I came across a question on Quora "What does it mean when a biker has his helmet on the ground?" And responded "At one time some folks came up with a bunch of signs for bikers to signal other bikers. The helmet on the ground next to the road was supposed to mean that the rider needed help"


Oddly enough of all the idiot questions I responded to on Quora this has generated the most interest. And added another response that "Rode bikes from 15 to 65 years and I only remember one signal. That was tapping the top of your helmet as oncoming bikes rode by. That indicated there was either a radar or police car behind you within a mile or so. Saved me a ticket more than once!"


I haven't been able to remember the other signals. Can anyone out there remember any. Think this was a posting on rec.motorcycles DOD at one time.

I remember one.  

Usually a clenched fist with the middle finger pointing upwards in a gesture of friendship towards motorcycles of a certain north American manufacturer.  Usually returned with the same gesture of friendship.  

Brothers in arms.........

TacKler wrote:I remember one.  

Usually a clenched fist with the middle finger pointing upwards in a gesture of friendship towards motorcycles of a certain north American manufacturer.  Usually returned with the same gesture of friendship.  

Brothers in arms.........

Isn't that universal?

More brand specific.

The past several or more years I've noticed that oncoming HD riders (cruiser riders in general) will often gesture down at the road ahead of you with a single pointing finger in salute as they pass. It's like a "we're in the cool club" wave, minimalist style. Most other riders raise two fingers off their grip ever so briefly. Of course, this doesn't work as well in countries where you're riding on the left since it takes a smidgen more dexterity to lift two fingers from the throttle twist. The OZ technique is to roll your helmeted head to the left and back to middle as you pass.

We really don't have many effective ways to communicate when riding or driving. The three common ones are (a) turn signals, used out of sheer courtesy (or not in some places), (b) horns, sometimes used with a light tap as if to say "hello" but often used to register frustration at some wanker's driving technique, and (c) the middle finger, the most effective at registering extreme frustration with a road user's ignorance, lack of attention, or just 'coz they look like they deserve it.

I second the helmet on the side of the road near the bike as a sign of biker needing assistance. That's been around since the early '80s as I recall.

Someone passed this on to me and the beware of policeman is the second last one and does show tapping the helmet with the palm of the hand.
Not sure where it originated or if it is an official document from any government organization!
Obviously it was created for left hand drive i.e. North America.

Shep wrote:

Someone passed this on to me and the beware of policeman is the second last one and does show tapping the helmet with the palm of the hand.
Not sure where it originated or if it is an official document from any government organization!
Obviously it was created for left hand drive i.e. North America.

Shep, could you post the link. For some reason I can't see the image except as a thumb nail.
J.

https://www.cyclefish.com/blogs/72/48/motorcycle-hand-signals
This one has an extra signal for riding in staggered formation as well as the single file and double double file signals.

I have come across the V finger wave in Europe as a two wheels are better thing and found it to be quite common.  

As for the tapping on the helmet with the palm down, then that has always been a military field craft signal to come to me.  Along with quite a few others from working around noisy aeroplanes and such.  

I don't quite get the brothers in arms thing learning a whole lot of signals to communicate to the group.  Seems a bit juvenile unless of course you think motorcycling is a brotherhood thing and all about being part of an identifiable group.  If this offends anyone then my apologies as I don't do the group thing on motos and don't have time for those that do.  

I enjoy this forum because it is a loose group of friends and more disorganised than organised.  

I'm pretty sure that the two finger V sign goes back to the 60's "peace" sign.  I had a bike back then and we used it whenever we met an approaching rider.  VW drivers were known to use it as well.   BTW, the V is the Roman numeral for 5, and non-bikers started using it around 1965 or 66 as a signal that we had marijuana as the 5 meant a quarter ounce or a "nickel" bag. which at the time cost $5.  In some neighborhoods it was a discrete way to let a friend know you had some reefer to sell or share without saying something that might be overheard by a "straight". It's possible that the V goes even further back since heroin was also sold in "nickel bags" as far back as the 50's.

As far as the signals on the sheet.  When my friends go on group rides, whoever is leading will use several of those signals to let the group behind him know what is ahead.  I suspect the sheet was printed up and handed out by an organization sponsoring a large ride.