You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda

2 thoughts on “You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda”

• I don’t know if this should be a comment or an update, but since it started with a reader’s comment I’ll go with that:

  Shortly after posting this entry, I received this email from a reader:

  You said: “Motorcyclists go out of their way to dress and look like badasses, and even though I’m a motorcyclist (and a vet) myself, I understand why some vets don’t want people who look like thugs representing them. I thought the guy in the article said it very well.”

  There’s one problem with that, they weren’t dressed to look like “badasses”. I direct you to a photograph of the group:
  http://www.postandcourier.com/photos/2010/nov/08/58331/.

  This was an event where, for the third year in a row, the group was set to ride displaying flags from all 50 states. The “non-badasses” were the new guys, complaining about how they were being “represented”.

  Taking their toys and going home was the right thing to do. They were there for the wrong reason. The “look” and the honor guard were simply excuses for them to act on their bigotry and inflated self-worth.

  My response:

  Those guys don’t look bad to you or me, but we’re bikers. To a lot of regular people, bikers look bad-ass no matter what. Ever since the 60s, when I got involved with motorcycles, the biker community has been simultaneously cultivating a bad-boy image while trying to combat the image through charity work and community outreach. I don’t think it works. We can do every toy run and Veterans’ Day parade from now till the end of time, and that isn’t going to change the minds of people who think bikers are troublemakers.

  I’m willing to bet that a lot of the riders in last year’s Veterans’ Day parade in Charleston had straight pipes. That is a huge deal to non-bikers.

  For many of us, differentiating ourselves from the rest of society is a important part of biker life, and a lot of us differentiate ourselves by posing as hard core bad-asses. The hair, tattoos, straight pipes, patches, leather . . . that’s part of our identity, part of the deal. But then for us to act all shocked when some straight-arrow says he doesn’t want us around? Please.

  From your letter, I get the impression this isn’t a new issue, that it’s come up at past parades. After all, the parade referenced in the newspaper article hasn’t even happened yet — Veterans’ Day isn’t until Thursday. Have there been similar protests in the past?

  Sounds like Myrtle Beach, where, as you may have heard, local citizens have decided they no longer want to host the annual Bike Week in May, no matter how much money bikers bring to the community.

  All I’m saying is, I’m aware of the issues and the image much of the public has of bikers. Because of that I understand where the protesting veteran in the newspaper article is coming from. I don’t see any point in calling him names, as at least one commenter on the Facebook thread did. If you’re a biker, as I am, then lets keep on doin’ what we love. Just don’t act all surprised that some people don’t love the same things we do.

• Received another email comment from the same person, so I’ll post it here:

  I guess we’re going to have to disagree. My view of the guy would have been different had his complaint been that the organizers were reneging on their original plans, or even that the bikers looked like a gang. Neither was the case. The former sarge that was quote complained about pony tails, leather, and flags on the back of the bikes. None of those are legitimate complaints, in my opinion.

  As to the parade itself and possible complaints – I don’t know. I’m not local to the area, I just read up on it in a little more detail, trying to make a fair assessment. Here are some facts:

  This was the third year for the bikers, a veterans group, to ride. It was the first year military vehicle collectors group to plan on riding. They are not a veterans group.

  I didn’t see anything about complaints previous years, but I didn’t look very hard. It APPEARS that the complaint this year was only from the group that pulled out (which again, in spite of the original news article, is not a veteran’s group, it’s a military vehicle collector’s group).

  The first bike in the parade was carrying an American flag. That’s proper protocol (I’ve been in patriotic parades that had honor guards, and some that didn’t, both types were OK, and both types had an American flag leading the parade).

  The parade was held Sunday. A lot of communities held parades over the weekend since Veteran’s day falls on a weekday, and many non-government facilities don’t have the day as a holiday.

  Personally, I think the net result of all of this is that the collector’s group is looking like a group of kids who didn’t get their way. I don’t think that’s the impression they wanted.

  As far as the attempts at a “badass” look on the part of riders, I agree with you, but only to a small degree.

  There ARE too many “wannabe’s” among riders, but I have had a personal experience that I found interesting.

  I’ve been riding a long time. Not quite as long as you, but since the early 70’s. I’ve always had a leather jacket. Not because it “looks like a biker cut”, but because it’s versatile and works well for me. Rolls up good for a saddlebag, and protects me well in a fall. I typically quit wearing the leather after the first freeze, and switch over to a snowsuit. It doesn’t look so “biker”, but then, that’s not really my goal.

  I’ve lately adopted a little more of relaxed attitude about helmets. Before, if I was on a bike, I had a helmet. Now, often during lunch at work, or in the evenings on a quick ride with my wife to a local place, I’ll go without a helmet.

  I noticed at work that my hair looked crazy from being blown. I started wearing a simple cap, like my old navy watch cap.

  The other day, I pulled up to pick up my wife from our daughter’s house. I had the leather jacket, the cap, and sunglasses. She told me I looked like a “biker” (you might have said “badass”).

  Was I imitating?? Nope, just wearing what was appropriate for the ride. No blue jean cut, no vest, no chaps (though I’m going to try a pair this winter – corduroy instead of leather, with fleece lining).

  I wear a vest with small patches on PGR missions – no backpatch. Again, not trying to imitate, just wearing what’s appropriate for the situation.

  Back to the topic.

  If this was a parade for veterans, and a non-veteran group was offended because a veteran group was wearing ponytails, leathers, and had flags mounted to the backs of the motorcycles – I maintain the group complaining was there for the wrong reason.

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