Always practice defensive driving and make sure to give other cars and motorcycle riders plenty of room, but don’t hesitate to help them out by letting them in or waving them ahead of you, either. If you see someone who may be in distress or if you’re traveling through a dangerous area, such as a steep mountain pass or a rural road where there’s no gas station for miles in either direction, you may want to flash a thumbs up or down to make sure other travelers know you’re okay and vice versa.Īs bikers, we know we stand out from the typical commuter rocking his grocery getter, but we shouldn’t be at odds with him. You always want to make sure you stop and assist a fellow biker-or, any motorist, for that matter-in need. Many of the unwritten rules of the road for bikers center around helping each other and forging a sense of community. The motorcycle wave is all about showing solidarity and forging a connection among your fellow riders. There are many variations on the biker’s salute, with the most common being two or three fingers pointed downward at a 45-degree angle, but there are tons of unique and regional versions out there. Legend has it that the bike-to-bike wave started back in 1904 when William Harley and Arthur Davidson (yes, that Harley and Davidson) passed one another and gave a friendly wave.
But then there are the ones you learn through years of communication with fellow bikers, like a tap on the helmet to alert your fellow riders of a cop or speed trap ahead.Īnother important hand signal to know? The wave.
Of course, there are the ones you learned in driver’s ed, such as a straight, extended arm to signal a left turn or a folded-down arm to signal a stop. But you may not know that there are both written and unwritten hand signals you need to know.
Whenever possible, keep your fellow bikers in the know about what’s ahead-a speed trap, a particularly gnarly pothole, a traffic jam, deer-either via motorcycle Bluetooth communication if you’re cruising with a group of riders you know or through old-school hand signals (see below) to keep strangers in the other lane safely clued in to what’s ahead.Įven if it’s your first day as a licensed biker, you already know that there’s a secret language that goes on, bike to bike, out on the road. Many of the unwritten laws of riding come down to the same concept: look out for one another. No one wants to loan another rider his or her bike because it’s a big liability, and riders have things just the way they like them, not the way a random borrower might. Asking to take someone else’s motorcycle for a spin puts them in the position of having to say no, so just don’t do it. Referred to as The Natural Law of Motorcycling, this is one of the rules you’re going to want to take seriously if you’re new to the community.
But the following list can help you get a glimpse into what you’ll learn when you start to master the road. Learning the rules of the road and biker culture takes years of cruising and interacting with other two-wheel enthusiasts. Oh, and you definitely won’t be tested on them when you go to get your motorcycle license. Unfortunately, there are no classes, guidebooks or seminars on the unwritten laws of riding. Just like any sport or hobby, riding a motorcycle comes with two sets of rules-the written and the unwritten, and it’s a lot easier to learn the former than the latter. What are the rules for riding a motorcycle? Ed Merati, Director of Logistics at Motorcycle Shippers, lifetime motorcycle enthusiast and garage guru.