We need a waving thread, for mature riders, not those crybabies on KB. I don't care about waving - I don't get warm fuzzies just for being part of the motorcycling community, I don't stop at the Kaiaua fish and chip shop and give everyone a hug just because they are out on a motorcycle the same day as me. But I wave, and nod as the mood takes me. Nearly everyday on the way to work I pass Chris the panelbeater coming the otherway on his way to work on his VMax, and we always wave. Today at about the place we cross paths I see an old bike, rider wearing dark clothes coming the other way and give a wave.... But no wave back, and as the bike passes I see it's an Airhead. On the way home, same thing, no wave. This is not the first time an Airhead hasn't acknowledged me - am I doing it wrong? Should I be an aloof BMW rider and distain from such activities....or can they tell it's just an R65 from that distance ?
Don't feel bad ... I would wave to you.
Usually it is the Harley riders who don't wave back.
I would wave too mate :-), if it's any consolation i was out and about on the TS the othr day, waved at a fellow biker and i think he almost fell off trying to look the other way
The sportsbike riders are funny -'' I wave to everyone, except scooters. '' When I got the R65 it had an S fairing and low narrow bars. After years of ADV bikes where sportsbike riders took no notice of me, all of a sudden every bike on the road was waving at me....then I took that stuff off and fitted my dirttrack bars - no more waves. I couldn't care less, and prefer to wave only to people I know.
Last year I used both a scooter and an R65 to commute on, I'd get waved at on the R65 but not the scooter, since then I don't bother much. I save my waves for classic bikes but you have to be careful than your not waving at a made in Thailand Triumph or a Kawatriumph. As for Harleys, who gives a toss about those wannabes.
So it's not an R65 thing, they can't really tell I'm on a girls bike ?
Probably the corporate types who ride these new fangled BMWs don't recognise our treasures as being BMWs or it is embarrassing to wave at the poor plebs who ride them. Drivers of older Porsches realise that drivers of new Porsches can't wave or talk to them.
For me, riding on the left side of the road is a real problem for waving to other m/cyclists... why?... I learnt riding in EU on the right hand side of the road - and this makes it soo easy to just let go of your left handlebar grip and extend your arm towards the middle of the road without having to pay any extra attention to the oncoming rider. You can extend your hand in this way easily even in the corners and at very high speeds. And everyone does it in this same way. It's a very visible way of acknowledging each other and riders do it even on the m/way (at 150kmph) or on tight corners. It's quite cool Here I've seen riders do various things - make a nod with the head, or rise a finger or two off the throttle (right) side, or wave with the left arm (which can be quite out of your line of sight). So, it's all very confusing for me. So I don't bother doing anything. But then if I catch the oncoming rider signal me in some way I often have no time to respond but feel guilty for not doing it...
I forgot to say... I don't ride an airhead
Motu, the fact that you are riding an R65 is not the problem. The issue is that your bike has an insufficient number of rear shock absorbers . . .
i have fooled a few bikes in my time when I get a way on the scooter but I am the middle of no where normally when this happens I think they see a single headlight and presume its a bike lift there hand and then realize but its too late
The scooter thing is really weird, on the main forum in the many waving threads they all say they wave to every bike....except scooters. What is it about scooters that gets them so upset that their all encompassing love of motorcycles excludes this form of powered two wheel vehicle ? It's enough to influence other riders never to go down that road....unfortunately I find scooters just as much fun as any other bike, and if I see one on my back road rambles, they certainly get a wave.
Its the 50cc POS scooters that you can ride on a car licence, they hold up the traffic as they are so slow, then they waddle up to the front of the queue and do it all again. Burn them. Proper scooters on the other hand are fun, however as a bike rider you can't take the risk of waving to a commuter scooter.
Even if they have a short skirt and halter top ?
