Well, if you're ever in Spain and you see someone giving you the "V" (palm forward of course, not the other one), that's the Spanish equivalent of the nod/wave. So no, it has nothing to do with the latest football match

And here, well, I happen to commute to work along a biker-magnet road (great winding road through a gorge with nearly pristine tarmac), and of course run into all kinds of bikes (and riders) there. Harleys (particularly if in a group) NEVER "V"/wave/nod back (I always do so, even at them), trail bikes & tourers nearly always do, sport bikes are usually too busy trying to hang as far over the white line as they can to see if they can get their head stuck in the grill of an oncomming truck to be able to wave/whatever. Only time one of them signalled in any way at me was by repeatedly flashing his lights and pointing behind him... I just waved back at him (rather idiotically in retrospect)... turned out there were cops down the road (not that I care as I never speed anyways). Explains why he looked so confused at me when I just smiled, nodded and "V"-ed him...

And no, I don't wave to 50cc's.. around here if I did I might as well just keep my left hand up the whole way from my house to work and back, or end up looking like one of those stupid bobbing-head doggies some people have in their cars. Unless they wave at me first (which usually means they're not actually 50cc bikes, but just look like it).

Oh yeah, maxi-scooters just look real confused whenever I "V" them... which makes it all the more fun to make sure I do it real obviously
Then again, I reckon half the people that don't wave at me (at least in the summer) is cos I'm in a t-shirt & jeans and have a messenger bag slung over me...

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"Hope for the best - plan for the worst. Then watch it all go pear-shaped and wing it." - Me

Have a nice trip.

stop and meet people
eat and drink with them
visit places together THEN wave them goodbie

What for do you want to nod/wave/shoe your boot to a bike going the other way if not stoppin? just cuz you ride a bike too? d'uh.....

Hi

Just returned from touring the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. Below you will see an entry that I put on a travel blog regarding this very same subject. I found that, where I went, every one on a bike will wave at you, not the scooters (brommers).

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Not to be confused with the Mexican Wave, but just as enthusiastic, the European motorbike wave is something very different. I Australia, when bikes pass each other, there is a simple nod of the head or a lift of a finger. Here the acknowledgement of another bike is as though you are long lost friends. There is such enthusiasm put into the wave that I am sure that some people may have fallen off while completing the action. I first experienced this phenomenon while taking some bikes for a test ride. Once I thought that the other rider was trying to alert me to a problem with the bike, but no, he was just saying hello.
The biking fraternity is a very special one and I am pleased to be a part of it. Now in another country, and on another Continent.
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Marty

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I'm in the same boat, little 125, 6 foot guy looking a bit silly. It is still awesome to get a nod and certainly makes you feel welcome on the road, rather than the idiot that insists on sitting up your exhaust.

I must admit that on the south coast everyone seems lovely and friendly.

Now I'm in London no-one ever nods at me, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm doing it wrong, can someone make a video guide to nodding?

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it's difficult in the big cities Alexlebrit, I mean, having to ride a bike AND nod the head at the same time...

well ,i,m now 61 and still nod,after tea its usually nodding off for an hour,
i have ridden bikes all my driving life and still do,riding a honda ntv at the moment,i must admit that when you meet a line of bikers coming the other way,it gets a bit boring nodding to all of them, i went to the states with my son this year and we hired a pair of harley 883,s for 2 weeks and did 2800 miles,every harley rider we met on the other side of the road greets you with a low passing wave at the side of the bike,it,s real friendly,
we went to the laughlin river rally and by hell, there were many thousands of bikes there,and very few didnt give us the low passing wave.i would advise anyone hiring a harley not to do what i did,i am 16 stone and believe me ,riding an 883 on their roads for that mileage is pretty mean,
my son is only 10 stone and 22 and it didnt bother him,anyway, to the motel owner in kingman who is now a pillow short,which i borrowed to sit on, my sincere apologies,but it saved my arse and back,

Absolutely correct!We used to called them "yogurt Becher" riders.Snobs.....

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America is a nice continent,not a country.All people who lives in this continent are americans.Discover it in peace!

I commute on a 150 scooter, in 10,000 + km I have only ever had one nod.
From a fully kitted out R1200 gs rider at the lights about a week ago.
Who said BMW riders are not down to earth people :-)

I ride a 50 for work and have been doggedly trying to persuade other bikers to nod at little bikes by frantically waving at everyone - with some success.

The thing I found really works for getting 'respect' from sportsbike riders on a scooter is to completely thrash them in the bends. the look on someones face when a pizza moped has just passed them with a peg scraping is priceless!

I always nod / wave (depending on the country), and invariably get the same back (but not always - miserable sods!).

I try to nod to scooterists, but they just seem confused by this; perhaps someone should tell them about the two-wheeled bond of friendship, as it were?!

I think it's a good thing to say 'hello' in some way. With many other road users trying to kill us on a regular basis (at least where I ride!), it's good to have a bit of solidarity . . . .

-If I'm out for a short joyride I will wave to most.
-If I am travelling I will only wave to similar bikes as my airhead or KLR, though may only nod as waving gets annoying after the first few hundred miles.
-Don't care if it's a 50cc, or 1600cc I'll acknowledge.

My only exception to the rule is;

-If they have an ADV sticker, or look to be an ADVrider with the perfect r1200gs/Ktm990 and new gear I will look away without any acknowledgement.

Well I saw you but that IKEA bag hanging over the handlebar made me hang a quick right.

My pillion is my girlfriend, Jannie. If she had seen that bag she would have made me pull over and she would have discussed the entire IKEA catalogue with you.

If they ever release a V8 bike called the IKEA, I know for sure I can have one. In fact she would force me to have one.

If you were a regular biker without the bag, I would have waved, I always do.

Steve

That idea deserves a thread all to itself. Will you have to pick out the bike then walk up and down aisles and aisles in the showroom that sell cars and trucks and lawnmowers and some sort of snack food? Will you have to load a box the size of the bike, but only containing 99% of the parts in alphabetically sorted bubble packs into your car, take it home and build it yourself?

At least once you've got it up and running the tool kit of one odd sized Allen key and the heal off someones oldest pair of stilettoes will be light!

Andy
(who once caused a crash by waving to the Pizza delivery kid while riding an outfit!)

You obviously don't live in Arabia where they often make a new lane.

But the bikes often nod, even the HD crowd, as there ar so few bikers.

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The Gypsy
Second star on the right.
Then straight on till morning.