Speaking Without Words – How To Use Motorcycle Hand Signals

When you’re riding on your motorcycle down an open road, you aren’t able to communicate with motorcycle riders, pedestrians, and automobiles. If you leave with a group of people on a motorcycle trip, the group must discuss everything before you all will put your helmets on. 

Looking at your cell phone is a bad idea, as one glance away from the road can knock you on your butt. 

So what can you do to show other motorcyclists and automobiles that you need to communicate? 

Well, we all know that vehicles have hand and arm signals for when their blinkers are out. Motorcyclists also have hand signals they can use to signal their next move to anyone around them.

Learning these motorcycle hand signals is essential to communicate with a group of motorcycle riders. When the leader of the motorcycle group wants everyone to get off at the next exit, switch lanes, or halt for danger, they can use these signals to message the entire group. After all, Surviving The Ride Is Up to You.

What Do Motorcycle Hand Signals Look Like?

Here are six hand signals every motorcycle needs to know. There are more than a dozen hand signals to learn, but the ones on this list are the most common. 

Once you memorize the following hand signals, you’ll be able to communicate with everyone on the road. These hand signals are pretty much self-explanatory and anyone can guess what each hand signal means, even if they have never seen them before.

• Left Turn – remove your hand from the motorcycle steering rod and extend the arm completely out to the left. The Palm should be flat as well.
• Turn Right – lift your left hand until it is parallel and then bend your elbow so that your arm makes a 90° angle pointing up.
• Follow Me – extend your hand and arm all the way up with a slight Bend in the elbow.
• Upcoming Hazard – if the hazard is on the left side, with your left all right, extend your arm down to the side of the road and extend your pointer finger. If the hazard is on the right side, extend your right foot out along with your left arm and hand.
• Stop For Drinks Or Stop To Rest – move your head to the left and place your pointer finger on the helmet where your mouth would be.
• Cups Are Close By – Using your left arm and hand, touch the top of your helmet. Then remove your hand from the helmet and lift it. Do this repeatedly. This signal is supposed to look like the warning light signal on the top of cop cars.

Along with learning about hand signals, every motorcyclist needs to wear motorcycle gear. You should never speed down an open road at 80 mph with just a pair of jeans and flip-flops on. 

At the very least, wearing motorcycle protective gear like Leather Motorcycle Jackets can protect your body from suffering horrific abrasions that take weeks to heal. Abrasions are not as bad as broken bones, but just one small abrasion can make you far more susceptible to infections. 

Plus, if you get an abrasion around your ankles, knees, elbows, or hands, it can hurt to move these body parts. 

To stay safe on the road from both accidents and the elements, every motorcyclist needs to wear Leather Motorcycle Gloves and Leather Motorcycle Pants.

There are many places to shop for motorcycle gear online, but you never know what you’re going to get and the shipping rates and times can be abysmal. But WickedStock has an amazing selection of clothing, great prices, and excellent shipping times. 

As long as you live in the contiguous US states, shipping your order is free! WickedStock always has a sale either on or around the corner. And if anything goes wrong with your order, they have a customer service sector you can call or email. Feel free to visit their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages for more updates on sales and new offers.