In my country we use the "cool" wave, at least outside the cities - the hand leaves the bars, out to the side.
It's considered a must and we use it to signal that the road is clear ( + animals, oil, road work, ... )
We have some, but very few, cruiser/sport issues.

ah, I remember my first cool wave.....near Healesville / Black Spur...Beamer rider....got me thinking.....ride a BMW anyway out of the city and it looks like you've just come in from the Sampson desert...you could live down the road and are just picking up your porn from the post office...still you look EPIC on a 1200gs.

of course, in town, you look like a range rover driver.....fresh from Toorak/Vaclause (is that right Sydney-siders?)....that you've attempted to buy 'adventure' instead of live it...poor lost soul of consumerism....

Quote from: Spider on June 01, 2009, 04:46:09 AM
ah, I remember my first cool wave.....near Healesville / Black Spur...Beamer rider....got me thinking.....ride a BMW anyway out of the city and it looks like you've just come in from the Sampson desert...you could live down the road and are just picking up your porn from the post office...still you look EPIC on a 1200gs.

of course, in town, you look like a range rover driver.....fresh from Toorak/Vaclause (is that right Sydney-siders?)....that you've attempted to buy 'adventure' instead of live it...poor lost soul of consumerism....

I dunno, there's a bloke around my area with a GS, not sure if it's the 800 or the 1200, but he rides around with those hardcore panniers on the sides - and it still looks epic even if he's just popping down to the shops to pick up some milk! 

I had my second OZ monster siting yesterday actually! Saw a white 696 turning off Doncaster Rd. on to the Eastern Freeway (city bound).

you'll have tight pants the first time you see/hear a desmoseidici then! 

Quote from: Grug on May 18, 2009, 10:04:57 PM
At the corner of Burke and Doncaster Roads (the edge of Kew and North Balwyn). He was on an older Monster I think, black with a bronze frame. I gave him a nod as I rode past but I didn't get a nod back 

Hey Grug,
Greetings from San Francisco! I was told about "the nod" when I rode in Oz a few weeks back.  It certainly made more sense than waving with my left hand if the oncoming traffic is to the right of you.  And I couldn't really figure out how to wave with my right hand and still have my hand on the throttle at the same time! 

I have to say though that "the nod" is a bit difficult to master as well as to detect while going at speed.  The quick up and down motion with a helmet on while riding at a fast pace took me a while to figure out...so I hope I didn't offend anyone who nodded at me when I was riding in your hood! 

Oh and LOL, I actually started a thread about Ducati v. Harley riders not waving at each other on this side of the pond.  Funny how it's a global thing...
http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=4365.0

Cheers!