what makes a 'rider'

What makes a person a "bikie" or "biker" or a "rider"?

what i've noticed is that there are many sides to our sport and i'm wondering what you guys think "makes a rider"

is it the fact that they own a bike? or follow the motorsport? or are just interested in bike generally?

we all have insight into the biking world and who says that i guy who only reads about bikes has more or less knowledge than someone who rides?

People who buy a bike for the sole purpose of just riding it somewhere public to sit on are NOT riders... pretty much everyone else in my book, is.

People who buy a bike for the sole purpose of just riding it somewhere public to sit on...

...are called posers. And a lot of other names, most of which should not be used on a public forum. :headshake

A rider is one who rides, either for the sake of riding or to get from one place to another, often both. :biggrin:

A biker is the same thing as a rider, except that some people equate the term "biker" with "outlaw biker". :22yikes: Some bikers try to look like outlaw bikers, others look like outlaw bikers without trying, but aren't. Real "1%-ers" are folks you really want to stay away from, but I don't think they make up even the one percent of all riders that they claim to.

Posers, Bench racers, SQUIDS, etc. ;) I've been called some of those... until I show them my lack of chicken strips.

I thought a bench racer was someone who just sits at a bar and talks about what would beat what without actually getting on his bike (or in his car) and doing it.

I further thought that a squid was someone who tried to ride fast or do bike tricks without having the faintest idea of how to do it. I was told that the tell-tale sign of a squid is that he has a sportbike with full tread on the sides of the rear tyre with the middle worn down to the cords.

I've been called a "Bench racer" because after a nice day, we will all go up to Mt. Washington and look over the City of Pittsburgh and sit there for hours. Difference is, we go up when it's DARK and not safe to be out railing the twisties.

You forgot to mention that squids prefer to ride in "wife beater" tanks, shorts, and flip-flops. :p

Real bikers can all answer the following...

Who is Kenny Roberts?
Who was Joey Dunlop?
Who is Ogre?
What was the last race track you visited/watched a race at?
How many dead flies are you responsible for?

There's a lot more of course, but I think I agree with the motorsport analogy.
And, bikers like to log 80 miles to a destination 5 miles away.

Real bikers can all answer the following...

Who is Kenny Roberts?

A MotoGP team owner working with Proton. Oh, yes, he also won some 250GP and 500GP championships, including one of each in the same year. I hear he's the only rider ever to do that, but didn't Ago do something similar? Or Surtees, for that matter?

Who was Joey Dunlop?

General Manager of Dunlop tyres? (On a more serious note, a legendary rider at the IoMTT who died on a road course in Lithuania).

Who is Ogre?

A character in a fairy tale. Unless you mean Ogri...

What was the last race track you visited/watched a race at?

Never.

How many dead flies are you responsible for?

Didn't count 'em, just wiped my visor.

There's a lot more of course, but I think I agree with the motorsport analogy.
And, bikers like to log 80 miles to a destination 5 miles away.

Well, I'd just go 60 miles (each way) for no particular reason.

SamBob, you were not supposed to answer these, as they were meant to be fairly obvious. However, thanks for correcting Ogri's name. I am sure he will appreciate it.

fuck, i knew none of that shit.. am i not 'in' now?

nor did i know all of them. lyndon we can start our own: Doohan, Gardener, Beattie and Barry Sheen.

Or what about us riders who would rather go out and RIDE instead of watch races on TV?

hahahhahah blayne i know all them ones! hahahaha
barry sheene, what a funny c*nt!

tangie> i agree.. i know nothing about motogp except i hear rossi is pretty good.. and i dont really care for it.

i want a bike to get a rush every time i twist the throttle,
i want a bike so on a nice summer's day i can go for a cruise with mates down the Great Ocean Road (awesome twisties along the coast for miles),
i want a bike to wipe the smile from any car driver at traffic light wars,
i want a bike to take to a track on a weekend and hone my skills..

would this make me more of a 'rider' than someone who sits in there armchair complaining how rossi wins because of the team and the bike, not because of his ability, or how MotoGP 3 on ps2 just isnt realistic enough and the graphics are poor quality compared to the Xbox version??

fuck, i knew none of that shit.. am i not 'in' now?

No, not necessarily, however, you would have with a few more years, I am sure.

Or what about us riders who would rather go out and RIDE instead of watch races on TV?

What does TV have to do with any of this?

I do like your point about going out and riding, though,
I think this is the ESSENCE of any biker. It is more than just
a means to get somewhere.

However, I think that most people in the USA think of riding more as a sport, than as a basic transportation. The difference between a commuter and rider are not as appreciated. Bashing non riders does not make you a rider, though.

gotta say this is great to get everyone's perspective. i feel similar to tange, that you have to ride for the love of it more than just watch on TV. i don't have the time to watch all the races but will watch the highlights. all day while stuck in my work ute, i'm longing to be on my blade.

The TV comment came from the list of names, of which I RECOGINIZED one, and did not even know how I knew it. I hate watching bikes on TV... it's all a bunch of ugly guys with nasty bitches holding umbrellas. What a trashy look at my sportsWOMANship!

I hate watching bikes on TV... it's all a bunch of ugly guys with nasty bitches holding umbrellas.


Hmm... I'm an ugly guy... maybe I should get into bike racing in order to get into the nasty umbrella bitches... nah, part of my ugliness is that I weigh over 300 pounds; this alone would make me uncompetetive. The fact that I couldn't find my braking and traction limits with a GPS, a metal detector and a mirror, would further ensure that I wouldn't qualify...

There are multiple perspectives that makes a rider but one thing is for certain is that he or she enjoys the act of riding. As dumb as it sounds I enjoy the freedom I get when strolling around town and running errands on my bike.

There are different degrees to a rider as well. The sport of motorcycle racing and the men who go out doing what they love and put into a competitive level. There seems to be a stigma with watching racing on the television. I don't think it's bad for a person to watch a race or so on the tube. If I lived in Europe I would go to a lot of the GPs to watch them trackside. Living in Colorado the only professional level racing I attend is the AMA Superbike event at PPIR since it's so close to me. Since racing is an interest of mine I will watch the races that come up. Think of it as the basketball fanatic who loves to play the game with his pals as well as watch the college and professional players on the television all the while making trips to the home games.

I use to partake in the cycleworld community, in which I went on several touring rides around Colorado with other riders in the state. Some of them are really knowledgeable riders who too enjoy and view most of the motorcycles races. Whatever.

I guess I never really thought of what the difference is between being a rider and a biker. I guess we all have an idea of what a poser would be.

Many yeras ago I lived, ate, and slept bikes. It was used as daily transportation and for entertainment on weekends. If I wasn't working or sleeping, I either had the bikes loaded up and heading out or I was out on two wheels. I always considered myself as a biker, and the thought of being a rider never crossed my mind. I guess it all depends on where you're at and what you're doing.

There's very few races that I really keep up with. I prefer the ones where the front-runners effortlessly lap the field. If they're going to win, I like to see them win big. I was impressed w/the Ducati 999 when it was introduced in Moto GP. It was light-years ahead of everything else at the time (The same for the 996 when it hit the scene). The Ferraris decimate the competition in F-1 just like Ricky C. has done in moto-x. It takes the machine and the talent to win.

There's fine line between being a biker and a rider. I can see where the guy (or gal) who is the fastest at the track or the one who busts off a big wheelie in view of all to see would be called a good "rider". When I see a group of bikes out on the interstate or meet a loaner packed up on a KLR 650 (or XR650L, etc) in the deserted back country, "biker" comes to mind.

Biker? Rider? Not to worry, it's all close enough to almost be the same. Make sure you go out and have fun.
Just don't be a poser.