Originally Posted by soft 02

I think they come with your H.O.G. subscription? Not sure though.

Originally Posted by FNGonaRK

And the bartender says "So who's on the Honda?".

Originally Posted by frenchman

Well, here's my little rant.
there used to be few of us. When we crossed each other on the road, we raised a fist in the wind, just because it was nice to see another biker from time to time. Now, you'd get a nasty cramp in your biceps if you'd give the "Harley-wave" (yup, that's what they call it nowadays) to everybody.
We used to gather in places like Sturgis, Daytona and Laconia. Then, in the 90ies, something changed. The lawyers and clean cut cubicle monkeys started showing up, and there were more and more every year. They transformed the bike weeks into family events, showing up with their trailers, their RVs and their little spoiled brats. The old hardcore people couldn't even find each other anymore, because the whole thing became huge, and with those clowns came the greedy vendors and all those people who just wanted what's in your wallet.
Society used to leave us alone. We kept for ourselves on our side of the fence, and the lawyers, teachers and insurance agents stood on theirs. We stood up for ourselves and for another. We were'nt pretty. Beards, long hair, and what the fancy guys on here call now "pirate outfit". Then, it became a fashion statement to ride a Harley, and all those nice citizens started riding, just to show their community that they could afford a harley with more bling then the next guy. Didn't make them bikers, tho. It takes more then moving a bike from A to B to be one. It takes *****. Want an example? Take Gypsylady. Lost an arm in a motorcycle accident, got back on her feet, and first thing she does is to get a bike that fits her needs, and get back on the road. That girl has more grit then a million of these stock brokers in their overpriced high viz gear, their full face helmets and their HD brand mesh jackets.
The rest of society used to look down on us. In their book, we were scum, and we used to pitty them for their way of life. Now, those buffoons wat the best of both worlds. They want their nice 9-5 jobs, their fancy houses with white picket fences and 2 car garage, they want their middle class cage and their middle class hobbies AND they want to be like us. They dress up on the week end as if it was fuggin halloween, and would love to blend in with the real guys (yep, still a few of us out there). What they don't get is that as long as you have the cops on speed dial #1. your layer on #2, and your office number on #3, you won't get acceptance from the old hardcore crowd.
And patches. They love patches. HOG, SOA, black label society, silent skulls. If not that, it has to at least be a ***** G. skull on their brand store jacket. HD everywhere. 5 times on their jacket, twice on the kevlar reinforced pants, the boots, the belt, the zippo (if they really dare smoking, duh), a HD ring, sunglasses, helmet (yuck), and so on. Gotta show what you got.
2 weeks ago, I met one of the old school guys. He was on a RK custom, having a coffee next door to where I work. He even stopped riding for a while, when those legions of biker playing suburb warriors took over. Sometimes, I exactly know how that feels like.
BTW, I just described 98% of the people on here. Guys like that cameraboy clown, or that Dan Conner jackwagon, are a dime a dozen here. Others, like twizted biker, Hamburglar, Gumpmeister, Gonzeh, Alkay and few others, not so much.

Originally Posted by bjewell

And maybe I stole my first Harley from the basement of a clinic that treated some loser after he melted on acid and took the bus back to Ohio leaving a mildly bent Sportster that no one wanted. And maybe I paid Dudley Perkins for the parts by selling weed in the Fillmore West. And maybe I stuck a guy who I found trying to steal the carb off that bike outside my flat so he maybe wouldn't do it again.

We all have a story...