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Offline eigenvector

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Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« on: June 20, 2016, 05:22:18 PM »
Something I was told a long while back was that the proper warning to a fellow rider when seeing them on the road was to tap the top of your helmet to warn them of cops coming up.

I've always done that when I know a rider is about to come up on a cop or about to encounter a police action (like an accident scene) - but to be honest I haven't a clue if anyone even knows what the H I'm doing and I might as well stop doing that.

Are there other hand signals to pass along to a fellow rider to help them out - something like "rest stop" or "food".  Seems like when you're traveling the back roads it's nice to have someone pass along some information - like "Don't worry there's gas up ahead" or "watch out, dangerous road".

Harley riders have their own greetings that border on arcane symbolism - but that's not what I'm talking about here.  Given the ubiquity of GPS and cell phones (I don't use GPS when riding) maybe this is a lost art that no longer serves a purpose?
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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #1 on: June 20, 2016, 05:38:54 PM »
The universal sign for a cop ahead is flashing your lights from low to high beam several times I believe.
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Offline Steve F

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #2 on: June 20, 2016, 06:11:57 PM »
I've seen and used the tap-the-top-of-the-head gesture myself several times.
Flashing the high beams is if I pass a speed trap area.
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Offline ekpent

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #3 on: June 20, 2016, 06:12:14 PM »
Not a hand signal but a kicked out leg either left or right means something in the road to riders behind you.
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Offline eigenvector

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #4 on: June 20, 2016, 07:20:47 PM »
Quote from: Steve F on June 20, 2016, 06:11:57 PM
I've seen and used the tap-the-top-of-the-head gesture myself several times.
Flashing the high beams is if I pass a speed trap area.

Glad to hear I'm not totally off the wall.

I find that I rarely need it though - seems like officers won't pull you over unless you're doing at least 15 over, but it's still polite to let them know.
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Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #5 on: June 20, 2016, 07:41:38 PM »
Worth mentioning a hand signal change here in WA.

Turn signals.  Left arm out for left, Right arm out for right.

I see old fashioned riders using a bent left arm for right turn.  Old habit.
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Offline flybox1

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #6 on: June 20, 2016, 11:01:47 PM »
Quote from: BomberMann650 on June 20, 2016, 07:41:38 PM
Worth mentioning a hand signal change here in WA.

Turn signals.  Left arm out for left, Right arm out for right.

I see old fashioned riders using a bent left arm for right turn.  Old habit.
Why would anyone ever  take their right hand off the controls?
never is there a good reason.
Left arm bent is for right turn.

Tap head for cops
leg kickout for road hazard left or right
flashing hand is for headlight or signal check.

http://motorbikewriter.com/use-hand-signals-motorcycle/
« Last Edit: June 20, 2016, 11:07:06 PM by flybox1 »
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Offline theslayedsaint

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #7 on: June 20, 2016, 11:13:21 PM »
Quote from: flybox1 on June 20, 2016, 11:01:47 PM
Quote from: BomberMann650 on June 20, 2016, 07:41:38 PM
Worth mentioning a hand signal change here in WA.

Turn signals.  Left arm out for left, Right arm out for right.

I see old fashioned riders using a bent left arm for right turn.  Old habit.
Why would anyone ever  take their right hand off the controls?
never is there a good reason.
Left arm bent is for right turn.

Tap head for cops
leg kickout for road hazard left or right
flashing hand is for headlight or signal check.

http://motorbikewriter.com/use-hand-signals-motorcycle/

+1

That just seems down right idiotic to take your right hand off! Bent arm is the right way for anything two wheeled. And I also use and have seen the taping the helmet for cops many times.
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Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #8 on: June 20, 2016, 11:34:14 PM »
Quote from: theslayedsaint on June 20, 2016, 11:13:21 PM
Quote from: flybox1 on June 20, 2016, 11:01:47 PM
Quote from: BomberMann650 on June 20, 2016, 07:41:38 PM
Worth mentioning a hand signal change here in WA.

Turn signals.  Left arm out for left, Right arm out for right.

I see old fashioned riders using a bent left arm for right turn.  Old habit.
Why would anyone ever  take their right hand off the controls?
never is there a good reason.
Left arm bent is for right turn.

Tap head for cops
leg kickout for road hazard left or right
flashing hand is for headlight or signal check.

http://motorbikewriter.com/use-hand-signals-motorcycle/

+1

That just seems down right idiotic to take your right hand off! Bent arm is the right way for anything two wheeled. And I also use and have seen the taping the helmet for cops many times.

It was the governments' idea.  Their rationale has something to do with cagers thinking that the bent arm is a friendly wave  :o.  A fully extended right arm is supposed to be more idiot proof.

I just had to play along with the idea in order to get my endorsement.
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Offline Steve F

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #9 on: June 21, 2016, 04:38:39 AM »
That's the first time I have ever...EVER heard of using the right arm for a right turn.  I do believe the person doing the testing was mistaken......or making it up.  Must have been a Harley owner....their turn signal switches mimic this kind of thinking.
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Offline ekpent

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2016, 04:59:06 AM »
 Ahhhh - who needs throttle control or brakes when turning right   ;D
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Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #11 on: June 21, 2016, 06:22:56 AM »
Left hand (palm open and facing ground) patting downward motion -- slow down.
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Offline Stev-o

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2016, 06:28:41 AM »
Display extended middle finger on left hand after being cut off.
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Offline Steve F

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #13 on: June 21, 2016, 06:34:11 AM »
Found this (hope the link works):

http://tinyurl.com/zsw9zk6
« Last Edit: June 22, 2016, 07:58:58 AM by Gordon »
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Offline flybox1

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #14 on: June 21, 2016, 06:54:19 AM »
Quote from: BomberMann650 on June 20, 2016, 11:34:14 PM

It was the governments' idea.  Their rationale has something to do with cagers thinking that the bent arm is a friendly wave  :o.  A fully extended right arm is supposed to be more idiot proof.

I just had to play along with the idea in order to get my endorsement.
I think someone was yankin yer chain  ::)  There is no reference to Right hand signals in the WA DOL MC instruction .pdf.
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Offline 70CB750

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #15 on: June 21, 2016, 06:58:27 AM »
I do the tap on the head routine, also middle finger.

Motorcycle wave.
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Offline evanphi

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #16 on: June 21, 2016, 07:42:08 AM »
Steve, Please remove your link it is throwing off the page width!

Here is the photo in question:



Here's an alternate version:

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Offline theslayedsaint

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #17 on: June 21, 2016, 08:28:42 AM »
AHAHA i love the stop following me ass hole one.
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Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #18 on: June 21, 2016, 09:32:11 AM »
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"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them — but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one.... Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba." Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature, Cycle World, March 1995.  (http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html and https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1995/3/1/song-of-the-sausage-creature)

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Offline edwardmorris

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #19 on: June 21, 2016, 10:04:40 AM »
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Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #20 on: June 21, 2016, 10:22:57 AM »
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2008 Triumph Thruxton (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,190956.0.html)
2014 MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800
2015 Yamaha FZ-09 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,186861.0.html)

"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them — but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one.... Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba." Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature, Cycle World, March 1995.  (http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html and https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1995/3/1/song-of-the-sausage-creature)

Sold/Emeritus
1973 CB750K2 "Bionic Mongrel" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132734.0) - Sold
1977 CB750K7 "Nine Lives" Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=50490.0) - Sold
2005 RVT1000RR RC51-SP2 "El Diablo" - Sold
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Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #21 on: June 21, 2016, 10:52:23 AM »
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Offline martin99

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #22 on: June 21, 2016, 11:40:07 PM »
I just finally succumbed to fitting indicators to my Norton. Stalled going over a busy roundabout the other week, and caused chaos. Trouble is, over here, no-one seems to understand hand signals. Two of my kids have recently been taught to drive, but neither of them were tested on them. Me putting out an arm means fck all to the 18yr old Lewis Hamilton wanna-be following behind in his souped up Clio :-\
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Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #23 on: June 22, 2016, 11:55:14 AM »
My neighbor has a Model T truck that is so bare bones he has to use hand signals.
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2008 Triumph Thruxton (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,190956.0.html)
2014 MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800
2015 Yamaha FZ-09 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,186861.0.html)

"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them — but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one.... Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba." Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature, Cycle World, March 1995.  (http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html and https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1995/3/1/song-of-the-sausage-creature)

Sold/Emeritus
1973 CB750K2 "Bionic Mongrel" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132734.0) - Sold
1977 CB750K7 "Nine Lives" Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=50490.0) - Sold
2005 RVT1000RR RC51-SP2 "El Diablo" - Sold
2016+ Triumph Thruxton 1200 R (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,170198.0.html) - Sold

Offline Duke McDukiedook

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Re: Hand signals to pass information to a fellow rider
« Reply #24 on: June 22, 2016, 12:32:59 PM »
Quote from: Stev-o on June 21, 2016, 06:28:41 AM
Display extended middle finger on left hand after being cut off.

All this time I thought that was the Polish way to say "You are the #1"!!

Thanks for the clarification.  :)
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