Interesting fact about getting waved at

[Giddyup109]

I switch back and forth between a full face helmet and a half helmet all the time.....with that being said here is what I've observed.
When I have on my leather vest and half helmet I get waved at by the "other guys" all the time, almost every time actually. When I have on my Joe Rocket jacket and full face helmet that number drops substantially! This is not a speculation, it is a fact. I am wondering if perhaps with the half helmet from a distance I look more like "their kind"? With the full helmet you can almost definetly tell I am not on a HD as very few riders of that brand were those. With the half helmet I get all the waves all the time, guess they can't tell it's a Metric until it's too late? I wonder how many of them wish after I pass they could have their wave back?!
Sent from a Thunderbolt

[Nemo]

I agree. I guess we aren't bada$$ enough....... with full face. If we aren't freezing our face, eating bugs and getting chit in our eyes we are wimps.............. I can live with that LOL

[ekonkjack]

My observations agree with yours. When I wore the short trooper style helmet and black leather jacket, I got many more waves from THEM. For the past three years I have been wearing a full face helmet and when the weather is hot I wear an Element Mesh jacket that is black and silver. Not looking like another member of the "herd" appeals to me so much that I am thinking of getting a different cold weather jacket too. Oh ya, and I don't do "The Wave" either. Just an open palm wave.

[PWRTP]

they can't tell it's a Metric until it's too late? I wonder how many of them wish after I pass they could have their wave back?!

[blacklightning]

I agree and have had the same things happen. I get fewer waves now because I never wear a 1/2 helment any more. Too many accidents (including my own), have happened over the past 2 years to friends of mine. I now always wear a full helment, or atleast a 3/4.
Still get a lot of love from the sport bike crowd.

[KarateMoto]

That's my experience too . . and I ride with the same leather m/c jacket in both cases. I boiled it down to the "helmet du jour" as well.

Sometimes it's fun to wave like Pee Wee Herman . . they don't wave back then either . . . .just sayin'

[Wjduke]

In my experience so far, I get waved back most of the time. They even wave first. The older "tough" guys are the stubborn ones mostly. You know...gray haired, pony tailed, bad ass mustache, scowl on the face looking guys who haven't grown up yet....ya, them....lol

[chef109]

When I went form my 9 to the Concours the waves dropped dramatically. Very few cruiser guys wave at sport bikes and it's not even a full fledged sport bike. Something else I noticed is that since Michigan passed the no helmet law the helmetless guys don't wave at helmet guys much. It's funny how you notice these things.

[Robert May]

I went on vacation last Wednesday on the 9. Went and visited family on the Florida Pan handle and AL coastline. Open face helmet and all on the way over I did not get many wave backs at all on the I-10. I was like this is strange I'm usually tired of waving by the time I get some where but I still do it. When I got along the coastal roads I got many waves. So I wondered to myself I usually don't ride during the weekdays are these guys on the way to work? Is waving a vacation or weekend deal Is it not permitted before 5:00 PM on the weekdays

[stepink104]

well i will be able to sleep at night now............

[She's real fine my 109]

When I was running the 07 with the off road spot lights looking like E.T I got all sorts of waves. Jumped over to my 08 stock nine and lost half the waves. Guess I'm not cool anymore.

[Kands]

When I went form my 9 to the Concours the waves dropped dramatically. Very few cruiser guys wave at sport bikes and it's not even a full fledged sport bike. Something else I noticed is that since Michigan passed the no helmet law the helmetless guys don't wave at helmet guys much. It's funny how you notice these things.

Shoot, Marco, not only will I wave at you, I will even RIDE with you, FYI

[Kands]

well i will be able to sleep at night now............

Kenny, my day kinda sucks today, but after reading your post, I couldn't quit laughing. Hope you are doing well, brother.

[Beedub109R]

Not that I care but, I sport the skull cap on most of my riding. Shut it, It's my choice. But I notice if I am wearing my full face w/ mirrored lense, I only get waves from the kids on the rockets. O well, I'm not out for a glamour contest, I'm out to go too fast, too far, and too often. That's my .02.

[chef109]

Why thank you Scott.
Beedub, I'm with you. You said it just right.

[hunt1moore]

I switch back and forth between a full face helmet and a half helmet all the time.....with that being said here is what I've observed.
When I have on my leather vest and half helmet I get waved at by the "other guys" all the time, almost every time actually. When I have on my Joe Rocket jacket and full face helmet that number drops substantially! This is not a speculation, it is a fact. I am wondering if perhaps with the half helmet from a distance I look more like "their kind"? With the full helmet you can almost definetly tell I am not on a HD as very few riders of that brand were those. With the half helmet I get all the waves all the time, guess they can't tell it's a Metric until it's too late? I wonder how many of them wish after I pass they could have their wave back?!
Sent from a Thunderbolt

If you think that is a factor, try riding scooter! LOL!
My new V-Strom must look like a scooter from approaching vehicles. I can't get a wave unless Barney is coming by on his liquor cykle. LOL!!
Come on....ya'll know what I'm talking about! How many of y'all wave at liquor cykles?

[g9r]

In my daily commutes around my area most bikers wave whether I have my full helmet or 3/4 helmet on. The whole "wave at only a certain type of rider" thing is very childish and pathetic IMO.

If you think that is a factor, try riding scooter! LOL!
My new V-Strom must look like a scooter from approaching vehicles. I can't get a wave unless Barney is coming by on his liquor cykle. LOL!!
Come on....ya'll know what I'm talking about! How many of y'all wave at liquor cykles?

LOL. I did wave at one by mistake. The guy nearly fell over trying to wave back to me.

[blacklightning]

How many of y'all wave at liquor cykles?

I do. Wave at everyone. Sometimes they seem to get a little nervous, but they always give a big wave and grin. Once they get that little thing back under control.
They way I see it, if you are willing to be out there with less than 20 hp under you, and dealing with cagers, I can respect that. Now the bicyclist that break all the rules, they are another story.

[hunt1moore]

I do. Wave at everyone. Sometimes they seem to get a little nervous, but they always give a big wave and grin. Once they get that little thing back under control.
They way I see it, if you are willing to be out there with less than 20 hp under you, and dealing with cagers, I can respect that. Now the bicyclist that break all the rules, they are another story.

That's funny!

[LOFLYR]

I went on vacation last Wednesday on the 9. Went and visited family on the Florida Pan handle and AL coastline. Open face helmet and all on the way over I did not get many wave backs at all on the I-10. I was like this is strange I'm usually tired of waving by the time I get some where but I still do it. When I got along the coastal roads I got many waves. So I wondered to myself I usually don't ride during the weekdays are these guys on the way to work? Is waving a vacation or weekend deal Is it not permitted before 5:00 PM on the weekdays

I don't usually wave on the freeway. Too much going on and usually separated by a median so it is hard to see anyway. I don't get a lot of waves on the freeway and I don't give a lot on the freeway. Highways and such are much different.

[hunt1moore]

In my daily commutes around my area most bikers wave whether I have my full helmet or 3/4 helmet on. The whole "wave at only a certain type of rider" thing is very childish and pathetic IMO.



LOL. I did wave at one by mistake. The guy nearly fell over trying to wave back to me.

Sometimes you have to wait and get close enough to to tell. I think that is one reason I don't get as many waves on my V even though it looks more like a Burgman than a liquor cykle. Most of the scooter boys that I have waved at did not return the gesture leaving me to believe that they really are not enjoying the ride, just getting their ass from one spot to another.

[Big-B]

In my experience so far, I get waved back most of the time. They even wave first. The older "tough" guys are the stubborn ones mostly. You know...gray haired, pony tailed, bad ass mustache, scowl on the face looking guys who haven't grown up yet....ya, them....lol

Careful Wayne, some of us resemble that remark. Don't make me open a can of whoop ass on you

When I was running the 07 with the off road spot lights looking like E.T I got all sorts of waves. Jumped over to my 08 stock nine and lost half the waves. Guess I'm not cool anymore.

Were you ever?

[OldMarine]

Careful Wayne, some of us resemble that remark. Don't make me open a can of whoop ass on you ..

[Wjduke]

" Careful Wayne, some of us resemble that remark. Don't make me open a can of whoop ass on you "

lmao....I didn't even think of you, honest! But, you make a good point!

Bernie, I looked again...you need the gray hair and pony tail yet....

[FL '07 LE]

I went on vacation last Wednesday on the 9. Went and visited family on the Florida Pan handle and AL coastline. Open face helmet and all on the way over I did not get many wave backs at all on the I-10. I was like this is strange I'm usually tired of waving by the time I get some where but I still do it. When I got along the coastal roads I got many waves. So I wondered to myself I usually don't ride during the weekdays are these guys on the way to work? Is waving a vacation or weekend deal Is it not permitted before 5:00 PM on the weekdays

Good point you have here. Maybe guys on their way to work don't feel like waving. Been a few years since I road to work since I only live 1 1/2 miles from work so its not worth getting the bike out to ride to work. Waving might be more of a weekend thing too.

[stepink104]

Kenny, my day kinda sucks today, but after reading your post, I couldn't quit laughing. Hope you are doing well, brother.

hey Scott all is good......gotta talk soon.............but now i will try to sleep...

[fatboy99]

The wave is overrated.

[Fatdaddy]

I switch back and forth between a full face helmet and a half helmet all the time.....with that being said here is what I've observed.
When I have on my leather vest and half helmet I get waved at by the "other guys" all the time, almost every time actually. When I have on my Joe Rocket jacket and full face helmet that number drops substantially! This is not a speculation, it is a fact. I am wondering if perhaps with the half helmet from a distance I look more like "their kind"? With the full helmet you can almost definetly tell I am not on a HD as very few riders of that brand were those. With the half helmet I get all the waves all the time, guess they can't tell it's a Metric until it's too late? I wonder how many of them wish after I pass they could have their wave back?!
Sent from a Thunderbolt

Yep , I noticed the same thing !

[BamBam]

Sometimes it's fun to wave like Pee Wee Herman . . they don't wave back then either . . . .just sayin'

Nice visual image. LOL

[TRod]

If I saw Giddy coming down the road, regardless of his jacket/helmet combo, my first thought would be, "Hey, here comes an orangutan humping a football."

I probably wouldn't wave. Afraid a sudden movement might cause him to attack.