Motorcycle hand signals, especially for "Cop Ahead"

[Cruizin]

So many times I see another biker coming the other way, we wave by dropping a hand down, and then a mile later I see a cop on the side of the road, ready to write tickets.
 
Why didn't that idiot on the bike give me a signal and warn me?
 
Please, share the below pic on facebook, twitter, wherever and slap your helmet to warn bikers of speed traps!
 
Share share share. The license you save could be your own!
 

[motomeek]

Luckily, it seems I tend to be around riders who have no problem informing others about the PO-POs being around...
 
Hazards on the other hand... I've encountered a few I'd end up following on my commute that don't inform me! I guess I shouldn't be surprised... these are the same people that also don't check their rear view mirrors or care to move over to let me pass.

[pgeldz]

Awesome Cruizin!
 
- Paulie

[yamahaha]

What happened to the circular motion above head for cop warning? That's my fave.

[grahamfz07]

I had a guy on a bike flash his high beams at me, i wasnt sure what he meant but i slowed down enough to avoid getting a ticket by the cop waiting a mile down the road. Good to know tapping the helmet is the way to alert other riders!

[bmwpowere36m3]

Quick flashes of the high-beam... that's what I've encountered or nothing at all. In Europe (spent a lot of my youth there) I can guarantee if you are coming up on a speed trap an oncoming driver will flash his lights, if not one driver, multiple.

[prediddy]

I flash out of habit (always do it in my car), I'll try the 'tap the head' method while I'm riding...

[n2shotokai]

Extra points for tapping your head while LE is following you.

[No Hater]

Interesting.....I was just on the freeway, saw a supersport coming the other direction. I immediately tapped the helmet and motioned down word to slow. Immediately feeling like I did my good deed for the day. I had only hoped he understood what I meant.
 
Cop with his radar out checking that direction of traffic.

[username]

Well you can't go wrong with the good ol' flash n' tap. Ain't nobody not going to understand that one.

[Guru]

Flashing is what I usually do. And I started doing the 'tap-on-the-head' with my left hand, the 'Hazard' sign with my right leg and the 'Slow down' sign with my right hand.
 
I can swear most riders think there is something wrong with me when I do it though.
 

[tanner68]

It's good for us to all be on the same page with hand signs. I didn't know the one for turning off the tun signal, and I've needed it in the past.
 
Tapping the top of the helmet is what I have mostly encountered, as a warning about LEOs ahead.

[fz07nc]

I had it all wrong this past weekend... I was using the slow down sign to let oncoming riders know of LEO ahead. At least, I'm partly right [as long as they don't think I'm just waving to them].

[aeisan]

Riding with high beams on during the day makes it hard to flash your lights, so I always opt for the helmet tap.
 
Then there are ds83's hand signals. These are classic... (NSFW)
 
*Seriously NSFW, strong adult language, dont watch if not prepared to hear offensive language* But it's funny -Cruizin..
 

 

 
He has others, but they aren't as good.
 
 

[Kwaipuak]

Also, if you use your phone as a GPS get and use Waze. You are connected to every other user and one feature is to report police so the gps warns you when you are coming up on them.

[dizzid1320]

Lol, that was funny.
 
I always warn oncoming riders. Assuming I'm not busy working the clutch in crazy HI traffic.

[Cruizin]

The helmet tap is the way to go. Often wont notice a headlight flashing during daytime with the sun blaring. The more we share this info with, the more will start doing it.

[pH]

CHP pulled up next to me and stared me down for no reason I looked straight at him and tapped my helmet 3 times.... He just kept driving. Got the whole thing on Go Pro!

[pgeldz]

CHP pulled up next to me and stared me down for no reason I looked straight at him and tapped my helmet 3 times.... He just kept driving. Got the whole thing on Go Pro!

That's hilarious! 

 
- Paulie

[cndnmax]

I did the helmet tap once and the guy turned his whole body around as fast as he could to look behind him. I guess he though helmet tap meant your being chased by zombies...

[ornery]

I surprisingly got a Two-finger Flip from a Harley rider last week, but I had time only to return that with the helmet tap, as there was a cop lying in wait not too far back. I only hope he knew what that meant, and not me chastising his lack of helmet!

[speedingtickets]

Bubble Gum Machine - Patting the top of the helmet as a signal to other rides that police are ahead.
 
 
 

[Beemer]

I had a guy on a bike flash his high beams at me, i wasnt sure what he meant but i slowed down enough to avoid getting a ticket by the cop waiting a mile down the road. Good to know tapping the helmet is the way to alert other riders!

I'm going to start tapping then. When I lived up north In Indiana and Ohio flashing the lights is how people warned you and after some long years the police made it be known that if you are caught warning people about the police then you could receive a citation. Hard for them to catch that happening so it still continues. Hey, if cops can use the 'good ol' boy' system and help each other out by lying for each other in court, then we can help each other as well. phuqm!

[mjh937]

I had a guy on a bike flash his high beams at me, i wasnt sure what he meant but i slowed down enough to avoid getting a ticket by the cop waiting a mile down the road. Good to know tapping the helmet is the way to alert other riders!

I'm going to start tapping then. When I lived up north In Indiana and Ohio flashing the lights is how people warned you and after some long years the police made it be known that if you are caught warning people about the police then you could receive a citation. Hard for them to catch that happening so it still continues. Hey, if cops can use the 'good ol' boy' system and help each other out by lying for each other in court, then we can help each other as well. phuqm!

I like the helmet tap because you could always say you were not warning anyone, you were just checking that you helmet was on securely

[Burtacus]

Problem with flashing, depending on the timing/situation, it could just look like one of those guys with bobbing headlights, you know the ones meant to get your attention so they're visible.
 
Taping the helmet looks ape-ish LOL, so that might make me question everything I'm doing/thinking at the moment and slow down hahaha.