Total Motorcycle Community Forums

jonnythan wrote:I wouldn't do anything. It seems a little rude to me, like an "FU, you slow poke" kinda wave.

Hmm... I see it differently. After I pass someone, I always wave. I give them a nice casual wave- mostly to let them know that I"m just passing them and not trying to prove I'm better or faster or cooler than the person I passed. I would think that ignoring them after passing them would be rude. We're all out there for the same reason more or less, right?

But I guess you never know how that person would interpret the wave either. Although I've had siutations where I've passed someone and waved at them and then run into them at a gas station down the road. They're always been friendly to me and willing to start up a conversation - which I doubt they'd do if they thought I was waving at them to give them an "FU."

Veda wrote:I think the biker your passing will understand that it is unsafe for you to wave. If you're on the left then you'd have to take your hand off the throttle.. If you're on the right you shouldn't be passing, or at least be super focused that you're not going to get squished passing on the inside.

he said a 4 lane road not a 2 lane.

In most states (not sure if all but I know most do) its illegal to drive in the left lane for anything other than passing. I have heard of and seen people get pulled over for it here in michigan. If you have no intentions of passing YOU SHOULD NEVER BE IN THE LEFT LANE. Either way I pass in the right lane all the time because there are so many morons that stay in the left lane.

To the OP that is a very good ? as well I just pass them and never wave. Would you do it on a 2 lane road? I have never had to pass any fellow biker on a 2 lane road other than opposite directions so im not sure what I would do.

I'm a slowpoke. I'm generally not in any kind of situation to pass another biker. They tend to be going faster than the average traffic usually.

If I Do happen to come up behind a biker thats even slower than i am, I just drop back a coulple-three extra seconds and kinda hang out.

jonnythan wrote:I wouldn't do anything. It seems a little rude to me, like an "FU, you slow poke" kinda wave.

yeah - that is what I wouldn't want to communicate so I don't wave at all. i guess i was really wondering whether not waving might be considered a snub of some type. i'll just stick to not waving and let them think what they want.

Maybe that's why the bird exists. So you could convey exactly what you mean.

Wave = Friendly.
Bird = FU!

lol

storysunfolding wrote:I wave with my clutch hand... I just raise it instead of dropping it to the side in the traditional "I'm afraid of the wind" style that seems to be popular... even though the wind down low isn't that different from the wind up above.

I don't think it's a wind thing, I think the low wave just "looks cool".

When I was a kid and would go on rides with my Dad (same bike, me on back) and we passed a biker my Dad would do the low down wave and I'd give a big, exaggerated, ridiculous wave. It was the only thing I ever found that genuinely embarrassed my Dad

i think most people worry about waving way too much...

I don't wave, so much as I just do the whole peace sign, or (if you are from Hawaii) the shaka sign. Waving as you pass someone seems rude. But I NEVER do flybys ... passing someone in the same lane ... that dangerous AND rude.

Waving as you pass someone seems rude. But I NEVER do flybys ... passing someone in the same lane ... that dangerous AND rude.

I couldn't disagree more. I have passed other motorcycles on 4 lane roads and have overtaken slower riders on 2 lane roads. I always wave and I get waves back... I have also been passed this way and I always wave.
Sometimes I get the wave as I'm passing. They see me coming up and are aware I am passing, so as I start around they give the low wave, to which I reply with the high wave with my clutch hand after I'm in front of them...it would be rude not to wave.

Around here overtaking someone going slower than you are on a F.M. hwy in the middle of nowhere, when you have the dashed passing stripes, and you can see 3 miles up the road and nobody is coming in the opposite direction is not rude and it's not unsafe. What is unsafe is staying behind someone who is flower sniffing or is a beginer and are going slow and having a 1 ton dualie pickup riding your "O Ring" because he wants to pass, but has to pass 2 motorcycles which includes the 2 second distance between the two bikes...and they will do it... many farm trucks fly down those roads.

I have passed and have been passed. When I am passed I see the car, or motorcycle, or even a small group of motorcycles come up behind me and I know they want to continue down the road, so I will flag them by with my clutch arm, slow down and get over to the far right of my lane to make it easier for them to pass. I always get a wave when I do this and always return the wave.

Around here waving after you pass whether you're in a car or on a bike is just the way to say, "Thanks for letting me on by."
If someone goes out of their way to make it easier for you to get by and you do not acknowledge their gesture with a wave...that is rude.

nod to oncoming bikes.



When I pass a bike, especially on the open road, I usually lift up off the seat and wiggle my arse at em just as I go pass.