Do you ever feel embarrassed to be a biker??

[Lissa]

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

Being a biker used to be different, mysterious, bad-boy and cool ... now it just means you are prolly a bit of a **** with a small appendage and compensating for it!!

I agree to a certain extent. Both the Angels/Outlaw image and the total **** image as described by Ralph are not a good advertisement for Bikers/Motorcyclists. Having said that, we personally have never had a hostile/anti reception anywhere we have gone, either here or abroad. Maybe it's because I'm usually the first into any cafe/hotel/etc, and I bounce in with a big smile on my face and a cheerful greeting. At my size I am definitely non-threatening, and the fact that we are obviously a couple may also work in our favour.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

No, just embarassed by some bikers behaviour.

Sit outside the Carbeth Inn north of Glasgow having an nice pint and a chat with some proper bikers <snip>

What is a 'proper' biker?

I've been riding bikes since I was 11 years old, had a FS1E on my 16th and graduated to an RD250 on my 17th, never had more than 2 days since then without a bike at my disposal. Right at this moment I own 7 bikes of different styles, sizes and makes. I've worked in the bike trade on and off for over 25 years and built race bikes, spannered scooters, moped, bikes and all manner of powered 2-wheelers and bought and sold bikes to pay the mortgage. I've toured, commuted, off-roaded and done trackdays. My life revolves around bikes, in whatever shape they come.

If anyone ever called me a 'proper biker' I'd be highly offended, even though the title is probably more deserved by my sort of motorcyclist than any other. 'Proper biker' round here means the guy drives a Transit van everywhere and has a blinged up 1500cc cruiser that does 200 miles a year sitting in his garage. He wears jeans everywhere, a side zipped leather jacket with fringe tassles, is heavily tattooed, has a beard and listens to rock music from the 70s. He's not my kind of person.

It's this stereotype of 'bikers' that I have fought against for the whole of the time I've been riding, not the power-ranger image conscious types - they came along only in the last 10 years.

Originally Posted by Davie

I would certainly be embarrassed buying mcn but never for being a biker

+1
My house is a MCN free zone

[yorkie_chris]

If I was to call any type of person I see around here a "proper biker" it'd be the guys down at the local meeting spot who never turn up in the car like the harley boys mostly do between the months of september and april, and mostly ride something that's been round the clock at least once.

In my short time as a biker, can't say I've ever been embarassed about being one. If anything, I'm proud of my achievment and I'm told its a great pulling tool?

If people want to group me with the less savoury bikers amongst us, then so be it. I'm confident enough to not care about their opinion.

Oh, and I prefer the term biker. Not biker chick, biker babe, biker bird etc. Just biker. Motorcyclist, to me, sounds too stuffy.

Jeez.....whats with all this need for labels? We can hardly criticise non-riders, when from what i can tell...we're as judgemental as anyone!

I also don't understand this perceived embaressment because of the way other people act. Just get on with it! I won't lose sleep over someone doing a stoppy and i'm hardly going to criticise people for breaking the speed limit/rding fast, as we all do it.

This forum is great, but my only real gripe about it is the strange attitudes to other biker niches. If someone wants to ride a Harley for 12 miles a year then good for them. If thats all the mileage they feel like doing then who cares?

Certainly not me.

I get what people are saying about some "bikers" (please insert your prefered word here), but lets not forget that there are some pretty stupid / rude / inconsiderate people out there in most sections of society that people think of as a "group". I am no more embarissed to ride a bike than to drive a car or ride a push bike. If I mess up then I feel embarissed, but if some tw*t rides like an idiot, that reflects on them not me.

Originally Posted by philbut

I get what people are saying about some "bikers" (please insert your prefered word here), but lets not forget that there are some pretty stupid / rude / inconsiderate people out there in most sections of society that people think of as a "group". I am no more embarissed to ride a bike than to drive a car or ride a push bike. If I mess up then I feel embarissed, but if some tw*t rides like an idiot, that reflects on them not me.

Totally agree.

Originally Posted by ASM-Forever

Jeez.....whats with all this need for labels? We can hardly criticise non-riders, when from what i can tell...we're as judgemental as anyone!

I also don't understand this perceived embaressment because of the way other people act. Just get on with it! I won't lose sleep over someone doing a stoppy and i'm hardly going to criticise people for breaking the speed limit/rding fast, as we all do it.

This forum is great, but my only real gripe about it is the strange attitudes to other biker niches. If someone wants to ride a Harley for 12 miles a year then good for them. If thats all the mileage they feel like doing then who cares?

Certainly not me.

I agree with ASM...

Who cares what other people think? I couldn't care less if i'm called a biker , proper biker, weekend warrior, power ranger or motorcyclist. Some people will stereotype others, thats their problem!

[dizzyblonde]

I don't like the 'scooterboyz' type folk being called bikers. You know the sort that are always on police camera action etc, wheelying around and causing mayhem on their chav mobeelz. In fact I feel sorry for the normal scooter/moped riders that are tarred with the same brush. I am a biker, I am the sort that goes to loads of rallies, rubs shoulders with the 'smellies',back patch variety-and I am a motorcyclist. I just don't like eejits that make it look bad for everyone.
I also don't like weekend warriors that speed all over the place on their R6s in their one piece leathers with an ego as big as.....well as big as.

I just like people who share the love we have for our bikes, the community spirit, the friends for life types that I frequently meet along our travels, then i can safely say I am proud to be a biker