Hot Rodders and Bikers.

I think 90% of the V-Twin bikes out there are "bought not built". Another 9% are owner built from mail order parts.

I agree that those who ride share some DNA with those who love hot rods.

As for the down low gesture, it seems to be a "you're cool, I'm cool" thing. Back in the 70's riders just waved as a gesture of acknowledging a common enjoyment for riding. I guess raising your hand to wave isn't cool enough now.

 

My daily driver has been down for about 2 months now so I've been driving my 41 everyday and the tub a couple times if it's cool enough. I pass a guy coming the opposite way almost every morning on a Harley. I remember seeing him when I was in the truck but since I have been driving the 41 or the tub there is a wave every morning.

 

It means YOU made to much eye contact.

 

Two fingers pointed at asphalt is basically saying to another biker "keep your two wheels facing down"

Why he would do it to a t-bucket I have no idea. You must have a pretty sick car to make a man forget how to count.

 

A few years ago my neighbor suffered a major mid life crisis and went out and bought a Harley. Fishtails, apes, doo rag etc. soon followed. At first I got the hand above the shoulder wave but soon the wave dropped to the two fingers pointing down "wave". I guess it the cool thing now. Just to piss hi off I still put my hand in the air and wave when I see him. : - )

 

I quit doing the biker wave and just went with a slight nod, yes yes, I see you on your bike too.

I did keep the wave up for younger kids on bicycles and skate boards though. They seemed to get a kick out of it. Maybe it put the thought of them getting a Harley of their own some day. Gotta dream right?

 

I started riding motorcycles before I drove hot rods. The wave just signifies that you are a part of a brotherhood that marches to a different drummer. Remember, hot rodders were hoodlums and out casts from the norm. Although bikes and hot rods have become more mainstream those roots run very deep.It is sort of like a secret handshake.

 

Its simply acknowledging a fellow rider. Been done since motorcycling started.

 

when I started riding in the late 50s I was told it was "Keep the rubber side down " Plus it took less time to put hands back on the bars. Now a lot of 1 800 Hot Rodders have HDs also known to haul their HD toys on trailers. A few of us old time Mc and hot rod riders/ drivers still have 1 bike or more.

 

Funny, I always thought a bike was a two-wheeled Bucket T.

 

bingo we have a winner!.......thats just about the jist of it.someone mentioned the fist in the air , i remember doing that up til the late 80s .....lol. i remember when i first started ridin bikes a guy went buy me and throwed up his fist and i yelled at my buddy ridin beside me that sob wants to fight. he was about 25 and i think i was about 15 or 16 .he started laughing so hard at me he almost rearended the guy who stopped in front of us. damn i hadent thought of that in yrs....lol

 

Hahahahahaha...
Sorry! Had to laugh...

 

Huh???????....

 

They smile any longer and you'll see bugs in their teeth....

 

2 fingers down means he just passed up 2 more riders.... Same thing with sleds on the trail...

 

keep the rubber to the ground and the shiney side up

 

Cool!

 

Remember the movie with Richard Pryor and hes doing the jive walk and sayin ''Thats right, we're bad''?
Thats what it means.

 

It is just, "Hello". You don't have a thing to worry about until they start waving with only one finger.

A long time ago rodders were interested in bikes ans many of them rode bikes as well. The Ol' Man always had bikes and cars, I have always had both. The first thing I ever wet sanded was the tank off the Ol' Man's Henderson 4, after I dumped it over in the garage. He had a pre unit BSA twin under the bed for years, my oldest foster brother ended up with it.

Anyway I don't think I would sweat it, most of what are called "bikers" these days are not real tramps anyway.

 

It can't be too much of a mystery, there's a GEICO commercial with a biker doing it.

 

Its like a brotherhood.the general puplic thinks bikers and hot rodders are the outsiders.we stand for something that they dont.

 

It's just "cooler".

 

i swear the only time another biker has done it to me while i was riding is when ive been shifting through the gears and using the clutch lever. one time i think i had .5 of a second enough to lift my hand off the clutch lever for a half assed wave back lol!

 

This would never happen in my neck of the woods....



No Harley rider would even give the time of day to a Jap-scrap rider.

It's times like this I wish I was vain and took pictures of every one of my rides like many do. Then I could post pictures of my '41, '42 civilian 45, '48, '74 and '75 that I had. Alas at this time I only have (2) '77 Piglets and my '89 De-sprung Springer.

 

bingo.

 

OK I am reading some of the responses and it appears to me that there is way more being read into this than is necessary.

Someone didn't smile at me very long, maybe he didn't want you to think he wanted a date. Someone waved at me what does that mean. Give me a break. Scooter tramps are just people, just like you. There is no secrete handshake or some gang signs that everyone has to flash. If you still have all your teeth you are doing just fine.

Makes me remember when I was still traveling around. I was in this rest area in Colorado, and came out from the John and this little kid was stretching and reaching for my horn bulb (I used to run a Bombay horn). So I bent down and picked him up so he could honk my horn. Now you have to bear in mind that this was long before the day of "Stranger danger" and execs in dew rags and chaps. Anyway this real Marge Cleaver looking broad comes running over and snatches him away right after he honked the horn. Shes draggin' him off and scolding, things like stay away from that bad man etc.

I blew it off and considered the source, so I'm down checking my primary chain before I take off again and I feel this tap on my shoulder, its the same little kid. His mom is busy with some other Cleaver family stuff and he has a tootsie roll stuck out at me and a smile. I took it and he sneaks off.

Which one of them had any common sense.

Now pay attention, if some says hello it is just a common courtesy, just like a smile or a hand shake. Nothing more nothing less. Maybe return the gesture.

Oh and one other thing, having a car or a scoot does not make you my brother. I will treat you well as long as you deserve it, what human would not do that for you. But brothers is a stretch.