what makes someone a biker / motorcyclist?
01-29-2011, 09:04 PM
#1
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SuperSport
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what makes someone a biker / motorcyclist?
I have a question that has been on my mind for a while now.
Recently a coworker of mine purchased a motorcycle. This is his second bike. He had his first bike 10 years ago. He had the bike for a couple of years than sold it. He purchased his bike at the end of last year. I overheard him a couple of times telling people “I am a biker.” For some reason this really grinds me.
I thought I would turn to the forum for a little therapy, and to see what the you all think.
What makes a person a biker?
What makes a person a motorcyclist?
What’s the difference between a biker and a motorcyclist?
Is it determined by someone who knows how to ride a motorcycle?
Is it determined by IF someone can proficiently ride a motorcycle?
Do they actually have to own a motorcycle?
Does the brand that they ride matter?
Is it determined by how many miles the individual rides a year?
Is it determined by how many rides or trips the individual goes on a year?
Does the year a person has been riding make a difference?
Does a person doing there own maintenance have any bearing?
Does the maintenance being done by a shop have any bearing?
Is it determined by someone that just has an interest in motorcycles?
Is it determined by someone who can recite model brands, names, numbers, and specifications?
Is it determined by a person’s passion for motorcycles?
What do you think makes a person a biker or a true motorcyclist?
Recently a coworker of mine purchased a motorcycle. This is his second bike. He had his first bike 10 years ago. He had the bike for a couple of years than sold it. He purchased his bike at the end of last year. I overheard him a couple of times telling people “I am a biker.” For some reason this really grinds me.
I thought I would turn to the forum for a little therapy, and to see what the you all think.
What makes a person a biker?
What makes a person a motorcyclist?
What’s the difference between a biker and a motorcyclist?
Is it determined by someone who knows how to ride a motorcycle?
Is it determined by IF someone can proficiently ride a motorcycle?
Do they actually have to own a motorcycle?
Does the brand that they ride matter?
Is it determined by how many miles the individual rides a year?
Is it determined by how many rides or trips the individual goes on a year?
Does the year a person has been riding make a difference?
Does a person doing there own maintenance have any bearing?
Does the maintenance being done by a shop have any bearing?
Is it determined by someone that just has an interest in motorcycles?
Is it determined by someone who can recite model brands, names, numbers, and specifications?
Is it determined by a person’s passion for motorcycles?
What do you think makes a person a biker or a true motorcyclist?
01-29-2011, 10:36 PM
#3
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SuperSport
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Depends on an individual's definition. I've always thought of a biker as someone with long hair, poor hygene, that wears leather. Really has nothing to do with if they even ride! That's just what comes to mind for me, personally. I don't consider myself a biker, but I ride a motorcycle. 
01-29-2011, 10:58 PM
#4
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This guy obviously thinks that owning a bike is giving him some sort of outlaw status. In 40+ years of riding and owning more than 25 motorcycles, I've never refered to myself as a "biker", a rider maybe, a biker, never. If this guy is a good friend, clue him in, if not, write him off as a poser.
01-30-2011, 09:28 AM
#7
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When I hear biker I think of the hardcore sterotypes.You know the ones.Just because someone goes down to the local corner botique and buys himself a big *** v-twin,3000 dollars worth of chrome,a couple more grand in engine upgrades to make it as fast as a 500cc jap bike,a couple hundred more for a loud *** exhaust so it at least sounds fast,a differant-shirt for every day of the month,a brand sticker to put on the back window of his Toyota pick up,leather bra and panties for his wife,and the calender marked with every bike night within a 10 maybe 15 mile(if it's not cloudy out) radius of his garage does not a biker make.44 years on the road for me and more bikes than I can remember and I don't consider myself a biker.Ask a hard core what he is and he'll tell you he is an Angel,Outlaw,Pagen,ect. not a biker.I have and show respect for anyone on two wheels--I guess that makes me a motorcyclist.Your co-worker is neither-yet.My view is based on the fact that he bought a certain brand
Don't even get me started on those BMW guys
.
Don't even get me started on those BMW guys.
01-30-2011, 10:02 AM
#9
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What makes a person a biker? Some one who rides a bike.
What makes a person a motorcyclist? Some one who rides a motorcycle.
What’s the difference between a biker and a motorcyclist? Nothing.
Is it determined by someone who knows how to ride a motorcycle? Yes.
Is it determined by IF someone can proficiently ride a motorcycle? Yes.
Do they actually have to own a motorcycle? No.
Does the brand that they ride matter? No.
Is it determined by how many miles the individual rides a year? No.
Is it determined by how many rides or trips the individual goes on a year? No.
Does the year a person has been riding make a difference? No.
Does a person doing there own maintenance have any bearing? No.
Does the maintenance being done by a shop have any bearing? No.
Is it determined by someone that just has an interest in motorcycles? No.
Is it determined by someone who can recite model brands, names, numbers, and specifications? No.
Is it determined by a person’s passion for motorcycles? No.
What do you think makes a person a biker or a true motorcyclist? They ride bikes or motorcycles.
I feel like I just filled out a form for payed research.
If any one is interested http://www.schlesingerassociates.com/
What makes a person a motorcyclist? Some one who rides a motorcycle.
What’s the difference between a biker and a motorcyclist? Nothing.
Is it determined by someone who knows how to ride a motorcycle? Yes.
Is it determined by IF someone can proficiently ride a motorcycle? Yes.
Do they actually have to own a motorcycle? No.
Does the brand that they ride matter? No.
Is it determined by how many miles the individual rides a year? No.
Is it determined by how many rides or trips the individual goes on a year? No.
Does the year a person has been riding make a difference? No.
Does a person doing there own maintenance have any bearing? No.
Does the maintenance being done by a shop have any bearing? No.
Is it determined by someone that just has an interest in motorcycles? No.
Is it determined by someone who can recite model brands, names, numbers, and specifications? No.
Is it determined by a person’s passion for motorcycles? No.
What do you think makes a person a biker or a true motorcyclist? They ride bikes or motorcycles.
I feel like I just filled out a form for payed research.
If any one is interested http://www.schlesingerassociates.com/
01-30-2011, 10:42 AM
#10
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Most "bikers" now adays are really "wanabes". Why they wanabe a stereotype that has no class has always been beyond me.
I usually correct people when they refer to me as a "biker", since I am a rider and a motorcyclist (over 30 years), but far from a "biker".
Pideons flock, Eagles soar alone.
I usually correct people when they refer to me as a "biker", since I am a rider and a motorcyclist (over 30 years), but far from a "biker".
Pideons flock, Eagles soar alone.
01-30-2011, 06:45 PM
#11
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01-31-2011, 08:18 AM
#12
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A "biker" could simply be a "motorcyclist" in a costume.
Sometimes I just chuckle when driving my cage down the freeway. Seeing a dude decked out in leathers, chaps, tassles, cool shades, brain bucket...
I think,wow, that is some kind of Halloween outfit. Riding a cruiser gives you the license to play "dress-up" just about any day! Look at me, I'm some kind of badass that I never was.... I just love it when they tear down the on ramp at about 150 decibels, three gears later and are going 60 mph.....
Bikers......
A real biker.....
- His leathers are worn, are probably second hand, show signs of crashing, never washed, smelly, and are worn almost daily.
- His bike is parked outside the places that he crashes for the night, never actually in a garage or under cover.
- Being an alcoholic is not a qualifier, but is common.
- Rarely sees his children, has children that he does not even know of.
- I'm not really sure what a real "biker" does for a living, not sure they do either.
-Old tats that are not done well.
- Good chunk of jail time. freqent spells in and out of county.
- Does or has belonged to a "biker" gang.
-Has probably not ever stepped foot into a dealership.
-Any marriages have not lasted over 6 months.
-Bad teeth or dentures, at any age.
-Does not know he is a biker.
-Almost everything centers around the bike, even though it really is not that nice, or even cared for.
Yes this sounds like the stereotypical "biker" in the movies. Pretty sure they exist though. I have relatives back east that try hard to emulate this lifestyle.
Kind of embarassing really.
Sometimes I just chuckle when driving my cage down the freeway. Seeing a dude decked out in leathers, chaps, tassles, cool shades, brain bucket...
I think,wow, that is some kind of Halloween outfit. Riding a cruiser gives you the license to play "dress-up" just about any day! Look at me, I'm some kind of badass that I never was.... I just love it when they tear down the on ramp at about 150 decibels, three gears later and are going 60 mph.....
Bikers......
A real biker.....
- His leathers are worn, are probably second hand, show signs of crashing, never washed, smelly, and are worn almost daily.
- His bike is parked outside the places that he crashes for the night, never actually in a garage or under cover.
- Being an alcoholic is not a qualifier, but is common.
- Rarely sees his children, has children that he does not even know of.
- I'm not really sure what a real "biker" does for a living, not sure they do either.
-Old tats that are not done well.
- Good chunk of jail time. freqent spells in and out of county.
- Does or has belonged to a "biker" gang.
-Has probably not ever stepped foot into a dealership.
-Any marriages have not lasted over 6 months.
-Bad teeth or dentures, at any age.
-Does not know he is a biker.
-Almost everything centers around the bike, even though it really is not that nice, or even cared for.
Yes this sounds like the stereotypical "biker" in the movies. Pretty sure they exist though. I have relatives back east that try hard to emulate this lifestyle.
Kind of embarassing really.
01-31-2011, 05:45 PM
#14
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wow! i'm way off! i did not realize the word "biker" had this stereotype attached to it!
i figured a biker is anyone who rides bikes when they can, and thinks bikes when they can't.
a biker is not in it short term, it's a part of them.
when others talk of a biker they will mention that they ride.
riding is a passion and the biker cannot help him/herself.
a biker knows what the weather is going to be like this coming weekend.
when a biker looks at a map he wonders what the roads are like.
a biker realizes he should have been home three hours ago.
i figured a biker is anyone who rides bikes when they can, and thinks bikes when they can't.
a biker is not in it short term, it's a part of them.
when others talk of a biker they will mention that they ride.
riding is a passion and the biker cannot help him/herself.
a biker knows what the weather is going to be like this coming weekend.
when a biker looks at a map he wonders what the roads are like.
a biker realizes he should have been home three hours ago.
01-31-2011, 07:35 PM
#16
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Hey, your from Canananada, here biker = douche. It would be the equivalent of someone who goes to the gym to stay in shape and the person who goes to the gym to "get ripped" so they can "crush puny biatches" because they were "picked on" (most likely because of their douchery). It is the dude that has a 1996 v6 mustang that is "fast" that really picks up some ponies with 104+ octane booster and can run down any v8 camaro. They are a douche. They were inseminated when there mom tried to flush the sperm out with douche. She thought she had not finished draining the douche when her water broke. As soon as the kid could crawl, he got into her douche, and he gets an erection when he smells a spilled bottle of douche in walgreens. I have no use for them.
02-01-2011, 04:12 PM
#17
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Hey, your from Canananada, here biker = douche. It would be the equivalent of someone who goes to the gym to stay in shape and the person who goes to the gym to "get ripped" so they can "crush puny biatches" because they were "picked on" (most likely because of their douchery). It is the dude that has a 1996 v6 mustang that is "fast" that really picks up some ponies with 104+ octane booster and can run down any v8 camaro. They are a douche. They were inseminated when there mom tried to flush the sperm out with douche. She thought she had not finished draining the douche when her water broke. As soon as the kid could crawl, he got into her douche, and he gets an erection when he smells a spilled bottle of douche in walgreens. I have no use for them.
02-01-2011, 07:44 PM
#20
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I read this letter to the editor in Cycle World probably 8-9 years ago. Thought it describe this topic pretty well. I have it hanging on my fridge ever since...
the writer summed this up by saying...
The only person that can say if you are a real "biker" is you but here are some guidelines.
1.) A real bikerloves to ride anything with two wheels. It doesn't matter in what country it was built, how many strokes or cylinders, streetbike or dirtbike, dual-sport or moped.
2.) A real biker is someone who rides for the love of riding. the rush of hard acceleration, the feeling of leaning into that corner, the aroma of tree blossoms on a calm mid-June evening, the first bone-chilling ride of spring and the last finger-numbing ride of late autumn.
3.) A real biker never lets trends or fashion dictate what he rides. He wouldn't think of buying a big, heavy roadbike if he is just riding around the neighborhood, nor would he buy a European sportbike to cruise up and down Main Street. A real biker assesses his skills and his needs honestly, and buys the appropriate machine. If impressing others is important to you, you're probably not a real biker.
4.) A real biker doesn't change his persona to ride his bike. He is not an accountant dressed as a 1-percenter, nor a computer geek dressed as a roadracer. A real biker wears the proper clothing to protect himself while riding, because if you are a real biker you have probably sometime, someplace become acquainted with the pavement. And you picked up your bike, and you rode on, a little sore, a little scraped, a little more humble and a lot wiser.
5.) Finally, a real biker has or has had buddies, who for one reason or another, cannot take up their bikes and ride...and when you think about them, you remember the love they had for our sport. A real biker rides!
Might not agree with it all. But, some good points.
the writer summed this up by saying...
The only person that can say if you are a real "biker" is you but here are some guidelines.
1.) A real bikerloves to ride anything with two wheels. It doesn't matter in what country it was built, how many strokes or cylinders, streetbike or dirtbike, dual-sport or moped.
2.) A real biker is someone who rides for the love of riding. the rush of hard acceleration, the feeling of leaning into that corner, the aroma of tree blossoms on a calm mid-June evening, the first bone-chilling ride of spring and the last finger-numbing ride of late autumn.
3.) A real biker never lets trends or fashion dictate what he rides. He wouldn't think of buying a big, heavy roadbike if he is just riding around the neighborhood, nor would he buy a European sportbike to cruise up and down Main Street. A real biker assesses his skills and his needs honestly, and buys the appropriate machine. If impressing others is important to you, you're probably not a real biker.
4.) A real biker doesn't change his persona to ride his bike. He is not an accountant dressed as a 1-percenter, nor a computer geek dressed as a roadracer. A real biker wears the proper clothing to protect himself while riding, because if you are a real biker you have probably sometime, someplace become acquainted with the pavement. And you picked up your bike, and you rode on, a little sore, a little scraped, a little more humble and a lot wiser.
5.) Finally, a real biker has or has had buddies, who for one reason or another, cannot take up their bikes and ride...and when you think about them, you remember the love they had for our sport. A real biker rides!
Might not agree with it all. But, some good points.
02-02-2011, 03:58 PM
#21
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Location: altoona, pa
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I have a question that has been on my mind for a while now.
Recently a coworker of mine purchased a motorcycle. This is his second bike. He had his first bike 10 years ago. He had the bike for a couple of years than sold it. He purchased his bike at the end of last year. I overheard him a couple of times telling people “I am a biker.” For some reason this really grinds me.
I thought I would turn to the forum for a little therapy
Recently a coworker of mine purchased a motorcycle. This is his second bike. He had his first bike 10 years ago. He had the bike for a couple of years than sold it. He purchased his bike at the end of last year. I overheard him a couple of times telling people “I am a biker.” For some reason this really grinds me.
I thought I would turn to the forum for a little therapy
Probably a good idea to search yourself, that is, look inward, to find out why this bothers you so much. Maybe this person is a wanabe, a poser, a lamebrain, or whatever ******* diagnosis you or me can lay on him, but this is not something that needs to concern you, other than maybe a little chuckle or maybe to bust his ***** a litttle.
I accept paypal. haha
02-02-2011, 10:07 PM
#22
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Biker is just a term people put on motorcle rider. Usually you can tell by the voice inflection how they mean it. Buying a bike doesnt make you a biker or a rider. To me its kind of obvious who really is.
Seems to do with perseverence. Anyone can purchase a bike but few actually keep riding. I can see why people pose as us. We are independant and persevering. We can fix things with our hands and minds. We are willing to take responsibility for our actions.
We rely on our own awareness to keep us safe in a dangerous environment
We would rather learn how to fix something than not know.
With each passing year and mile (in all conditions) we gain understanding and skill as to how to avert disaster in the future. No amount of chrome can take the place of that.
Real bikers love thier bikes and yet will flog them mercilessly to wring the last bit of performance from them. Most women really love that & that is why posers are so dying to be us.
Dane cook has a good bit where he wants to get girls but is afraid to ride so he just buys the helmet to pick up chicks in bars.
That is a hell of alot of coolness for a rich, famous comedian movie star to just attempt to want to pretend he might be.......
Nice to actually BE that
Seems to do with perseverence. Anyone can purchase a bike but few actually keep riding. I can see why people pose as us. We are independant and persevering. We can fix things with our hands and minds. We are willing to take responsibility for our actions.
We rely on our own awareness to keep us safe in a dangerous environment
We would rather learn how to fix something than not know.
With each passing year and mile (in all conditions) we gain understanding and skill as to how to avert disaster in the future. No amount of chrome can take the place of that.
Real bikers love thier bikes and yet will flog them mercilessly to wring the last bit of performance from them. Most women really love that & that is why posers are so dying to be us.
Dane cook has a good bit where he wants to get girls but is afraid to ride so he just buys the helmet to pick up chicks in bars.
That is a hell of alot of coolness for a rich, famous comedian movie star to just attempt to want to pretend he might be.......
Nice to actually BE that
02-06-2011, 08:48 PM
#26
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02-07-2011, 04:06 AM
#28
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no less and no more. My lip hangs out all the time, so it concerns me not. The quick tongue sometimes results in stupid replies/comments, but I don't need to protect a fragile self-concept or create any illusions of higher intellect. Hence the benefits of being a dumb-*** who doesn't give a **** what most people think or don't think, the key word being "most". Nice bikes!
02-07-2011, 07:42 AM
#29
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Nuhawk, that is a nice stable you have there. I hope you appreciate it close up as much as others do from a distance. If I had those 2 in an attached garage I would set up a chair & just hang out with them.
02-07-2011, 11:47 AM
#30
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SuperSport
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The reason why I threw this fact out there is I think that a LOT of people assumed that my co-worker currently rides a H-D. In fact he now rides a VFR800.
I was wondering if anyones opinion would change, because of the style/brand/kind of bike that he rides.
