Truegentlemann made a recent post that posed this same question. It reminded me of something a buddy sent me and I wanted to share with ya'll. It's a little long but appropriate.

Fig----


*** Are you a real biker? ***
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After riding for some 35 years and owning more bikes than I can count, I am still a little confused when someone asks me the question, "Are you a biker?" Do I ride? Yes. Do I own a motorcycle? Yes. Do I saddle up often? Yes, usually daily. Is riding a motorcycle the most important thing I do? Yes, right behind being with my family and making a living.
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[/align]There are many definitions of a real biker. Many riders think being a biker means that you ride a scooter constantly and probably don't even own a car. Some think that only Harley riders are real bikers, while others believe that being in a club "1 percenter" is the key to the biker title. I've also heard guys say things like, "Real bikers ride in the rain." Well, I guess I'm not a real biker because I drive my truck when it's raining. But I consider that an intelligence issue.
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[/align]I also hear conversations that if you have a good job and make great money, somehow you have been disqualified from being a real biker because you are now a yuppie or a R.U.B. (rich urban biker). Well, I plead guilty again because I have a pretty good job, and I do okay. I guess I've lost points again on the real biker scale.
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[/align]Do tattoos, outrageous haircuts or earrings get you closer to the Holy Grail of real bikerhood? How about the folks who ride sport bikes, Gold Wings or trikes? Are they real bikers? Can a Gold Winger even become a real biker? According to many so-called experts, once you get a Gold Wing, you get busted back down to private. Zero points on the real biker scale. What happens to a real biker if he suddenly loses his mind and - God forbid - buys a British bike?! I'm sure many of you are a little like me and wonder what makes a biker and whether or not we qualify.
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[/align]Do I look like a biker? Do I have to dress for work like I dress when I'm riding my scoot to be a real biker? Do I make too much money to be a real biker? Do I have to put bike parts into the dishwasher to be a real biker? Can I take my scoot to the dealership for an oil change and still keep my real biker card? Recently as I drove home from work, I came across a young guy pushing his Honda cruiser down a country road. After stopping to investigate, I went home and got my tailer and some tie-downs and came back to help this guy get his scooter home in one piece. It was apparent early on that he wasn't a "true biker", that is, an experienced biker. I didn't know the exact definition of true biker, but I knew somehow he didn't qualify. He would need to serve some time before applying for his Real Biker Membership Card.
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[/align]After we got to his house and unloaded his bike, he offered payment for my services, and I refused. He thanked me and then proceeded to tell me how he had bought the Honda to go to Sturgis with friends and how wonderful the experience had been. He went into his house and got some photos of his trip to show me. He explained how exciting the whole biker experience had been, how friendly the biker community was, and how surprised he was to feel so welcome. He said he had recently gone through a divorce and the Sturgis experience had rejuvenated him, served as a sort of therapy. As he explained what had apparently been a life-changing experience from the fresh point of view from some

 

WOW

 

Amen. I used to feel "funny" when I rode my Suzuki, and then my Yamaha, but like your friend, I had went to a Poker Run 3 states away,actually just to visit my cousin who rides, and we decided to get into the Poker Run that weekend. Anyway, I was only 1 of about 50-75 bikes that wasnt a Harley of some sort, and you would have never known it. I only knew 1 person at the start of the ride, and knew many at the end of the ride. They were some of the nicest people, that I have rode with and yet none of them wrinkled their nose at us when we said"Yamaha".
Now that I have a Harley , I have since learned that it doesnt matter what you ride, but that you simply ride, and I make an effort to wave to all bikers when passing. I too have heard those questions, about rain, attire, etc etc, and it really gets on my nerves.
Keep the shiney side up, and the rubber down!!

 

so, I'm taking this to mean that those who ~have~ to define being a biker vs. a motorcyclist vs. a poser vs. a squid are in fact the very ones that ARE NOT bikers despite their protests of others that are not...

fwiw - personally, i could give a flying fig about whether i'm a biker or not, i enjoy riding, period, regardless of the bike i'm on or what others think of me... i ride on my terms, when i want, where i want... if it DQ's me in someone elses eyes then they can take a flying leap...

 

A Bike is a Bike as long as it has two or three wheels. Simply because I choose to ride a HD, doesn't make me better than everyone else, we are all equal!!!

 

Yep that is the real answer to the question
Thanks for sharing
You know it amazes me how many times I see this question on every MC board and how many people miss the point.

 

Good post. Doesn't matter what you ride as long as you ride and enjoy the experience. I choose to ride a Harley but I would be just as happy on anything with two wheels and could care less what anyone thinks.

 

Good read fig, thanks. And I have to agree with bonz in spirit - just ride and enjoy it. Don't much care how I am labeled.

 

fignuton/Truegentlemann...I agree. I've always said, "After you buy the bike, the rest is just a fashion statement." I have to laugh, I've been riding since I was 14-years old, my first bike was a Gilera 124 one lunger sold by Sears. My point being I've got a little time in the saddle. What I find amusing is the "new wave" of "Hard-Core Bikers", you know the type, those folks who go out buya new Harley and then buy every piece of HD tack right down to their undies. I'vemade the mistake of going to a couple of "Hooters" bike nights-what a zoo. I particularly like it when they look down their noses at me because, and I know it's sacrilege, but I've lived in FLA all of my life and I find it a little too hot to wear full leathers in the summer, soI ride in shorts, I know several folks on this Forum do not agree, but I've been doing it all my life and I understand the risk. It's like all of those people who were at the Discos during the 70's dressing like JohnRevolta and doing the "Hustle" and then in the 80's they sported "Flock of Seaguls" or "Duran Duran" attire and hair cutsand now they've discovered motorcylesand changed their costumes to fit the mold. I refer to them as the Chamelians, you can call them RUBs or whatever you'd like. I do my best to avoid them like the plague. I consider it my contribution to saving a life. The young man noted in Truegentlemann's story has more grit, soul and "real biker" moxy, if you will, then all of the"Chamelians" wrapped together. I don't care what your putt'n as long as your in the wind. I've been trying to find a source for a T-shirt I saw in some rag, it has a picture of Dennis Hopper as "Billy" from the movie EasyRider giving the "You're number one salute",and on the bottom it says, "Billy wants his lifestyle back", or words to that effect. Rant off, sorry for the misuse of the bandwidth.


I can't wait until the next new thing appears and the "Chamelians" move on.

ScooterJammer

 

You lost me when you called me stupid for riding in the rain.