The ride I went on last week was a pretty popular ride for motorcyclists, so I passed a ton of bikers – some on Harleys, cruisers, sport bikes…actually, come to think of it, I was the only scooter. Anyway – while on the road, other bikers started to “wave” at me. Well – for some, it wasn’t really a “wave” per se, but just a lift of the fingers off the handle bars. Other bikers kind of just stuck their arm out and waved – some only waved with two fingers. It kind of looked like this:
If you want a somewhat humorous example of some of these types of motorcycles waves, you can check out this YouTube video. And there is another helpful article called “Secret Motorcycle Hand Greetings: Revealed!” One of my favorite descriptions was of “The Geek” motorcycle wave:
The Geek: Left hand raised high in the air as if to say, “Hi mom!” This one is specifically reserved for the new rider, who is “SO excited to be one of the gang!” Also may be seen being used by Moped or scooter riders. Recommendation: Just don’t.
Now – while I do fall into the new rider category (and a rider of a “scooter”), I just want to state that I have not done “the geek” wave (to see it, go here). So, after quite a few riders waved at me (again – there were guys on Harleys giving me the wave in the above picture), I started doing it as well. There were a few who didn’t respond – but the overall majority also stuck out their hand and gave me the two finger wave (yes, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the one finger salute). I’ve heard of the “wave” before and how it was a way of showing camaraderie between other bikers – and that’s how it felt.
When I came home – I started googling about the “motorcycle wave.” And then I saw this tweet by @NathanielBishop:
So – now I seem to have a quandary. It seems that some think scooter riders shouldn’t really wave at other bikers. But then – what do I do when the Harley riders wave at me? Is it in jest? Am I not “really” part of the club? For those of you who do ride, here are some questions:
- Do you think it’s “hilarious” to see someone on a scooter giving the “motorcycle wave”?
- If I’m on a scooter and a guy on a motorcycle gives me the motorcycle wave, can I give the motorcycle wave back to him/her?
- Since I ride a scooter, am I only allowed to give “scooter waves” to other scooter riders?
- For those of you who ride scooters, do you give the “motorcycle wave” to any other riders?