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Riding Etiquette

S

shuayjye

Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2011
Location
Newark
Moto(s)
09 SV650SF
XR650L
Name
Marcus
I know this get covered every once in a while but today was different then usual. I also want to mention bikers like I encountered today makes me really enjoy riding... anyways I usually after work I get onto 237 from middle field making the left and every once in a while I will meet a motorcycle but usually nothing happens.

I assume into a stagger formation with this biker in a BMW GS (I think it had the engine bulge or "wings" that older BMW have... i could be wrong) in a nice hiviz textile jacket and when i get behind him i see a peace sign from the right hand (I assume it is a wave) so since my hand is on my clutch i wave back with my right (no idea if he sees me wave since he will have to be looking at his mirror). Easy

Then he stays right and I go to the left lane since I go through mountain view and he does the same two finger wave with his left (common and easy to do) but I have a little dilemma since he is on my right so if I wave with my left not likely he will see it (I wave with my left anyways in hope) but is it common for you to wave right after they wave or is it assumed that you will wave after you pass. Is it common to take a second to go on the clutch and let off the gas to wave with your right?

Another situation is at a stop light and you see another biker they wave with their left because they are in neutral and I wave with my right since I am usually in first at most lights.

Also is a head nod accepted in place of a wave when two hands are needed on the bars?

Lastly, I have seen someone approaching on their far right and I am on my far left and they lift their hand to wave really high is that common to do as if wave greater distances?

I really like the wave and always try to respond and I know some people will just say do whatever but I would like to know the common practice since the MSF did not cover everything.

Oh and looking online for an answer to my question I saw a thread about waving people through to pass (moto passing moto) I can see this working really well if they stay on the right and use their left but do people wave other through on the right? When I use the HOV I like to hug the left since it is farther away from the crazy so if I see a bike approaching I should move right and let them pass or just hug left and if they want to pass they can pass right (does not seem safe).

And before I forget... stop lights... I am on Lawrence in the morning/ afternoon often and feel a little awkward when there is a bike in the lane next to me. I have seen bikers talk to each other at lights sometimes (Dont think this would work for me since I wear earplugs and unless you are shouting I will not hear you too clearly over the motorcycle). Is waving accepted or a head nod?

Another situation there is a bike with his own lane at the front of a light and I lane share up to the front... should I hang back so I am slightly in front of the behind the bike or should I go next to the biker?

Sorry for the long post... a lot happens in a year of commuting infrequently. Also I have been fine just doing things my own way but thought this would be a good chance to get an idea of what the other bikers out there do.
 
Your really over thinking this whole thing
 
When I see other bikers I flip them off.. Only with my left hand. Or if they wav at me first I stand on my pegs and jump off my bike.


Srsly tho.. Just wave man.. And half the time they won't wave back.. Who cares.. Just wave if ya want.. or don't if you don't want
 
ABC said:
Your really over thinking this whole thing
Click to expand...

This

Don't stress it! I haven't gotten waved at once, even when I initiated the wave. I have gotten nods. I think people tend to understand that you don't always have a hand free when you're riding, especially around town where things can be more stop-and-go.

At lights, don't feel obligated to start up conversation. You're just two folks on motorcycles. I don't strike up a good yarn when I'm next to someone in the same car as me. You have ~40 seconds. Unless your entire convo is "Nice bike" and "Thanks, yours too", then don't plan on finishing it.

Roll with it. If I can eek up a hand, I'll wave as best I can but no one is going to beat you up for not doing it right on the street.
 
Daks said:
no one is going to beat you up for not doing it right on the street.
Click to expand...

You never know..
sons_of_anarchy_zoom1.jpg
 
RossF4i said:
You never know..
sons_of_anarchy_zoom1.jpg
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure they'd be more prone to beating someone who waves to them from a sportbike (or anything other than a cruiser/standard) than someone who pretends they didn't see them. :nchantr
 
shuayjye said:
I know this get covered every once in a while but today was different then usual. I also want to mention bikers like I encountered today makes me really enjoy riding... anyways I usually after work I get onto 237 from middle field making the left and every once in a while I will meet a motorcycle but usually nothing happens.

I assume into a stagger formation with this biker in a BMW GS (I think it had the engine bulge or "wings" that older BMW have... i could be wrong) in a nice hiviz textile jacket and when i get behind him i see a peace sign from the right hand (I assume it is a wave) so since my hand is on my clutch i wave back with my right (no idea if he sees me wave since he will have to be looking at his mirror). Easy

Then he stays right and I go to the left lane since I go through mountain view and he does the same two finger wave with his left (common and easy to do) but I have a little dilemma since he is on my right so if I wave with my left not likely he will see it (I wave with my left anyways in hope) but is it common for you to wave right after they wave or is it assumed that you will wave after you pass. Is it common to take a second to go on the clutch and let off the gas to wave with your right?

Another situation is at a stop light and you see another biker they wave with their left because they are in neutral and I wave with my right since I am usually in first at most lights.

Also is a head nod accepted in place of a wave when two hands are needed on the bars?

Lastly, I have seen someone approaching on their far right and I am on my far left and they lift their hand to wave really high is that common to do as if wave greater distances?

I really like the wave and always try to respond and I know some people will just say do whatever but I would like to know the common practice since the MSF did not cover everything.

Oh and looking online for an answer to my question I saw a thread about waving people through to pass (moto passing moto) I can see this working really well if they stay on the right and use their left but do people wave other through on the right? When I use the HOV I like to hug the left since it is farther away from the crazy so if I see a bike approaching I should move right and let them pass or just hug left and if they want to pass they can pass right (does not seem safe).

And before I forget... stop lights... I am on Lawrence in the morning/ afternoon often and feel a little awkward when there is a bike in the lane next to me. I have seen bikers talk to each other at lights sometimes (Dont think this would work for me since I wear earplugs and unless you are shouting I will not hear you too clearly over the motorcycle). Is waving accepted or a head nod?

Another situation there is a bike with his own lane at the front of a light and I lane share up to the front... should I hang back so I am slightly in front of the behind the bike or should I go next to the biker?

Sorry for the long post... a lot happens in a year of commuting infrequently. Also I have been fine just doing things my own way but thought this would be a good chance to get an idea of what the other bikers out there do.
Click to expand...

There isn't any "riding etiquette" involved here. Wave if you can, don't take your hand off the throttle. Nodding is perfectly acceptable. Ignoring someone is fine, too. If someone wants to pass you, they'll get around just fine. Don't try talking to people at stoplights. And don't do some big arm-flailing wave, because that just looks beyond silly.
And you are really really REALLY over-thinking this.
Don't worry so much about what other riders do (FYI, I personally am not a "biker", I'm a rider).
 
Waving someone by on your left is good if they have to share your lane to pass. Don't encourage anyone to pass on your right.
 
I believe the proper technique is the "cross body wave", take your left hand and bring it to the right side of your body, now turn your body to the right and wave.

or

what I do is ride up next to the other rider in their lane and wave with both hands simultaneously.
 
You're supposed to follow them home and give them a happy ending. It's the only polite thing to do.
 
I believe afm199 wrote the book on proper etiquette for greeting fellow riders
 
I never ride close enough to another bike so that I need to assume the 'staggered position'. Riding that way assumes you're too close to the other bike(s) and you're deparate for some safety buffer zone. The simple thing to do is back off and treat the other bike just as you would a car or other vehicle.

Riding with a bunch of bikes all packed up tight in a staggered formation is dumb as hell. And it doesn't matter if it's 100 bikes or only 2.
 
i just wave when i can...half of the time i don't get a wave back...half the time i don't wave either when i'm focused on the traffic...i always give thank you waves to any rider, car or leo that moves over to let me pass...

if i see a leo looking for speeders, i do the helmet tap for about five miles and i assume that is enough...usually helmet tap and 1 finger for about 1 mile down the road...2 fingers for about 2 miles down, etc...

if i see another rider behind, i move over and wave them by...i assume any rider behind me must be going faster than me to end up there...i wish other riders would give the same courtesy...come across so many riders when splitting lanes that refuse to let others pass...they see me in their mirror and maybe they'll speed up a little bit....they keep checking their mirrors to see if i'm still their and do the same thing...refuse to let me pass...:thumbdown
 
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