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This is just my opinion and based on life experiences.
A real biker is someone who owns and rides a motorcycle,it can be any brand too. A real biker finds excuses to ride their bike rather than take the care. A real biker will ride in the rain, maybe not on purpose but they won't go hide somewhere to wait out a little rain. A real biker can and will work on their bike...maybe they can't fix everything but if it breaks down somewhere they have some knowledge of what makes their bike run and makes sure it's in top running condition so that you don't endanger others you might be riding with. A real biker stops and offers help to another biker on the side of the road...regardless of brand. A real biker waves at the little kid that one day hopes to be on a bike too. I know I did when I was a kid. This may not apply to everyone but if you're a real biker at one time or another in your life a motorcycle was your only means of transportation. If you ride to work and all you can think about is the longest route you can take to get home you're a real biker. If you've had vivid dreams of riding down a long winding country road leaning into turns and coming out rolling on throttle hard just to hear your bike you're a real biker. If where you work a large percentage of people own bikes but you are one of the few who rides every day possible you're a real biker. And finally, if your wife has ever said to you " if you looked at me like you look at that bike..." then you're a real biker. Ride till your eyes bleed
been riding 50 years this year and roadside repairs were the norm. for older bikes back in the day. i came from the days of ridge frames and jockey shifts, pans and shovels, then evo's and now i've had a couple of twinkies. times sure change and i always said i would never ride one of " those " bikes with the big rubber band in the back and electric start was for sissies. hell, there was a time where i said i would never run a front brake or a battery ( joe hunt mags only). i don't know that i've gotten any wiser ,but i sure have gotten older and have slowed down some over the years. like i said times sure have changed. now what was this thread about ?
Guys who want to be old school bikers should ride Shovels or Pans, because Evos and TwinCams made the Harley scene what it is today.
Some riders survived the drunk & buzzed riding days of the 60s and 70s,, and grew up.
I kind of know what the OP is saying. And it's hard to put into words.
I went to a local bike evening after work last Thursday. Was held at a local HD dealer. Just down the road from where I work. $1.00 cans of beer. Thought I would go ahead and get my oil clamps inspected and see whats going on. Recall inspection was done, everything OK. They were amazed my engine warranty was void. And that kind of woke the service dept. up. $1.00 beer was good after a long day at work.
But there wasn't a large turn out. Maybe 30 bikes if that. Of the people there it was a good cross section of folks. But you could watch them split up into there own little groups and clicks. The penny loafers over there, the crusty bikers with there well worn quality old gear on. The folks like me that just got off work with the work boots on and daily work cloths. Then the new wave in everything HD right down to the ring, wallet and chain. <<< Clearly the want to look the part bunch. And the dealer loves this crowd because they are the ones that come in once a month and buy a brand new outfit from the rag to new boots and everything in between.
Some of us from the different groups cycled around and greeted others at the beer stand and such. But it was clear,,, there was no unity among all the riders there. None what so ever. The bikes we all rode didn't even provide a avenue of unity.
There were three of us chatting out front drinking a beer and having a cig. And two members of staff walked up and started out with chit chat and small talk. Then asked us what our thoughts were on the event. The bike nights were not packing the folks in. All agree'd sale staff was a joke. They jump on folks as soon as they walk in the dealer. And there all kids, None of them have ridden to Corpas, but you can bet they have flown there. One investment group sold the dealer to another investment group. Old owners did ride, new owners are like ducks out of water and they closed down a popular little restaurant that was in the dealer and expanded the clothing line and added a cash register and sales girls that are not as pretty as they think they are and they attack! Just look around,,, There is only one group of people here that buy the over priced China gear. And everybody here except them would have bought a hamburger to go with there beer. And many of the locals use to come here for lunch or a early dinner. It was good simple to the belly food and priced right. The one thing that was drove home to the staffers was there is no character at all at the dealer. None,,,, it's all corporate snore HD Studio Crap. And everything is way over priced. One of the old crusty regulars told them. Your a joke dealer. Your just now discounting 2016 Dyna's by $1600 ea. You have 4ea. RKS at the front door. I've checked the vin's, you haven't sold one in the month I've checked the vin's. You move them around, but you haven't sold one.
Wasn't long after that conversation myself, a old crusty, a penny loafer and a war torn old gal on her scooter all got together for a ride around town. None of us had never met before. Stopped at a QT got us another beer and chatted about the experience and the chat with the dealer staffers. We came to the conclusion the dealers were segregating the riders. All of us had all been treated different at not only this dealer, but many others we visited. But here we were four different types of people all unified by one thing. The Ride!
I guess I don't have a clue what a biker is. Is it the 1% that spend half there life in jail. Is it the bunch that want to look like a 1%er when there not on the phone with a stock broker. Is it the folks that never leave the safety of there city? Are folks that strike out across the country on a motorcycle bikers? Are only Harley riders bikers?
I always thought a person that rides a two wheeled powered contraption called a motorcycle was a biker. Be it American, Asian, European. Yeah know those two wheeled contraptions that can't stand on there own. Are bound and determined to fall over all on there own or with help from there operators.
Wife and I went to a very large private 4th of July party yesterday. We didn't stay for the fireworks. But we had a blast! So to speak. The most fun was getting there and getting home. And we did that on the RK. The host lives way out in the country. Had to take gravel and dirt roads to get there. A lot of the people there ride motorcycles. But we were the only ones to ride in. Many were stunned I would dirty up the King. And risk it to the perils of off road. They all drove there trucks or SUV's. Wife and I could of driven the HD F-150 and listen to the Super Charger whine and had the coolest truck there.
Fact is the wife and I had a blast sliding the new King around on the dirt and gravel roads. And it was not the first or last time it will be in the dirt.
Whats a poser??? Am I a poser? I've got a tad of HD. I ride, drink, smoke, shoot. Or am I a biker? Don't eat raw fish but like my steak with some moo left in it.
It's all so screwed up now days. But one thing I'm sure of. I'm grateful I've spent 50 years on two wheels. And both of my wifes and all my girl friends have enjoyed being on two wheels. I'm grateful that my parents supported a life on motorcycles and encouraged us to ride as very young children.
Now where is that Honda Civic Hybrid I drive daily.
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