What is a biker...

Since getting into riding, and associating with more people who also ride, I've found myself asking this question more and more... What exactly is the definition of the real biker?
Some will say it's anyone who has the drive and desire to ride, and loves the feeling of the open road. Others will disagree, claiming that you have to ride for a cause, own a certain brand of bike, dress a certain way, etc.
I've met both, and quite frankly, the ones who consider themselves the "real", "hardcore" bikers are most the time the biggest poseurs on the planet.
Allow me to embellish a bit...
This past weekend, I decided to attend one of many "ride for a cause" rides, only because I felt a little bit of a connection to the cause involved, and thought I should do my part to at least make an appearance and donate a little money. In retrospect, that's where it should have ended for me. On the poster that caught my attention in the first place, it stated "100 mile ride"... Okay, I'm cool with that.. i do 300 miles in one afternoon just for the hell of it.. I love to ride, and riding with a group of people who (I thought) shared a common interest would be even better. I couldn't have been more wrong...
When I arrived roughly an hour before the ride was scheduled to depart, I saw a parking lot half filled with various bikes of all generations and models, but all save for one sport bike were Harleys. That's fine i have respect but Apparently, that was my first mistake. I didn't have a Big Twin with open drag pipes like the majority of the others, so I became a little bit of an outcast. Unbeknownst to them, my nicely massaged XJ750 could have easily spanked any one of their loud obnoxious "geezer 'glides" in the quarter mile, but that's not my point... My second apparent mistake was wearing a helmet. Out of all the (60+) bikes that were there when I arrived and probably half again that many that arrived after me, I was the only person there except for one other guy on a really nice V-Rod that wore a helmet. I've seen too many bikers lives end prematurely that could have been changed if they'd simply strapped a $100 piece of plastic on their melons before they hopped on their bike, so I never ride without one. But I digress... In the interest of being a "real" biker...
On to the rest of the morning...
The ride was to leave at noon, and like I mentioned, I arrived an hour early only to witness the better majority of the other attendees drinking their bloody marys and beer chasers, some to the point of obvious intoxication before they even threw a leg over their bikes! Red flag #1 for this guy. I will not ever, EVER, ride with even a trace of alcohol in my system. 100% sobriety or I do not ride.
As for "biker brotherhood"... What a joke. There was no camaraderie amongst fellow bikers, at least at this event. The cliques were worse than what I dealt with in high school! It was like if you didn't know anyone, you weren't going to meet anyone. The only person I actually got an opportunity to converse with was the guy with the V-Rod, who seemed quite friendly, and without me even mentioning it, also expressed his lack of enthusiasm for this particular ride. He planned on cutting out early to go get some stuff done around the house.
The ride...
Like I mentioned, it was advertised as being a 100 mile ride. If only that were the case. What it really was, was a total of 100 miles, give or take, stopping at a bar every 5-10 miles of said ride. What??!? I wanted to ride, not plant my ass on a barstool for an hour after riding 10 minutes! The ride was a "poker run", which I've concluded is a euphemism for 2-wheeled bar-hopping with the potential for a prize at the end of it all. Definitely not my cup of tea.
So, I cut out early to go and take a nice scenic ride through the country on some back roads, and actually enjoy the rest of my afternoon.
Which brings me to my original question: Who exactly are the "real" bikers?
If you ask "them", they are. They're the ones that call someone like me a "poseur", "weekend warrior" Because I don't have tattoos? Because I'm not a war hero (and I use the term "hero" VERY loosely) waving a flag on the back of my bike?
The way I see it, THEY'RE the wannabes...
I bought my bike because I like to ride. And ride I do. As I'm writing this, I've already got over 1000 miles on this season... i even ride in winter ( when its above 25 degrees and clear roads. i ride in rain all the time.. like a soaked outfit will stop this freedom. why is my bike ugly? thats why. always dirty.)
The ones that give me crap about being a "weekend warrior" are just that... Total wannabes. The ones that put on their pirate costumes and ride from tavern to tavern, with open drag pipes making everyone in earshot aware of their arrival. Worse yet, the local M.C.s... Herd mentality of lawlessness. Yippee. Again, more about image than mileage. I've probably ridden more in one week than any 10 members of their club combined!
So in conclusion, that was my first and last experience with going on a group ride/poker run. In a nutshell, it was like being in the high school smoking section except with motorcycles and alcohol.
I bought my bike to ride, and ride I will. The "real" bikers can think what they want, but the way I see it, if they want to call someone a wannabe, they should be pointing their fingers at themselves, and let the actual bikers who ride like they mean it lead the way. I'm sure there will be enough taverns along the way to stop by and hoist a few.
Ride free, ride hard!

 

interesting, I always wondered about riding in one of those rides. To me it is to dangerous with that many. To many show offs, drunks, I'm badder than you jerks and so on. Seems to me you and the other helmet wearer were right, go ride.

 

I am more like you Motors-Guitars than the other lot.

No alcohol at all when on two wheels. ( i DO like bourbon).
Helmet, leather, hi-vis vest and proper foot wear all the time.

Only difference is . . . . Bass player! 8) :lol:

 

Hmmm.

I've been riding street motorcycles continuously since I was 16 years old, some 45 years ago. My first car was a motorcycle. Even at my "advanced age" I still rack up at least 5K miles a year between various bikes.

I am NOT a "biker." Never have been. When everybody still wore leather jackets, mine was brown (I still have it.) I do not have a chain-driven wallet. My very grey hair might be a tad long, but that doesn't count. People are usually quite surprised when they find out I ride, and then even more surprised when they find out it's NOT a Harley. Cops usually change their attitude when I take off my helmet. (Being old is cool sometimes.)

I am a vintage motorcycle enthusiast, a motorcycle commuter, a sport rider, a touring rider; or just "motorcyclist" if you wish. I still eat, breathe and sleep motorcycles. But please don't call me a "biker" that ain't me.

I just love to ride. (A fast comfortable reliable shiny bike.)

 

I usually ride mine round trip to work to the tune of 84 miles. I like you will always wear a helmet. When I was younger here in California when there was no helmet law. I seen a friend get cut off by car. His head hit the curb. Cracked his helmet open like an egg. Guess what? he walked away for another day. Since then I always had the helmet. Back to the question. I have friends that have the Harleys & ride. They always hit me up to go with them. To them any bike out on beautiful ride days is a good day. And no I have no alcohol when I ride. Get more adrenalin just being on my bike.

 

I do many poker runs and rides for charities and have had no issues to date. Every one I have been on there has been an after party for those that want to have a couple drinks and dance. We are all there for the same reason, to help someone in need and have fun doing it. I ride with all types of people from the nerdy guy with glasses on a sportster to the die hard "biker" on cafe sportster. I ride with Harley, Yamaha, Ducatti, Suzuki, kawasaki, Honda, and all other brands of bike....even made up trikes with VW and Porsche engines. In every ride I have been on there has been a safety briefing before the ride and a helmet check. No helmet or no DOT approved helmet and you do not ride with the group. My brother went down on his Raider 1900 last year and the helmet kept his head in check. he lives to ride on later that summer once his leg healed. We are actually riding again this summer. Alcohol is a big NO as well as showing off and putting others in danger. Keep that stuff for the track. There is always a time and a place for certain things and the road is not the place.

 

Interesting post since I have been on this forum for over a year. Since then I have owned 3 bikes and have the total experience of 2 miles around the block to warm up the engine once. I have taken apart 2 of them down to the frame so I am getting better at knowing my ride.

Once this puppy is road ready I will not call myself a biker. I think those labels are for each person to put on themselves.

Consider me a "restorer" since I like to do that with early fans (1910's to 1940's) and now I am moving into motors that can spin a bit harder.

I have met a couple of "bikers" that don't know how to change the air filter on their rides, I won't put labels on anybody because at the end of the day we like the same toys, just with different motivations.

The issue is when any label looks down on the other and I think any level of enthusiasm for this machines is valuable unless they are total jerks but that is beyond the bike.

Cheers,

 

Generally I refer to someone as a biker if he or she is someone that wants to be viewed as a biker. You know, that person that wears the black leather and boots, chained wallet, tats and so on. So I guess what I'm saying being a biker doesn't mean you ride a lot, you just have a certain immage. Me, I own eight bikes and ride a lot but I'm not a biker.

 

And there, in a nutshell, is your answer.

Personally I've no particular desire to be associated with the word "biker", and equally I've no problem with being called just that. End of the day, biker is just a word, what really matters is who you are not how you get around or what you do for fun. Motorcycles are my only transport year round & I ride for the hell of it as well as to get places but does that make me a biker? I could care less, but I'd have to try pretty hard 8)

 

I used to do charity rides around xmas time when I lived in Florida, but finally got burned out for much the same reason. I even had a Harley (Sportster) at the time, but trying to follow three to four thousand other bikes, getting sick on exhaust fumes and the smell of burning clutches, my head throbbing from the constant throttle blips, and the overall disregard for safety of smooth riding turned me completely off. One of the things that really chapped me, my family bought me Harley anything despite the fact that I never asked for it, even after I lost that bike to a crash and started riding European bikes. Still Harley trinkets for every holiday. Thats when I stopped referring to anything I did as "biker" related. I am a motorcyclist, or motorcycle enthusiast. To me it is far more than a lifestyle, it is part of my life.
That being said, I don't begrudge anyone who sees value in it. As long as they understand that we all represent riders everywhere when they ride (for example, the Range Rover group in NY) and treat that image with respect, then we are cool. Those that stunt on public roads, ride like a douche, neglect their own safety by not wearing gear, racing and throttle blipping, those people I won't bother with.

 

I love you guys. I am glad I found this forum. I share the same views. To me, it isn't WHAT you ride, it is THAT you ride. A nice day on two wheels, with a friend of mine that bought a new cbr500r, and I need nothing else. We just joyride, not keeping track of mileage. We just head out into the country and get lost on purpose. He has put 12k miles on his bike since he bought it a year ago. Most of those miles were riding along side my 650.

Always in a good mood when on the bike, always wave to other bikes, love to stop and talk to people that have bikes. It is a different world from the car enthusiast scene, and I love it. I feel like I have found a home at long last, and that home is on two wheels, and spending time with others that feel the same.

 

I agree.
I rode my Triumph Tiger 1050 British registered bike complete with Union Jack stickers from Halifax Nova Scotia to Vancouver, partly in Canada and partly in the USA a couple of years ago. Lots of other bikers stopped to chat - BMW riders, Triumph (of course) Honda, Suzuki, Ducati, even a couple of Yamaha riders. But guess what? We saw lots and lots of Harley riders, but none of them - none - wanted to socialise.
Came to the conclusion that there are bikers (or motorcyclists) and there are Harley riders. A completely different tribe.

 

year around, heated suit, frog toggs, no money.

 

Bullshit, I ride a Harley, my stepfather rides a Harley, & a lot of my friends ride Harleys.

Not a single one of us has anything against another bike or the people that ride them. The important thing is that you're on two wheels & enjoying life.

 

For me is not about the ride, I prefer them choppers ....but more of an attitude...hard to explain...I wear leathers, got a chain in my wallet, many does not know where this coming from....(they will realize after the crash) I ride alone, with my Mc (I'm the president) and ride in line of 50+ bikes at 100mph...I don't mind to stop in every bar to drink and keep riding I got never get drunk( I know you wont believe me) I'm not a 1%er. I don' ride only the weekends...I ride with cold, rain, fog, sunny, etc... I wear a helmet so the cops won't bother me...and I do like to call the attention of everyone when I pass by even in my xj700 (nice sound at 70mph...) Most of the bikers I knew and know ARE posers or fake...in the way they'll like to be what a "biker" represents but without "paying the price" of it... and there is a price to pay...always. They want to be the outlaws...but they want to be the family an also and they don't know how to mix them both and be socially accepted. Well, I guess is simple you have it or not. I'm a family man and a bad ass man to mess with too and I certainly don't need a bike to be what a biker supposed to be... a righteous badass...something that goes further than tats, chains and leather, I could dress in a suit and my way of living life will be the same (I did..) It was even more shocking for people... thank to all, ride safe...ride the way you want...life is too short and we're not sure if we coming back...

 

id love to ride with any of you guys!

 

mg,

Don't really know, don't really care. I do me. IMHO do you. If someone wants to be called a "biker" that's cool. If not, that's cool too. Ride on.

Gary

 

Motors---

NOT all benefit rides are like that.

I participate in the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation's "Ride For Kids" whenever I am available. THIS particular ride leaves from Utica, usually goes to Old Forge (but this past summer when from Utica and rode a circle to Utica. This ride is a non-stop ride......at the end there is a rally where kids who have had tumor diagnosis and/or surgery are there to tell their experiences, and stories. They also participate in the ride. There is NO drinking on the ride, no stopping at bars, etc.......and there IS cameraderie and you can talk with other people about bikes, etc..........

Don't let a bad poker-run experience ruin it yet.....there are good rides out there that are just that----a good RIDE.

BTW....I am NOT a biker-----I am a guy who loves to ride, repair, collect, restore, and appreciate bikes................ I am a motorcycle rider, and enthusiast.

Dave Fox

 

I'm a biker, like most people here I log thousands of miles a MONTH, not a year. When I was single I would log 20k a season. Now happily married with two beautiful daughters and a grandson, I'm down to about 5-10k a year. I have over 90k on my XJ650 and have no intention of stopping any time soon. I ride in all weather, even snow, but not when that white crap is on the road. I've crashed, three times and would never think about stopping just because of a few broken bones and blood lost. I always wear leather chaps, vest and gloves, and a helmet. Not because of the look, but to save my skin and skull. So yes I put more miles on my bike in a season than some "true" bikers have put on theirs in a lifetime. And thats why I'm a biker.

 

I'm a biker, like most people here I log thousands of miles a MONTH, not a year. When I was single I would log 20k a season. Now happily married with two beautiful daughters and a grandson, I'm down to about 5-10k a year. I have over 90k on my XJ650 and have no intention of stopping any time soon. I ride in all weather, even snow, but not when that white crap is on the road. I've crashed, three times and would never think about stopping just because of a few broken bones and blood lost. I always wear leather chaps, vest and gloves, and a helmet. Not because of the look, but to save my skin and skull. So yes I put more miles on my bike in a season than some "true" bikers have put on theirs in a lifetime. And thats why I'm a biker.