Biker's Nod
 

I got sidetracked on my way to Brent Cross a few weeks ago, and landed up in the Yorkshire dales. (I usually only EVER go as far north as Brent Cross, cos there's an Ikea)

The only way I could tell I wasn't in the South East anymore, was because none of the bikers bothered to nod. (and ofcourse - I couldn't find a Starbucks anywhere)

I was wondering whether this is because northern bikers

a) have never seen a girl biker on a supermoto that far north, and forgot to nod / greet out of astonishment or
b) they are all new bikers, who don't know about nodding / greeting, cos it doesn't come in the owners manual when you buy a new bike. (but then there must be many new bikers in the south too?)

See, I only learnt about the MOST WONDERFUL custom of BRITISH bikers nodding in acknoweldgement/greeting at each other, because I hung out with very, very old bikers (like in their 40s!!). Maybe its something that has to be handed down from the older generation to the new and this simply doesn't happen in the North?

Do you think we can ask someone to make it part of the highway code?

Nah , they can sense you're just another poncey southerner .

Got to be the first option, I reckon - I'm from Yorkshire originally, live in Newcastle now, and I nod to pretty much any bike going the other way. Exceptions are as I'm leaving IKEA, in case the movement of my head makes me any more noticeable, and somebody I know sees me leaving that :censored: place :innocent:

We always wave, as do the riders here in France.
I remember some one telling me in a cafe once that one of our group had a brother aged 23. I just could not understand how someone that old could still be riding a bike.
This was a while ago. It was when I first had my brand new 1961 Triumph 500 Speed Twin :)
and the brother was riding a 500 Velocette Mss.
Sadly now of the eight of us that evening, only I and the brother are still alive and close friends. ( he is currently looking for a Ducati )

To ignore is unacceptable.

To nod is lazy.

To wave is cool.

There is also a foot wave, can be used when being overtaken when driving on the left, or whilst overtaking on the continent.

What is IKEA, do they sell chimneys in Croydon?

Alec.

ps : If I ignore you on the road, I will be too busy watching crumpet on motorcycles|

wave,
 

i wave/nod/foot-wave whatever all of the time to everyone. i ride all year round but i use my scooter for work and nipping here and there. when i'm on the said scooter people dont wave/nod or acknowledge me. strange as i'm the same idiot on my AT or my scooter!
girl's on bike's:innocent::innocent::innocent:
sorry i meant to wave :wave:

Strange custom
 

Yes I noticed this in Germany maybe 8 yrs back now, people nodding, waving and throwing their foot off the peg after they passed you on their shiny sports bikes. I did notice though that if you ever approach these guys in their cafe's where they drink their Latte's they will not acknowledge you or give you the time of day!!

So since then I don't nod or wave to other riders unless they are travelers!

What do you mean "very, very old bikers (like in their 40s!!)." !!!!! I am sure you meant to say very, very experienced and wise bikers, didn't you.

Interesting, here in Brittany no-one waves. At low speeds in town it's the nod, and on the open road it's the waggly foot. I like though how the waggly foot also appears if you're in a car and you pull over to let a biker past on the RNs (the biker waggles his foot, not me out of the car window).

I always wave, nod or wave with both hands (look mum, no hands!). I do this to anything with 2 wheels. Most people round here nod, you must just be too darn quick for them to respond in time!

I have noticed that if I nod or wave at bikers on my pizza bike a lot of them don't respond (presumably out of arrogance), same as on my bike a lot of kids on scooters dont respond (presumably because they don't know how to be polite). I think that anyone that has been properly bitten by the bug will wave because they are stoked to see other people on bikes - has always been that way for me.

Getting blanked 'cos I'm on a 50cc is very annoying - they might not have any power but on the tight twisting circuits of Sheffield they are faster than any larger bike - example - during a four hour shift three days ago (great conditions) I managed to scrape the centrestand about 10 times. If you rode a motorbike like that in town you would get arrested in a flash, (but as the mopeds are restricted to 30mph the cops can't get a conviction for much so they just give me 'warnings'.....). If you have to ride in a city you can't beat them for thrills and spills, so next time you see a pizza bike remember that the 'L-Plate' is on the bike not the rider and give them a nod!

Leicestershire nodder
 

I am an avid nodder, everyone gets a nod as far as im concerned, who cares whats someones riding, I nod at coppers too and they normally nod back.

I think there are a lot of fashion bikers out there with little or no idea of what biking is all about.

Are we not one big community were you helping someone out this time may well mean you are not stranded next time.

If I am in the car I still check people are ok if they give the thumbs up I carry on but if not I stop.

It can sometimes mean that a biker can stay with there pride and joy and I will go off and get some fuel for them.

Its frustrating when bikers dont nod back but then leave them to it perhaps we should have a hubbers signal, any ideas ?

:mchappy:

i find the most nod free lot are the hardly worthitson riders :innocent:

Lancashire Lad In Saudi
 

I nod if the other rider is near enough or wave if they are several lanes apart but I have found that in Saudi when I had a 650 Burgman scooter, bikers ignored me and Harley riders still ignore me on my V-Strom.
Get this, I stopped on the road when I saw a biker stood by his Harley and I asked if he needed any help, he took a step back and said no despite the oil leaking from his engine so I said OK and went on my way. I had to come back down the same road two hours later and the bike was still there with the rider sat under a tree. I waved and kept going.
Cheers
Ian:thumbup1:

camaraderie
 

The nod is a great sign of camaraderie, I did not realise about the nod until I bought the bike last year after ten years without one. I thought this is great, other bikers nod or wave at me all of time. Since then I have got into the swing of things and stop if i see a biker on the side of the road etc.

I think the world is a better place with the camaraderie of bikers.

If I am riding through Swansea now I will nod to every scooter just in case it is Kevin Hancock 750 !!!!

We should have a HUBBER wave like the freemason handshake but without wiggling your little finger.

I suggest making a circular motion with your hand, just like Obi Wan Kenobi in the star wars bar, ' these are not the bikers you looking for ' :thumbup1:


One motto for the nod / wave / footwave is always to treat others like you would like to be treated yourself.

:clap:

I''ll nod or wave to anyone on any sort of bike, if the miserable ****ers don't want to wave/nod back thats thier problem. Doesn't hurt to be polite or friendly!

I absolutely agree...
:thumbup1:

Many years ago a mate of mine had a Reliant Robin.
They used to wave at each other as well.:tongue_smilie:

I'll let that pass since I guess you don't know any better.

I used to have a 2Cv and all 2CV drivers wave. Then I sold it and still waved and used to get very odd looks.

I'm sure it doesn't apply to you (having seen some evidence of your misdeeds!), but I am afraid that a lot of bikers that don't seem to fully 'get it' like to buy harleys(new ultraglide type things). There is undoubtedly an element of form over function to them and generally they don't handle or perform as well as they should for the price tag they carry new (I've had a fair few parts chromed and it doesn't cost much more than paint or powder coat). That said if I had the money I'd buy one purely for the noise they make! Maybe if harley had branded Buell as harleys then people wouldn't make the same instant judgement on the name....

The same generalised judgment concept applies to me in that I should remember that a lot of Pizza hut riders have very little or no experience and if you saw one diving into a corner hard then you could be forgiven for thinking that it was a near crash. As the police forgive me then I forgive those that have complained against me.

Here ( deux sevres) the wave is left arm out, elbow bent like a half concealed left turn signal.. done when two rider approach each other head one. The right foot 'wave' is a 'thank you for letting me pass' signal and is given to bike or cars or anything else.
a waving down when meeting head on means police ahead ( sometimes accompanied with flashing lights. Cars of course will give teh flashing lights only.

What you will notice ( or at least I have) is there is no confrontation between bikes and other traffic unlike in teh UK.

Generally small bikes seem exempt from all of this.

I drive a Lada Samara. Nobody nods. They just point.:(

Living in the west country as you do a lot of them might be pointing because its a car!http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ons/icon10.gif

Baaaa!
 

You find a lot o folk up ere int' Dales nod at sheep an' all

You are my hero!
 

Hey Henry!

I LOVED reading this --- you are, by unanimous decision, the XT Girl's "Hero of the Month"!!

PLEASE, PLEASE get yourself a copy of Valentino Rossi's (auto?)BIOGRAPHY - because its HILARIOUS --- and you will see, that you are OBVIOUSLY well on your way to becoming a GP WORLD CHAMPION MOTORCYCLE GOD LEGEND with the training you're getting right now.

Vali famously said that his ALL TIME BIKING heroes, were the pizza delivery guys, who ride like demons on cobbled streets, in the middle of winter, at night, and handle those bikes, better than he could. (he said!)

Rossi spent ALL OF HIS YOUTH hooliganing (a technical term) around on scooters.

SO -- we DEFINITELY do not diss anyone on a scooter/small bike around here...

HOWEVER - I DO BELIEVE that the young guys just don't KNOW the custom... trust me, I try every now and again to nod - and all I get is WIDE EYED CONFUSION... :clap:

I feel your pain, man! I am constantly being yelled at, when I'm a passenger in a car, cos I forget you can't just filter down the middle. "But it is such a HUGE GAP!!!"

Harley Nods...
 

HARLEY RIDERS:

Now thats interesting - because I WAS going to say, that Harley riders are almost always the exception: THEY ALWAYS NOD BACK!

EVEN, when I'm on my "poncy, carbon fibre, matt black, city girl, crotch rocket" Duke.

And - most often - they INSTIGATE the nod, or foot or wave whatever.

AAAAANNNNDDD --- in my experience, whenever I am stranded [THIS IS A FAR MORE REGULAR EXPERIENCE THAN MOST, USUALLY BECAUSE I FORGET TO PUT FUEL IN MY BIKE, OR IMPORTANT BITS FALL OFF, COS I FORGOT TO BOLT THEM BACK ON]the FIRST guys to stop, are ALMOST ALWAYS on Harleys/Cruisers/Big Shiny Things.


Don't hate me (harley) guys -- but I've always thought its cos they're kind of usually going SLOWER than the other bikers.. you know - just cruizzzing along, waving and nodding... with their big beards and bellies, just like lovely SANTA CLAUSES of the road, looking out for good deeds to do.

(ok.. maybe you can hate me a little... : )

Ha ha, hero of the month eh? Will run off to pop my cape on....

harley and ducati riders are indeed normally good for tools (wonder why?). Classic bike riders are the same but the tools are the wrong bloody size.....

It is true that a lot of Harley riders can be "cliquey" one even told me off the other week for spotting that I had Triumph on the buttons of my jacket. Good job he didn't see that I was riding a Virago that day! But most are just ordinary bikers often with a second or third bike of a different make as well. For each polished and chrome beauty which only gets its annual ride to the local toy run and MOT once a year there are dozens which cover vast mileages in all weathers all over Europe and beyond. It would be easy to generalize about BMW riders as well. How many GS's are bought as the latest fashion accessory to sit in the garage as an ornament?
i probably am one of the slower riders on the road. I learned a while ago it's the best way to keep my licence in this day and age and myself in one piece.
I always nod at other bikers, but there's an art to it. If you think he's a snob that's not going to nod back then you have to do it imperceptibly so you can kid yourself you didn't really mean it.

Yes ,they have some kind of belief that they're more serious bikers than the rest. It's a hand-me - down view from the "Filthy Few" and the "1% ers". A bit adolescent really. Theyre not worth bothering about. I know riders who will never stop to help them when their fashion accessories have a problem by the road. Even then, some people have done big (RTW) trips on these machines.

I find that the French are the most wavy/friendly, and the Germans seem surprised sometimes if you wave..they dont seem to expect it. Moroccan kids wave like mad from the roadside - they seem to imagine we're all Paris/Dakar.

After the 1000 aside battles on Brighton beach between Mods and Rockers, there is still the habit not to wave at scooters. A folk memory!

I'd say too that a nod of the head isnt always easy to see, or a wiggle of a few fingers.

Most Harley riders are good guys .
 

I stopped the other day to pull something out of my tank bag and a fella on a Harley Road King pulled up to see if I was OK , a couple of days before I was filling the tank at a gas station and 3 guys rode in on new 1200 GS's [with brand new BMW Rallye 2 clown suits] and they steadfastly ignored me when I raised my hand to say Hi .

I always wave to bikers on the road and I reckon about 95% wave back .

Good thread this one. I too have been trying to work out who does and who doesn't and I'm not sure it's geographical or bike related. There are simply just too many miserable buggers in the UK.

I think more leg waving and thumbs ups (one hand only) are needed particularly for the bikes you really like. The nod is too British, too reserved, too subtle.

We should have a HUBBER wave like the freemason handshake but without wiggling your little finger.

I suggest making a circular motion with your hand, just like Obi Wan Kenobi in the star wars bar, ' these are not the bikers you looking for ' :thumbup1:


One motto for the nod / wave / footwave is always to treat others like you would like to be treated yourself.

:clap:[/QUOTE]

My god,

Your beginning to sound like this is a bloody movie like " Wild Hogs"!! And you all know how pathetic that was!!!

Please don't expect me to nod or foot wave but I will help if you on the side of the road and have a beer with you in the pub! Just stay out of the Latte scene!

Cheers

LATTE !!!!!

I will have a cappucino any day thank you very much....


I will still nod / wave / move foot etc to anyone on a bike.


:nono:

No chance! I set off at the start of the year to test the theory that BMW and Harley riders never wave or nod. It just isn't true. Now the guy on the 2 week old GS1200 hanging on for dear life because the ****** thing is too big but still desperate to be like Ewan or Charlie is unlikely to wave, as is the Dentist on the Harley who'll only wave to people who earn more than he does. However, the same GS or UltraHeavyGlide might be ridden by the bloke you saw yesterday on the battered MZ who will wave.

The only part of my theory that works anything like is that waving and nodding as a proportion increases in the winter. Once all the weekend warriors are off the scene more real bikers are left who'll acknowledge you.

The Dales are a magnet for the "my 1900cc 2008 Yamazuki is 3 grammes lighter than your 2007 (even though my race leathers are reinforced to keep the pies in)" Brigade, so you will find a more odd stares and looks away that decent waves I'm afraid. We all nod in Leeds.

Sidecarists will of course give you a massive wave :clap:

Andy

"(even though my race leathers are reinforced to keep the pies in)"

Pies or piles?

waving
 

Hi, in my corner of the U.S. the wave is the way.Low hand beneath the plane of the bars if you're cool,above if you're enthusiastic. Nods seemto be reserved for in corner passing or in town when the wave seems a little over the top.
I reserve the foot action to point out splattered animals or other on the road debris to those following me.Or to signal I'm entering the pits on my rare race days.
Non wavers I put in differant catagories,numb-nut elitest be they BMW,Hog or fake hog riders along with some pubesant sport bikers who think its about chillin'.

Try Freebird then :rockon:

J

Dividing up the bikers
 

I'd never really noticed all the subdivisions in biker before, but this thread set me watching them all today as they rolled into the local biker spot.

The Harley riders are all in denim, they're usually in their fifties and all seem to have attracted trophy blondes (is it the throbbing). They hang round together and definately don't talk to the ...

Goldwing riders who are about the same age, but still married and wear matching flip fronts and black fabric jackets, the wives won't let them talk to the Harley riders, but they're allowed with close supervision to talk to the...

Supertourists, who seem to ride solo but with significant others on their own smaller engined bikes, they're in touring gear and in their 30's to 40's. But the male of the species isn't certain about talking to the Goldwingers as they're worried that's what they'll become. They will talk to the Harley riders, but ...

.......No-one talks to the sportsbikers, because they're leathers are covered in neon vomit.

I was on a 125 Derbi Terra so of course everyone talked to me (I think it was my helmet).

Been out today. Out of about 20 bikes coming towards me, 3 nodded or waved before me or at the same time. About 6 acknowledged me back and the rest didn't including 1 Harley rider riding a similar bike to mine!
I don't think it's anything to do with the kind of bike you ride or where you are. Just like some people shake hands when you meet or always say hello when they enter a room or office, others don't.
I do agree with the comment above about bikers being more friendly in the winter though. Kindred spirits easily recognized when you're both riding in sub-zero temperatures.

I was out today, I was impressed most people waved/nodded back there was a couple on big sports bikes that didnt but then perhaps they are still learning how to ride and find it all a struggle. Dont get me wrong on this comment Ive nothing against Sports Bikes its just that the seem to attract some dumb riders who think that you can go out and buy a 1000cc bike to learn on. Previous expirience was sitting behind the car in fronts bumper in lane 3 of the M1 and then wondering why they crashed.

A few random ruminations on nodding etc
 

When I was riding the periphique a couple of years ago I nearly fell off when a lady of maturity and experience (even more so than I!) passed me (I ride like an old woman for the first day or two on the "wrong" side of the road) and shook her leg, complete with sensible shoes and thick stockings, at me.

I'll nod to anyone, and if they don't nod back, so what?

Last spring we were in East Anglia on the first (and last) day of decent weather. Mrs MarkE thought I'd developed Tourettes.

There's I guy I see several times a week on my current commute and he always gives a good clear wave, with his arm well above the touring fairing. I tend to prefer nodding in the UK as you can't always see my left hand through the fairing, but his answer works better, if you're extrovert enough.

On the Harley/cruiser thing; I used to commute to Milton Keynes and every day I saw a guy on a Drag Star. When I was in the car because it was a bit chilly or wet or whatever, I'd see him go past in the opposite direction. Even the snow that brought the country to a stop for two days didn't stop him. Mind you he didn't stop when my Trophy died on the way home one day.

For the first little while after I passed my test I was so enamoured with the wave/nod thing that I waved like a hyperactive child at everyone I saw on two wheels. (Got some funny looks from people on bicycles). When people; usually guys on Harleys (sorry Harleyrider-just my experience! I know you're not like that!) or BMW 1200GSs; didn't return the courtesy I got quite offended. However, I have worked out the best way to remain freindly and yet unoffended. Wave at everyone except guys on Harleys and BMW 1200GSs. Of course, if Mr. Davidson or Obergruppenfeurer 1200 wave first, then return the wave and grin to encourage them to continue to do so in the future!

In my experience old guys on old bikes wave the most.

Matt :)

Now why do i think you are talking about me? :clap:

Andy

I loved my stripped-down Lambretta. No fairings. No helmet. The wind in me mullet.:scooter:

I`ve been away from bikes for nearly 8 years. Now back in the saddle I`ve noticed very little nodding go on.
But people on similar type bikes have nodded and a old boy on a harley, But sportys must think i`m Churchill :cool4:

It is a strange concept the bikers nod, I have been doing it since 1980 when I was riding my Honda SS50 and still do it now on my Morini special or Yamaha Tmax. As has already been commented on there are some strange situations where what you are riding will get different responses. I find in the main classic british bike riders do not nod or wave, sports bike riders tend not to unless they mistake my tmax headlights for an R6!, custom bikers particularly choppers and most harley riders nod, strangely people riding in shorts and t-shirts never respond??. I nod everyone regardless and have stopped caring if I get a response or not as there can be many reasons.

ps XTGIRL hope you got back from the hubb meet at ripley, let me know what was up with the Tenere. We got back ok apart from my sons Serow suffering a puncture.

Regards

Robin

Sorry mate, I didn't see you......
 

Got to admit I'm sometimes guilty of not nodding, but only on motorways when I'm overtaking, and concentrating more on what the dithering, flat capped, Volvo/Qualcast driving idiot in front of me is doing, than on the biker on the other carriageway.
I've found Cruiser riders to be quite frequent nodders, as are Sportsbike riders. But Harley riders? I might as well be invisible.........

Used to get the same thing when I had an old Mini.

I think you seem to get more bikers waving at you in winter as there's a kind of mutual respect that neither one of you is a sunny, summer weekend-only rider. My boss has a cleaner than clean GSXR750 and I ride more miles in December alone than he does all year.

As for scooter riders, I think the majority of us view them as being mostly 16-year-old kids who will lose interest in bikes as soon as they get a car licence, so they're not worth bothering with. The way some of them ride doesn't help and I'll admit that I don't nod or wave to them unless they do so first.

However, I do think there's camaraderie no matter what you ride. For example, on my ride home from work today, I was behind a car tailgating a girl on a 125 cruiser of some kind, complete with L-plates. I don't like seeing "one of the family" being hassled by a cager so I cut in and forced him to back off and I'd do the same for a scooter rider. Hopefully, most people here would do the same regardless of bike or level of experience.

Just did some more research on the nodding. 500 miles me lots of nodding.

I reckon about a third nodded back.

There didnt seem to be any stereotypical non nodder and if the passing bike was with pillion there was a higher percentage of return nods. I tried the leg kick but I think it looked like I was slipping of the pegs !

Back in the day when I was an overpaid flash ********, I had a BMW with a cruise control/throttle lock. Must have caused a few crashes by waving with the right hand as I passed at highly illegal speeds and the wave recipiant went into rubberkneck mode :nono:

Andy

Being a 125 motorcyclist on L plates, I tend to nod at any type of biker, get nods back from >25%. Was shadowed home by some type of Honda tourer a week back, with pillion. He gave me lots of space and smiles and made me feel like I was on a test! Although Iv never felt comfortable filtering with company, tend to avoid that all together.

Interestingly I was riding 'easy rider' style a few days back with a motorcycle paramedic who appeared to be transporting organs! Although understandably they didn't stick around for long!

WHAT?? How do you get an organ on a bike, I mean, all those pipes and keyboards and....

Oh I see, I'll just go nod here on my own.

theres always one....
 

..joker amongst the group! was a cool looking bike though, very impressed with his/her luggage storage capacity - was like a little village on the back. the flashing blues were disconcerting to say the least when I first noticed them though...:eek3:

in response to the original post...

you need to look at a map girl, 'northern' for BRITISH bikers is some-way upwards of yorkshire. and it's laughable that london is more bike-sociable than other parts of the UK. it has to be the most fashion-led biking place I've experienced. no surprise supermoto's turn heads, and with a girl on top... how cool!

I would agree with others that there's definitely a subconscious assessment of the bike coming towards you. there was a drive in the UK about 4 or 5 years ago to 'make biking more acceptable'. we seem to be reaping the benefits of 'my other car is a GS/Harley/Gixer Thou' now.

as motorbiking is becoming more mainstream in the UK, the camaraderie you are looking for is becoming rarer. you do tend to see it (as has been said) in the winter, on rainy or windy days or late at night.

if you ride 'north' during november, I bet your nod-rate is much increased.

Hey hey, I started reading this thread earlier before I went out to Shoreditch (to look for my new DR-Z) from down here in SE London. I hate being a stereo-typist (and I'm not talking about having my headphones on whilst I write)... but I didn't get any response all day. I always without doubt nod, even if I'm leaning right over taking a bend and see an on-coming bike. I nod. Anyhow, I narrowed the bikers down to being arrogant culture-less couriers and nervous and scared fair-weathered bikers enjoying the 2 days of sunshine that England has to offer them to ride the streets of London.

Thinking about how it was overseas, I think riding on the right makes it easier to wave since your left is more visible to them. Also, being out of the hustle and bustle of the city gives you more time, space and freedom to wave.

AnyhooOOoos, I disagree with you XTGIRL, I find the bikers out of London are friendlier, but that's probably just my perception and experience.

Cheers!

I've never ridden a bike in London and have no wish to. What I have found with car drivers in the South and especially London is a complete lack of any kind of courtesy. This is, IMHO, progressively noticeable once you get south of York. At the risk of tarring everybody with the same brush, I don't see why anyone would think bikers are any different. In mainland Europe, I've been completely blanked by southerners when I've spoken to them at fuel stops, never mind getting a wave.

Scotland is much better. They've even got BMW drivers who've figured out what the indicator stalk is for and will even let you out at junctions.

BTW, "up norf" doesn't start at Watford Gap services.

Where is "North"?
 

A friend who moved to Hayling Island told me "oop north" started at the mainland for him. My Sicilian first wife thought Rome was the boundary. I guess it is all relative.

With a daughter living there I regularly ride in London (too tight to pay the congestion charge) but can't claim it's a pleasure. I try to persuade myself the proportion of idiots is no higher than anywhere else, it's just they're more obvious when its so crowded. I prefer riding in the North West, but Manchester is not always better than London. Maybe it's just a city thing? I have had drivers pull over to stop me filtering past in London, Manchester and Liverpool, and other drivers have pulled over to let me through in the same cities. I know I'm less courteous than I would like in heavy traffic because I'm too busy not getting lost/ run over/ nicked or whatever in the crowds to pay you as much attention as I would otherwise.

Ooop North starts where you can get 100 miles in before breakfast and the breakfast is actually nice to eat (excludes Watford Gap), costs under a tenner (still excludes Watford Gap), contains more Black pudding and less beans/no nasty manufactured potatoey things and comes with a pot of tea that doesn't taste like it was made with socks (definately excludes WG). Now I realise this makes certain area's of East London at certain times of day theoretically part of the North, but i'm sure they'd rather have that than Croissants at fifteen quid a pop :offtopic:

Andy

Ha ha, check out Roy Harpers Watford Gap song, a plate of grease and a load of crap.

Funnily I am just off for mine now hope I survive the morning. :scooter:

The "V"(ictory?) - aka nodding in Spain...
 

Well, if you're ever in Spain and you see someone giving you the "V" (palm forward of course, not the other one), that's the Spanish equivalent of the nod/wave. So no, it has nothing to do with the latest football match :tongue3:

And here, well, I happen to commute to work along a biker-magnet road (great winding road through a gorge with nearly pristine tarmac), and of course run into all kinds of bikes (and riders) there. Harleys (particularly if in a group) NEVER "V"/wave/nod back (I always do so, even at them), trail bikes & tourers nearly always do, sport bikes are usually too busy trying to hang as far over the white line as they can to see if they can get their head stuck in the grill of an oncomming truck to be able to wave/whatever. Only time one of them signalled in any way at me was by repeatedly flashing his lights and pointing behind him... I just waved back at him (rather idiotically in retrospect)... turned out there were cops down the road (not that I care as I never speed anyways). Explains why he looked so confused at me when I just smiled, nodded and "V"-ed him...

And no, I don't wave to 50cc's.. around here if I did I might as well just keep my left hand up the whole way from my house to work and back, or end up looking like one of those stupid bobbing-head doggies some people have in their cars. Unless they wave at me first (which usually means they're not actually 50cc bikes, but just look like it). :oops2:

Oh yeah, maxi-scooters just look real confused whenever I "V" them... which makes it all the more fun to make sure I do it real obviously
Then again, I reckon half the people that don't wave at me (at least in the summer) is cos I'm in a t-shirt & jeans and have a messenger bag slung over me... :biggrin:

stop and meet people:clap:
eat and drink with thembeer
visit places together THEN wave them goodbie

What for do you want to nod/wave/shoe your boot to a bike going the other way if not stoppin? just cuz you ride a bike too? d'uh.....:thumbdown:

European Wave
 

Hi

Just returned from touring the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. Below you will see an entry that I put on a travel blog regarding this very same subject. I found that, where I went, every one on a bike will wave at you, not the scooters (brommers).

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Not to be confused with the Mexican Wave, but just as enthusiastic, the European motorbike wave is something very different. I Australia, when bikes pass each other, there is a simple nod of the head or a lift of a finger. Here the acknowledgement of another bike is as though you are long lost friends. There is such enthusiasm put into the wave that I am sure that some people may have fallen off while completing the action. I first experienced this phenomenon while taking some bikes for a test ride. Once I thought that the other rider was trying to alert me to a problem with the bike, but no, he was just saying hello.
The biking fraternity is a very special one and I am pleased to be a part of it. Now in another country, and on another Continent.
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Marty

I'm in the same boat, little 125, 6 foot guy looking a bit silly. It is still awesome to get a nod and certainly makes you feel welcome on the road, rather than the idiot that insists on sitting up your exhaust.

I must admit that on the south coast everyone seems lovely and friendly.

Now I'm in London no-one ever nods at me, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm doing it wrong, can someone make a video guide to nodding?

it's difficult in the big cities Alexlebrit, I mean, having to ride a bike AND nod the head at the same time...

nodding
 

well ,i,m now 61 and still nod,after tea its usually nodding off for an hour,
i have ridden bikes all my driving life and still do,riding a honda ntv at the moment,i must admit that when you meet a line of bikers coming the other way,it gets a bit boring nodding to all of them, i went to the states with my son this year and we hired a pair of harley 883,s for 2 weeks and did 2800 miles,every harley rider we met on the other side of the road greets you with a low passing wave at the side of the bike,it,s real friendly,
we went to the laughlin river rally and by hell, there were many thousands of bikes there,and very few didnt give us the low passing wave.i would advise anyone hiring a harley not to do what i did,i am 16 stone and believe me ,riding an 883 on their roads for that mileage is pretty mean,
my son is only 10 stone and 22 and it didnt bother him,anyway, to the motel owner in kingman who is now a pillow short,which i borrowed to sit on, my sincere apologies,but it saved my arse and back,beer

Absolutely correct!We used to called them "yogurt Becher" riders.Snobs.....

I commute on a 150 scooter, in 10,000 + km I have only ever had one nod.
From a fully kitted out R1200 gs rider at the lights about a week ago.
Who said BMW riders are not down to earth people :-)

I ride a 50 for work and have been doggedly trying to persuade other bikers to nod at little bikes by frantically waving at everyone - with some success.

The thing I found really works for getting 'respect' from sportsbike riders on a scooter is to completely thrash them in the bends. the look on someones face when a pizza moped has just passed them with a peg scraping is priceless!

I always nod / wave (depending on the country), and invariably get the same back (but not always - miserable sods!).

I try to nod to scooterists, but they just seem confused by this; perhaps someone should tell them about the two-wheeled bond of friendship, as it were?! bier

I think it's a good thing to say 'hello' in some way. With many other road users trying to kill us on a regular basis (at least where I ride!), it's good to have a bit of solidarity . . . .

-If I'm out for a short joyride I will wave to most.
-If I am travelling I will only wave to similar bikes as my airhead or KLR, though may only nod as waving gets annoying after the first few hundred miles.
-Don't care if it's a 50cc, or 1600cc I'll acknowledge.

My only exception to the rule is;

-If they have an ADV sticker, or look to be an ADVrider with the perfect r1200gs/Ktm990 and new gear I will look away without any acknowledgement.

Well I saw you but that IKEA bag hanging over the handlebar made me hang a quick right.

My pillion is my girlfriend, Jannie. If she had seen that bag she would have made me pull over and she would have discussed the entire IKEA catalogue with you.

If they ever release a V8 bike called the IKEA, I know for sure I can have one. In fact she would force me to have one.

If you were a regular biker without the bag, I would have waved, I always do.

Steve

That idea deserves a thread all to itself. Will you have to pick out the bike then walk up and down aisles and aisles in the showroom that sell cars and trucks and lawnmowers and some sort of snack food? Will you have to load a box the size of the bike, but only containing 99% of the parts in alphabetically sorted bubble packs into your car, take it home and build it yourself?

At least once you've got it up and running the tool kit of one odd sized Allen key and the heal off someones oldest pair of stilettoes will be light!

Andy
(who once caused a crash by waving to the Pizza delivery kid while riding an outfit!)

Take the gap man
 

You obviously don't live in Arabia where they often make a new lane.

But the bikes often nod, even the HD crowd, as there ar so few bikers.