Turn Signals/Hand Signals

[Hutchmaster34]

Hey so everyone likes polls right? Anyways I was riding my bike yesterday (finally, stupid Minnesota weather) and I was wondering to myself if using hand signals along with your turn signals would help you get noticed any better? Even though having a FZ6 is more than sufficient to get noticed haha :rockon: Thinking back I've only seen one other person ever use hand signals while riding their bike and maybe that's just because people don't feel comfortable taking their hand off the bike for that amount of time... Anyway just looking for everyones opinion

 

[oldfast007]

Depends on the situation, If the thought process is fully in gear and I think the trafiic needs a little extra warning I'll throw up a gang sign. j/k, I mean hand signal...

 

[jazzpaintball]

I always use my turn signals. Although when i am riding in a group, I tend to use both for that way someone catching up or someone to the side that cant see your turn signals can see what way they need to go before the "ohh S**t, i thought you where going strait" factor

 

[dean2287]

Turn signals and a shoulder check. I'd rather keep my hands on the bars. that being said, its a goog idea to know how to hand signal just in case the signals fail. I rode behind a guy for a while who had no signals (for whatever reason) and his hand signals were effective and very noticable.

And let's try to avoid Dennis Hopper hand signals...

 

[Erci]

I always use turn signals and occasionally use both turn signals AND hand signals, but here's the problem... 9 out of 10 drivers in NJ have NO clue what hand signals mean!!
Using proper hand signal for right turn here can get you killed! I've had several occasions where drivers would WAVE at me, as I was holding up my left hand, and proceed to make a left turn in front of me!
I'm pretty sure everyone will understand standard left turn hand signal, but that's about it. Sad.

 

[madmanmaigret]

Anything in traffic (besides people thinking you are waving them on) that gets other people to look at you is a good thing. If I am in heavy traffic or someone riding my @$$ I will use both just to get their attention. Although I was behind a guy on a cruiser once and thought he was flicking me off because instead of putting up his hand he put up one index finger.....it took a turn or two after that for me to figure out what was going on

 

[4fun]

I always use turn signals and occasionally use both turn signals AND hand signals, but here's the problem... 9 out of 10 drivers in NJ have NO clue what hand signals mean!!
Using proper hand signal for right turn here can get you killed! I've had several occasions where drivers would WAVE at me, as I was holding up my left hand, and proceed to make a left turn in front of me!
I'm pretty sure everyone will understand standard left turn hand signal, but that's about it. Sad.

I agree, Jersey drivers are always quick to take advantge of small openings to jump through, giving them confusing signals could get you killed.

 

[fast blue one]

I tend to reserve my hand signals for cagers usually just after a near miss.

And you won't find them in any highway code. :Flip:

 

[rjo3491]

The left turn into my subdivision is off a road with a 55 MPH speed limit (many folks are going over). Slowing down or stopping on a two lane road with cars moving that fast behind me, I'll do as much as possible to get their attention, hence I'll do hand signals, turn signals and pump the brake to flash that light as well. Usually, I'll just use the turn signal.

 

[lytehouse]

Some of these hand signals work nice!




Motorcycle Universal Hand Signals

 

[LittleRed]

I usually just use the turn signals, but every now and then (mainly on the freeway), I also point at the lane I'm going to move into. A lot of people don't know what the real hand signals mean and might think you're waving at someone, not that you're going to turn or move right. They all seem to understand pointing, though : ) The added visible motion attracts their attention a lot better as well.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Just turn signals here..they are built into the bike and as has been said before, a lot of drivers probably have no clue what the hand signals mean anyway.

 

[rickvan67]

I'll use a hand signal occasionally to help signal a left turn if there is a cager right on my a$$. You know kind of a "Hey I'm turning left so get off my a$$ ya dick!"

BTW Hutchmaster, where in MN do you live? I'm in Hudson, WI right across the river and always looking for someone to ride with.

 

[Cmayer31]

I'll use hand signals if I think it'll make me more visible, or if I think a cager needs extra notice. I don't really care if they know what it means, but if they see me doing something out of the ordinary it's better than them not seeing me at all.

I also ride a dual sport and the signals are hard to see, plus the group I ride with almost all use hand signals as well, so I'm used to using hand signals as well.