Biker or not?
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 660
Likes: 352
From: Colorado
I was sitting on the bar stool in one of my watering holes watching a football game when the guy next to me struck up a conversation. " Little cool to be riding isnt it?" I replied "no, its a beautiful day in the 50's. I ride all year around.".He says " I'm done for the year, already stored the bike for the winter". I got to thinking whats the difference between fair weather riders and riders like me who ride in Jan when the temp can dip into the teens. Honestly, I dont suffer in cold weather. I have heated gear and can stay toasty in winter weather.
So after 40+ years in the saddle and over a million miles on 2 wheels, I realize that its not really the weather or male of bike you ride that makes you a biker or not. Here's my take on if youre a biker or not for whats its worth. The first 3 are thoughts from a spanish rider, rest are mine:
So after 40+ years in the saddle and over a million miles on 2 wheels, I realize that its not really the weather or male of bike you ride that makes you a biker or not. Here's my take on if youre a biker or not for whats its worth. The first 3 are thoughts from a spanish rider, rest are mine:
- A Biker knows how to enjoy the trip and chooses to do it with his/her motorcycle.
- A Biker is one who respects his/her machine as a faithful companion of the road.
- A Biker is one who feels a part of motorcycling with a strong attachment to other riders that love the world of two wheels.
- A biker is someone who is always thinking about his next road trip.
- A biker only pays attention to weather for how to gear up for the conditions.
- A biker cant imagine life without a motorcycle
- A biker knows riding can result in a world of hurt.
- A biker would rather spent a day riding any motorcycle than tooling around in any kind of cage
- A biker has patience with non bikers. They dont know what they cant understand
- A biker doesnt care about mods or looks vs just riding the heck out of the bike.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 9,982
Likes: 5,220
From: Michigan
Riding is a big part of my life, but its not my whole life. At my age, I figure I have nothing to prove to anyone.
The bike goes up for the winter when the salt trucks come out. Harley-Davidson does a poor job of rustproofing their motorcycles and I expect the bike to last. Its time to focus on music and playing guitar and violin for a while.
The bike goes up for the winter when the salt trucks come out. Harley-Davidson does a poor job of rustproofing their motorcycles and I expect the bike to last. Its time to focus on music and playing guitar and violin for a while.
I've been thinking the same way lately.
I don't think I've had one (of the two) guitars out of the case in nearly THREE years!
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 9,982
Likes: 5,220
From: Michigan
Several years ago I was talking with a friend that moved our of Michigan and he had a bad accident on his bike (and replaced it) but he was no longer riding.
I asked him if this was due to the accident and his reply kind of surprised me.
He said no, it wasn't as much due to the accident as it was the hassle of moving other vehicles out of the way in order to get the bike out of the garage.
As I've gotten a bit older I can now see and understand this.
We have 3 bikes and a trike.
The bikes are up on lifts (which requires a vehicle to be taken out from under the lift in order to get to the bikes and the trike sits on the floor and it's much easier just to take the trike whenever I go out for a ride.
Medical issues in '18 and Covid in '20 really cut down on my riding time and this season it seemed like there always something dipping into my riding time.
Hopefully '22 will prove to be a better riding season.
I asked him if this was due to the accident and his reply kind of surprised me.
He said no, it wasn't as much due to the accident as it was the hassle of moving other vehicles out of the way in order to get the bike out of the garage.
As I've gotten a bit older I can now see and understand this.
We have 3 bikes and a trike.
The bikes are up on lifts (which requires a vehicle to be taken out from under the lift in order to get to the bikes and the trike sits on the floor and it's much easier just to take the trike whenever I go out for a ride.
Medical issues in '18 and Covid in '20 really cut down on my riding time and this season it seemed like there always something dipping into my riding time.
Hopefully '22 will prove to be a better riding season.
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 1,283
From: Texas Hill Country
Hey, you forgot to mention that he rides his bike to Sturgis and doesn't put it on a trailer.
Million miles?
Hell, at my age I got twice that distance on the soles of my boots. And that's just counting shuffling backwards with my britches down around my ankles to sit on the toilet.
Yeah, let me tell you about the time I lashed two Harleys together and rode em all winter long.
See, I'm the guy who first came up with 4 wheeling.
The first guy to tell the story ain't got a chance around here.
And we are 17 posts into the thread and there hasn't been a single reference to a nice slice of raisin pie.
Million miles?
Hell, at my age I got twice that distance on the soles of my boots. And that's just counting shuffling backwards with my britches down around my ankles to sit on the toilet.
Yeah, let me tell you about the time I lashed two Harleys together and rode em all winter long.
See, I'm the guy who first came up with 4 wheeling.
The first guy to tell the story ain't got a chance around here.
And we are 17 posts into the thread and there hasn't been a single reference to a nice slice of raisin pie.
Last edited by Ingramite; Oct 31, 2021 at 05:08 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 157,524
Likes: 57,080
From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
Hey, you forgot to mention that he rides his bike to Sturgis and doesn't put it on a trailer.
Million miles?
Hell, at my age I got twice that distance on the soles of my boots. And that's just counting shuffling backwards with my britches down around my ankles to sit on the toilet.
Yeah, let me tell you about the time I lashed two Harleys together and rode em all winter long.
See, I'm the guy who first came up with 4 wheeling.
The first guy to tell the story ain't got a chance around here.
Million miles?
Hell, at my age I got twice that distance on the soles of my boots. And that's just counting shuffling backwards with my britches down around my ankles to sit on the toilet.
Yeah, let me tell you about the time I lashed two Harleys together and rode em all winter long.
See, I'm the guy who first came up with 4 wheeling.
The first guy to tell the story ain't got a chance around here.
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 4,126
Likes: 2,117
From: W. MI.
Thinking you are a "biker" is up to you. Is it an attitude, I believe so. Is a biker a person that looks like he just fell off a turnip truck, I think not? Does a biker only ride a Harley, I think not. Do you have to dump an "F" bomb every other word to be a biker, I think not? Does your bike have to be so loud it sets off car alarms so you are a biker, I think not? So, what is a biker? All the above with "yes" for an answer. I ride 2 bikes and average about 14,000 combined miles a year. I own a 96 Springer and a Roadstar Silverado "S". Am I treated differently if I ride the Roadstar, You bet? Last guy on a SG said, nice bike, but it's a rice burner. If I would have been on the Springer I'm sure it would have been different! But, I don't care. So, I'm not a biker. I ride to clear my head and enjoy what I'm doing. Been at it over 50 years. I don't care what anyone rides or what they think.
