It used to be that all bikers shared a common bond, an unspoken code of ethics and behavior that transcended words and was built on actions. There was never a bible written on this Biker`s Code of the Road and there was no need for such a tome. But the times they are a changin and there seems to be a lot of new riders out there. These days the riders you see blastin down the tarmac are just as likely to be clad in shorts and sneakers as jeans and engineer boots. And the roughest, toughest looking biker you pull up next to could be your doctor or lawyer and may be wearin a Rolex watch under his leathers. There`s nothing wrong with that, so long as these new riders learn the Code of the Road just as us old schoolers did. Being a biker used to be about using your creativity to take a basket case old hawg and, using only grit and ingenuity, turning it into a one-of-a-kind eye dazzler, then risking your life on the asphalt on a bike you made yourself out of pride. Bikers wore leather and grease because they knew cagers would just as soon run them down as look at them, so they had to be intimidating. We were a breed unto ourselves with no union, no support group, and in many cases, no family (they threw us out). We had to make it in the world on our own, against all rules against mainstream society, and against all odds. You know, we survived and prospered because of the Code of the Road and we never took shit from anybody. As an old scooter tramp named Mo once said. It`s every tramp`s job to school the young. How else are they gonna know a Panhead from a bed pan. Overcoming the stigma and misconceptions fostered by the media and sometimes overzealous law enforcement is a daily chore and a cross we have chosen to bear for our beliefs. The next time you get harassed by the law, illegally searched or detained, etc. remember that there is probably a biker fighting for his (and your) rights. Remember that we help feed the hungry, clothe the unfortunate, brighten the holidays for children and heal the wounded. All groups have their rough edges. In general when you see a biker you are seeing a good person who could be doing more for you than you think.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 13:44:53 +0000
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