This is not a crash story, just putting that out there.

So I got some new boots today. Some Cycle Gear brand... Street and Steel or some crap. They were cheap enough, have stiff ankles, non-slip sole, zipper on the inside for easy on/off, were comfortable around the store, and had no noticeable logos or any other flashy crap on them. Just black boots with a thicker area on the toes, a zipper, and support/padding in key places.

After buying these boots I put them on and took the ones I was wearing, which I have had for ~4 years, that were falling apart at the seams and threw them in the garbage. I then proceeded to don my unadorned black vest, put on my helmet (no laws here, this is important I guess), and climb on my brand new FXDB to run down the street and grab a bite and a beer. I am 32, but I look like I'm in my early 20s if you don't catch the grey on the side of my head or the thinning hair on the back (that's important, I promise) and I have been riding since I could walk - street bikes since I was legal at 17 and this is my 8th bike.

Anyway, I stop off at some local place for a burger and my beer and there is this older dude smoking a cigarette by older bagger. He was in uniform... HD bandana, HD tshirt, HD boots, HD stickers on his HD bike, no helmet, etc, etc. I give him credit, I guess, his bike looked ridden, his clothes as well, so I don't expect he is a typical Rolex Rider or anything, but that still doesn't make being an *** an "ok thing". Anyway, I notice him and give him a nod and he looks me up and down, looks at my new bike, chuckles and doesn't acknowledge me back. We were close to each other so I extended the question, "something wrong buddy?".

I didn't have an attitude, I didn't throw it out with tension in my voice, I asked it like a normal question. He responded by making mention of my new boots, my new bike with temp tags, my shiny helmet and said something along the lines of not needing to acknowledge me or show me respect just because we both have bikes since I am obviously just doing it because it is the new "cool" thing, based on my present appearance.

Really? Is this what it is coming to? What exactly am I supposed to do about my boots being new? Buy them and then drag them behind the bike before I wear them? Are we only supposed to buy 10 year old bikes with 75,000 miles ridden by some other person? Is wearing a vest solely for a bit of protection and pocket room rather than as a billboard suddenly the "in" thing? Oh, wait, maybe because I choose to wear a lid in a lidless state I am not a real biker or some crap? Also, how the hell do you become a grizzled, experienced, old rider if you never start (which I did a long time ago)? Everything and everyone is "new" at some stage...

When he said his crap I didn't get defensive, I just said that you shouldn't judge all books by their covers, ride safe, and I walked away and he rode away, so it didn't escalate to anything stupid, but... blah. I dunno, I went in and had my burger and beer and moved on with my day, but it just sort of sat with me in a bad way.

I guess it also got me thinking. What exactly is a rider supposed to do anymore? You ride a new bike and wear HD gear you get labeled a poser. You wear sneakers and tshirts you get labeled a poser and a "squid". You wear full protective gear you get labeled a ***** and a poser. You dress like I do in comfortable clothing, a little bit of protection, mostly blank shirts, and new boots and you get labeled a poser.

I am really not trying to beat the age old "what is a biker" dead horse, and I really don't want this to devolve into a bunch of people hating on each other, I'm just sharing my experience and overall confusion. When I started riding this crap did't feel as prevalent. We all seemed to get along and even if we didn't necessarily like each other we had mutual respect for each other just for ballsing up and riding a bike. I guess that's just dying nowadays and people care about nothing but image or some ****. I haven't had a brand new bike for awhile so I guess I'm a little late to experience this attitude/mentality too, which is why it came as such as shock to me when this went down...

 

I think you're doing fine. It's normal to feel what you feel when the response is atypical. He's probably just a grumpy old man. My wife's maternal grandfather was one. He was never happy with anything or anyone (except when fishing). But he was the problem, not the other people. And then her paternal grandfather was the exact opposite and treated everyone with respect and was loved by everyone who had the fortune of meeting him. And guess who's been missed the most after he passed away? Yep, we still visit her paternal grandfather's grave frequently and every Memorial Day (he was a Marine who served in the Pacific Theater in WW2).

 

Guess he just needed to feel superior for some reason.

I'm 63, grey haired, have several pairs of well-worn boots, and I ride a 1999 Heritage Softail. Old time biker, right? Nope. Got the bike a couple of months ago and I'm re-learning how to ride. (I quit riding back about 1985.)

Appearances can be deceiving.

 

THAT GUY is the ****ing poser for believing that the state of your gear says anything meaningful about you as a rider.

Stuff like that is why I don't attend many "bike night" type events, which are often just a kind of sad biker fashion show.

My friends who ride, if we get together there will be a ducati, two dual sports, a glide, my 883 (or my yamaha 600), and various other random bikes. We ride the **** out of all our bikes, and we don't even bother trying to be the same, or look the same, or have the same kind of bike. We are a motley crew but we are all riders in the sense that you won't catch us in our cages unless the weather is catastrophic.

Judging guys on their gear is stupid. I've seen old dudes at Deal's Gap on goldwings DUST kids on crotch rockets who thought they were hot **** (anyone remember Yellow Wolf?).

Just ride man, and let the people playing dress up do their thing.

 

Yellow Wolf is legendary. Anyone who can handle a dresser like him gets my respect.

 

I met him some years ago, really nice older guy but man he was HELL on wheels!

Also, nice avatar, brother.

 

Here's what I think....

I don't give a crap about what anyone else thinks or says about me.

Makes life much easier.

 

It's really easy to ignore things like this, if you think about it.

I mean, who cares what anyone thinks?

 

I guess it just goes to show, you can buy a new bike, buy new boots, buy a shiny helmet but you just can't buy respect from a crusty old bastard.

For what it's worth I would have nodded back at you but I don't get why you needed to be acknowledged or respected by a total stranger who was just minding his own business. You asked why he smirked and he told you.

 

He definitely would have laughed at me. My new boots creak like a ****.