while trying to light a cig off of the front cylinder head... :aarambo: the other 10% (the ones that wear protective gear) usually do wave back....

Concur about the Wingnuts; they also rarely wave back; they're too busy having a satellite teleconference while setting the cruise control, programming their GPS and setting defaults on their radar detector while waiting for their expresso to cool down and placing an order with their stockbroker......

 

[twowheelnut]

And I wave so much old Navy pilots keep landing on the street in front of me. This thing on?

You forgot the, 'Ba da bump.' You here all week?

 

[Groo]

I wave at everyone on a bike... most of the folks who don't wave back are riding cruisers... I always figured they were too worried that if they let go of the handlebars, the vibrations might throw the bike into a tankslapper.... :lol:

 

[Geezer]

I wave most of the time, and most Harley riders wave back. There are days when there are just so many bikes on the road that I get tired of waving and don't initiate but still wave back whenever someone waves at me. Except, there are times when I am focussed on riding and don't even notice the bike going the other way waving at me until he has already gone by. Not intentionally snubbing anyone, just enjoying a little focused aggressive riding.

 

[fastersilverfjr]

Agree with the majority here...I always wave and always stop for MC's on the side. I have even stopped for a few motorcops, pulling right up next to them, and scaring the shit out of both of us when the cop looks back from his radar gun and sees someone there...

We are motorcyclists first! Riders, bikers, sport-tourers, squids, whatever second. Let us keep that in front of the skull and bad attitudes caused by the minority of all groups in the back.

 

[Getsum]

Nearly every sport bike rider I see waves as we pass. It's a crap shoot with the Harleys but I have to say most don't wave back.

 

[GunMD]

To Wave or Not to Wave

By Shalom Auslander

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, do I 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 bastards 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 have got all day. Appreciate the scenery somewhere else, Grandpa, and while your at it, I'm not waving to you.

Ducati guys - I don't wave at them either. Why they don't spend a little more money on their bikes? "You can have it in any color as long as it is 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 the top of their stupid heads, and God forbid they should ever 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 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 a Honda, and I'll only wave at Honda 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 loud paint jobs. Four pounds of paint on a two pound helmet - like I'm going to wave back at 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 like a family, a close knit brotherhood of people who ride Hondas, 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.

 

[sparky3008]

Ok, I'll bite.

I road VTwins for 16 years and all Japanese bikes. Very funny that most, not all, Harley guys would not wave, wingers still don't and didn't then, don't get those guys at all. The really funny part was most sport bike riders didn't wave much either. I was a jap bike with no place to call home. :lol: Now with the fjr almost every sport bike waves and it seems more Harley guys wave now that I am not a wannabe The only time I really kind of "made friends" with Harley guys was when they would want to race their Harley and my Vstar. I never tried to just blow them away as that would just make them angry but keeping with them in the turns and straight away always seemed to get me a wave or nod when one of us turned off. Competition isn't it great

 

[radman]

I think the Wing guys don't even know anything about the wave. Many, if not most, bought the bike on a whim when retirement wasn't turning out to be the giggles they thought it would be. You can only fish so much, and they needed something to give them relief from the 'ol ladys bitchin now that they couldn't go to work...