I posted this a long time ago. What with some of the recent 1%er posts and questions it seemed a good time to repost it.

One of the bike mags I (used to) sub to is American Rider. It's not one of the great big magazines, but often has some pretty interesting articles with just a wee bit different twist to them. The Mar/Apr 2003 edition has a letter written to the editor several years ago. He stuck it in this issue to sorta go along with an excerpt from a book written by an old Easy Rider dude, Keith Ball.

The article is about a cat who has been a Diablos M/C patch holder for 32 years. It chronicles pretty much the path of the 1%er clubs from the early-mid 60s through today. The letter to the editor covers much the same era, but from the viewpoint of an individual not affiliated with a club, yet someone most would still consider a 1%er. He calls himself, and similar types, the "lost per cent."

The differences between the two individuals are stark, yet the similarities are there also. Both are bikers, in the classic sense, especially as used by the typical non-biking public. Both are bikers as most of us on these boards view them; that is, someone who really loves to ride, rides every chance they get, and stands by their friends.

The patch holder shows the great loyalty to his brothers, as expected. But he also tells how the scene changed when the brothers started moving from the consumption of drugs to the retail/wholesale end of things. Over time, according to him, loyalty seemed to shift from the brothers to the drugs, to the detriment of the clubs. The turf wars started, rapidly getting out of hand, as they tried to protect and open up new areas for profit (my opinion).

The "lost per center" tells a similar tale, but it has more to do with simply the brotherhood of like-minded riders. He relates experiences from "the good ol' days" when his riding brothers would drop whatever they were doing to help each other out of a jam with a breakdown, etc. Then he contrasts that with his experiences with a H.O.G. outfit, where he was pretty much shunned, and where even the use of a cell phone to call for help was refused because it was long distance.

Both these brothers have come through it, often the hard way. They are flip sides of the same coin, yet that coin is a strange one that has more than the usual two sides. One of the other sides is what most of us refer to as the RUBs. Yeah, some H.O.G riders will fall into this category. So will some Wingers, Beemer pilots, etc. I see it in the CMA groups I ride with. Folks come and go, following this latest fad of motorcycling. There are probably a couple more sides to this rather peculiar coin of motorcycling, but I’ll leave ‘em alone ‘cause there ain’t time for polishing on ‘em to see how they shine.

I found myself often nodding my head and mumbling, "Yeah, I remember that," while reading these two pieces. I know a bit of both, heck, at least three sides of this weird coin. I've got a lost per center brother that'd drop whatever he was doing and drive 1000 miles if I called. I'd do the same for him. I've some old club brothers that are much the same; I've also some that are pure poison because of drugs and the stuff that goes with 'em. I've got some brothers in Christ in the CMA that are brothers in every way in the motorcycle sense. And I've got some "acquaintances" in the CMA that are there for the social scene, and can't imagine a call for help at 7pm from 15 miles away, let alone one at from 1500 miles away at 3am on a Sunday morning when they gotta teach Sunday School!

I’m writing this for a simple (yeah, right) reason. All of you that hang out on this board, lurkers included, make a choice every time you throw a leg over and go for a ride. You don’t have to be a wild outlaw. You don’t have to be a lost per center. You don’t have to be a RUB. But, for the s

 

Good post! Thanks for putting that into perspective.

 

pretty much covers it don't it.Thanks for the posting.

 

This board needs a Hall of Fame for posts such as this.

 

Thats one of the best posts Ive ever read on here. Thanks for sharing.

 

Greatpost. People forget that that there are many ways to travel the same roads.

 

Excellent post

 

Skip

You GOTTA quit eating so late. You make too much sense when you do.[sm=icon_rofl.gif][sm=smiley20.gif]

 

Skip, thanks for the post. I hope it puts alot of the bullshiit going on around here to rest.

 

All well and good but a little too much credit is given to club members concerning them standing together and taking care of each other. That may have been the case at one time but that time was long ago. What happened in Eureka Springs recently? Two Bandidos left the scene (yes, they were outnumbered) and returned after it was all over and their brothers were down.

You are correct when you point out that these clubs are no longer all about the love of motorcycling and enjoying that lifestyle and being a group of biker brothers. Too much other $hit has become a priority.

F*ck it. Who cares.