BEING BIKER
Over the years, Bikers have often intimated who they are by saying what they are not. They are not demons, posers or conformists. What they are has come to the fore by allowing them to be expressive, rather than defensive. Every colourful discussion ended with the notion that Bikers should stick together. That arises not just from the contention the biking world faces, but from something inside, a respect for like-minded individuals.
Who is a Biker? Anyone who acquires a motorcycle might presume they fit the bill. But from what we’ve seen so far, it’s more convoluted. People who don’t ride might see any rider as a Biker, but their view is unqualified. Being Biker comes not just from within, but also through the ways in which other riders regard you. Some have reverted to dictionary definitions, based on the idea that the act of riding a motorcycle is performed by a motorcyclist; bike, rider, Biker. Whilst this is physically correct, it doesn’t reveal anything of the rider’s nature; there are degrees of being Biker. Differing opinions have caused debates among Bikers about Biker identity. Their views cover a range of topics, but all have an underlying theme of passion.
A good starting point is with the stereotype imagined by the media and the public. It is what creates the atmosphere surrounding planet bike, as seen from the outside. There is a satisfaction and romance in tatty denim and leathers. To some, this image is the only signifier of true Biker blood. But the well-travelled image isn’t a necessary pre-requisite; it just happens that way sometimes. For some, keeping the bike on the road is more important than appearance.
Such as the enforced laws concerning the wearing of crash-helmets have caused outrage over human rights. Some insist on wearing no more than shorts, a Tee-shirt or even a bikini. Others ask whether it is worth flaunting with danger just to make a point. Any judgment based in image is usually biased toward some selfish ideal; whatever image anyone chooses says more about how they see their biking, not their Biker status.
Some purport that there is a minimum limit to the time spent in the saddle, below which a person’s status is not that of a Biker. This may be true of those able to close the door on their biking at any given moment and of those who divide their lives into sections; but other more dedicated riders have commitments they can’t just walk away from, whether they are a truck driver or a vet. Even when such people are not biking, the state of being a Biker has a perpetuating quality which is carried around in the mind and heart. That’s why you’ll occasionally see a truck or some swish car pulled over with a broken down bike.
An ex-Biker would be someone who quit voluntarily. Conversely, a person who was forced out of biking by circumstances beyond their control, yet retains their enthusiasm, is not regarded that way. Biker is a condition like race or gender; it is carried to the grave, and only under special circumstances will it be altered or erased.
Some Bikers regard themselves as Brothers, insisting that their tight-knit and loyal communities are the only enclave of true Bikers. Due to the posing of some people, it is understandable why they feel this way. But the earliest Bikers existed as individuals, and it was those individuals who created the first fraternities. There are some whose only interaction with other Bikers is by chance meetings. The loner in particular verifies the self-sufficient independency of the Biker. There is a feeling of completeness to be had with just yourself, your machine, and the road. It is a part of the biking paradox, where you can feel so individualistic, yet a part of something greater. The independents, as some club members describe such individuals, are simply that. What they all agree on is that the self aggrandisement and posturing of some clubs is beyond anyone’s station. When anyone makes a new friend, they don’t renege on that friendship if they discover that the new friend doesn’t like muffins. Similarly, a Biker’s tastes are their own. Who ever you are becomes the Biker, which is why biking society has become a society per se, warts and all, as the saying goes. Whether or not anyone is party to any organisation, if they live the lifestyle, they are a part of Bikerdom. To Ride Free is to ride as equals.
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Bike ownership seems an obvious requirement for being a Biker. However, who can help being without a bike sometimes - like if it breaks down or gets stolen? Compromises inevitably occur, and to malign anyone, even oneself under these circumstances is bigoted, if not just over-zealous. Mitigating circumstances aside, some clubs welcome individuals without bikes and will help them to find the one they want. Their mood leans towards socialising as much as riding. Other clubs that insist on bike ownership have their various reasons, mostly because ownership is proof of enthusiasm. They say that hangers-on will not be tolerated. That may seem harsh, but their view is rational; some hangers-on are responsible for the damage to the good reputation of genuine Bikers.
This in essence reflects the attitudes of biking communities. Criminality has always been on the fringes, and many Bikers do not regard the criminal element as genuine - despite any other biking qualification they may have. There is a grey area, where victimless crime is tolerated. Nearer to the heart of biking, stunting and speeding on public roads is acceptable - even desirable, providing that it is executed sensibly. And it can be. Despite what misinformed dissenters presume, the fact that the majority of riders do so without incident is hidden - because accidents, not safety, go on record. Biking is meant to be enjoyable, if nothing else. And a diet of hospital food doesn’t figure in any rider’s game plan.
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In a strict sense of actually piloting a motorcycle, the pillion is a grey area. There could be any of a number of reasons that put people there. As a pillion, that person could be regarded as a passive Biker, a passenger, as opposed to the one doing the bit with the handlebars. They may even express no desire to pilot a bike or other similar vehicle. Yet no matter what the weather, no matter the circumstance, some of them are there, getting their hands dirty rather than just hanging around waiting for a ride. There is an effusive difference in the way rider to rider relationships progress, yet most Bikers would not socially segregate anyone because they don’t ride. Beyond that, many pillions regard themselves as Bikers, because they feel a part of the biking scene in an enthusiastic, cultural sense.
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Life itself throws up perverse ironies where passion is concerned. The youth with no money or licence presses their nose up to the shop window, swearing that one day - and every day - they will ride the machine of their dreams. Then there is the comfortably earning adult who has a barn full of exotics, which they talk about, even look at sometimes, but seldom if ever ride them. Passion comes from the soul, not the bank balance.
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There are disabled people unable to drive, but they have all the gear and have travelled extensively as pillions. Although they rely on others for the biking experience, it would be unfair to discount their fervour in the assessment of their Biker status. To deny them that would be a denial of their riding and enthusiasm, and who has that right?
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Early motorcycle development had one aim; to create a self-powered two-wheeler. Had biking gone with some other configuration, it would have been triking or scootering, but that isn’t the case. Mechanistically, we must acknowledge that biking is at the core of Bikerdom. But there is another parallel. Much as some riders of two-wheelers might begrudge it, people who consider themselves genuine Bikers can also be seen on trikes; because they share the same cultural roots and beliefs.
Within the overall bike scene, people do group into distinct subdivisions. There are separate enclaves for bikes, combos, trikes and scooters. Of the four, Scooterists are the most remote, and view themselves as Scooterists rather than Bikers. However, Scooterists welcome Bikers and Trikers to their events, and are welcome themselves at bike and trike gatherings. The same applies to trike events, where bikes and scooters are free to enter. There is a healthy interchange, only dominated by the specific vehicular nature of any event.
Most people have bona fide reasons for their actions. Fair-weather riding might be done on a bike that’s too valuable to be exposed to the elements. But some would suggest that a real Biker would have another machine for day-to-day use. The trailered bike might be so old it’s too unreliable for the long distances involved in getting to shows. The same other bike contention might apply in this case. However it has been refuted by those who have no desire to ride anything other than their chosen machine. They even say that their preferred machine is the only real bike, and that therefore, they are the only real Bikers. This misconception cannot be sustained, because to deny oneself of the biking experience on the grounds that other machines are inferior, is viewed as snobbery by most Bikers. Hence the ironic Tee-shirt slogans worn at events like Daytona, that say: “I rode my bike to trailer week.”
There are some motorcyclists who, despite their passion, prefer not to be called Biker because of the word’s association with deviant behaviour. Although some Bikers came in through a cultural window, rather than the door of biking, we shouldn’t make misguided assumptions. When used by Bikers, Biker is at best a union of souls, at worst a colloquialism, but never a derogatory slur. The arguments about Biker status are circular, like those among classic Bikers as to what a classic bike is. The classic bike is in the eye of the beholder, while Biker status is in the soul of the individual.
What all Bikers respond to concerning the question of Biker status is something they feel inside. Most concur that any small minded pecking order is not a serious contention. Whatever the argument is, biking is a state of mind. And a state of mind is an element of belonging to a culture. Although differences will continue to be discussed, they have become moot. With some reservation, most Bikers agree that anyone is welcome. It’s a person’s biking enthusiasm that authenticates them as a Biker.
Describing what they’re not can add some qualification to all this. For example, there have been some allegedly great leaders in the past, who were tyrants. There have been popes who were despicable sinners. So people can have a duality; a plumber could be a rapist. Whatever we do, we’re often worthy of more than one title. But the general attitude that humanity wishes to present - and which genuine Bikers affirm, is we should live so that one title cannot be sullied by actions giving rise to another. Better to be a Biker DJ, charity worker - or just plain Biker, than to do yourself - and your peers down.
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The term Biker might be seen as a slang word that has come to replace the word motorcyclist. While this is true, Biker is no longer a word like driver or sewing machinist. It has acquired tribal connotations that make it a signal of culture. This has given rise to an additional meaning, if not a subtle change to the actual meaning, of the word Biker. It has had to re-define itself, to include all those who live the lifestyle, regardless of what or how they ride. We have begun to use the term Biker to describe someone’s cultural condition.
Being Biker is like the feeling you get from historic tales; the way Harold Hadrada spanked the Vikings at Stamford Bridge, how the Amerindians did for General Custer at Little Big Horn, or how the Scot William Wallace stuffed it to the Norman English. Bikers, like these people, have street credibility and charisma. They are natural, unaffected, yet heroic; of something so unique in its bond that it seems too disparate to exist. Being Biker is the righteous versus the pompous. The noble savage against oppressive regimes disguised as civilisation. It is an elevation of spirit, a celebration of life, like the way you feel cavorting to some piece of music, in company that makes you feel the world is alright. Being Biker is the release of that something that some would call soul. And in that condition, we learn that they are speaking of life itself, when Bikers say:
RIDE FREE.