Hand Signals
By Mike Green
One of the first long rides I had with the High Rollers was the Del Rio run a few years ago. I was excited to be riding in pack, but I was used to riding alone. I had studied and used the hand signals described in the road rules, but on this ride, I encountered another hand signal.
For most of the ride, there were no surprises. Then, when we closing in on Del Rio, the new signal surfaced. Every once in a while, everyone held their hand with the thumb and pinkie extended, thumb toward their head and moved their hand toward and away from their heads. The whole pack took up the signal, and I would repeat it. I then watched the pack closely so I could obey the signal. Each time, I couldn’t see any change in what the pack was doing.
Finally, we stopped for gas and I asked what the signal meant. Every time someone saw a sign with Del Rio on it, they would make this signal - the party was imminent. The signal now made sense!
The following is a pop quiz on our standard signals. Good luck!
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An arm and one finger extended high above the Road Captain’s head means: |
- We’re number one!
- Look, up in the sky! It’s superman! (It could also be a UFO, an eagle or a pretty rainbow that shouldn’t be missed.)
- He’s just trying to figure out which way the wind’s blowing.
- Uh...which finger is he holding up anyway?
- Form a single lane of motorcycles.
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An arm and two fingers extended high over the Road Captain’s head means: |
- We’re number two!
- Look, up in the sky! It’s superman and superwoman. (It could also be two UFOs, eagles, etc.)
- V is for victory.
- He’s from Australia and this is an obscene gesture.
- Return to the normal two abreast formation.
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An arm and a closed fist extended high over the Road Captain’s head means: |
- Black pride.
- "Curse you, Red Baron!"
- Ride in a staggered formation.
An arm extended high over the Road Captain’s head with the hand opening and closing consecutively means:
- He’s trying to restore circulation in his hand.
- His new glove is stiff and he’s breaking it in.
- Everybody put your hands back on your handlebars.
- Tighten up the formation.
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When the Road Captain makes a pointing motion (at the road), it means: |
- Go that way.
- Look, there’s a quarter.
- There’s an obstacle or obstruction in the road.
This isn’t an official signal, so it counts for extra credit:
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When the Road Captain taps his head, it means: |
- His helmet is loose and he’s trying to push it down.
- His head itches and he forgot he was wearing a helmet.
- He likes the sound of echoes.
- There is a police officer nearby.
ANSWERS: In each of the questions, the last choice is the correct one. I hope everyone did well. If you had trouble with this quiz, see your Road Captain soon.
The standard signals for turns and stops and the club signals above are the basic signals. There are a lot of other signals used. If you would like to share your favorites, tell me about them and I will print them next month.
