I really messed up on the way into work this morning...

I had to take too much stuff with me and I was a bit late so I took the
motorcycle to work. I come around the corner and coming the other
direction is a cyclist that I have not seen before. Without even thinking
about it I wave, and he waves back. He then kind of smirks and shakes his
head. I then realized that I was "in the wrong mode" and just waved to
a cyclist

Did I just break some major code of conduct?

-
Ned Fredredsped

Maybe it wasn't the fact you were on a motorcycle, but more that he thought you were flirting with him.

I waved at a person on a motorcycle once...
He flipped me off

Huh?
Two wheels is two wheels.
The wave between motorcyclists is not just a wave. It supposed to be two fingers pointed down... kind of a good luck thing... keep both tires on the ground. But most extend that to anything with two wheels. I've gotten waves from motorcycles before and I have also waved to cyclists when on my motorcycles.

How dare you ?