Top 10 Reasons for Nobody to Wave...

[rchop]

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Top Ten Reasons Why Harley Riders Don't Wave Back

10. Afraid it will void warranty.
9. Leather and studs make it too hard to raise arm.
8. Refuses to wave to anyone whose bike is already paid for.
7. Afraid to let go of handlebars because they might vibrate off.
6. Rushing wind would blow scabs off the new tattoos.
5. Angry because just took out second mortgage to pay luxury tax on new Harley.
4. Just discovered the fine print in owner's manual and realized H-D is partially owned by Honda.
3. Can't tell if other riders are waving or just reaching to cover their ears like everyone else.
2. Remembers the last time a Harley rider waved back, he impaled his hand on spiked helmet.
1. They're jealous that after spending $30,000, they still don't own a Gold Wing.

Top Ten Reasons Why Gold Wing Riders Don't Wave Back

10. Wasn't sure whether other rider was waving or making an obscene gesture.
9. Afraid might get frostbite if hand is removed from heated grip.
8. Has arthritis and the past 400 miles have made it difficult to raise arm.
7. Reflection from etched windshield momentarily blinded him.
6. The espresso machine just finished.
5. Was actually asleep when other rider waved.
4. Was in a three-way conference call with stockbroker and accessories dealer.
3. Was distracted by odd shaped blip on radar screen.
2. Was simultaneously adjusting the air suspension, seat height, programmable CD player, seat temperature and satellite navigation system.
1. Couldn't find the "auto wave back" button on dashboard.

Top Ten Reasons Why Dual Sport Riders Don't Wave Back

10. Vibration of knobby tires prevented the rider from taking his hand off the bars.
9. MX style safety gear was too bright to see you wave.
8. His front fender prevents you seeing him wave back.
7. Was too busy configuring his GPS/Enduro Roll/FishFinder.
6. His rain/wind/thorn/bug/bird proof thousand-dollar jacket won't allow it.
5. Was too busy re-arranging his 500 pounds of soft-sided luggage.
4. Doesn't recognize a wave in any language other than German.
3. Too busy splitting lanes/filtering through traffic.
2. One handed wheelies are not easy.
1. On single-track trails you stop, not wave.

Top Ten Reasons Why Sport Bike Riders Don't Wave Back

10. They have not been riding long enough to know they are supposed to.
9. If they took one hand off the bars they would break their teeth.
8. They look way too cool with both hands on the bars.
7. It's hard to put their hand in the air doing 175.
6. Their skin tight-kevlar-ballistic-nylon-goose-leather suits prevent any position other than fetal.
5. One handed stoppies are ill advised.
4. They are waving, but you can't see it behind the neon green speed screen.
3. They were slipping their flip-flop back on.
2. Raising an arm allows bugs into the armholes of their tank tops.
1. They don't know how.

[DJ Downunder]

Nice one Randy.

DJ

[Joe Rockster]

Out here in England NOBODY waves. Come to understand, since Brits drive on the left side of the road, you can't let go of the throtle to wave. Instead, what you see (and have come used to do) is a nod of the head either down or mostly sideways towards the right side.

[socalrob]

Here in LA pretty much everyone waves, be HD or Squid or BMW. I like to wave to the mopeds, they have a look of surprise.

[dilligaf]

I like to wave to the mopeds, they have a look of surprise.

Good idea Socal, we need to get in good with those guys. The way gas prices are going up since Katrina hit the gulf coast, we'll al be riding mopeds soon. I saw $3.19 gal today for 92 octane! We're not used to this in ohio.

[NoRRmad]

I wave to bicycles. ('Cause I used to take looonnng trips on a bicycle, and still feel a kinship. They seem to appreciate it.)

[socalrob]

Theoretically, the price of gas in Cali should not change as the reason we normally pay more is they say we refine our own "special" gas & therefore are not part of the national supply. Will be interesting to see what reason will be given when Cali stays 40 cents higher than everywhere else.

[rchop]

Theoretically, the price of gas in Cali should not change as the reason we normally pay more is they say we refine our own "special" gas & therefore are not part of the national supply. Will be interesting to see what reason will be given when Cali stays 40 cents higher than everywhere else.

So why does San Diego stay higher than LA? We get it from the same place. Most of our gas is refined here in CA. I believe that the gas prices here are as high as they are here because we will pay it! So with that driving the CA market...just watch the prices go up!!
I'm not one for regulation but just look what happened to the electricity market here a while ago.

[vinman]

What happened with the electricity market in CA was that power plants in CA could not generate enough to meet demand and had to buy power from utilities in other states. This is normal and many states do it, but not to the degree that companies in CA had to. Part of the problem has to do with uncompromising environmental groups (many of which think they more about the power industry than they really do). The other utilities took advantage of teh situation. Spot market prices for electricity used to be around $27 a megawatt-hour. During the "power crisis" utilities outside CA were charging up to $1200 a megawatt-hour. Compounding the problem was a law that prevented CA utilities from raising consuming prices enough to cover their increased costs.

So, I don't think you can compare the power problem to the gas price problem except for issue of price gouging.

[Gord]

How did a thread about waving become a discussion of utility rates and gasoline prices? Holy Hijack Batman!

My twin brother (2002 Silver Triumph Daytona 955i) and me (2004 Titan Silver BMW R1150RA) met halfway (more or less) between his place in Aurora, Ontario and mine in Centre Vespra, Ontario and took off on a 450km scoot to Bobcaygeon and a circumnavigation of Pigeon Lake in the Kawarthas. We visited all the places our parents used to take us when we younger and had a blast not only re-living some of our youth (we are 47, not old!) but riding some interesting roads. We ran into very few riders in the morning, but after a brunch (steak and eggs!) at the El Toro restaurant in Bobcaygeon, we headed out and ran into swarms of bikers. Interestingly, I found only about 50% of them initiated or returned a wave. A surprisingly low stat given that up until now it has been rare NOT to get a wave. Ah well. I will keep waving.

I did not take too many pictures. We mostly rode. Here are a few I did take:

This is Paul suiting up in Bradford, Ontario just before our 08:30 AM departure:



And of course I had to bring back photographic evidence for my wife that I actually went where I said we were going to go. It's a shame that I let the rear end of the Daytona hide the luscious lines of my RR:



And of course what good is a picture without having a rider in it. Even if it isn't me:



The ride north from Highway #7 to Bobcaygeon on Highway #36 was loadsa fun. Some nice long tangents where we could unwind. Man that Triumph has a tall first gear and unbelievable acceleration. It was tough for me to keep up (but then Paul is a better rider than I am). But more fun were the curves. A lot of sweeping lefts and rights, some nice tight curves, and quite a few esses with just enough tangent between them to keep you on your toes. #36 from Bobcaygeon to Buckhorn as was the county road from Buckhorn down through Lakefield. All told, a great day. Oh, and did I mentioned I waved? Everytime!

[rchop]

So, I don't think you can compare the power problem to the gas price problem except for issue of price gouging.

If you re-read my post you will see that's exactly what I was talking about...the price gouging

[Gord]

So, I don't think you can compare the power problem to the gas price problem except for issue of price gouging.

If you re-read my post you will see that's exactly what I was talking about...the price gouging

I'm still struggling here. The wave. To gas prices. I don't get it.

But time to move on...