THE FUTURE
“Retreat/Never/Retreat/Never in your dreams.” (Marshall Law).
The most common similarity between past, present and future Bikers is the pure joy of riding. For many of them, that similarity has been glaringly obvious. But the roll over of generations, the intervention of war, politics, media and academics have caused the hedgehog of biking to pick things up on its spines, and make it unrecognisable. Viewed this way, it appears that all the contention has been meaningless gabble. But there is often, albeit it only tiny, a spark of truth behind the wind of rumour. Some people did - and still do - see the motorcycle as an expression of machismo. Which is why the path of that alluring enigma that is Biker culture hasn’t been so much an evolutionary thread, more a randomly woven tapestry? It is truly a postmodern pastiche, a collage of so many different types, who have superimposed their own style and fashion onto a traditional back-drop. Some of the sophistication that had been lost in cultural collision has been revived by redefining its existence. Now that we’ve held up a mirror to the past, can we see a pattern that reflects into the future? Well, the die is not cast for Bikerdom, but just as clues like avenues of trees can hint at how the road lies, so too the present climate can at least draw some sketchy maps.
Biking has shed much of its gruesome reputation and the maturation of older Bikers lead us out of the biking Dark Age. Biker culture has had to modify itself over a hundred-plus years. That flexibility shows that its evolution has been effective, and that it has a chance of survival into the future. There are Orwellian theories and fears that see biking becoming legislated out of existence, along with other forms of individual transport. The cost of such inanities is prohibitive at the moment. But unless Bikers continue to make a noise, they could eventually see regulations that make the ownership of a respectable motorcycle obsolete. Bikers are voters, but voters can only decide who gets in - not what they do. The idea of Bikers in governmental positions has been around since biking first met with contention, but likely candidates as some may be, few Bikers desire any actual involvement.
The authorities and even some Bikers may see their globality as an impracticable nonsense. But all that has to be agreed on are the basic tenets that have existed across three centuries, in order to consolidate Bikerdom. It has to some extent begun. Governments are now confronted by brief-case carrying suited types who seem able to look into the heart of genuine biking and present it in a formal style. Albeit grudgingly, the arguments that Bikers have put forwards for years, like better education for all road users, are being acknowledged - if not acted on. The trouble with progress is that it inevitably alters even that which seems right, and subsequent generations will put their own spin, for better or worse, on what is already established.
Despite whatever influences their parents might (try to) bestow on them, there are those that pick up on biking in the way it always seems to procreate - laterally rather than genetically. The existence of genuine Bikers means that new entrants will inevitably interact with them. Whilst it may not be popular or fashionable to be a Biker, among younger generations (and older entrants) with half a wit, it is still regarded as ‘cool’. How cool is interpreted rests in the attitude of the beholder - and how mentally agile they might be when it comes to understanding a genuine culture.
Sometimes dependent on parental consent and finance, sometimes not, the desire to ride still causes kids to seek out something rideable. As ever, neglected bikes find new owners coming after them. Every few years, local media carry stories about nuisance or problem motorcycles on open land. Yet many local authorities fail to recognise the seat of the problem; that people ride bikes for pleasure, not because they know it might annoy someone else - and the 'someone else’s' usually win. There is an element of criminality around informal biking venues - people who steal motorcycles, then ride them round then burn them out. Negative intervention merely displaces the problems. It is time to intercede with something positive, yet the opportunity is over-looked by indignant non-Bikers. Some places provide special off-road circuits or tracks where they will be less irritating for local populations, but seldom are they purpose-built with pre-licence age riders in mind. Access, insurance and the provision of bikes are typical difficulties, not to mention the resistance from local funding organisations and authoritative bodies.
It’s a train of thought that institutionalised minds can’t or won’t grasp. I and others tried to set up a training centre that gave youths the opportunity to ride; riding and repair skills were incidental, because you can’t force anyone into ‘correct’ behavioural roles. But without backing, we would have had to charge. One manufacturer had pledged support, but was commercially biased towards training future technicians for themselves. Tinkering, not riding, was their incentive. Meanwhile, the local police began providing free sessions, but the riding was incidental to the imposition of safety. Understandable by aspiring riders, but not the first thing on the minds of thrill seekers. Official bodies tend to put the cart before the horse, and then wonder why they’re going nowhere.
Besides the youths who’re actively biking, there are many who give passing riders the thumbs-up, a sign once considered passé. As a bike is parked up, they express admiration for the machine, often despite its condition. This includes young girls, whose appearance belies any probable interest in bikes. Their behaviour is breaking down the old gender and image barriers, as they stand behind a bike just to get an earful of how it sounds. In a stated preference over cars, some very young speak of bike ownership for themselves when they grow up: which is in direct conflict with the idea that Bikers never mature. Whilst that is celebrated tongue-in-cheek among older riders, it is, in reality, a joy of life that sustains healthy activity.
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New Biker-friendly places still appear all over the globe. One such venue is the re-opened Ace Café in London. At a Rocker’s re-union there in 1996, over fifteen hundred Bikers turned up. Of these, many still wore the same black leathers and jeans, and listened to their music idols of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Far stronger than any fashionable theme-party, this reunion demonstrated a cultural belief rather than a teen recollection. Among the Biker-friendly places that exist across the globe, many are based on a social footing. The only requirement is to be there. Australia, New Zealand and Japan have created accommodation for both local and visiting riders. These places are geared to the needs of biking, from spare parts to sock-drying racks. Asia and the US in particular are host too many biking holidays, with everything from bike hire to the best roads (or tracks) on the itinerary. Bike travel no longer restricts the rider to reachable destinations or protracted absence from work. And they naturally encounter other riders as they would back home, who have similar if not the same outlooks as themselves. The only downside to this is the appearance of the motorcycling tourist. Nothing wrong with that in itself, but ‘tourists’ are renowned for their abuse of local cultures and environments. They herald the theme-pub scene, not some altruistic human venture.
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The weather could be something future riders may have to worry about. It’s ironic, that even though bikes are more environmentally friendly than larger vehicles, they still contribute to global warming. It may be a natural circumstance that is going to make the UK wetter and change other climates, but ‘progress’ has become stagnant in the fossil fuel age. This has accelerated if not exacerbated the breakdown of the ozone layer. Even if we were to find an alternative fuel tomorrow, global warming might still have an adverse enough effect to make biking and other outdoor pursuits a misery. Nature has got bigger plans than any of us could imagine. It is the one creature we should not poke with sticks, yet governments, conglomerates and people who don’t give a toss about the future do so regularly. The fact that fossil fuels are finite means that Biker culture could evaporate with the last remaining drops of petrol, but for various (usually economic) reasons, the alternatives are not yet publicly available. Bottled gas powers some vehicles, but the problems of using it on bikes don’t appear to have been resolved. In the 70’s, there was even an engine that produced pure water from the exhaust. It is however hydrogen powered, and requires the unfavourable nuclear power to create fuel for it. Presumably human nature means we must wait until it’s too late, or very late, to do anything about imminent problems.
There are government incentives to reduce exhaust emissions. But for one thing, the fallacy of diesel: you use less and it’s cheaper - hides the black smoke emissions. In the mid 90s UK alone, diesel produced 45% of black smoke - petrol only produced 9%. Getting people onto two wheels is advocated in what seems like an attempt to placate existing riders rather than a genuine bid to reshape commuter thinking. Convenient if not secure bike parking is being set up by local governments. But they are more a response to the growing number of powered two wheel (PTW) commuters than an incentive to ride them. Those who have turned to PTWs have often done so out of economics, and the increasing demand for parking space. It all highlights the vulnerability of biking. As an activity (and lifestyle) dependent on basic factors, which were taken for granted for so long, to the genuine enthusiast, its future can seem as fearful as aids was to the rest of the world.
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We all tend to be judgmental, and as we entered the 21st century, there was a tendency for some to try too hard not to be. This lead to some indecisive thinking that was just as unhelpful. There seems to be little motivation for a sense of community in the West, beyond the negative. Poverty traps and insular, even crime-friendly architecture discourage interaction. Murder, rape, violent crime - all the traits once associated with minorities, now abound in mass society. Any communal consensus has to be actively pursued rather than naturally assumed. Among some, a sense of unity is felt through humanitarian, environmental and animal causes. Along with Bikers, gardeners, animal-lovers and environmental people are some of the most pleasant people you could wish to meet. They share that quirk of sensibility tinged with something called personality.
Only fringe groups seem rationalised in a pro-human sense, and able to perpetuate sustainable regimes. Anyone who can find a sense of genuine community - not egoism or corporate aggrandisement, has received a great inheritance. They become the focus of the documentary makers, who produce programmes watched by the living dead - the couch-potatoes.
Even while Bikerdom has its troubles, Bikers, like members of tribes untouched by civilisation, are in touch with life. Their focus is not on tomorrow, even though they might strive for a better one. Their future is now, and all they ever did was to acquire a motorcycle. It is as if these machines are imbued with magic. Standing before the future, it may seem incongruous to mention primordial aspirations. But the sleekest, fastest bike not yet dreamt of in the minds of designers will still invoke instinctive rather than just cerebral reaction.
The handlebars shall resemble the horns of a beast with the characteristics of a spirit. One such spirit, Herne, has been given a bad reputation by some, but this spirit of the woods fits the ideal. Part man, part deer, he is free to come and go with the speed of the wind. Real or no, he inspired a reverence that Christianity had to fight tooth-and-claw to undermine. In countries all over the world, he and his counterparts gave people the willies. His persona was based in mythical belief. To mingle with such creatures was the privilege of the adept. With the coming of the mechanised age, ordinary people were able to ride such a beast, to be transported beyond their everyday lives, even beyond their wildest dreams. When a Biker looks at their machine, whatever its nature, they can see this spirit. It is a vehicle not just of escape, but with a definite intention to carry the human soul on to greater things; it endows god-like fervour in the hearts of mortals. Knowing this, it is no great leap of faith to understand why the horned beast - the motorcycle, should be at the root of a human culture. To those who created such a beast, Bikers are forever in their debt; not just for the bike itself, but because while ever there are bikes, there will be Bikers.
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As to a global nation, not every Biker believes in it or even feels any need to be part of it, whether it exists or not. Its existence is however proven in the shared beliefs of those who feel part of it - even some of those who do not. Unlike some intangible religious belief, the biking spirit might be described as a quasi-scientific entity. Its measure is in societal behaviour and individual attitudes - difficult to discern, let alone prove, but as these writings attest, they can be detected and outlined.
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Though the major points have so far been evaluated, not all the issues are resolved, even discussed. Having traced The Evolution of Biker Culture, from the first moment when two motor-bicycle enthusiasts collided with mutual intent, is not enough. We can know a people’s history, but to know them, we need to recognise the quality of their lives. In the circumstance of the Biker, it begins with an ambiguous understanding - of the vehicle of their logic.