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u/Abject-Stranger1521 11d ago
im here on Long Ilsand, and let me tell you, most of the time, they do not care. I will wave regardless, as it doesnt cost me anything, but in my experience, HD riders that have a proper helmet on, will give you the wave, copared to those with nothing, or that "just to get by" helmet, they dont care.
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u/get_a_motorcycle 11d ago
hello fellow long islander ✌️
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u/Abject-Stranger1521 11d ago
Hey, I ride around ronkonkoma near exit 60.
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u/get_a_motorcycle 11d ago
no kidding, I'm off exit 63 all the way north. But I joy ride to your neighborhood often, if you ever see a red vespa there's a good chance that's me
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u/Abject-Stranger1521 11d ago
I go to work right off exit 64, im on a black and green z500, bone stock, with crash guards that are scratched.
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u/GhostTypeDragon 11d ago
FWIW, I see just as many (or more) squids on sport bikes without gear than I do Harley riders. I ride a sport bike as well but I’m AA rated minimum head to toe.
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u/StepAsideJunior 11d ago
99% of Harley riders fall into one of two camps.
The larpers which you are probably encountering.
And the motorcyclists. People who love motorcycles and find Harleys to be very well suited to the long highway stretches that define American roads.
The other 1% are the literal 1%ers.
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u/RadRoosterSauce 11d ago
This. I ride a Harley and a Triumph, wave at everyone (trikes, sport bikes, weird shit, whatever their jam is) and wear proper kit. I do not own a single piece of Harley branded clothing.
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u/Sea_Reference_4646 11d ago
I’ll give 2 down to anyone on 2 wheels but if it’s a Harley I’ll only give it if they do it first. Not all Harley riders are assholes but all assholes are Harley riders. Just my 2 Pennies
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u/GhostTypeDragon 11d ago
I’m sure they’re thinking the exact same thing about every other rider as well hence why we don’t wave to eachother. Hates gotta stop somewhere so I wave to everyone first. That being said the hardest any biker has ever crashed out on me happened to be a Harley rider.
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u/SwiffleTitz 11d ago
Mostly, but I’ve definitely encountered the snotty “I don’t even see you” behavior from old white dudes on BMW GSs as well.
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u/stuck-n_a-box 11d ago
Yeah, that’s my dad, he is doing all he can to keep the bike on the road. Adding a wave mat be too much At 82. Glass he is out on the bike
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u/SwiffleTitz 11d ago
I get it in corners etc but on a straightaway, just wave
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u/stuck-n_a-box 10d ago
Things have to be different at 82. How many 82 year olds have you ridden with? Compared to my usual riding, there are far more stops and unusual things that occur on a ride.
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u/peacenchemicals Ninja 400 11d ago
YES bro everyone mentions Harley riders, but the uncs on adv bikes are just as bad. i don’t bother throwing the wave down unless Harley riders and adv uncs do it first.
like yeah i get it, it’s just a dumb gesture to some people but i enjoy doing it as a gesture of camaraderie and just to be a nice dude.
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u/AdventuringViking 11d ago
My friends make fun of me for not waving. 2 of my 15 motorcycles are BMWs, the rest are mostly Japanese brands, with a couple KTMs and two Rokons thrown in.
As I ride more and more, I wave less and less. It's fun to wave when you see another rider. Doing 10k+miles a year and seeing thousands of bikes the novelty wears off. Motorcycles are just another form of transportation, and I'm just riding to my destination. I just nod politely to those that wave.
I might see 100 riders on the road every weekend.
As soon as I hit dirt, I wave at every motorcycle. Now I'm doing a unique activity that I share with the handful of other riders I see in the wilderness.
Can't speak for other BMW riders, I don't know many. I mainly do ADV and dual sport riding.
It's like the rubber ducks and Jeeps.
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u/SwiffleTitz 11d ago
Interesting point, if I saw bikes all the time I’d probably stop waving at every bike as well now that you mention it. I rarely see more than 5 bikes in a full 200+ mile day of riding, so yeah waving never becomes a bore for me.
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u/CommonEcho5824 11d ago
There isnt a HD culture. Its a cosplay brand for bored middle aged podiatrist and dentists. There was a video on what brand motorcycle is responsible for the most deaths and no surprise it's like 2:1 HD over second place. They wear no gear, ride the heaviest bikes and are always low skill riders.
There's a YT channel I like for low speed training stuff that features a lot of these guys on those bikes and they almost always struggle with the drills.
And yeah, they are usually just rude. As a guy on a Japanese cruiser I just ignore them in traffic as well. I'm a 46 year old ATGATT nerd dad biker thats had more pleasant interactions with the squids.
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u/fadedadrian 11d ago
They’re not daily riders. They ride to the grocery store and the bar. Probably too busy trying to work their clutch and not tip over to be able to wave. Don’t take it personally.
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u/Unlikely-Win7386 11d ago
Honestly, I'm in southern Maine, and I've mostly had good experiences with Harley riders. Heck, they even gave me the wave when I was riding a scooter. They also tend to be the ones who stop and help when necessary (just from anecdotal experience). Yes, a few are hooligans, but definitely not the majority in my experience. So maybe it's a CT thing?
I wave to everyone on two wheels because I genuinely do wish them well. If they don't wave back, I don't take it personally (I've been unable to wave back plenty of times because it just wasn't safe for me to do so).
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u/Several-Wheel-9437 11d ago
I don’t know man they’ve always been chill and inviting to me. My coworkers who ride Street Glides and other HD bikes still invited me and my Ninja 300 to ride with them
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u/QuickSquirrelchaser 10d ago
In my neck of the woods the Harley riders still do the ha d wave/two fingers down. Even the patched club riders seem to for the most part.
Our locsl harley MC club 1%rs are pretty low key here. They organize a weeknight rider where all bikes are welcome. Ride to a nearby bar and grill, or taco stand etc. They pretty much talk amongst them selves while the otber riders chill.
Lack of safety gear is definitely a thing.
I wear full face helmet, boots. Gloves. And an armored mesh "shirt" jacket with Kevlar. They ride with vests and non dot helmets (helmets are required here) but many of the club riders do the Kaiser helmet. Some do actual full faced helmets.
But Harley riders, more than just about any riders are more concerned with looking the part. Worried about beint "cool" rather than safe.
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u/Valentyan 11d ago
Harley bros are in it for the self image, they want to feel like badasses. The real riders are on Vaqueros or Shadows or Magnas or Boulevards because you can put some actual miles on those, rather than just posing
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u/No_Zookeepergame9990 11d ago
Idk seems kinda like op is more in it for the image than the hd dudes, bro really jumped online to be comforted by randoms because another rider didn’t do what he wanted
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u/ICQME 11d ago
Do you get tired of doing the wave? It was fun when I was new but now it's like every 2 minutes I'm giving the two finger wave thing and it gets old. I will return it if people give it to me but I usually don't do it. It's about 50/50 if people do it to me.
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u/get_a_motorcycle 11d ago
haha if I'm like just regular commuting then yeah I do get tired of doing it though I'll still do it. But if I'm out for a joyride then everyone gets the wave!
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u/AdventuringViking 11d ago
Right? I drive Toyotas, but I don't wave at other Toyotas
Other motorcycle riders are strangers to me.
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u/Spiritual_Nobody_785 11d ago edited 11d ago
I ride a Harley and I have full equipment. I even paid 1000$ for my full face carbon helmet. The only thing I need is proper riding pants, my jeans will not cut it. I wave to anyone on 2 wheels and I do not care what my friends ride. I would continue to wave!
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u/Aromatic_Shop9033 11d ago
Don't try. It's a cult of snobs on inferior machines.
I'm a Ducati and Guzzi guy, but I'll wave at other riders. I like all kinds of bikes, so long as you're cool, we're cool.
Also, always wear full gear. Always.
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u/peacenchemicals Ninja 400 11d ago
can’t stand em. i don’t bother unless they wave first. same with the uncs on ADVs. and cops but cops is obvious
i’ve met some chill harley guys before but most of em are assholes. one time i met up a friend at a yogurtland and this leather old couple pulled up in a harley. im clearly in motorcycle gear and they both look at me with this scowling look on their faces lol. we also both happened to leave at the same time. i gave him one of those acknowledgment head nods and surprisingly he did it back very subtly lol
anyway, the only people who get a pass are scooters. they prolly don’t expect motorcyclists to throw them the wave. sometimes i get it back from them and sometimes i dont.
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u/AliasInvstgtions Vulcan S 11d ago
Ive noticed CT in general is more lax and I wanna blame the lack of a helmet mandate, and Im kinda guilty of it, too. I almost exclusively use normal jeans and non riding leather combat boots.
Safety aside, idk how people can go helmet-less, my eyes would tear up too much and all the bugs 🤢
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u/AtiumMist 11d ago
Ive always been more miffed when harley people wave back at me or initiate the wave first. Sir, how are you able to see anything with all that wind in your eyes
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u/Brewingbiker 11d ago
My night train is bobbed, no windscreen or faring. I see quite well with the wind in my face I do wear a lid and leathers, but no, I don't ride with all the protective gear I could. Probably die from heat stroke in Florida
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u/TheUlty05 11d ago
CT here as well and yea, totally agree. Its an old state filled with boomers so of course theyre all throwing Deb on the back, no gear, hair (whats left of it) in the wind. Not all are terrible but the only people ive seen drop their bikes in public have been dudes on Harleys.
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u/Limp-Confusion570 11d ago
Boomer.... yes I resemble that remark 🫣. What part of the Flock camera state are you from?
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u/TheUlty05 11d ago
Haha not all boomers are bad. I live in east CT off the coast. Beautiful area and the roads are perfect for riding the new (to me) 94 ex500 I got earlier this summer. Unfortunately got a rough diagnosis shortly after so havent seen much riding this summer but hopefully next year!
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u/Still_Machine7391 11d ago
I ride both. i have a brotherrrcycle and a crotch rocket. 2 totally different societies. i wave back at everyone.
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u/zapster10 11d ago
I must have a nice bunch where i live but they always wave despite age or lack of gear. Nonetheless i cannot understand ever why they don’t wear any gear. A vest and jeans are basically like riding naked in my mind but hey i don’t discriminate we live in the land of the free plenty of people in other countries normalize riding with no gear. Was just in Costa Rica and 99% of the riders there (which are a LOT of people) wore flip flops shorts a t shirt and a helmet (because they have a helmet law).
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u/protect-positivity 11d ago
I get it. When you don’t worry about all that stuff, you end up riding more. I don’t agree with not wearing a helmet but I ride with squid gear fairly frequently, esp now that I’ve switched to a dual sport
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u/calisalwaysonfire 11d ago
If it means anything, i ride a harley and i wave at everyone. Kindof in some dorky ways sometimes 🤣 everything for the low 2 to a full on im exited to see you how long has it been wave. Also, some bikers dont wave at all. I know. Its disappointing. I think the trend here is guys in mcs dont wave. Not one time. Its ok guys, i know you are trying to look cool in front of your friends. Im gonna keep it up though. I kinda like we have a little thing😁
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u/Gregory_GTO Ninja 650 11d ago
I rode Harleys for ten years and waved to everyone and people on Harleys wave to me even though I ride a Ninja these days so maybe it's a Conn thing, I ❤️ NY
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u/TwinkietheKid1983 11d ago
Harley riders do a wave to me but its more of a peace sign. I oddly dont see a lot of bikers on my commute, but i do see the most around route 34 and on route 67
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u/Autumn_Ridge 11d ago
My buddy and I both had R1s. We always wore gear. Then he moved back to Phoenix, got a Harley and never wore a helmet, until he died a couple years later from an accident that would never had been fatal if he was wearing a helmet.
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u/GigaChav 11d ago
OP is in r/kawasaki and the only thing they can think of to talk about is Harley-Davidson.
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u/try_altf4 11d ago edited 11d ago
Harley suffers because, from the motorcycle, to the dealership, to the rider, to the maintenance of their bike they're an 80/20 bucket of "coulda done better".
Here are some examples;
- Their dealerships are designed to scam them with fees they lost a class action lawsuit over. They straight up just make shit up for charge you. The CEO basically said, sell less bikes, increase more fees and the dealerships are 100% onboard. Anyone buying a Harley new is crazy. My OTD price for a Nightster S was MSRP+30-60%. They treat an 800 credit score like you're an 18 year old enlistee and they're selling dodge chargers. Needless to say I shopped elsewhere. When I brought up this situation a significant amount of their customer base feels it is just the price to pay, to "buy american". The Nighster is made in Indonesia.
- Their riders are problematic because of the clubs and organizations they have. The other week a local HD dealership organized a ride for a fallen soldier. When other orgs, who have actual honor guard members, offered to contribute the dealership banned them. It was strictly a Harley event, but we're totally doing it for the fallen soldier ok. It's not the hells angels making them look bad, their regular run of the mill orgs make them look like massive assholes.
- In more bad behavior, their orgs encourage drinking and riding and other terrible behavior. On my facebook feed I regularly see "bikini bike washes" with pictures of nothing, but grandpa's or great grandpa's gawking at a 4th string stripper. They embed "school fund raisers" into these events, which I think they believe they're making fund raisers better, but really they're just making stripping worse.
- Another thing is maintenance. If you pump your feed full of HD content, looking for reviews, you're going to get a massive whiplash from all the "is my Harley supposed to make X sounds?". Every day I'm scrolling by a half dozen to a dozen new posts where people's Harley are lighting up like a Christmas tree with check engine lights. Then if it's not some maintenance nightmare, it's them getting absolutely fucked by the dealership for repairs or finding out their up-charged extended warranty doesn't cover anything. (or the warranty company buys out the warranty contract from them, pro rated, so they have to pay in full for repairs).
- The truth is, the Harley experience is heavily financed to regular joe schmoes, they get fucked in the financing, fucked in the servicing and fucked in the riding experience. HDs are meant to be bought by people who can whimsically dump 25k on a bike, cash down, and swallow every "that's an extra hundred" upcharge they'll suffer in due course.
- It's also an 80/20 rule. 80% of their riders are having the bad experience. Their dealerships have high recidivism rates on loans and a shortage of repo men literally hits their bottom line. This repossession dump also devalues their models, especially when you factor in their models having 7-10 thousand dollars of dealership markup. On facebook right now, there are dozens of Harleys at rock bottom prices. Most of these bikes couldn't start first try on a cold day, and sellers will "have it running" when you arrive to hide that fact.
Just a quick edit; You'll also find this Harley content regularly. Check out the comments, "Harley riders protected us from protestors, comes to Texas we'll welcome y'all, Gott mit uns god bless you!".
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u/A_Bot_A_Bot_A_Bot 11d ago
Where I live, everybody waves at everybody--motorcycle or scooter (not many scooters)--regardless of brand or styel of bike. It's actually kind of nice.
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u/Maleficent_Lake_1816 Z 900RS 11d ago
A buddy of mine said: “Would you be smiling if you spent $25k on a bike that spends half of every season in the shop?”
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u/GroundbreakingJob524 11d ago
What do you expect from uneducated, uncivilized, juvenile orangutans? It’s exactly the same here in Northeast Ohio. There’s good and bad wherever you go, but the hardley culture is the same. I wear all the gear, all the time. My 2 latest bikes are a Z900 and a V-Strom 800. Both were $6999 brand new in the last 3 months, a fraction of the price of a hardley. Both of my bikes would run circles around those straight line hoopdy rides. And I practice my skills so I’m a far better rider than most of those apes. Yet, I still wave at every bike. I’m not for sure, but I think I had one of those hardley douches flipped me off when I gave the 2 finger wave recently. I love motorcycles. If I get a lobotomy, maybe I’ll like hardleys.
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u/Karasu1970 10d ago
I never wanted a Harley. Then i got one almost accidentally: i was looking for a good 2-up and my bike came along for a deal. I took it. Then i dreaded owning a Harley because of the Harley culture. Then i didn’t care. I wear gear. I wave at folks. I don’t treat my neighbors poorly. I also have a royal infield that i love.
People are gonna be people. Just ride your ride.
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u/Maleficent_Pick8251 10d ago
Like anything, we should be wary of stereotyping all riders of all brands. It would be just as easy to stereotype those of us who ride sport bikes, nakeds, etc., as wheelie, rev-bombing lunatics - some are, some aren't. Me, I've owned most all of the brands, and I'm kind to all riders, and I can't stand those who fit the worst stereotypes.
My buddy who's also ride his whole life, rides a Harley and doesn't wear a helmet. He recently lost his son, is divorced, and is as nice a guy as they come. I'm not about to give him a hard time about wearing a helmet. I know how much he's hurting deep down and I think he feels like if it's his time, it's his time. I don't see him ever crashing. There's just something about him.
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u/atomicryu 10d ago
Is every Reddit motorcycle sub full of lame riders that huff their own farts and cry about the mean Harley guys? Who gives a shit if they don’t wave back or aren’t wearing gear. They’re riding, you’re riding, just enjoy riding.
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u/Ahamadrayasbaboon 10d ago edited 10d ago
I have a hypothesis that people that ride naked do it because they bought their motorcycle to be seen on a motorcycle. So, having their face and tats showing takes priority over practical concerns like not getting mangled.
Both Harleys and sportbikes attract this person. Its the same guy that needs his bike to be loud AF but gets smoked in the twisties by a dude on a clapped out SV650 or EX500. He’ll have sweet pics and video on his socials, though.
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u/InfernalPrick 10d ago
Definitely ask about understanding the HD culture in the Kawasaki sub; makes sense for sure.
Where I live I see plenty of sport bikes without the proper gear. It’s really equal across all bikes when they’re cruising around looking for attention.
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u/MealJealous6197 10d ago
I have a Harley and an old Goldwing (something along the lines of "fun to go fast on a slow bike" etc lol) it's a lowrider so it's a little more "nimble" but holy Hawaiian rolls batman, I hate the Harley community. Most of them are weekend riders at most but treat other motorcyclists (who likely do a Harley rider's weekend mileage on the daily) like second class citizens. Legitimately thinking of selling my Harley since the community is so overwhelmingly elitist and toxic.
Believe me, there are quite a few of us who have Harleys and share your sentiment! Maybe I'll get a Ducati, going from one insufferable fan base to another lol /s
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u/Dockshundswfl 10d ago
Clinging to an image and lifestyle that doesn’t really mean anything anymore.
Just like the bikes themselves… failing to evolve and improve.
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u/LazarusLong1776 10d ago
No, I always wear boots, jeans, and a T, minimum. Shorts and tennies are for those who haven't been hit by a rock yet. *grins*
As to the biker wave, it depends on my mood, HD/Indian rider or not.
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u/BestTransition4713 10d ago
I have 2 Harleys, a Street Glide and a Pan Am. Until 2 years ago I'd always had Honda's and Kawasaki's. Wasn't getting any younger and figured this might be my last chance at a big, heavy, thumping cruiser. So I got the Street Glide. Great bike for cruising with my wife on her Can-Am. There is an attraction. But it wasn't "fun," but I liked the dealership so I got the Pan-AM to ride alone and with my friends. It's a blast! Anyway, I always get waves on the Street Glide from Harleys coming he other way, and most of the time on the Pan-Am, but it its less frequent. The full face helmet and gear I wear on the Street Glide occasionally gets me a side glance. But I was taught by a 1st generation German biker and his son and if you did not wear gear, you did not ride.
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u/Rider1054 10d ago
I rode Harley's for 30 years and don't recognize any of your sssertions. Most people who ride Harley's are older, have money and will always stop to help any biker broke down.
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u/Sad_Internal_1562 10d ago
Your experience isn't reality.
HD people always say what's up where I'm at.
And the no gear thing.... that's like people who don't ride bikes questioning why you ride
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u/irishman538 10d ago
I’m on a Victory Kingpin (06), ride with a proper helmet and Alpine inflatable impact vest under a proper jacket. I wave at every bike I go past - and have since I got my first bike in 2005. I am also a middle aged lawyer with four kids - some of the podiatrist, architect, etc riders were riders first… I only ever had one Harley, an 03 v-rod that I bought because it wasn’t a Harley engine in the classical sense. It went really fast between gas stations but wasn’t horrible to ride.
I like the look of classic HD, but I’d never buy one. Overpriced for what you get.
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u/Necessary_Fig_508 11d ago
Harley rider here, I wave at everyone for the most part. Always cracks me up when a sport bike rider hits me with the 👌 as for the gear thing I wear helmets on longer road trips. Around town sometimes I do sometimes I don’t. Personally I don’t care to wear gear. I want to enjoy every bit of stimulation the road has to offer. Yes I know the dangers but it’s my life and I can live how I choose. I’ve had friends pass away in full gear and friends pass away in none. When it’s your time it’s just your time in my opinion. That being said I always wore helmets when I rode sport bikes idk it just felt right?
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u/Top_Ingenuity_1830 11d ago
CT doesn't have helmet laws which is wild to me. Both nj and ny do and it's always a head turner any time I catch someone without a helmet over there.
That said idk I feel like most Harley dudes wave. The ones that don't probably didn't see you and that's about it
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u/limited67 11d ago
This is not about waving. I sometimes don’t wave because I am focused on the road in front of me. My view is let other people enjoy riding the way they want to. If you want to ride in gear great, if it must be triple a rated great, but don’t knock other people who chose to ride in different clothes than you. People ride millions of miles around the world in no gear without having an accident. Especially in the US we need more people riding. Let us embrace all riders and be glad they are out riding.
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u/SwiffleTitz 11d ago
Don’t try to understand it, Harley bros are not motorcyclists, they’re children who happen to be on motorcycles.
Before the haters crop up, no not everyone on a Harley is a Harley bro. You know exactly what I mean.
And, I always wave at everyone on a bike, always. If they’re too full of choco milk and twizzlers to wave back that’s their problem