Motorcycling greetings can include several
gestures made between
motorcyclists on the road. Titles for this greeting include "Biker wave", "Motorcyclist wave", "Motorcycle wave" or just "The Wave."[1][2] The greeting made can include a number of gestures including a
nod, a pointed finger, palm-out
V sign,[3] palm-in fingers-down
V sign,[4] or an actual raised-hand
wave.[2][5]
Warnings
Motorcyclists may use specialized
hand signals to both greet and warn oncoming riders:
Patting helmet — check your lights[3][7] or police ahead[8][9]
Regional differences
The use of specific gestures may be culturally or regionally dependent. Some observers have commented that waving is common amongst riders in North America but uncommon in some European countries, like Germany.[10][notes 1]
French riders will stick their foot out when overtaking another motorcycle, and while lane splitting when a car facilitates it.[11] In Britain, vehicles drive on the left hand side of the road, and so bikers will most commonly give each other a nod, rather than releasing the throttle to wave, or waving with the clutch hand which would likely be difficult to see.[original research?]
Notes
^Hough's More Proficient Motorcycling caveats the hand signals table with the comment "motorcyclists in North America will generally understand the following hand signals."
^
abBasem Wasef.
"Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo Long Term Update #2 — Did I Just Join a Secret Club?". About.com Motorcycles.
About.com. Retrieved 2013-07-23. "The Wave" is like a secret handshake among motorcyclists, a way of acknowledging like-minded two-wheeled travelers ... Most riders distinguish each other with a simple hand movement, a tip of the forefinger, or a nod of the head.