Pls explain "the wave" to a newbie.

I'ts OK to wave at a jap bike if they wave first.

two fingers down for pretty much everyone except scooters. People dressed like pirates tend to not wave back.

I have a Triumph sport bike

The hurley notices keep coming with the aarp cards.

I don't wave to scooters, for two reasons:

1. He or she is probably trying to finish the text.
2. It will probably just be interpreted as flicking them off

I ride almost strictly in-town, so my first priority is not getting flattened, followed by getting where I need to go in a timely fashion and not hitting any oblivious pedestrians.

I wave to every motorcycle. I have some rules, though: When on my old SV650, I gave a "wave" that was two fingers, spread apart 90 degrees, like the 90 degree v-twin. On my XR, the wave was two fingers close together, like a big single (I figure just one finger could be confused for a middle finger). If I was to buy a triple, three fingers, I think you get the point. Dunno what I'd do if I bought a CBX1000.

The way that I understand the wave is that it is a sign of solidarity. It says to other riders, "I get why you are out on two wheels, and if you have an issue, I am happy to lend a hand". It meant a lot more in the old days when you might be rebuilding a stator on the side in the rain, but I still kinda feel that way. Even in the car, I'll pull over if I see a bike on the side of the road and see if I can help out. I wave at just about everyone, but I think the Ruckus is really cool and I'd rock a Bergman, so I may be the exception.

I generally don't wave at sportbikes though, simply because they are not big wavers themselves. I take no offense, I just think they have a need to keep both hands on the bars! (or clip ons) The last thing you want to do when dragging a knee is to wave at some guy on a cruiser.

Guys on cruisers rarely wave at anyone that's not on a cruiser. I think they're holding on to the ape hangers because they're afraid the vibrations will knock their bike over...

But they always seem to do it when the other rider is in corner entry and downshifting...

When waves are not possible, nodding seems to be an acceptable alternative. This is more common with the sport bike riders, though.

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I hate the bike wave. I'd wave at other Corvettes when I was driving my Corvette and that was fine because I'd maybe see one or two other ones in a day. I pass by dozens of bikes every time I'd ride mine and I've gotten so tired of the wave that I'll just give oncoming bikes a small nod and that's about it.

I don't wave at dope-heads on mopeds.

Most everyone waves back when you are on a 40 year old two-stroke. Except the pirates on their first cruiser, they are to busy looking tough.

Old dudes stop and share memories from the "good old days".

I do a wave whenever possible, it's a show of solidarity. I find most people wave back, unless they are on a Harley. So that shoots down Hess's 'it's OK to wave at a jap bike if they wave first'.

4eyes wrote: I don't wave at dope-heads on mopeds. Most everyone waves back when you are on a 40 year old two-stroke. Except the pirates on their first cruiser, they are to busy looking tough. Old dudes stop and share memories from the "good old days".

That is my experience exactly. My GT380 is a rolling conversation piece.