• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

  • Beginning April 1st, and running through April 30th, there is a new 2024 BMW MOA Election discussion area within The Club section of the forum. Within this forum area is also a sticky post that provides the ground rules for participating in the Election forum area. Also, the candidates statements are provided. Please read before joining the conversation, because the rules are very specific to maintain civility.

    The Election forum is here: Election Forum

Secret warning signs/gestures

guenner

guenner

Member
Today I saw two BMW riders on the other lane tapping with their hand on the top of there helmets to give me a secret sign. I guessed right a few miles down the very pleasant remote mountain road was a radar gun toting cop.

So, is this a known sign/gesture?

Are there others I may have ignored day-dreaming through wonderful mountain roads?

/Guenther
 
Last edited:
Yep, that's a know gesture.
I was following my son when he gave the sign to some non helmet wearing harley riders and they returned the gesture with a single finger salute. I guess they thought he was making a comment about their right to ride helmet less.
 
Guenther said:
Today I saw two BMW riders on the other lane tapping with their hand on the top of there helmets to give me a secret sign. I guessed right a few miles down the very pleasant remote mountain road was a radar gun toting cop.

So, is this a known sign/gesture?

Are there others I may have ignored day-dreaming through wondeful mountain roads?

/Guenther
Click to expand...


No secret, just a courtesy, well known for many.
Someone posted some charts awhile back with many different motorcycle hand signals, was good educational material.
 
I was taught tapping the helmet means "heads up". I use it when riding in groups to point out roadway hazzards. Tap the helmet then point out the problem, debris in the roadway, large pothole, etc. Let the riders behind you know whats coming.
 
In some areas, flashing the high beam has been a signal to oncoming traffic that they are about to encounter a speed trap. I have never heard of tapping the helmet or other gesture as a type of warning.
 
When driving a car, flashing your headlights 3 times indicates radar cop or traffic cop of some type. With some cars, daytime running lights has made the signal morph into flashing your brights 3x.

On a motorcycle, you don't have a lot of time to mess with lights, and most of them don't allow you to turn your headlight on and off. The accepted signal is tapping your helmet.

The MSF has take helmet tapping to mean something, probably as a previous poster described. When I took the MSF, I asked the instructor how they could take an accepted and well known underground signal and use it for that purpose. He replied that he would think "cop" if he saw a helmet tap.

So yeah, it's well known, pass it on!
 
If you guys don't quit posting about this it is not going to be secret any more.
 
they got it all wrong!

marchyman said:
http://www.a3hog.com/HandSignals/HandSignals.html
Click to expand...



Start.gif


This means cop ahead.


Left.gif


Hey... look at that!


Right.gif


Right on, bro... you ride a Hog.


Hazard%20RightA2.gif

Watch me kick this dog.


Hazard%20RightB.gif


Moron! You just got chew all over me.



Tight.gif


Either Woo-hoo! or a request for a semi to blow it's horn.

Pissed.gif


Hey, what's your ADV handle?
 
I am shocked and disappointed! I always thought H-D a friendly lot and were telling me there was gas and food a mile ahead.

Pissed.gif


:dunno
 
making a quacking sign with your thumb and fingers meant "hey dufas, you left your blinker on!"
 
I would think headlight with a repeated tap on the helmet/head.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

jcabiles
Another Accident Recap
Replies
17
Views
5K
davidballen
davidballen
B
'19 Lebanon Rally Routes (local)
Replies
15
Views
6K
lee
lee
C
Pinion seal woes: How I Learned to Stop Worryin' & Luv the flawed FD of my '04 K12GT
2
Replies
23
Views
7K
pauls1150
pauls1150
D
Ultimate Coast to Coast - Little Thumper Fail
Replies
12
Views
9K
bhmav8r
B
M
Passage to Panama
Replies
1
Views
2K
Mirider
M
Back
Top