The Wave and Who am I?

Motorcyclists can be grouped into subcultures based on what we ride. Each group has it’s own costumes, values and rituals. The groups are defined not by negotiation or even interaction but by how they perceive themselves and each other.

One ritual shared by all groups is the wave. And it is through this simple act that one can determine alliances. Again, these pairings are determined mostly by perception. Certain groups tend to wave to their own members and sympathetic groups. The major groups (there are subgroups) are cruisers, naked/standard, sport, dirt and touring. Exceptions to bike type grouping can also happen on brand boundaries. BMW and Harley are two main examples. The cruisers can be split at many levels, Harley vs metric, 1%er vs yuppie, etc. But for the purpose of this discussion they will be considered as a single group as they tend to share a common costume and approach to safety.

BMW riders often wave at touring riders because BMWs are often used as non-traditional touring bikes. The other groups often look down upon dirt riders as their bikes are perceived as “toys”. However, BMW GS riders see themselves as dirt riders so they will often wave anyway. How the individuals came to ride a given bike type can also play a part in who they will wave at. Almost no one starts out riding a BMW so they will tend to wave at members of their old groups.

Cruisers tend to be the most standoffish, or so I thought. Enter the Can-Am Spyder. Where does it fit? The RTS is intended as a touring bike. But my experience, so far, has not been as I expected. I am finding that cruisers, specifically Harleys, tend to wave the most. Meanwhile BMWs, my previous group, and tourers, the expected group, seem to ignore me. This bothers me because the cruiser is the one group I identify with the least. So why is that? It may come down to the trike thing. Most trikes are made from Harleys. And I have noticed that the most negative responses were from sport bike riders. So am I really a member of a group I dislike?

Fortunately the group designations fade, as the weather gets cold. At some temperature anyone on the road recognizes the few riders still out as members of the “hardcore” group. A collection that does not care about brand, bike type or social standing. Maybe this is my group, just harder to recognize.