At first glance you may call me oneof those RUBS (Yuppies or whatever) you want to call them that walked in paid cash for their new bike and bought a jacket to boot, truth is though that I have been riding bikes both metrics and Harley's for over 30 years and have always worked my a$$ off to pay for these bikes financing and sometimes losing them because I had to raise a family or help extended family be able to keep their house, or provide medical treatment, as in recently for the past 7 years I have taken care of my mom who had severe Alzheimers and I had to sell my 1200c to help take care of her. Her gift to me was a small insurance policy that just about covered me buying my new Street Bob that everyone from my family, wife and everone who knew me told me to buy as they knew the sacrafices that not riding a bike had been. Would I do it all over again...In a heart beat. I have stopped on the road to help both bikers and cager in my life it was the way i was raised to help someone in need.. Am I a 1% not a chance but I do feel I am a biker, and a human being. But in the saqme sentence I do understand what the OP was talking about as I watched people buy there way into alot of different areas in life,

Off my soap box sorry for the rant!

JR

 

Newsflash , owning & riding a bike of any make for how ever many years doesn't automatically make you a biker that my friend is whole different breed that cannot be explained away or defined in a few paragraphs for those who so desperately want that monkier to imitate .

Has nothing to do with a new or used bike or how you got one , it's about the man not the machine and whatever the bulk of the stereotype look-a-likes thinks being a biker is .

 

If people at work or anywhere in real life refer to me as a biker I quickly correct them and tell them I'm not a biker. Being a biker has too many negative connotations that I don't want to be associated with.

 

I guess I didn't make my point as I wanted too, my point is I ride bike always have, do I want to be a "1%" no do i enjoy riding my bikes yes.. Would I $H!t on people to do so, H#ll No. My point was in all walks in society you will have the people who want to fit in, who want to imagine even for a brief moment they belong... Truth of the matter is I have ridden with good people over the years and befriended people who can always count on me to have their back whether it is to keep them out of trouble or to see them through Cancer, it's called being a friend.

 

I admit to be going thru mid-life crisis and just traded my Shovelhead for a girl's bike. It came with official H-D key chain and I'm keeping it!
F all y'all judge-mental ****** !!!

 

Got nothing to do with the whole 1% image either and that does **** off the mid life crisis crew trying their best to look the part .

 

The majority of forum members have been riding motorcycles for most of their adult life (just ask them). Motorcycle riders in general, and Harley owners in particular tend to be passionate about their bikes. It stands to reason that a Harley forum would attract people who own and ride Harleys, and many, many Harley riders have been riding for several decades.

No offense intended, but whenever I read somebody post about how many years they've been riding, it always makes me think, "that makes you exactly the same as everyone else around here. "

Compared to the general population, someone who's been riding for several decades might be in a minority, but on a motorcycle enthusiast's forum, it makes you another member with a shared interest.

 

Agreed and point well taken

 

 

Two schools of thought on that bit , one being the average family guy whose been playing with motorcycles here & there over the years mostly in the import arena while doing the whole 9 to 5 & family routine and nothing wrong with that don't get me wrong here.

Second , there's those of who stepped off eyes deep into the whole bike subculture at a young age and lived the life most have only read about or seen pictures of in old EasyRiders magazines , wasn't many actually living the life like most pretend to today , it's a simple numbers game when you look at it wasn't nearly the people on 2 wheels 30, 40 , 50 + years ago and fewer still who called it their lifestyle unlike the overdone clown parade you see every weekend somewhere today .

Things are what they are and all the fist shaking & foot stomping by late comers wanting the image isn't going to change history one damn bit . We are all riders in the simple form but all the same ? No ...........