"Biker" or "a guy who rides" | GTAMotorcycle.com

"Biker" or "a guy who rides"

suzuki2000

suzuki2000

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A few posts lately about riding in the rain. in one recent PD13 post a rider said would not go due to rain, was told then they are not a biker, likely in jest.

Made me think...
I ride, I like to ride, I don't always have the time to ride as much as I would like to but I ride when I can. I ride to commute and I ride for fun
I don't ride in poor weather, I am ok being a fair weather guy, I will drive if it makes more sense for what I have to do that day

I've never considered myself a "biker" but I am ok being "a guy who rides"

is there a difference?
 
suzuki2000 said:
A few posts lately about riding in the rain. in one recent PD13 post a rider said would not go due to rain, was told then they are not a biker, likely in jest.

Made me think...
I ride, I like to ride, I don't always have the time to ride as much as I would like to but I ride when I can. I ride to commute and I ride for fun
I don't ride in poor weather, I am ok being a fair weather guy, I will drive if it makes more sense for what I have to do that day

I've never considered myself a "biker" but I am ok being "a guy who rides"

is there a difference?
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yea that comment was directed at me. I personally don't really care what others think. The fact is if it's raining then I'm riding 2 hours in the rain (no point in taking back roads if they are soaked) to go stand around in the rain (since anywhere indoors will be packed) and then ride home in the rain. I ride because it's fun, not to prove how hardcore I am.

and I'm sure it was all in good fun, hence the reason I played along.
 
Rider is someone that actually rides rides and not someone that just goes to point A ->Pose<- and goes Point B ->home<-

Can't really have fun in the rain...but I ride regardless because the Bike is how I commute! (No car) :D
 
I'm a guy who just rides...anytime anywhere on anything. I hate the term "biker". Makes me wanna pimp and slap hos
 
I'm a rider. If I want to go somewhere and it's raining, I don't care to do it on 2 wheels. I ride my bike every single day (started on march 14th) except for one day during the last snowstorm in my area.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think of myself as a superior rider than anyone else just because I don't mind riding in any weather. It's all a personal choice.
Heck, I don't even care what type of bike you ride. Riding is riding. :)

The term "biker" to me is synonymous with people who ride Harley's with the "badass" attitude, and to people who ride mountain bikes. :D
 
UJelly said:
...but I ride regardless because the Bike is how I commute! (No car) :D
Click to expand...

*high five*
I'm currently in the same boat as you.

My truck died late february and figured I would just start riding the bike and save money over the summer to buy another truck in the fall.
 
being a rider is how you feel inside. you know whether you ride because of the thrill you feel, or because you love the look of you and your bike in photos/ parking lots.

where some of the comments stem from, in my case anyways, is not whether someone rides in the rain or snow, its when they start saying anyone that does is crazy, or it's bad. IE "I won't ride in the rain becuase then I have to clean the bike". that to me is posing. who cares if your bike is dirty, just ride it. or reading: "people that ride in the snow are crazy", that to me just seems close minded towards heated gear and I'll go at anyone that snarks. neither rub has anything to do with how many hours you've spent on/off the bike, it's when people get defensive and either make BS excuses, or attack others for enjoying the ride out of defence towards their own non riding.

again, see first line.
 
Well said fyrebug.
 
for some reason people really like to label themselves (biker, rider...) and then they go and find / make up a list of rules that they think applies to this label (you are a real rider only if you ride in the rain / snow...), and then they go and let riding motorcycles define 90% of their life (motorcycle theme weddings is one example that comes to mind).
I've never been able to figure out why people do it, maybe its to belong, or to have an identity, i'm not sure. If that's what makes them happy then great, the problem starts when they start judging other people based on these "rules".
 
jeero said:
*high five*
I'm currently in the same boat as you.

My truck died late february and figured I would just start riding the bike and save money over the summer to buy another truck in the fall.
Click to expand...

You are also a polar bear wearing a mesh jacket in the winter.

I ride when I feel like it, and don't care what others think. I ride in the rain if I get caught out in it, but I don't really ride in it intentionally.
 
i could care less if I get the bike dirty, just means I'm spending more time riding than cleaning it. I'm still a fairly new rider, and riding in the wet still makes me a little nervous, so I avoid it if I can.
 
I prefer rider over biker but non-riders seem to love the term "biker".
 
im not a 'biker'. im a guy that enjoys riding motorcycles.
 
killerkeith said:
I'm a guy who just rides...anytime anywhere on anything. I hate the term "biker". Makes me wanna pimp and slap hos
Click to expand...

"Biker" - often to me, means the more shady guys, ot the guys who like Chrome and leather..
"Motorcyclist" - to me, means, the motorcycling enthusiast in general
 
I hate labels, but my understanding is that the term "biker" has evolved into the narrow meaning describing the riders that either are, or look like, bad boys and are wearing pirate suits and riding cruisers. In most cases it is more about the image than actually riding a lot. I suspect most "bikers' don't ride much in rain.

Posers are riders that only ride motorcycles to the local coffee shops. Posers are closely related to "Bikers" and there is some overlap, but posers don't need to have Cruisers. They could ride any kind of bike and are more interested in impressing other people than actualy riding the bike.

Riders are people that ride motorcycles.


I ride (a lot!) in almost any condition (I usually draw the line at snow on the road) but that's my choice and I really don't worry about what others do, unless they happen to be riding with me. Everyone has their own idea as to how they enjoy their bike and there is nothing wrong with that.


..Tom
 
jeero said:
Heck, I don't even care what type of bike you ride. Riding is riding. :)
Click to expand...

Cheers to that my friend! I love all bikes. I remember when I first started riding and didn't know anything, the sport bike guys I used to ride with would hit up the harley guys. But I met some harley guys on the road, and some of them are the nicest people I've ever met! I was such a newb back then, when they invited me for a ride, I was like "you don't mind what kind of bike I ride?" And they responded with "two wheels is two wheels. We all face the same dangers, doesn't matter what you ride". Probably the wisest words of wisdom from a biker lol. I had a CBR125 my first year, and now I have a ZZR250 converted to a streetfighter. Sport bike guys would always ask me if I'm going to put the fairings back on, because it'll look better. I actually like the streetfighter look! So I'm going to keep it that way. Those same guys also ask me when am I going to get a big girl's bike?

Anyway to answer your question, I think a rider is someone who just loves riding on two wheels - no matter what they ride. Someone who's not just into this for the image. I put over 10,000km a season on my bike and ride for hours around the circuit. I wouldn't ride in the rain only because I'm putting myself in more danger than I need to. I rode in the cold because those were the weekends I visited home and I didn't want to miss out on riding. Came back to work sick after every weekend I went home lol.
 
mahnoy said:
Cheers to that my friend! I love all bikes. I remember when I first started riding and didn't know anything, the sport bike guys I used to ride with would hit up the harley guys. But I met some harley guys on the road, and some of them are the nicest people I've ever met! I was such a newb back then, when they invited me for a ride, I was like "you don't mind what kind of bike I ride?" And they responded with "two wheels is two wheels. We all face the same dangers, doesn't matter what you ride". Probably the wisest words of wisdom from a biker lol. I had a CBR125 my first year, and now I have a ZZR250 converted to a streetfighter. Sport bike guys would always ask me if I'm going to put the fairings back on, because it'll look better. I actually like the streetfighter look! So I'm going to keep it that way. Those same guys also ask me when am I going to get a big girl's bike?

Anyway to answer your question, I think a rider is someone who just loves riding on two wheels - no matter what they ride. Someone who's not just into this for the image. I put over 10,000km a season on my bike and ride for hours around the circuit. I wouldn't ride in the rain only because I'm putting myself in more danger than I need to. I rode in the cold because those were the weekends I visited home and I didn't want to miss out on riding. Came back to work sick after every weekend I went home lol.
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Word!

Funny thing is you can ride better than half those guys at the Tims lol Bunch a hattin posers up in Windsor....glad I'm outta that place!
 
mikcbr said:
jeero said:
*high five*
I'm currently in the same boat as you.

My truck died late february and figured I would just start riding the bike and save money over the summer to buy another truck in the fall.
Click to expand...
You are also a polar bear wearing a mesh jacket in the winter.
Click to expand...

Hehe, yeah a little. :D
I love polar bears.
 
People that care more about how they look then how they ride are posers. The public concept of a "biker" brings to mind so much more than motorcycles. Belonging to a club, looking tough, and harping about right wing rhetoric doesnt make you a biker. Unless you care more about riding than image your a poser imo.

Like V-Tom alluded to, there are riders and posers. "Biker" has its roots in both.
 
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I am a rider. I ride every day, and though I do in the rain, I obviously prefer a grippy sticky hot road.

Here are my valid excuses to not ride and opt for the car while still be considered a rider:

1) transporting your kid or wife.
2) shopping of any kind which will involve more material than can be accomodated in a back pack.
3) you pulled an all-nighter for uni or work and have the reflexes of a worm (you may even opt for a nap on the ttc).
4) you need a "mobile" hotel room to get it on *wink wink*.
5) An extreeeeeeemely long trip in which riding is not actually part of the holiday plans, as in you just want to get there, rather than enjoy the trip there.
6) Sub 5C temperatures
7) Snow
8) Salt
9) Ice
10) In the shop for service
11) Bald (illegal tires)
12) Trailoring your bike to the track!
13) Trailoring your busted bike back from the track!
14) Following behind a group of riders filming for a round the world trip to air on UK telivision starring a Star Wars actor.

Here are the excuses for not riding that will have you considered as "someone who rides":
1) Its too cold (-15 or below)
2) Its too hot (+25 and above)
3) Your wife doesn't let you
4) You don't have enough time
5) It's raining
6) It might rain
7) It rained earlier
9) Your tail tidy, new grips, rear sets, bubble windscreen, braided brake lines, or led light kit didn't come in / get installed yet
10) Its not de-winterized (by May)
11) The cafe is closed
12) The bike is dirty
13) You have been talking about getting your M1 for 5 years now (not even considered "someone who rides")
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