From my own personal experience: Rules of Scooter Waving

From my own personal experience I have adopted the following:

Rules of Scooter Waving

1. Don’t wave at everyone. . . jeez what a dork!

2. Pay attention to technique. . . how many times are you gonna hit that mirror?

3. If a biker doesn’t wave back pretend your swatting flies or adjust your helmet.

4. Someone will always wave at you when you are in the middle of a shift.

5. Don’t waist your time on Ninja Bikers. . . hey they are on a mission.

6. When a whole squadron of roaring HDs approaches go ahead and wave, they are going to be laughing their asses off anyway.

7. No response from that hardcore biker? Hey if you wanted respect from the Brotherhood of Bikers you should have bought a real cycle!

8. 49cc Female, they won’t wave. They are either holding on for dear life or out drying the polish on their toenails.

9. 49cc Male, Don’t wave at them, heck if they wanted respect they should have gotten a real scooter!

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American, n.

A person of European descent with their head up their ass.

from The Devil's Dictionary

LOL - Nice

I have noticed that around KC, EVERYONE waves except the following:

Crotch Rocket groups who wear shorts and t's (well-geared riders wave even in groups)
Poorly geared scooter riders who appear scared (female and male - but male more often)

And BTW the wave is a low (below shoulder level), left-hand only "cool" wave.

Best waves: sub-5-yr-olds - they are in awe, even of the Chetak - especially with my white jacket and ff helmet with gold mirroring ("mommy, I just saw a storm trooper")

Sometimes at stops and between shifts I only get a head nod, which is as cool as a wave as they are making an effort. I also have to nod only, sometimes, of course as who the heck wants to miss a good shift???

Smile

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Jamie B.
'85 Honda Elite 250 "The She-Beast"
'01 Suzuki DR650
'09 KLR650 - For SALE!

I get waves from harley guys all the time, I think it's based on the amount of noise my POC pipe makes though. They always seem a bit confused/hesitant... but wave none the less.

In the past I read on this board how someone's new white walls increased the number of Harley waves. I have noticed a similar increase with the local HD crew since I put on the Shinkos. Even some stoplight conversations now. Weird.

I pretty much quit waving. I used to wave, but riding two wheels has gotten so popular around here that if I wave to every one on a 2-wheeler I feel like a F***ing insurance salesman or some shit. Some days the Motorcycles and scooters outnumber the cars. (really)

I still wave to the other guy on really cold days or in the rain. I will also wave if I pass somebody out on a long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha.

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It was just an innocent gas pump fight...who would know it could be dangerous?

	cowboyrob wrote:
	Some days the Motorcycles and scooters outnumber the cars. (really)

That sounds like paradise to me. I dream of a world without coffin riders.

I'm on a campaign to get two-wheelers to wave more, and am collecting as many slightly baffled wavebacks as possible.

The HD guys on the big bikes always wave- sometimes, beating me to it. They think the scooter is funny, but metal enough not to be totally lame. The guys on crotch-rockets never wave back. Ever. The guys on the high-end Euro dual-sport bikes always wave back, and seem like a pretty friendly bunch. I think the closer to the vertical you ride, the more wavy you fee. I suspect getting pounded in the nuts by the gas tank makes the rocketeers a little unfriendly.

The college kids on crapbike throwaway scoots don't have any idea about the esprit de la route two-wheelers share. But I wave anyhow, and have started getting wavebacks from some I see regularly, though I almost made one kid wreck his bike doing that.

I try and give a waver a nod if I can't manage a wave from shifting.

I prefer the low two-finger wave to bikers (that's how they do it), and a more casual hand wave to scooter folk.

-B

Don't let anybody tell you there is any kind of code or camaraderie amongst two-wheelers in general or scooters specifically. There is none and those who would believe otherwise are fooling themselves. You can't judge a person by the type of bike they ride. I've met plenty of assholes on scooters and plenty of good people on MCs. So I just wave at everybody because screw it.

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The "X" stands for ex-Chetak owner.

	Bailywolf wrote:
	I suspect getting pounded in the nuts by the gas tank makes the rocketeers a little unfriendly.

That's rich.

"You can't judge a book by the cover" is part of the words to and old blues tune, and yet, we all do react to 1st impressions.

Around here everybody waves. It means that that person will ask questions before shooting, but not many questions. When I say everybody, I mean all locals. (The only non-locals that wave are 2-wheelers) You don't have to be in/on a vehicle to wave. Working in the field you wave at all vehicles passing. Road crews stop work to wave. Children. It's a long-distance smile.

Some bikers use the hi/lo beam as a wave, but around here that means "smokey up ahead" or "danger in road ahead" so it can be confusing.

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"I see a big market for designer tin foil head gear..."

"Grow up and stop posting like a 14th Century Vatican Flat Earth Zealot."

I sometime get the random thumbs up from a 2-wheeler while I'm in my car. They come from behind me after seeing my AMA sticker and my bright yellow "See Motorcyclists" sticker, pull up next to me to me, and give me a thumbs up then zoom off.

I actually think my AMA sticker gets more respect than my scooter sometimes. lol.

+5 to syncro for starting this one off,
this entire thread is flippin hilarious.
it's like reading dilbert at work, SO spot-on!

I use the " watch and wait " method. If I get a wave, I wave back.....

<quickrant>
Not all gals on scoots are out drying their polish. Evil or Very Mad

</quickrant>

I admit that I equate the flip-flop wearing squids with a low-brow-frat-boy-ugly-American-type who barged in not knowing or caring about the culture he's invading. Not surprised by their failure to stop for their broken down brethren much less a friendly acknowledgement. But why would they show respect for anyone else when they're willing to put their girl on the back sans the helmet they've kept for themselves while weaving through traffic ton-up?

I wave or nod at everyone. I ride on the high road.

-a

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http://FistsOfCurryRally.com
...
If you love your scooter, let it go. If it comes back, you probably high-sided.

...back in the 80's we had a group ride to a tattoo shop in Topeka(KS) about a forty mile trip. ...there was about six or seven scooters. as we were leaving Lawrence(KS)a bunch of guys on harlies waved at us as we passed them... they were at a gas station and they waved(hands in the air moving back and forth... you know; waving.) a couple more HD guys passed us and turned into the gas station, as they passed a couple of them did the "up-side down piece sign" known now as the "low wave". about twenty minutes after we got to the tattoo shop those same bikers(yes, bikers. 1%ers, a local club) showed up. ...a long story short(to late) i asked about the 'low wave'. they claimed it stood for "two wheels down" and it was a sign of respect for people who ride... since then i've asked several HD guys both clubers and non about it... they all have the same story, more or less... bikers don't often "give" respect.
pretty cool.

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i'm uncool. and i'm cool with that.

Wow - Alana - Some women riding cycles abuse their men, too:

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Jamie B.
'85 Honda Elite 250 "The She-Beast"
'01 Suzuki DR650
'09 KLR650 - For SALE!

Oh good lord in heaven. Girls like that ruin it for the rest of us.

BUT at least she's (save the tutu) fully geared up. I wonder if the stuffed bear is for spinal cushioning in a wreck? Clever! Shocked

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http://FistsOfCurryRally.com
...
If you love your scooter, let it go. If it comes back, you probably high-sided.

I do the power nod with my head not the wave. That way if they don't acknowledge it everyone around me just thinks I sneezed. Wink

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Now firing. Inquire within.

I score her a 9.5, as the bear is a bit much. Nice gear, proper city riding position, and that is probably a scorchin' fast ride. Nice little screen up front too. Rake is a bit upright but nice.

I'd wave at her.

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"I see a big market for designer tin foil head gear..."

"Grow up and stop posting like a 14th Century Vatican Flat Earth Zealot."

...this is why bikers wear leather. they used to wear chiffon and tutu's but the wind just played havoc with those outfits!

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i'm uncool. and i'm cool with that.

Sometimes I wave, sometimes not. I know I'm the cool one so it really doesn't matter. Cool

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Mad Toto Scooter Club
www.madtoto.com

Today I passed a couple cars while stopped at a stop and I moved up to a harley. The guy riding and I exchanged as cool a hey with a nod as I could muster without actually saying anything. I thought of the rules of waving I've been reading and nothing about waving really applied here I thought because we were sitting next to each other. Then something happened. After cutting loose from the stop (I let him go first) he moved over to the far left of his lane and took two fingers and thrust them down to the portion of the lane beside him. Clearly a hand signal, but not one mentioned here or one I knew. In cycling this means there is something in the lane, but clearly this guy was not a cyclist. I took it to mean that he wanted me to move up next to him. Great. I was right. So I do and first thing out of his Harley mouth was that he likes my scoot and that he wants to get something similar. I compare my 90mpg to his 40 and told him how great the Chetak is. And for a few miles down the 101 the two of us shared a lane and talked. I wish I had a picture. This guy had the biggest Harley out there and then there was me, chatting it up. Oh, wish I had a photo, it was great.

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Wheelsdown

2006 Bajaj

50 miles a day, everyday

Coming home today from work, 2 lanes going each way 45 mph. Guy in the far lane going the opposite way (genuine rattler maybe). I'm ready to give the head nod or the cool hand wave. This guy gives the full on, arm extended straight above the head, almost standing wave/point. Too cool. I rode home with a smile the whole way. I love scooter people.

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And you know when I'm down to just my socks what time it is.

Around here people on 2 wheels just put there hand down like they are going to grasp something, sometimes it looks like they are reaching out to give you a five.

I wish you could do that, give someone a high five as they ride by. I'm sure you could but it'd hurt, or you'd crash.

It'd still be awesome. I think i might salute other scooterist around here, make it a new custom.

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Lift the head light assly.

the mysterious PWR/NORM buttons...

Riding through Oceanside, CA this afternoon, gave a wave to a few scooterists and thought how nice it was to see so many people out and about. Then I saw them. They were on a new Vespa, a couple - man and woman - and just stoked to be out on their new scoot. I gave them the All-Things-Bajaj-agreed-upon-cool-wave (two fingers, you know) and they erupted into hands overhead, smiles and a swerve. It was awesome, and, like others who have posted on similar situations, I was stoked too. It was contagious and I laughed outloud, because they got "it".

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Wheelsdown

2006 Bajaj

50 miles a day, everyday

I don't mind waving, but it gets tiring. Sometimes I find myself thinking as I see someone approach "don't wave at me don't wave at me don't wave at me g*****mit he waved" *waves back*