Using Hand Signals
Whether riding in a group or riding alone, hand signals are critically important to your overall safety. Motorcycle safety using hand signaling lets the other people (mostly cars) around you know what you are doing. Turn and brake lights are small, and often not familiar to automobile drivers. Hand signals greatly increase your visibility and over safety. Hand signals are really important when riding in groups, because of the limited visibility of the riders behind you, but equally important when sharing the highways with cell-phone talking, or equally distracted drivers that likely don't even know that you are on the same road with them.
 
In motorcycling, hand signals are extremely important, not only when riding in groups of motorcycles, but also when riding in traffic with cars. It is always a good idea to give the automobile driver a little more visibility about your intensions.
When riding in a group, the person behind you likely does not know what's going on ahead of you. The courteous rider will relay signals back through the pack
START ENGINESGroup rides, Start your enginesWith your right or left arm
extended, move your index
finger in a circular motion.
   
LEFT TURNGroup Riding, left turn Raise your left arm
horizontal with your
elbow fully extended.
   
RIGHT TURNGroup Riding, right turnRaise your left arm
horizontal with your
elbow bent 90 degrees
vertically.
   
HAZARD LEFT.
 
Group Riding, road hazard on the left
Extend your left arm at
a 45 degree angle and
point towards the hazard
 
   
HAZARD RIGHT AGroup Riding, road hazard on the right, one way to signal.Extend your right arm at
a 45 degree angle and
point towards the hazard.
   
HAZARD RIGHT BGroup Riding, road hazard on the right, another way to signal.Extend your left arm upward
at a 45 degree angle with your
elbow bent to 90 degrees and
point towards the hazard over
your helmet.
   
SPEED UP Group Riding, speed up.Raise your left arm up and down
with your index finger extended
upward.  This indicates the
leader wants to speed up.
   
SLOW DOWNGroup Riding, slowwwww down.Extend your left arm at
a 45 degree angle and move
your hand up and down.
   
STOPGroup riding, stopping.Extend your left arm at
a 45 degree angle with the
palm of your hand facing rearward.
   
SINGLE FILEGroup Riding, form a single file formation.
Position your left hand over
your helmet with your fingers
extended upward.  This indicates
the leader wants the group in a
single file formation. Usually this
is done for safety reasons.
   
STAGGERED   or
SIDE-BY-SIDE
FORMATION -
 
Group Riding, form either a staggered or side-by-side formation.Extend your left arm upward
at a 45 degree angle with your
index and pinkie finger extended.
This indicate that it is safe to
return to staggered formation.
   
TIGHTEN UP Group Riding, tighten up the formation.Raise your left arm and
repeatedly move up and down
in a pulling motion.  This
indicates the leader wants the
group to close ranks.
   
PISSED OFFCourtsey of Ann Arbor, MI Hog Chapter 2171, display of anger.Extend your left arm straight out
with your elbow bent 90 degrees.
Carefully extend your middle finger
to clearly demonstrate your
dissatisfaction with the other guy.
NOTE:  It is not recommended
you do this when you are alone.
   
Special thanks to graphics from: http://www.a3hog.com/
Ann Arbor Hog Chapter,   HOG Chapter 2171,  Ann Arbor, Michigan