No Love

[martyl]

Being a Ural owner as well as my FJ09 and my 1976 Yamaha XS650C, I can say that the Ural has what Ural owners call,"UDF" or Ural delay factor. It is a magnet for people and gets allot of attention. I always say to perspective buyers interested in Urals, ," If your shy or you don't like attention from strangers, don't buy a Ural." I've parked next to 50,000 dollar Choppers and people will ignor the chopper and flock to my Ural. I've had 98% good encounters from all types of bike owners but then there has been some bad encounters. It just goes with the turf. I've had multiple times where people just feel free to climb on my Ural rig. That pisses me off. I guess they didn't learn that lesson not to touch other people's things without permission in Kindergarden.

 
I'd never heard of a Ural and just looked it up and boy do I want one. Looks like a blast. Is the right wheel under the sidecar driven as well?

 
 
The two wheel drive model is engageable on demand. So you use it as you need it. Just to get through the problem. It's a lock differential not a slip so if you left it engaged on the pavement the rig would pull to the left and be hard to steer. More importantly, leaving it on all the time would damage it. Think of like an old pick up truck. Engage it, get through problem, disengage.

[xlxr]

I really do not like to take my hand off the bars, and I really do not like that a bike heading toward me is being ridden with one hand. I usually wave by lifting my fingers and nodding my head, but keeping my hand on the hand grip.

[hornetmike]

I don't bother with Harley riders and they generally don't bother with me. Hardly surprising since a Harley is an unnecessarily loud car with two wheels in my book.

 
Lifestyle wankas. 

[adjuster]

It's polite to wave, so I try.
 
Even for the scooter riders.
 
But it's funny when the "hard core" HD riders ignore that you exist.
 
I must be getting old, but the open pipe riders piss me off. I love a nice deep exhaust rumble as much as the next guy, but to have my ears bleed because they are running a open pipe I think just adds to why many drivers around us hate bikes.
 
And as someone who's adjusted motorcycle claims since 1996, I have to say the claims are easy with Doo-Rag wearing bike riders. They don't live to argue much about the value of the bike, or the equipment on it. Sad, but true.
 
Another laugh is talking with owners after they have a claim. You want to get to know them and build a relationship of trust, and that you are a rider too. Far too many times, the HD owners/riders will be excited about that until they ask what you ride. A KTM? A Yamaha? Oh, that's okay I guess... but it's not a real bike like mine....
 
 

[rustyshackles]

I usually wave (standard style, not "2 down low") and typically the other rider reciprocates. To me it's the rider camaraderie thing.
 
Years ago I had a 1968 Ford Mustang, and the established protocol in "Mustang waving" was for the driver of the newer car to wave first. It was fun and a show of respect for elders.

[fitrider82]

I really do not like to take my hand off the bars, and I really do not like that a bike heading toward me is being ridden with one hand. I usually wave by lifting my fingers and nodding my head, but keeping my hand on the hand grip.

When theres no one around, I enable the cruise, lean back and ride lazy boy style no hands. I am young and dumb, so it explains a lot. 

[xlxr]

Good luck with that.

[ivabign]

I know a guy that said he bought a Harley mainly because he was tired of having to spend half his riding time waiving at other cycles, lol! That was an exaggeration, but I sometimes know how he feels. I wave probably 80-90% of the time, but occasionally it's not a good time or I'm just not in the mood.
 
I also think Harley riders often get a bad rap (and I've never owned one). A couple months ago I was riding and there was this huge scary looking dude on a Harley not that far in front of me. To give you an idea how menacing this guy looked, cars were literally avoiding pulling up next to him at stop lights.
 
Being the moron that I am I do my best to catch up with him at the next stop light, I turn to him and nod and he gives me a disgusted look, and I tell him 'Dude, I love your bike!'. For the record his Harley was tastefully customized and maybe the sharpest bike for it's kind I've ever seen so I wasn't just blowing smoke. He gives me a huge grin and says 'thanks Man!, how's it going?'. We proceed to chit chat for a minute waiting for the light to change, and he gave me the wave as he blasted away.
 
Moral of the story, sometimes people are just busy or have something on their mind, and sometimes appearances can be deceiving...
 

[dndfindley]

I don't bother with Harley riders and they generally don't bother with me. Hardly surprising since a Harley is an unnecessarily loud car with two wheels in my book.

Love it!  All true btw. 

[dndfindley]

I think the wave is about comraderie amongst riders. We all enjoy the thrill, the wind, the individuality, the "freedom." We are all chancing death and danger to a degree, because we love getting around how we do. And, yes, I think it began when riding was more rare. I remember when I started riding in the mid '90s in a rural area and seeing other riders was rare. I felt compelled to wave, like I wanted to, because I felt excited to see someone else that loved doing what I was doing. Comraderie. 
In LA/SoCal traffic I rarely wave, especially on freeways but often in city traffic. The uniqueness of seeing another bike just isn't there and I think there is a consensus and agreement among riders that it just gets silly and inconvenient to be waving all the damn time. Out on the twisties or more rural roads I almost always wave, except when it is not feasible to do so. When other riders or I are working corners I don't think it is expected to wave, and on some of those roads where LEO are regularly present the wave seems to often be either a thumbs up or a helmet tap to indicate either safety or potential legal threats the other rider might encounter.
 
I rarely get snubbed or snub on the wave, but I think most folks know the difference between getting snubbed and waving just not being concenient. Even the most Easyrider type Harley riders seem to wave. I did get snubbed the other day by about 3 or 4 full dresser harley guys; these folks seemed to be the banker/bus exec type guys that were just too elite and serious about their Harley touring to wave (what an assessment from passing in a second or two, huh ). The flame wearers I find are usually cool and wave. I'll wave at anyone and even if it is busy and seems unnecessary I will always make an effort to wave back if feasible.
 
I almost never wave at a scooter or moped, though. It's not that I'm trying to be a jerk, it's just that those things, like bicycles, aren't motorcycles. Maybe it is a little "elitist," whatever. A scooter rider I just don't feel is one of us. If you want a wave then buy an actual motorcycle. I've been waved at by one on occassion, though, and I still wave back when it happens to be polite, while I think to myself "isn't that cute." Lol

I reference your last paragraph.  You are no better, in fact maybe you're worse, than the Harley guys who don't wave.  How pompous you must be.  Do you think that maybe some of the Harley guys look at you the same way?  In any case I doubt you've ever ridden a Yamaha T-Max or a BMW 650GT. 

[joeszup]

I want to know why everyone points at the ground now. We used to actually wave at each other. I returned from my seven year motorcycling sabbatical to find that the wave has morphed into some sort of gang sign.

It's a conspiracy! 
When I did my motorcycle class to get my license in Washington State, the instructor shared that the correct form of waving was the two finger down low. I was surprised, having mostly seen/used a friendly wave at shoulder level. But in my experience riding in the NW, most folks do indeed use the low 2-finger wave.

A wave a shoulder level is too close to the "Turning Left" hand signal.  If you wave with your hand up (elbow at 90 degrees), you are signalling a right hand turn.  You might confuse drivers behind you if you use either of these, thus the down low is the preferred wave.  Yes, some of us still use hand/arm signals.  Hell I'd use smoke signals if I could get the A$$hat cager behind me to notice he/she is tailgating a motorcycle.

[Guest eatpasta]

I threw the respectful rider to rider peace sign out to a guy on a Harley cruiser on my way home from work today and he shook his head "no" multiple times. Sup with that? No love for the FJ? 
-J

 Most Harley riders that are close to home are pretty much too cool for school.
 
I always hated most Harley riders until my wife and I took a 6 week trip up through Yellowstone.  About 80% of the bikes we saw on the road were Harleys that were on trips and most of them were nearly falling out of the saddle trying to wave.  They chatted us up about the 1150GS we were on and were generally really cool because they were bikers out on a trip. 
 
As soon as we got back to Los Angeles the waving stopped.
 
The around town Harley guys are all image and I would say about 90% dont ride for 11 months of the year.
 
 
...and are asshats.
 

 
 
 

[rustyshackles]

I had not thought of that joeszup. However the next rider I see using hand signals will be the first. Plus in many riding (and waving) situations a turn is not possible.

[Guest bruinfj09guy]

I think the wave is about comraderie amongst riders. We all enjoy the thrill, the wind, the individuality, the "freedom." We are all chancing death and danger to a degree, because we love getting around how we do. And, yes, I think it began when riding was more rare. I remember when I started riding in the mid '90s in a rural area and seeing other riders was rare. I felt compelled to wave, like I wanted to, because I felt excited to see someone else that loved doing what I was doing. Comraderie. 
In LA/SoCal traffic I rarely wave, especially on freeways but often in city traffic. The uniqueness of seeing another bike just isn't there and I think there is a consensus and agreement among riders that it just gets silly and inconvenient to be waving all the damn time. Out on the twisties or more rural roads I almost always wave, except when it is not feasible to do so. When other riders or I are working corners I don't think it is expected to wave, and on some of those roads where LEO are regularly present the wave seems to often be either a thumbs up or a helmet tap to indicate either safety or potential legal threats the other rider might encounter.
 
I rarely get snubbed or snub on the wave, but I think most folks know the difference between getting snubbed and waving just not being concenient. Even the most Easyrider type Harley riders seem to wave. I did get snubbed the other day by about 3 or 4 full dresser harley guys; these folks seemed to be the banker/bus exec type guys that were just too elite and serious about their Harley touring to wave (what an assessment from passing in a second or two, huh ). The flame wearers I find are usually cool and wave. I'll wave at anyone and even if it is busy and seems unnecessary I will always make an effort to wave back if feasible.
 
I almost never wave at a scooter or moped, though. It's not that I'm trying to be a jerk, it's just that those things, like bicycles, aren't motorcycles. Maybe it is a little "elitist," whatever. A scooter rider I just don't feel is one of us. If you want a wave then buy an actual motorcycle. I've been waved at by one on occassion, though, and I still wave back when it happens to be polite, while I think to myself "isn't that cute." Lol

I reference your last paragraph.  You are no better, in fact maybe you're worse, than the Harley guys who don't wave.  How pompous you must be.  Do you think that maybe some of the Harley guys look at you the same way?  In any case I doubt you've ever ridden a Yamaha T-Max or a BMW 650GT.

Oh, go untwist your panties. The truth is I give no phucks who waves at me  or  doesnt. The last paragraph was basically said in jest. I'm elitist and pompous for joking about not waiving  to mopeds? What a clownish thing to  say. How hyper-sensitive can one man be? 
Work at understanding context. Try not to take any of this little waving nonsense too seriously. Getting so wound up at my  little schpeel surely can't be good for  you.
 
And I have no idea what bikes I've ridden has to do with anything, but whatever. Haha.
 

 
 

[Guest bruinfj09guy]

Hahaha! I had to Google what a Tmax and 650GT were. They're scooters!
 
To confirm your doubts, no, I haven't ridden those. And I wouldn't ride them, for the same reason I don't wear fanny packs or wool socks with sandles: because they look ridiculous and I have too much self respect.
 
But you ride whatever you want. I'll continue snickering at you inside my helmet while giving you a patronizing wave.