The Long Version
The Stinger once asked bikers on a BBS to
define what being a biker means. This is
what they had to say:
To ride a motorcycle means to me the following:
A way to perceive nature at its best, right
there live. A way to release daily stress
by conquering the odds. A way to experience
vibrating power and be part of it...becoming
one...body and machine. A way to share adventuring
with other people. A state of mind based
on freedom, thoughts, and acts. An excellent
way to think about your reality in a focused
manner and make decisions about things...that
time alone is precious to me....the prairie...the
machine...the mind.. A way to meet and exchange
experiences with others. A way to express
my thanks for being alive and kicking.
Biker, Rider, or Whatever Label that gravitates
folks to the Two Wheel thing --- a lot more
definition to that as well .... Motorcycling
means getting a Rush from the Risks, and
Taking that Rush and Naked Exposure to the
lethal World together with Heightened/Alerted
Senses of Sight, Smell, and Touch which all
Wrapped in My Mind equals PURE, Crisp, RAW,
Wild, Vibrating FUN!!!!!!
Guess I've been riding so long I've forgotten
why I love it so. I tired of four wheelers
years ago, never motorcycles. It's not the
power, though I do love the power. It's not
the handling, sports cars have much higher
cornering speeds. I think it's just the experience,
the freedom it gives you, the challenge of
the long ride, the feeling of no schedule
when your out on the road. I hate driving
somewhere, I love riding there. I prefer
the company of other bikers to non-bikers.
When I think of a biker I know, it's usually
a guy with an old truck that gets him there
and a really nice, well maintained motorcycle
for everyday transport. A motorcyclist will
have a nice bike, but can't survive without
a nice, fairly new four wheeler. I biker
rarely has a shop do his maintenance, a motorcyclist
knows nothing and cares to know nothing inside
the cases. A biker takes a long ride to a
run for the sake of the ride as much as the
run or the party itself. A motorcyclist trailers
his ride to the run, rides the run, and parties,
but wouldn't think of riding a hundred miles
without a stereo or AC/heat. I know what
a biker is, I just can't put my finger on
a simple definition. I think bikers appreciate
freedom and the outdoors and display a certain
self-reliance more so than most others. I
often think of the old west and the freedom
that the cowboys once knew on the back of
a horse in the open spaces, when I'm riding.
Good question. I'll have to find a biker
and ask him...if'n I can figure out just
what the heck a biker is or if I can find
a real one...whatever that is. I still haven't
figured it out......but to get back to the
topic...gosh, I tend to look at bikers as
those who are committed to the entire lifestyle
and the philosophy...I don't think I fit
that mold...I would consider myself somewhere
between a motorcyclist and an enthusiast...I
don't wrench near enough, and with the job
and weather etc I don't ride near enough
but I'll tell you what a bike does for me...it
is one of the reasons I put up with a pile
of crap at work a lot of days...when I feel
the world closing in I get on it and ride...it
sure beats going to a shrink or taking stress
management courses...my vacations are taken
on the bike. I don't really look at it from
a rebellious point of view, but those committed
to biking are a special breed...risk-takers...a
little out of the mainstream…hell, I can't
explain it but when you drive your car to
work and back home after the work day ends
when you're home…when you ride the bike...the
workday ends when you thumb the starter...I
can't think of anything smart to say right
now…too tired from some long hours…a car
is transportation...a bike is a BIKE and
hopefully I'll be riding them until I can't
swing a leg over the saddle.
When I think of what a Biker is, I get confused.
Guess it's from seeing so many who want to
be, so many that are, so many that don't
know who or what they are. The few things
that I look for in someone are simple. A
biker respects himself and others. He is
there for others of his ilk regardless of
the circumstances. He doesn't take "back
wash" from anybody. For the most part,
he fixes his own or has networked friends
that help him with what he can't do. He is
less worried about his appearance than the
functionality of his dress and appearance.
The ride *IS* the thing, not the event itself.
What it boils down to is simple: a "biker"
is the guy you want next to you when the
crap is in the fan. They are real, not fakes.
My name is Biker. I chew snuff, share my
woman, and beat non-believers of the HD emblem.
I eat what I want & drink what I want
when I want it. My leathers are black &
my vest is faded. My hair & beard are
long and grey. I ride my bike to church,
and I carry the USA flag with me. I work
on my bike with my tools, and help others.
I work at my friends bike shop. I am armed
and ready to protect if need be. Don't mess
with me and I don't mess with you. Biker
life is my philosophy and my country is my
religion. My HD is the next best thing to
sex. Got it?
You know the only thing I don't like about
defining the "Biker" is when someone
insists their way is "the" way.
Personally, if you love the rush of the wind,
the smells, the sounds then your a breed
apart. If you have the guts to get on one
in the first place then you are special.
Biker, Motorcyclist, what's the difference.
We all appreciate the same things, we just
have different "favorites".
Illogical is the key. Nothing logical about
this "biker" thing. It's a state
of mind, an emotional state. Anyone who would
get on a bike and ride to work and leave
the truck at home when it's 35 degrees F
is not logical. He/she must be doing it for
emotional reasons, whatever they may be for
him/her. As to the lifestyle, I don't know
how things are in other parts of the country,
but around here there are lots of stereotypical
"bikers" most of whom are good
people. I never really fit with many of them,
having a wider interest in motorcycles than
is the norm. I've been more performance minded
in my youth and competition oriented, but
that said, I've still been accepted by what
I consider "bikers" as an equal
and a friend. Like I said before, I can't
put my finger on a simple definition. I liked
the mention of the practical clothing. I
think most "bikers" and other motorcyclists
like me are more practical than many about
a lot of things. Of course, that thought
can be shot to hell at a custom bike show!
SEE, just when you think you've got it down,
you realize something in the definition is
missing.
To me being a biker means taking the challenge
of a long ride, valuing freedom and individual
expression, respecting others opinions and
ways of life, helping out others in need
('cause you never know when you might be
in need yourself someday), enjoying the fresh
smell of the country side when you ride through
it(something you can't do in a cage), respecting
the environment(yes I sometimes smoke when
I camping on a long ride, but I never throw
my cigarette butts on the ground), and overall
being a good person, and believing in "live
and let live". And of course I love
the romance of the road with no particular
set destination in mind, having my journey
BE my destination. Etc, etc, etc,.
I've been thinking about what constitutes
a biker for most of the day, and one thing
(hardly a definition) kept popping into my
mind. I've met many different types of riders
(bikers) and the one characteristic I've
noticed in the ones that I consider "Bikers",
no matter what they are riding, and in all
kinds of conditions, i.e. weather, they always
seem to have a look about them, an expression,
i.e. a shit-eating grin, so to speak, and
when they look at you when riding by and
waving or refueling, they have a look that
says," yeah, you ride, and you know
what the hell I'm smiling about". I
don't see it in all riders, but a fair percentage
have the "look". Does this make
sense to anyone?
There you have it, straight from the horses'
mouths. Did you notice that no individual
poster was able to produce a definition of
"biker" that was pinpoint accurate,
even in their own opinion? And these are
all genuine bikers. Some ride sport bikes
and some ride cruisers. Some ride HD's and
some do not. But they're all bikers. And
not one of them could precisely define what
it means to be a biker. They had to use examples
of personal experiences in an attempt to
relate their perceptions of what being a
biker is all about.
There are, however, striking similarities
in each one's perception of "bikerness".
Each entry contains allusions to freedom,
individuality, heightened senses and an enhanced
sense of being alive, appreciation for nature
and scenic beauty, self-confidence and contentedness,
peace of mind, self-respect and respect for
others, epicureanism, adventurousness, frugality,
and a semi-mystical sense of unity with one's
motorcycle.
So what does that really mean? What is being
a biker all about? Well…
Generosity
Becoming a biker has affected my life in
numerous, extremely positive ways. First
and foremost is humanitarianism. I cannot
count the times a fellow biker and complete
stranger has stopped for me on the road to
offer assistance, rescue, advice, or simply
greetings. And presented with the opportunity,
I find myself returning the favor to other
fellow bikers, or anyone in need for that
matter. Why do we bikers go out our way to
help others? Because we never know when we
ourselves will be in need someday. Bikers
make look scary, but they're really the nicest
people on earth.
Nature
Another positive effect has been a heightened
respect for nature and sense of environmentalism.
Haven ridden through raw, untamed nature,
and loved every minute of it, bikers know
from first hand experience exactly what will
be destroyed by corrupt industry and excessive
capitalism. I find myself naturally more
cautious of my own impact on the environment.
I always make sure to take all of my trash
from a campground, to be properly disposed
of later; I never litter, and often find
myself cleaning up other people's cigarette
butts, etc.
Self-confidence
Being a biker has also given me a tremendous
sense of self-respect and self-confidence.
Motorcycling is what I live for, and it motivates
me to work hard so I can keep on motorcycling.
It instils respect in me for differing ways
of life and opinions of others. Being a biker
makes it easier to strike up conversations
and acquaintances with others in a relaxed
and honest manner.
Practicality
Motorcycling also lends certain immunity
from trends and a sense of frugality. A motorcycle,
having little storage capacity, allows for
only the bare essentials when traveling,
so we bikers tend to bring with us only what
we need, and desire little more. Biker attire
is chiefly a question of form over function.
The leathers and jeans we wear are born of
necessity (though perhaps not the colorful
patches and accessories that also adorn us).
That our clothes are in style with the latest
fashion trend matters little to us. The leather
jackets we wear today will be the leather
jackets we wear decades from now.
Adventure
Best of all, being a biker gives one the
opportunity and the motivation to get out
there and see more the country, witness the
land in its beautiful natural form, and meet
people from other walks of life. It allows
the freedom and leisure of choosing where
and when to go. And it's not just the destination
that's important. The journey there is as
equally enjoyable, if not more so than the
destination. To quote Warren Belasco, "You are your own master, the road is ahead;
you eat as you please, cooking your own meals
over an open fire; sleeping when you will
under the stars, waking with the dawn; swim
in a mountain lake when you will, and always
the road ahead."
The Road
This subject almost deserves an entire thesis
for itself. Suffice to say that the biker's
romance with the road is something truly
remarkable. These two quotes sun up these
feelings nicely:
Cruising on a motorcycle is a way to feel
and receive visual data without having to
process it. The film privileges the idea
that raw, unfiltered life is superior to
the life that is abstracted and filtered
through the mind. The road is an arena upon
which to live out this ideal of immediate,
sensory experience.
- Michael Agger on the film "Easy Rider"
"Route 66: Cruising the American Dream"
We traveled on foot over rough paths and
dangerously unpredictable roads, not simply
as peddlers or commuters or tourists, but
as men and women for whom the path or road
stood for some intense experience: freedom,
new human relationships, a new awareness
of the landscape. The road offered a journey
into the unknown that could end up allowing
us to discover who we were and where we belonged.
- J.B. Jackson, A Sense of Time, A Sense
of Place
City Life
Being a biker is not all positive. On the
negative side, it instils a certain amount
of disdain for cities and mainstream life.
From a biker's point of view, what could
be so great about the city? A concrete jungle
full of traffic jams and tall buildings filled
with uniformed office workers putting in
long hours. What's so great about having
a ridiculously expensive luxury automobile
or sportscar if you're just going to end
up stuck in bumper to bumper traffic? What's
so great about putting in those long hours
of overtime to make loads of money if you'll
never have time do anything meaningful with
it? A quote from Patrick Swayze's character
in the (otherwise shallow) film "Point
Break" nicely sums up this feeling:
"It's about us against the system, the system
that destroys the human spirit. We show those
dead souls, inching along the highway in
their metal coffins, that the human spirit
survives, survives in us."
Being Alive
Riding a motorcycle gives the biker a very
acute sense of being alive and of physical
presence equal to almost no other experience.
I think Robert Pirsig sums this feeling up
nicely:
You see things vacationing on a motorcycle
in a way that is completely different from
any other. In a car you're always in a compartment,
and because you're used to it you don't realize
that through that car window everything you
see is just more TV. You're a passive observer
and it is all moving by you boringly in a
frame.
On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely
in contact with it all. You're in the scene,
not just watching it anymore, and the sense
of presence is overwhelming. That concrete
whizzing by five inches below your foot is
the real thing, the same stuff you walk on,
it's right there, so blurred you can't focus
on it, yet you can put your foot down and
touch it anytime, and the whole thing, the
whole experience, is never removed from immediate
consciousness.
Fun!
And of course motorcycling is just plain
fun!
