THIS! Lost a good ridin' buddy over disagreement about this type of rider because I refuse to wear patches and pretend to be one of the group. I ride for me, my ride, my way, that's all. My gear is mismatched and my riding style is my own. I don't care what anyone else thinks, every time I get on my Strom it fits me and I smile. I can go on gravel if I choose or lean it over in the twisties too.

I don't hold a grudge against anybody who has a dream of being a type of biker/rider and they're working towards that goal/dream at their own speed. But, many riders are posing to be a biker, like a weekend cowboy, we used to call Rexall Raiders. Mel Tillis had a song that included a lyric about a Coca Cola Cowboy. If that's what you want to be about, I'm ok with that too, just don't try to make me into some preconceived idea of what you think I should be, poser or not.

Ride 'em if you got 'em!

__________________
"The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the road has gone and I must follow if I can." J.R.R. Tolkien
DL650AL
LIMNCS #51
Shiro Nakama Shichi #007

I try not to label people. I got into a benefit ride a month or so ago with a friend who is "sargent at arms" with the Iron Order MC. Their thing is they are a legal biker gang/club whatever. I did the ride because I knew the hurt rider it was for personally.

I show up and was on the strom. Yellow hiviz jacket...my standard gear including electric vest. I threw my old Harley leather jacket in my case as an after thought. It was cold so only 14 bikes including me. When I went in to the clubhouse to register, you could hear a pin drop. My buddy sees me and welcomes me in. Several riders where carrying handguns concealed (but so was I). I switched to my leather coat before leaving but the rest was pure ADV rider clothes. After coffee we were off. One full face helmet and 13 lidless "outlaws".

Standard poker run format but it was a bar to bar ride. Nobody I saw got drunk and I stuck to my tea. I had an absolute great time learning about another slice of humanity. These guys really cared about their cause and fallen friend and welcomed me into their colorful conversations.

At the last stop wives showed up with several kids. Just like my family and likely yours. If you have ever seen "turtle man" on TV he was there also. I would do it again in a heart beat and I almost chickened out.

So, never judge somebody a poser. You may have been one yourself like I was.

P.S. some of these guys rode 2 hours to get to the beginning of the ride.

__________________
________________________________
2007 Blue SuperVee 1000
2002 White HD Road King Police
2000 Red Honda XR 400r
2003 Green Honda Rincon 650 ATV

If it is not broken, it can still be fixed

I can't tell you the number of folks who not only refuse to wear my club patch, but just don't want to be seen with me. It's like middle school all over gain.

__________________
Sent from my Hewlett-Packard 75C, using the Flying Merkel motorcycle app.

Stromin'Nroman NC28729, USA

DL650A K7 (Greywolf Moto Lab's R&D test mule) June 1, 2012 - present
DL650A K7 April 23, 2007 - January 6, 2012, RIP

"Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmik debris?" Frank Zappa, 1975

05 AdultAspergersSociety.org | AspergersSociety.org

__________________
2013 Northeast V-Strom Rally!

ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS

8/2/2013

I thought your patch would be 100% Homo, not 2%.

..Tom

__________________
Road Toads Charter Member - 2006 V-Strom DL650: 202,000 km 125,500 miles, 2012 DL650 New March 2012 54,000 km


Why Cars don't see bikes (SMIDSY)
SMIDSY detailed report

Many in the general (non-riding) public would tend to call anyone who rides a "biker", although for me that is more for the 1 percenter's or perhaps for the pirates. I don't get offended by it but try and gently correct them.

To me a Motorcycle Enthusiast is someone that loves motorcycles. They don't even need to ride them to qualify.They might know all the details about bikes, love looking at them etc, but might never ever ride one. A co-worker was a Piper Cub Enthusiast. He and his partner went on drives all over North America to see Piper Cubs. Went to meets, etc but never owned one, never flew one and never had his Pilot license. I don't think he ever was a passenger in one but knew just about everything there was to know about them. (I am a bit of a "Space Enthusiast" although I have never been out there that I know of.)

I fancy myself more of a "Rider", that is someone that just loves riding. The bike isn't nearly as important for me as the riding as long as I can ride it in a way I fancy. That is one of the reasons I love my Strom as the bike fades away when riding it and it really is just me riding.

You could be a "Biker", a "Motorcycle Enthusiast" and a "Rider" all at once but I see them all as different terms that describe different things.

..Tom

__________________
Road Toads Charter Member - 2006 V-Strom DL650: 202,000 km 125,500 miles, 2012 DL650 New March 2012 54,000 km


Why Cars don't see bikes (SMIDSY)
SMIDSY detailed report

100% Homo................................... Sapiens, you Neanderthal.

..................not that there's anything wrong with it.

By the way, I choose my gear, not by how it looks, but by how sexy I feel in it.

__________________
Sent from my Hewlett-Packard 75C, using the Flying Merkel motorcycle app.

Stromin'Nroman NC28729, USA

DL650A K7 (Greywolf Moto Lab's R&D test mule) June 1, 2012 - present
DL650A K7 April 23, 2007 - January 6, 2012, RIP

"Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmik debris?" Frank Zappa, 1975

I suspect the look and how you feel are closely related.

..Tom

__________________
Road Toads Charter Member - 2006 V-Strom DL650: 202,000 km 125,500 miles, 2012 DL650 New March 2012 54,000 km


Why Cars don't see bikes (SMIDSY)
SMIDSY detailed report

This naturally leads the next question;
Is it worse to be a poser or a wanker ???

"Poser" in US English has a different meaning to "poser" in British English.

In British English, it is spelled "poseur".

In Brit, a "poser" is someone who poses, whereas a "poseur" is a person who behaves affectedly in order to impress others.

Wait! I just checked Merriam-Webster, and the correct US spelling is the same as the British! So you are all wrong.

__________________
2007 Suzuki DL650 K7 (With a few farkles)

RIP Bucko - Riding on forever