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CentralKentuckyBikers

More Hand Signals

When riding in a group communications between bikes can be difficult. The following is a list of hand signals for communicating between motorcyclists. Use them as you see fit. Note that they all require that you take a hand of foot off of the controls and this may not always be a good idea. All hand signals use the left hand.

Hand Signals For Bike-To-Bike Communication
Signal	Meaning	Comment
Point to tank	I need gas, stop at the next station.	Make sure that everyone starts with a full tank.
Point at ground [Hand or Foot]	Careful, there's something on the road. (Note that you aren't pointing at the hazard necessarily, as this might not be convenient).	This can be very distracting and often doesn't give you enough warning to do anything about it. You're better off with a greater following distance and paying enough attention so that you can see the hazard.
Hand down, rub fingers together	Road is slippery.	If you can make out this signal, you're too close.
Flash brake lights very rapidly	Watch out! Be prepared to stop quickly!	This is easier if you've adjusted both your front and rear brake levers so that you can illuminate the brake light without actuating the brakes.
Arm out, thumb and fingers opening and closing	Your turn signal is on.
Point at sign	Read the sign. If it's a highway sign with multiple exits listed, hold up the number of fingers corresponding to which exit you want (e.g. two fingers for the second exit listed).
Arm back, pointing rear - sweep arm forward till pointing to your left then point down	You want the rider to your rear to come alongside you.
Pat stomach	I'm hungry. We need to stop for food soon.
Point at another rider, then point to side of road	Pull over now.
Arm out, palm back	Stay behind me.
Arm out, fingers down, palm back with a fore and aft motion	Back-off, you're too close. This is mostly for tailgaters.	Be careful using this as it could make the driver angry and they could start playing games with you. You don't need this!
Arm out, forward waving	Go past me.
Waving arm in quick downward motion, with palm down and parallel to ground	Slow down! Often used for bikes traveling in the opposite direction to warn of hazard or police.
Tap top of helmet, or hand on helmet	Cop nearby (This signal is designed to be both noticeable and undecipherable by the cop)	Many motorcyclists don't know what this means. Almost everyone knows the slowdown signal in the above row.