Harley Davidson, waving, and "the nod line"

carnivorous chicken

Over 1,000 Posts
I teach a course on governance and social norms that covers a variety of material. One of the authors I assign writes about "nod lines" -- where members of a group recognize each and make acknowledge with a nod. I've taught this course a few times over the years, and I always brought up the motorcycle nod or wave -- and include the dig that most Harley riders won't nod or wave to anyone else not on a Harley (although I also know there are exceptions, especially regionally -- here in Boston I get more waves from Harley riders than in Phoenix, maybe shorter riding season? Fewer folks on bikes? I digress...). This term, one of my students took it and ran, and wrote his term paper on the subject. He did a bang up job, interviewing folks at biker hangouts and finding some academic literature related to this kind of behavior. I should add -- he chose it because he rides a Japanese bike, and he got the example I gave.

He chalked it up to snobbishness and elitism on the part of Harley riders, wanting to maintain a distance from people who ride other bikes. Makes sense to me.

But I also tend to think that it's the newer, stereotypical Harley riders who try to maintain this snobbishness. And that, in turn, makes me think they're the dipshits. I've DJed at Hell's Angels and other events, and always rode my old Japanese bikes to the events (when I could). The older (wiser) guys always appreciated it, the younger guys turned up their nose (which also leads me to believe, based on behavior of some of the younger guys, that HA and others have a weeding out system (prison, basically, as well as other gangs --- err, clubs) which means that the older guys who are still around are the smarter ones).

Where I am now it's a little different from Phoenix, like I said. When I need something like fuel line I visit a local Harley shop first -- the guy is older and has been in the game for a long time, he likes my old bikes, he never charges me much because he knows I've been doing it for a while and I'm not an idiot. The local shop that services old Japanese bikes charges more per hour than the Harley shop, the guy is in a perpetual bad mood, and his prices for shit are ridiculous.

My question is: what's your nod line like where you are? Why?
 
In my area it's common to do that, but my observation has been that it's the crotch rocket riders who are LESS likely to wave.
 
The guys riding anything other than a Harley will give a nod or a low hand in my area and the Harley guys are snobs BUT these are for the most part "weekend badasses" who are snobby, you know the suburbanite Harley guy who thinks its cool to be a douche. Thats not say that I haven't been nodded at by Harley riders, and the ones that have were older guys, beards that took 3 years to make, and have owned a Honda, Kawi, or Zuk when they were younger.
Around here the crotch rocket guys you can distinguish between moron and experienced rider
Moron = CBR1000RR, t-shirt, shorts, runners, spine protector, helmet, and half naked chick on the back.
Experienced = GSXR, full gear, and manners while riding + doesn't almost fall off dropping a hand to you as you pass

Suburbia at its finest, luckily I don't live right in the burbs but on a main street and get to see all kinds of shit around here
 
It's all over the map around here in New Mexico. I can't really discern a real pattern of "types" that do or don't.
 
I get the nod or wave from most riders, Harley or not. If I ever don't, it's usually the Harley guy and the very clean, obviously upper middle class professional Harley guy. I think a major point to consider is cultural training. I've been teaching Ceramics and Material Science at both the college and high school levels since 2003. In that short time, I've seen a major change in the studio culture. The focus has shifted to a more egocentric vision from the students. In the 90's, while I was in school, the Ceramics studio was a community. There was studio etiquette that controlled behavior. That etiquette and culture started to fade away as the century turned. In my last 6 years at Temple University which ended in 2011, it eroded into completely nothing.
I have about eight vintage motorcycle guys in my neighborhood. The guy I got the house from was one as well, when he lived here. These guys all hung out together, grew up together, influenced each other and created their own cultural environment within this neighborhood. With that comes rules of the pack and the etiquette that governs those rules. It's face to face hanging out that teaches those things. You don't get it on tv or the internet. You don't get it without teaching community first. Baby boomers and their children, which is many of the people we're talking about, do not think in terms of community first. It takes a village no longer exists in this country. As a result, many don't see the community of bikers that ride around them. They just see themselves and their ride they want to be better, more expensive or shinier than the guy they just rode passed.
 
Around Pittsburgh, nobody really seems to give a shit what you ride. Bike shows are full of a myriad of makes and models. Everyone seems to just like hanging out. As far as any HD specific kind of b.s...
You don't really see any of that. The HD dealerships here are all expensive and I've had some shitty attitudes thrown my way because I'm not part of the "lifestyle" crowd, but 99% of the time all is well.

That said, I was a bartender for many years at a slightly upper class place. It wasn't the Ritz Carlton by a loooooong shot but we catered to a little nicer crowd than most of the local beer and shot joints. Anyhow, in the summer we had a massive back patio that was full of imported palm trees, had a couple ft of sand on the ground, etc. It was (and still is) a very popular spot for the motorcycle crowd to gather. As stated before it was one of the nicer (and therefore expensive) places in the area so a good portion of the "bikers" that hung out were middle aged, higher income HD riders. So many of these guys were complete assholes. Rude, demanding, self absorbed... Many of them were local business men, Drs, lawyers, etc. It's a small close knit community so knowing everyone, and what they do is common. They would roll in on Sat with their pristene, brand new HD, dressed in the sleeveless T and do rag and expect everyone there to blow them. That said, these are the same folks that would show up on a Wed in a suit, driving a Mercedes and act the same way.
The point of my rambling is that no matter where ya are... An asshole is an asshole is an asshole. The guys w money who want to show off and put their dbag ultra type A personality on display tend to be attracted to the "lifestyle" because in our popular culture being that Harley riding tough guy is the ultimate macho persona. The old heads I know, who have been messing w bikes for decades and truly love the machines and not the image don't give a rats ass about make or model. The person on the bike is more important. Those guys always got a free beer or a discount on their meal from me because they understood the concept of respect. The assholes who want to keep being the cool kid in school... Ignore them. Eventually they'll sell the RoadKing and buy a Porsche or something else the wife can enjoy without messing up her $300 hair cut. ;)
 
Generally, people around here don't give a crap what you ride and you'll get the wave. Most of the guys who don't wave are D-bags on sport bikes or HD "tough" guys that think all HD is still made in 'Merica. Though I've noticed that each bike is different. If I'm on the HD, some sport bikers won't wave...the all HD guys are idiots for riding those things crowd. When I'm on the old metric bike most everyone waves. Newer metric, fewer HD and Beemer guys. Beemer guys are their own special lot.

Someone doesn't want to wave, fcuk 'em.

Had the CB parked in front of the local "biker bar" last weekend and went inside wearing my HD cap. :D
 
Hah... the wave is so what the fuck ever... and the Harley guy is so hard to understand, yeah those assholes are out there and always will be.

Man I hate to tell ya but I have been in this game a long ass time with all of them from the late 60's Family bikers as a kid to my share of crotch rockets all the way to Suppercross and Harley Holiday riders today owned and own many American and Japanese street and dirt bikes... fact is, all of them have assholes and the biggest bunch are the turds on rockets today... Hell I'm one myself, i sure ain't wavin at your sorry ass just because you have iron between yer legs.
 
Re: Harley Davidson, waving, and "the nod line"

Here in central Ohio it seems to be a mixed bag. I always throw a hand down to everyone... There is an older, well respected Harley mechanic a few miles up the that dad and I world stop in and chat with. I rode a Honda Shadow A.C.E. 750 and dad rode a kawasaki Vulcan drifter 800. The old Harley guy ALWAYS commented on how nice our bikes were. He was a classic Harley looking guy (long gray beard, leather cut ect.), but would also be the first to make fun of the suburban weekend warrior riders. I also rode with some guys that had 1100 shadows that would wave at 3 wheeled cruisers, but not can am spyders, as they are "not motorcycles". I personally do not understand spending 20k or more for a bike, just to feel like you have to act like a jerk while riding. I can't put EVERY Harley guy in that catagory either though.
 
Tune-A-Fish said:
Hah... the wave is so what the fuck ever... and the Harley guy is so hard to understand, yeah those assholes are out there and always will be.

Man I hate to tell ya but I have been in this game a long ass time with all of them from the late 60's Family bikers as a kid to my share of crotch rockets all the way to Suppercross and Harley Holiday riders today owned and own many American and Japanese street and dirt bikes... fact is, all of them have assholes and the biggest bunch are the turds on rockets today... Hell I'm one myself, i sure ain't wavin at your sorry ass just because you have iron between yer legs.
;)

giphy.gif
 
Harley riders are rude? How about all of you! I have fun on my scooter doing small runs and chores, I'll wave to see the response from larger bikes....zero wave back. I had one guy on a beat up Honda V-twin, pull up beside me and pat my helmet. He had on a Do Rag pretending to be the president of Son's of Anarchy to a lowly scooter rider. Another was from a 250 Kawasaki Ninja revving his engine with a snerky smile at a light. He was a regular in the neighbor hood, one day the chance came up for payback on the turbo ZX-14. I ask him if he got tired peddling his bicycle.
 
Scooter trash said:
Harley riders are rude? How about all of you! I have fun on my scooter doing small runs and chores, I'll wave to see the response from larger bikes....zero wave back. I had one guy on a beat up Honda V-twin, pull up beside me and pat my helmet. He had on a Do Rag pretending to be the president of Son's of Anarchy to a lowly scooter rider. Another was from a 250 Kawasaki Ninja revving his engine with a snerky smile at a light. He was a regular in the neighbor hood, one day the chance came up for payback on the turbo ZX-14. I ask him if he got tired peddling his bicycle.

Let me be the first to apologize on behalf of motorcycle riders everywhere and every single person on this forum. You have been deeply wronged, and your work on behalf of getting more respect for scooter riders is inspirational. I see it as a kind of civil rights battle. I hope you could understand why motorcycle riders wouldn't recognize for the cool guy you are when you were perched on your scooter.

Lighten up bud, it's a fucking scooter.
 
Like i said... The "wave" why? look here what emotions it stirs haha!! Fucker dint wave... must be an asshole HAAH! or he/she just does not give a rats ass, do you wave like a farmer at everyone in a pickup because you got one? And you grown men riding scooters deserve all the shame you get, unless your a buck25 and Pee Wee Herman you might just get some less than favorable response from SOA wanna bees :eek:
 

Attachments

  • SOA.JPG
    SOA.JPG
    29.2 KB · Views: 705
Where I grew up in rural South Carolina, everybody waves at everybody. Period. If you don't wave, it's a sure sign you're not from there. Goddamn yankee out-of-towners :eek:
 
deviant said:
Where I grew up in rural South Carolina, everybody waves at everybody. Period. If you don't wave, it's a sure sign you're not from there. Goddamn yankee out-of-towners :eek:

You and I come from the great lakes state of Michigan :eek:
 
The point to be made there is a pecking order. I enjoy stirring the pot wearing my Nazi helmet, black leather jacket on the Chinese scooter.

Wearing the wrong uniform on a Harley is fun too.
 

Attachments

  • 494.JPG
    494.JPG
    822.1 KB · Views: 207
deviant said:
Hahahaha. You caught me. Don't tell the neighbors. ;)

I live in the deep south now, but if you wave here people duck and you may get shot, both by law enforcement and the locals.
 
Back
Top Bottom